She covered her mouth just right after his name slipped her mouth. Don't look this way please, she prayed to the heavens. Too late for regrets, though! Eli stopped pedaling upon instantly recognizing her face from afar. His stern pitch black eyes boldly scrutinized her from head to toe as she drew closer. For inexplicable reasons, she felt giddy and tense at once.
"What are you doing here?" he asked.
His gruff voice was intimidating as though if she answered wrongly, she would be on serious probation.
"How come I'm sweating bullets! Shi, should've taped my mouth in the first place!" she inwardly fret while thinking for the least doubtful answer.
"Good morning, pauper! I'm looking for transport to school. May I hitch a ride in your bike?" she exclaimed, instead.
"Enough with the dodging. I'm serious." He did a quick glance at his wristwatch then back to her, "It's 5:30 in the morning, you came out of nowhere from the woods and no sign of Harris or Teddy escorting you. How do you want me to react? I'm worried, Aragon! And that's unusual for me to be troubled about you because you're always---"
"What, invincible? Why? ... Do I look vulnerable now? It's fine, Eli. I bleed and face problems like everybody else, too. Human thing, I guess. That's nothing to be worried over! And will you please, please quit making other people your responsibility!" She cut him off, yelling in utter frustration.
You're being unfair, she wanted to add. His voice laced with genuine concern, his face making cute stressed expressions and his words that coaxed her into believing... All of these tempt her to burst in tears when she already thought she was a tough cookie nobody could tear down.
He bridged the distance between them then held both of her arms captive. She stared up at him due to the shock. As much as she intended to avert her attention a second after, their eyes already locked into each other. She burned at his fervent gaze but knew it impossible to look away.
"Yes. You seemed ready to crumble any minute from now. What's the big deal? That's okay, no need to act all tough 'cause you're human, alright. And no, you're not just other people to me. Why do you think I stopped at your first call?"
She gulped. Her knees suddenly felt wobbly. It was a tricky question. How she hated his guts for saying that so blunt!
Don't you dare think you're special to that pauper, she chastised herself.
"You tell me why?" she challenged him, raising her eyebrow at the same time.
"Dammit, because I care! We may belong in a different circle and only talked to argue but I've been around you for as long as I was twel..." He trailed off.
Both their faces flushed red upon recollection of their first meeting. Abruptly, they break their eye contact. It was unknown if both were feeling shy to acknowledge their bond or guilty for remembering a memory long ago. Before the prolonged silence creates an agonizing awkwardness, they decide to speak.
"Although we were never really... friends." they said in unison.
They fell silent again.
Then, what are we?
Neither of them was brave enough to bring up the question because for now, what they share is enough.
She peeked at Eli through her peripheral vision, he still had these knots on his forehead. The guilt crept her heart until she could not hold her silence... or at the very least, assure him without full disclosure on what she was up to.
"I know me popping out of nowhere is weird but I assure you it's nothing like dangerous. This is my kind of peace and quiet, aight? Get it over, worrywart." she teased at the end to divert his focus.
For a brief moment, he stared at her searching for the truth in her eyes. Unluckily for her, that felt an hour stretched painfully long. Well, the agony was short-lived. He nodded, surrendering his lost case since she seemed unwilling to share that part of her.
I guess I just have to support her with what I've got, he concluded.
Without a word spoken, he placed a paper bag on her open palm. She shot him a questioning look but he was already facing front. Thus she proceeded on opening it. To her much delight, crescent moon shaped bread greeted her vision that she quickly felt her mouth watering. Its meaty aroma also made her stomach growl.
"It's empanadas. Eat up so we can go." he stated in his best nonchalant tone.
"Yea, yea, whatever! Eli, patron of the hungry people on the streets." she mocked.
Using her empty stomach was downright dirty, she thought yet brought the delicacy to her mouth, anyway.
She gobbled the empanada kissing goodbye to her pride. Eli watched her through the bike's side mirror smiling. It's not everyday he sees the domineering Caress Aragon lay her defenses because she is hungry.
After finishing up, she turned-statue, realizing what she needed to do next. His broad back was inviting however --- with malice in her emotions, how could she dare?
"What?" He glanced at her, asking.
"Nothing!" she dismissed sounding defensive than usual.
Driven by panic, she abruptly scooted beside him then encircled her hands around his waist. He stiffened momentarily which she took as a bad sign. She was about to release her hold but lost the will when he placed his atop hers as though telling her to stay put.
Neither of the two talked. They relished the wind blowing against their pace, sound of cars honking and speeding past them, sun rising in the east while spreading an orange hue to the horizon and most importantly, the in-sync rapid yet relaxed beat of their hearts. After all, the moment was theirs to live.