Imogen smiled as the boy spoke. ‘I guess so!’ She teased, kicking her feet playfully. As the silence draped over the two, it gave her a change to really take in his features. From his ivy eyes, to his fair complexion and gentle smile. She loved everything about him. Although, she’d never say that aloud. Once his deep voice broke the silence, she listened to him intently. ‘Well,’ she started, ‘I’m glad you shared this with me. It’s truly beautiful, Eli,’ she said with a smile. ‘I get why you must love it here, it’s to peaceful. I can actually think straight here.’
Eli turned his head to look at her when he heard the sound of her voice succeed his. He nodded his head in agreement. ‘That’s exactly how I feel when I’m here,’ he said, chuckling softly. ‘I’m glad I brought you here, too. Sharing my favorite place with someone else makes it feel more special, somehow,’ he told her. He stood up from the ledge, and held out his hand for her to take. He looked into her glittering brown eyes, that were shone warmly. ‘I know I’ve already said this, but I can’t thank you enough for giving me a second chance,’ he said, quietly. ‘I kind of need you in my life.’ Realizing what he’d just said would sound like something else to her, something she might not want, he quickly added, ‘Along with Adam and Fiona and stuff.’
Imogen let go of Eli’s hand and furrowed he eyebrows at his question. “That all depends on what you’d like to know, Elijah,” she answered, walking across the area and pulling herself up to sit on one of the ledges. “There’s not much to tell, really. I’m quite boring.” She said with a light laugh. She kicked her feet absentmindedly and tucked a section of her hair behind her ear. “Well, I like cats, and scary movies. I hate drama, and normality. Those are just the basics, I guess.” She said with a shrug, motioning Eli to walk over to her.
Eli watched as she made her way across the wide area to sit on one of the ledges. He listened intently as she spoke, holding her gaze with his own. When she motioned for him to walk over to her, Eli shoved his hands inside his pockets and made his way towards her. He sat down on the ledge beside her, and turned to face. ‘Well, I, for one, believe that you’re anything but boring,’ he informed her, then shrugged lightly. ‘If you’re just going to provide me with the rudimentary stuff for now, I guess I’ll just have to wait a while and found out other things for myself,’ he said, flashing her a grin. For a few minutes, he let the silence drape over them. Nothing could be heard except for the occasional fluttering of a bird’s wings and the gentle breeze. ‘It feels like forever since I’ve been here. I’d forgotten how much I loved coming here,’ he mused out loud.
Imogen followed after the dark haired boy, not bothering to ask where the two were headed two. She knew for a fact that it’d be interesting, just like him. “Don’t worry about it. I love walking, especially when it leads to an adventure!” She chirped, continuing to follow after the boy on their unfamiliar route. After what felt like hours of walking, Imogen watched Eli come to a stop. She allowed her eyes to scan the foreign area. “It’s beautiful, Elijah!” She chimed, walking forward and spinning a few times, allowing herself to see everything around her. “How did you find this place?” She asked, walking back over to him. Imogen loved the whole “abandoned” thing about the church. It made the structure all the more beautiful. She grabbed Eli’s hand and rubbed the back of it gently with the pad of her thumb.
Eli smiled at her reaction to the place. It was just the one he had been hoping for. He walked beside her as she admired the surroundings. In a way, it was kind of nice how the place was exactly as he’d remembered it. ‘I found it on one of my drives a while back,’ he told her, deciding not to mention that the drive had been with Clare — it felt like a sore subject to bring up. It was as if even though everything else had changed since the last time he’d been here, the fact that this place hadn’t, gave him a strange sense of comfort. In the quietness, he could hear Imogen’s labored breathing beside him and the soft rustling of the trees. However, what surprised him was when he felt Imogen grab his hand. He turned to look at her, his intense green eyes capturing her brown ones, before smiling slightly. He gave her hand a gentle squeeze, before tearing his gaze away from hers, so as to not make it seem as if he was staring. ‘So, tell me the things I don’t know about you,’ he said, looking interested. He wasn’t sure what they were — seemingly friends at the moment more than anything else — but, he was determined to get to know her better.
Imogen smiled at the boys response. “Not a problem, Elijah,” She wasn’t too sure what he was exactly thanking her for, but she went along with it. She finished her coffee off just as he had. She lined the rim of her mug with her finger before looking back up at the boy. She nodded slightly at his question. “Me? Busy? Never!” She joked, leaning against the back of her seat. “My parents are still away and I’m sure Avalon can live without me for just a little bit longer.” Her concentration was soon broken from him when the waitress approached their table once more. “All done?” She asked as she lifted the two mugs carefully with one hand, placing them on her tray. Imogen nodded for the both of them, and turned her attention back to Eli as she left. “What did you have in mind, Eli?” She asked, curious as to where he wanted to go afterwards.
