It's Alive. -A DC snippet

Soundtrack--A Fine Frenzy, It's Alive

It was Tuesday. I glanced at my watch: a quarter ‘til 9:00, and I knew Aria would be due to come in a short while. I stuck my headphones in my ears and waited for the elevator to finish its ride down to the main lobby. I felt it slow down and backed up to the railing in the elevator, propping my hands on either side of me, letting room. Frankly, I don’t pay much attention to elevators. Too many crowded thoughts, smells, and nerves—makes me antsy. I hung my head down, tapping my fingers in tune with the music, and watched the silhouette of the doors slide open. My eyes glanced up through my glasses and noticed a man of average muscular build walk in. He looked up through his longish brown hair that hung over his eyes, glanced right at me, and gave a small smile.

He saw me.
I didn’t return the gesture and merely slid my arm back to my side. His finger went down to the panel, but when he saw it went to the lobby, he retracted it. He wore plain loose jeans and a fitted gray T-shirt and his ear length hair looked like he had just washed it. A pair of old headphones hung around his neck, looking small against his broad shoulders. He had haphazard stubble on his face as if he hadn’t bothered shaving for a week or so. He smelled like the salt air and rain scented soap and…

Stop.
Stop. What are you doing? I felt my pupils dilating.
Just. Stop.
My pulse raced and my hand went to my shirt angrily, wanting to stop my heart from beating.

The synapses in this brain were firing like a guerrilla attack. He pushed his hair back from eyes with his fingers, revealing more of his face. I straightened my body rather quickly and leaned towards the corner of the elevator opposite him. I felt extremely awkward, a voodoo ragdoll under someone else’s control, and judging from his body language, he confirmed my suspicion. My limbs were bent outward like I couldn’t stand casually and an attempt to hide them behind my back only led me to slightly hyper extend my knees and stick my hip out. One of my fingers entangled a long curl of hair and began twirling it unattractively. In my peripheral vision, I saw a small smile fighting at the corner of his lips. My eyes wandered to his throat next, then his chest as it heaved softly underneath the cotton, then…

I thanked Hades when the familiar ‘ding’ uttered through the speaker, breaking my incomprehensible reverie and the doors slid open. From the corner of my eye, I noticed that he was looking at me and wasn’t moving. “After you,” he said, extending his arm out towards the lobby. His voice was deep and reminiscent of an overseas accent lost through the generations.

“I forgot something, have to go back up,” I croaked, my hand clasping my throat.
He smiled softly and turned to exit, his eyes giving me one last glance before walking across the threshold. He barely took two steps before I rushed to the panel and maniacally pressed the ‘close door’ button. I pressed it so hard and fast that I was gritting my teeth and started to taste the acid dripping from them. I saw someone rush to catch the door, but thankfully didn’t make it in time. I let out an exasperated sigh and took off my sunglasses. I felt a bead of sweat trickle down between my eyebrows and I wiped it off in anger. I looked at myself in the reflection of the elevator interior and turned my head side to side. My cheeks were bright red.

Was I…blushing? I laughed, but with an air of nervousness. “No,” I muttered out loud.
But…. I pointed to my reflection sternly. “No.”
Okay, no. I was much more powerful than a silly human body…and yet…it did feel rather…good.
“Blech,” I yell out, feigning scratching my tongue at the possibility of the thought. “I’m not good. I don’t feel good, I’m supposed to feel not good…and now I’m talking to myself. Great.” This body was starting to wear out its welcome. I needed a cupcake.