"Hello, dad? Mom said I should stop by your office and pick up something"

"Why would she send you here? Don't come to my office"

"But dad, it's concerning her presentation on Thursday"

"You heard me Ariel, do not come to my office"

Beep..

Why does dad keep doing this to mom? She wasn't the one who cheated but she's still the one loving unconditionally.

I hate him for treating her like she's trash.

I wouldn't have thought of going to his office if mom hadn't asked me to get a piece of her presentation she forgot at his office when she caught him with another woman.

I just got back from school and my day has been really stressful. Instead of going back to my dorm, I was going to talk to a man I didn't want to see.

I stood in front of the elevator, waiting for it to open.

I'd have taken the escalator but there's always a crowd of people there, the elevator was always free and I didn't have a minute to spare, I needed to go back to my dorm and work on a group project.

Ding...

The elevator door opened and I walked in, no one was inside, as it always is, empty.

Just as it was about to close, someone held its door.

This guy? I know him from school.

I hate him and he hates me.

We never get along and he was good at embarrassing me in public, making people laugh at me and call me names.

He is so full of himself, proud and arrogant.

The moment his fragrance passed my nostrils I became irritated, like I'd have just taken my chances with the escalator.

He walked in and stood next to me at a distance.

"He can't even say hi, he's acting like he doesn't know me", I muttered.

He pressed the floor button, a floor before mine.

Silence...

This is really weird. The only sound we could hear was the sound from the rails of the elevator. Why was I being nervous around this annoying person? I shook my head to dismiss that silly thought.

The elevator kept going up until...

.....Clank.... Screech... Bang... Thud.

The elevator dropped.

"What the fuck?!", I shouted.

I was clung to his body. Wait, I didn't do that on purpose, I was only scared.

"Take your hands off me", he said sternly.

That was cold. He couldn't even ask if I was OK. Tch...fuck him.

He began to hit the door of the elevator.

I just sat back and watched him, I didn't want to say anything that'd upset him.

Thud... thud... thud...;

He kept banging the door.

"It's useless", I said calmly

"Shut up", he growled at me.

"You can as well keep banging that door till tomorrow, I hope you have the energy to that", I shouted.

He doesn't even like me, why would I show sympathy? Why is it natural for me to feel pity and sympathy for everyone? I kept on screaming at myself silently.

"What do you mean?", he asked but I remained quiet.

I know I was being childish but he told me to shut up, that was rude.

"You wouldn't talk?", he asked but I still remind quiet.

He went back to hitting the door.

He began to mutter to himself, going through his phone.

"There isn't service down here", I said.

"Oh? So now you can talk"

He leaned his head on the door of the elevator. Somehow, I found his reaction cute.

No, I can't find someone I hate "cute", that's abnormal.

I pinched myself to make that crazy thought go away.

_______

Thank you for reading.