Not Tonight

Pushing some orange bangs out of her eyes, Shara huffed quietly. She tried with all her might to get some sleep, but sleep just would not come! Whenever she closed her eyes, nightmares would plague her.

These horrible nightmares consisted of Micah and the girl he had chosen to be with instead of her. Really, from the beginning, Shara had always liked Micah and had always, always, always made sure he had company. Now, however, he was with Evelyn and they were going to get married.

Her sister, Monica, often asked if she was alright, but Shara would always fib and say that she was just fine and her usual happy self. In reality, Shara was the complete opposite. She didn't get enough sleep, she always had nightmares, was always secretly depressed, and always pretended that she was joyful.

Releasing a loud sigh, Shara sat up from her bed forlornly, seeing that it was still night outside. The female got out of her bed and left her room quietly, making sure not to wake up her grandfather and sister.

When she was out of the house, Shara breathed in the fresh night air and shut her eyes. It was a little chilly outside, but she didn't care at all. That was how she felt inside. She felt cold and empty, hollow. So, since she felt that way inside, she didn't mind feeling that way outside.

"What are you doing out here all alone in the dark?" A voice pierced her thoughts.

Turning slightly to her right, Shara could see a guy standing there. He was a dwarf with blond hair. The male was approaching her slowly and staring at her in curiosity.

Becoming cautious, Shara answered, "Who're you?"

"The name's Zaid," Zaid responded nonchalantly. "And who are you?"

"Shara…"

"Nice to meet you, Shara," Zaid casually commented, stopping right next to her and grinning a little. "So, you didn't answer my previous question."

Shara, feeling flummoxed, dazedly replied, "I'm just getting some fresh air. That's all."

"Getting fresh air?" Zaid questioned, narrowing his eyes at her unbelievingly.

Shara nodded falsely. "Yes."

"You know, I don't like liars."

Shara's expression morphed into a look of agitation, her eyes flashing with annoyance. Grief was also displayed on her face and she appeared to be a complete mess. Why in the world was this guy messing with her? She didn't need this right now. She didn't need this!

"And I don't like individuals who cannot mind their own business!" Shara snapped at him viciously, her tone harsh but with a bit of forlornness. Her body trembled with fatigue and she blinked furiously, trying to keep the tears away.

Zaid wasn't bothered by her sudden behavior and sighed. "I'm sorry."

Shara looked away from him. "Please…go away."

"I'm not going to leave you here like this," Zaid informed her, moving closer to her. "Look, I know who you are. Aren't you a friend of Micah's?"

The girl froze at the sound of Micah's name. She bit down on her lower lip and her eyes became tainted with remorse and so many other negative emotions. The female swallowed hard and slowly nodded her head.

"He's getting married…" Zaid trailed.

"I know that!" Shara snapped for the second time, unleashing her tears. They rolled down her cheeks silently.

Still, Zaid wasn't bothered by her harshness. He calmly stepped closer to her and lifted a hand, gently cupping her face in his hands and removing her tears with his fingers. When he did this, Shara's breath caught in her throat and she became frozen in place, stiff like a statue.

What was this guy doing?

Why was he touching her?

Shara wanted to move away, but his touch was so soothing to her. She allowed her eyes to close and she leaned into his touch, forcing the rest of her tears away.

"Hey, no more tears, okay?" Zaid caterwauled, now just caressing her cheeks in a comforting manner. "You loved Micah, didn't you?"

Shara reluctantly answered while opening her eyes, "Yes…"

"Well, his heart was taken by someone else, as you already know," Zaid told her seriously. "You shouldn't give your heart out to someone so easily."

Shara was silent.

"However…" Zaid removed his hands from her cheeks and let them rest on her shoulders, giving her a small grin. "…it doesn't hurt to try again, right? I know I'm willing to try."

Shara could tell that there was some kind of underlying meaning to his words, like he was attempting to tell her some amazing secret without actually revealing what the actual thing was.

"Want to walk with me?" Zaid questioned her, hopefulness coloring his voice.

Shara sighed and nodded. "Sure, why not? I have nothing else better to do. All I do now is feel depressed."

"Not tonight." Zaid yawped, taking her hand in his.

Shara looked at him, becoming fond of the male as they both began walking, hands joined.

"…not tonight." She echoed.