09-16-2014, 06:18 PM
Asha's hand snapped back reflexively at the touch - too much, too much, too much. The comfort, though well-intentioned, pushed her head back under, and she struggled against the current, warring with too much extreme and conflicting emotion. Her body couldn't house the turmoil. She'd break. A little distance, though, a little distance and the reassurance had more impact. She let it soothe her at the edges, grateful. Her skull ached. But the ghost of foreign emotion began to fade. She felt bad for snatching away from the contact, but there wasn't much she could do - not to explain, or to erase the rudeness. Eventually her lips tipped into a small, grim smile. A small measure of appreciation. "Yeah. I'm okay. Thanks."
And for a second, that was true.
The guy detached himself from his girlfriend, joined the redhead - she noticed from her peripheral vision rather than the senses she had learned to rely on, because he was still painfully absent. He smiled at her; a consoling smile, but without the feeling to back it up she only found it disturbing. Asha jerked back the moment he drew close; she didn't trust the silence, and she certainly didn't want to be near it. Her hand caught the edge of her cup, the china tinkled and black liquid gushed across the tabletop. Not scalding any longer, just hot. She barely noticed as it spread and dripped off the edges of the table. She was on her feet, to get away from him or the burning liquid, either way the chair was now between them. "Sorry for what?"
And for a second, that was true.
The guy detached himself from his girlfriend, joined the redhead - she noticed from her peripheral vision rather than the senses she had learned to rely on, because he was still painfully absent. He smiled at her; a consoling smile, but without the feeling to back it up she only found it disturbing. Asha jerked back the moment he drew close; she didn't trust the silence, and she certainly didn't want to be near it. Her hand caught the edge of her cup, the china tinkled and black liquid gushed across the tabletop. Not scalding any longer, just hot. She barely noticed as it spread and dripped off the edges of the table. She was on her feet, to get away from him or the burning liquid, either way the chair was now between them. "Sorry for what?"