forum Under Seven Minutes // Private RP

Started April 08, 2019 by @blue_topaz

tune

“I’m not pretending,” Gray answered with a small sigh. “You know, I’m really not going to force myself on you. I may be a flirt, but I know where to draw the line.”

“That’s not what I meant,” she answered immediately, what seemed like the millionth half-truth of the evening. “You know what I mean. Don’t—Don’t play with me, Gray, I’m sick of your games.”

Gray finally stopped walking, letting out another sigh.

“Whatever I’m going to say, you’re going to ignore,” he said softly, looking at her right in the eyes. “You’re going to pick out on something else, no matter what I say. So really, why are you asking me this?”

All of a sudden, my fear melted into anger. “Yes, I’m going to pick out on something else,” I told him, quietly but full of impromptu fury. “Because there’s a long list of things to care about, Grayson. I don’t—I don’t understand you. Why? Why are you doing this?”

“Who knows,” Gray shrugged, pleased to have her feel something other than anger. It didn’t matter whether her words were like needles. Anything was better than that fear. “Why do you think I want something from you?”

“Stop,” Violeta breathed, “Stop. For god’s sake, just stop.” He was still toying with her, still twisting her mind, trying to make her say it aloud. Well, she wasn’t going to cave in to his goddamm torment. “You know why. I know why. So stop trying to make me say it. Please. Just—Just walk me to my dorm and be done with it.

“That’s the whole goddamn problem,” Gray finally exclaimed in exasperation. “I don’t know! I don’t know why you hate me. I don’t know why you always look at me like I’m an ant beneath your shoes. I don’t know why you always seem to be afraid whenever I’m around even though I’ve always tried to keep up a respectable distance whenever we’re together. I don’t know what the hell I’m doing wrong if you don’t tell me outright so I can fix it.”

He was still pretending. Still trying to twist her words, still trying to bend her to his will. Violeta felt sick all over again. Her anger was completely spent, draining out of her and leaving nothing but desperation and exhaustion. “Please,” she repeated in a tiny voice, hugging her middle.

Gray stared at her for a couple of minutes, fighting off the urge to wrap his arms around her. Please. The small, scared voice. Terrified Violeta. Because of him.

“I’ll walk you to your dorm now,” he muttered, looking forward again. “Let’s go.”

He didn’t speak again.

Violeta didn’t relax for the entire twenty-five minute walk home. Gray lived close to campus, but even so, the way back was painfully slow, minutes stretching out into eternity. When they finally arrived, tense and silent, she paused, unsure what to say.

Though Gray wanted to spend a little more time with her, he was pleased to reach her dorm. He looked at her once they stopped.

“Goodnight,” he said quietly, waiting for her to walk inside.

Violeta gave a tiny nod, not daring to meet his eyes. After a few moments of fumbling around with her keys, she uttered a soft “Thank your mother for me,” and was gone.

Gray shook his head, heaving a sigh before he turned around, walking away. This wasn’t good. Gray never told anyone he was adopted. He preferred to keep his background a secret, not because he was ashamed, but because he hated talking about it. And now the girl who hated his guts knew about it.

Violeta drifted up the stairs and in the general direction of her room, not bothering to take the elevator. She wasn’t lost in thought, just… drained. Empty. All her anger and fear was spent, and by battling back her revulsion, all that was left behind was a lingering sense of numbness.

When she finally arrived at her room, the door swung open to reveal her hardcore, red-headed roommate, Lillian.

“Where were you??” she demanded, pulling Violeta inside.

“Tutoring,” she mumbled in response, turning away. “That’s bullshit,” Lillian answered bluntly. “Are you okay?? What happened?”

“Nothing.”

[TIME SKIP: TWO DAYS LATER]

“What we’re doing this month is very simple,” their teacher, Carter, started, snapping Gray out of his thoughts. “We’re going to do a problem-based project. You’ll all be in pairs and each group will work on a different problem related to environmental science. I’ll be selecting your groups for you. They’ll be on the board.”

Gray looked at the projector as it turned on and he sighed heavily when he saw who he was paired up with.

Violeta. The universe truly hated him.

Violeta was barely awake that morning, drifting through a haze of abstracted thoughts. She wasn't upset, no, wasn't numb or depressed, just woozy and drunk from an overload of creative inspiration. Most of the night had been spent painting with earbuds in and music turned up to full volume, occasionally pausing to compose a melody according to the colours on each canvas. She was happy now, if exhausted, but what she saw projected on the board in class completely killed her mood.

Grayson.

Instantly, she was awake.

“What you’re going to do is select an environment-based problem and create a presentation on it,” the teacher continued. “Explain why this is a problem. Explain its history, and then suggest the solution, or an alternative to that problem. You have about a month, and I’ll give you fifteen minutes every day of class to get started on it. For now, get into your pairs and begin planning.”

Violeta released a quiet groan, folding her arms on the tabletop and sinking down until her face was buried in them. I'm just going to stay here…. she thought loopily, though dread pooled in her stomach. If he wants to work with me, he's going to have to come here. Because I'm not moving until he does.

Gray eyed Violeta as she slumped in her seat. He sighed heavily before he stood up, grabbing his bag and his phone before walking over to her seat and setting his bag on the desk next to her. He took his seat, but otherwise remained silent.

When Violeta heard a muffled thump and the familiar screech of a chair being pushed back, she didn't lift her head. "Gray?" she mumbled sleepily, accidentally calling him by his nickname. "S'that you?"

Gray’s heart somersaulted when she called his name. Especially the way she said it.

“Yeah,” he answered, looking down at her. “It’s me. You okay?”

"M'tired…." she muttered, shifting slightly in her seat. "N' this project is stupid. And I'm hungry but I don't want to eat…. I just want to sleep and paint… or something…" Evidently, the lack of sleep had made her loose-lipped, or else she wouldn't be telling him all this.

Gray chuckled, leaning back against his chair.

“Is that so?” He mused. “I agree, though. This is a ridiculous project. Question—why don’t you want to eat?”