Beautiful

Two teens stuck in an elevator... opposites attract?

 

I’ll still never be able to understand why it is somehow impossible for me to hate her. She hates me. So why is it so hard?

The speaker comes on, in this suddenly huge elevator. “Just keep calm. The elevator has just stopped, we’ll be able to get you out in just a couple minutes. Just hang tight.”

This was going to be interesting.

I look over at Kaylea, her jaw tight as she stares at the floor.

Why did I like her so much? It was because she didn’t like me. She was the only one who never even cared to give me a double-take, never flashed her perfect eyes my way or giggled too much; laughed too hard if I happened to be nearby.

That, and so much more. She was beautiful, and she didn’t even put on a gallon of make-up every day. Like the fake plastic girls who are completely oblivious to my friends who felt the same way as I do for Kaylea for the girls who had no lives. I haven’t exactly told her, because I know for a certain fact she hates me. I’m as good as the next guy over. I bet she doesn’t even know my name.

She doesn’t even pay me a glance, and I look away realizing how hard I was staring. She starts to play with her long blonde hair, twirling it in between her fingers, and blinking her blue eyes as she looks at the buttons, right by where I’m standing.

I sit down and put my head into my hands. “Not exactly the way you expected to spend your night I bet, right?” I ask her, slightly biting my lip nervously. After gaining back some dignity, I look at her, now sitting down as well, as far away from me as she could get.

She’s staring at me, her face blank. “Why’d you follow me in here?” she asks, kind of snapping.

“Hey, hey,” I defend, trying to think up a quick excuse. “Now really, you can just glare at me and hate me for the whole couple minutes we’re in here, or you can just be thankful you don’t have to be in the elevator yourself, during this whole breakdown-age. There’s room for two in here, right?”

“Barely,” she retorts, and changes her expression to a glare. “Why’d you follow me?”

I look away, and stare at the suddenly interesting buttons on the elevator. “I didn’t follow you. We just happened to get on the elevator at the same time. What’s so wrong with that?”

Her glare loosens, and she shakes her head.

“You know. I really hate guys. You in particular drive me more insane then anyone.”

I widen my eyes. “I’m curious. What did I do? No offense, I didn’t even know you knew my name.”

“You are the biggest hypocrite I have ever met, ever, Luke. You hate most girls for the reason I hate all guys. Luke, your not hot, your just conceited. There’s a reason I don’t wear make-up, and that’s because I’m sick of you all already. You don’t always get what you want, and I think it’s stupid that you think it’s okay to like me when I at least pay you a courtesy. Not me though, I never get a break, not even from Luke Perryman.”

Am I that obvious? I don’t stare that often, do I?

“Actually, Kaylea, I thank you for your opinion, but your stupid face isn’t what turns me on. It’s you.”

“Oh so you do like me. Now there is no doubt in my mind that there is no guy with a life on this whole Earth. And admit it,” she says, and moves closer. “You think I’m the prettiest freaking girl you’ve ever seen.”

I close my eyes and quietly moan to myself because of her suddenly sexy coaxing.

“It doesn’t matter what you say, Luke, you’ll never be any different from any other guy.”

“You sound awfully sure of yourself.”

“I am.”

I weigh my options now, considering all possible answers. “You don’t look so beautiful when you scold me so, you know.”

She leans back, as if startled by my answer. “I don’t look any different just because of what I say. Admit it. You think I’m a brat. You think I’m drop-dead gorgeous. You’re only lying to yourself.”

“I’ll admit to the brat part right now, but you’ll have to keep praying for the pretty response otherwise.”

She looked angry at me now, and she returned back to her corner, not responding now. I knew she wasn’t always a brat. She was only that way around guys, which I’ve seen over and over, but the way she talks to teachers and her friends, and younger kids… it’s a different person. She was beautiful, which I knew, but I was determined to show her that everyone is different. I wasn’t going to let her pride build up inside of herself, and to hate me just because of my gender.

My cell phone buzz’s in my pocket, and I take it out. “Hey Katie,” I say.

“Luke! Where are you! Mom and dad have been waiting outside since forever!”

“The elevator broke down, it’s going to be a couple minutes,” I tell her. She was my six-year younger sister.

“Yeah right. Just get your butt out here, okay? Mom and dad won’t turn on the car to save gas, and it’s freezing!”

“No Katie, I’m serious. Tell mom and dad it wont be much longer. I love you Katie, bye,” I tell her, and hang up as she screams.

“You know,” Kaylea says when I close it. “It’s bad to flirt with multiple girls, especially when you have a girlfriend.”