Eli’s face broke into a smile as Imogen told him that she was up for hanging out with him. Once the waitress had placed the bill on the table and walked away, Eli reached into the pocket of his jeans to take out his wallet. After having paid for their drinks and leaving a tip, he met Imogen’s curious gaze. He pondered over the different places that they could go. Most of the places that came to mind were ones which were likely to be crowded, and that wasn’t what he’d had in mind. He wanted to spend a few, quiet moments alone with her, and perhaps get to know her better in the process. A small smirk tugged at the corners of his lips as the image of another place popped into his head. ‘I have just the place. Come with me,’ he said, standing up. He led the way towards the front door, and opened it for her. ‘After you, m’lady,’ he said, cocking his head to the side. He followed her outside, and contemplated on the idea of getting there. Catching a cab was out of the question. A deserted area wasn’t exactly a tourist destination, and he knew it’d look fishy. ‘It’s going to be a bit of a walk,’ he told her, apologetically. With no other alternative left, the began on their walk. He knew that Imogen was probably intrigued to know where they were going, but he was intent on keeping it a surprise. The place as he’d remembered it was so beautiful that it was certified to take her breath away, and he wanted to see the look on her face when it did. After what felt like hours of trudging down roads, Eli turned into a corner with Imogen at his heels. For the first time in ages, he felt excitement bubbling up inside him. He swung open the gates, and gestured for Imogen to go on ahead, smiling as he did so. ‘Welcome to the abandoned church house,’ he announced to her. Although he hadn’t been there in ages, it felt right to be there again. He noticed that the lights they’d hung up for the party Adam had held for Fiona was still there, and he felt a pang of nostalgia hit him in the gut. ‘So, how do you like it, Moreno?’ he asked, turning his head to face her.
Imogen allowed her gaze to find the boys once more. She watched as he seemed to be at a loss for words. Great. I blew it. She thought, noticing him moving closer to her ever so slightly. She felt a smirk tug at her lips as the boys lips gravitated towards her own. Suddenly, the two were interrupted by the waitress placing their coffees in front of them. She giggled lightly, the delicate sound barely audible. She watched as Eli repositioned himself and took a sip of his coffee. She took two packets of sugar from the other side of the table and emptied them into her drink before stirring it. Once it was to her liking, she lifted the mug to her lips and took a sip. She listened intently once more to his question, her heart beat beginning to pick up speed. “I can’t really explain it, Elijah, I just-” she stopped herself for a moment, letting out a quiet sigh. “You’re different than most guys. There’s something about you that just makes me feel at home.” She smiled at the boy across from her, happy she could be so open with him without worrying about getting judged like she did at school.
Having finally mustered the courage to look at her, Eli looked up once she’d started speaking. He watched as she struggled to find the words to provide him with a suitable answer. Eli gave a small nod as she neared the end of her sentence. He caught sight of the smile on her face, and gave her a hesitant smile. The one thing that had been stuck in his mind since they’d started talking was how she’d mentioned that she’d been close to falling in love once, and how it’d been insinuated that the person was him. He wanted to ask her if her feelings for him had changed, but refrained himself. He was unsure of her answer, and it was likely to make things awkward. ‘Well.. thank you. Really,’ he said, sincerely, not knowing what else to say. During instances like this, he often found himself wishing for a manual that would instruct him on what the right thing to say or do was. However, all Eli’s mind focused on was how close he’d been to kissing her. He drained the last few contents of his coffee and set it back down. ‘Do you, um, want to go somewhere after this?’ he asked her. ‘You don’t have to say ‘yes’ if you’re busy or anything,’ he hastened to add.
Imogen turned her head back so that her brown hues locked with his emerald ones. As he began complimenting her, Imogen couldn’t help but smile widely, feeling as a slight blush warmed her cheeks. “Thank you, Elijah. I’m always up for trying something new and I guess this was a success.” She joked as she fiddled with the napkin set in front of her. Although she didn’t want to show it, she was extremely nervous. What if he didn’t have any interest in her beyond friend wise? She shook at the very thought. To be honest, none of her feelings for the boy wore off in their slight break. Time only helped her realize just how much she missed and desired his friendship. She shook herself of the thoughts and listened intently to his question. As he got it out, she was instantly relieved. She knew the answer to this already, which is why she needed no time to think up a response. “That’s simple, Elijah.” She said before licking her lips. “I couldn’t let someone like you slip from my hands like quicksilver.” She said finally, not feeling the need to sugar coat her statement at all. She smirked at the boy, but allowed her gaze to fall and look anywhere but at him. She wasn’t sure how he’d respond, so she braced herself for what passed his lips next.
Once she’d finished speaking, all Eli could do was blink at her. Though what she’d said had been a simple enough explanation for his question, he could barely process what she’d said. For a fleeting moment, Eli considered kissing her then and there, ignoring the fact that The Dot was completely packed with people. There was a hint of a smile on her face, but she seemed to be determinedly avoiding his gaze. He couldn’t decide if that fact made it easier on him or more difficult. Ignoring all his inhibitions, he started to lean in towards her. But, he froze midway, his spine stiffening, as the waitress came back with their drinks. She set down the cups of coffee in front of both of them, and shot Eli a strange look upon noticing his maladroit position. ‘Enjoy your drinks,’ she said, before walking away. Eli felt his cheeks becoming warm, as he slowly succumbed into a relaxed state, so as to not to completely give away what he had been about to do. He knew that that was in vain because he was almost positive that Imogen had noticed. He picked up his cup of coffee and took a large gulp, making him feel as if his tongue was scalding. A part of him was thankful that the waitress had interrupted him. The last thing he wanted to do was lead her on, again, and mess up whatever it was that they shared. But, the other part of him repented his decision of not seizing the moment when he had the chance. He set down his cup on the saucer and looked at her, but didn’t meet her eyes when he spoke again. ‘You said, ‘someone like you’. What’s so special about me?’ he asked, giving a shrug. ‘Don’t you ever fear that you might be making a mistake in being.. friends with me, again?’ He bit the inside of his cheek as he awaited her reply.
