The Elevator || Lando Norris

5 ~ The Elevator

We strolled down the hallway, preparing to leave the hotel for the paddock to watch the race. I rummaged through my bag in the elevator and realized I had left my phone in my room.

"Wait, I left my phone. You guys can stay here; I'll go back up real quick," I exclaimed as the elevator doors opened in the lobby.

"Don't take too long, or we'll leave without you in 10 minutes," Hannah warned, her being impatient as always.

I nodded and watched as they exited the elevator, leaving me alone. As the doors closed, the elevator ascended. However, just before reaching my floor, it abruptly stopped. The doors slid open, and there he stood again—the guy I always expected to bump into, yet also least expected. Wallet guy. I could tell that he acknowledged my presence but decided to respect my avoidance by not starting a conversation.

He entered the elevator, positioning himself at a slight distance from me, and I instinctively moved to create more space between us. Silence hung in the air for a few moments until the elevator started making suspicious noises, making both of us look up. Suddenly, the elevator began shaking and came to a halt, causing me to lose my balance. Swiftly, wallet guy reached out, steadying me and preventing a fall. His hand on my back and the one around my left arm lingered.

"Thanks," I muttered, stepping back to create distance once again. He simply nodded and moved away, mirroring my actions.

"Are you serious?" I groaned to myself, realizing we were now stuck in the malfunctioning elevator. I hurriedly pressed the emergency help button, only to discover it was broken. "Why the f*ck is everything in this hotel broken?" I exclaimed, my frustration mounting.

"The kettle in my room is broken," wallet guy chimed in, reminding me that I wasn't alone. His words caught me off guard, and I jumped, momentarily forgetting he was present. "I just wanted some tea."

I turned to face him, and he offered a smile. "The connecting room door in my room is broken," I shared, realizing that we both had experienced the hotel's maintenance issues.

Feeling the need to tell my friends, I reached into my bag to grab my phone but remembered the reason for going back to my room in the first place—I had left it behind. Hesitating a bit to find the courage, I turned toward the curly-haired boy and asked, "What time is it?"

"Sorry?" he turned to face me, his attention shifting from staring at the elevator door to me.

I cleared my throat, hoping my voice wouldn't get stuck in my throat. "What time is it? I, uh, left my phone in my room," I repeated, shrugging slightly.

He patted his pockets, searching for his phone. "Oh," he said, realization dawning upon him, "I left my phone too." Disappointment colored his tone.

I looked up at the elevator ceiling, tilting my head back in frustration, and groaned once again. Hearing some movement beside me, I turned to him, puzzled. To my surprise, he had seated himself on the elevator floor, leaning against the wall.

"What are you doing?" confusion laced my question.

"Sitting," he stated the obvious, "We might be here a while." I sighed and settled down, mirroring his position.

I positioned myself on the opposite side of the elevator, leaning back and facing him. "So," he started, attempting to strike up a conversation.

I smacked my lips, hesitating because I don't usually start conversations with strangers. "So," I echoed, at a loss for words. An awkward silence between us, and we both stole glances of eachother, quickly averting our eyes when they accidentally met.