I look up at her, deciding whether it’s worth it or not to refute. “For one, Katie’s my sister, for another, Shelly isn’t my girlfriend. She wishes.”

Kaylea rolls her eyes, and leans her head against the wall, closing her eyes.

“You don’t think I’m pretty?” Kaylea asks me, her voice suddenly softer.

“Not right now.”

“But I am pretty,” she insists, sticking out her lip a little, not looking at me.

“Wait, who’s conceited? Me or you?”

She doesn’t answer to this, but she opens her mouth. “You just think you’re so funny, don’t you?”

I shrug, and smile at her.

She looks overly dissatisfied, and the lights in the elevator grow out, and the buttons shut off.

“Hey look! Maybe we’ll be stuck in here forever,” I laugh.

She doesn’t respond, as if she’s a ghost in the darkness.

“My ex didn’t think I was pretty either. He just thought I was easy,” she says quietly, changing the mood.

I bite my lip. “You have an ex?”

“I don’t want to talk about it.”

“Kaylea… I…”

“Don’t bother,” she says, and a cell phone light flashes, and I can see her face as she stares at it. Her fingers move around the buttons. I’m such a moron.

“Kaylea… how pretty you were never came across as a reason to like you. It’s not a reason, Kaylea, even though you are… I guess you’ll have to excuse me for being so cheesy, but ravishing, I guess. I lo-ike you because you aren’t like any other girl I’ve ever met. You’re the type who keeps teenagers from growing up too fast. That’s the best thing ever. We’re only kids once, and you’re the only one I know that has the power to remind people of it. You have the guts to say how you feel, when nobody else will.”

She keeps looking at her cell phone, as if she just ignored everything I said. I shake my head, and put my head in my lap.

“You know, my ex never said anything like that. You’re not like other guys either, you know. Anyone who hates Shelly must be different. You know, I don’t know why I’m telling you this, but don’t you realize how much of a screw up I am? That I’m a lifeless nobody for trying to be different? Do people like that succeed, or fail? I’m going to tell you something nobody else on earth knows. My ex was Ryan Hall.”

I tense up at this, my face feeling like it’s being clouded over. “Why don’t I doubt that,” I snap.

“Kaylea, I’m going to tell you something that I’ve never told anyone, either. I don’t know what I want to do with my life, because there has been one thing that’s been keeping me from clearly thinking straight since my freshman year. Straight A’s and all, I don’t even want to spend my life wisely. There’s only been one thing I’ve ever been certain of in my life. Kaylea, I know you don’t know who I am. I know you hate me, I know you think I’m the stupidest guy you’ve ever met, and I know you think I’m ridiculous. I am sure that I love you. Somehow, that was the easiest thing I’ve ever said.”

I didn’t even notice that she was right next to me at this point. She got on her knees, and ran a hand through my hair.

“Really? I’m a good actress you know.”

Saying that, she leans in, pressing my head up against the wall, and the outer rim of her lips reach mine until our lips are locked. With the softest touch, we kissed in the dark of the elevator, for only a moment when the lights flicked on and the elevator jerked, and she let out a little squeal.

I slowly open my eyes, and look into her dancing blue eyes. “You’re so freaking beautiful,” I whisper.

She kisses me again quickly, and then stands up, and puts a finger to her lips.

The elevator doors open, and my mom greets me immediately.

“Oh Luke! I thought they would never get you out of there! How are you feeling baby, are you okay? Were you scared?”

“Yeah mom,” I smile, refusing to feel embarrassed. I look at Kaylea, who walks past me as if nothing had just happened. I watch her place one foot in front of the other, as my mom holds me as if she just about lost everything.

Just before she exited the lobby, she turns around and winks at me, and puts her pinky and thumb up to her ear.

She could bet I would do just that.

Reviews

[WriterMe]

Oh this was very good. Interesting I must say. The philosophy you put in here is something most girls dream about. To finally find a guy that loves you for you rather than physical appeal. There were a bit of grammatical issues. Some sentences were a pain to read, so to speak. But over all your story was as brilliant as always so your excused =]
Love your work!
Always have. Haha

--Niki

[charlotte talley]

This is a good story love it. that Kaylea was something else, but I understand what she was doing. trying to play hard to get, then realizing that Luke really liked her for what she is, not for what he can get from her. you described parts of the story well. keep it up!!!!

[deeps]

This is such a wonderful story
I can feel this you theme and charcters are wonderful.
The story flowed well as well.
Well written