by Anna B. Doe
Lifting my hands in surrender, I go back to my bag and sit down right next to Sanders. Who would have known how that happened, because we tend to stay as far away from each other as possible. Most likely it’s Brooks doing for messing with her friend.
It isn’t the best option, and it sure as hell doesn’t make us friends—I doubt anything could make us become friends—but it beats sitting all alone any day of the week. Even so, I’m starting to understand that even in the room full of people one can feel alone.
We are sitting like that for who knows how long—him watching the screen and me looking at nothing in particular, my mind blank of every thought.
“Nice way to screw up,” he mutters without even giving me the time of the day.
“Like I don’t know.”
Without anything else to say or do, I do the only reasonable thing—I go to sleep.
The next morning comes fast enough, and the teachers, lovely as they are, wake us up at the break of dawn and throw us out of the school. I guess they didn’t get the whole point of a sleepover is staying up late, doing stuff you shouldn’t do like eating too much junk food or drink too much alcohol, and then sleeping in the next day.
So, okay, maybe I’m exaggerating a little, but I had a shitty night. And besides, mornings simply aren’t my friend.
I’ve never been a morning person. I got used to it with years of early morning practices, but I still don’t like to wake up early. And I always need to have my coffee fix before dealing with other people.
Apart from my genetic discordance with the early hours of the day, I couldn’t fall asleep last night because every time I would close my eyes, I would feel her close to me. So close that if I tried hard enough I could touch her, and yet, at the same time so far away.
Hard floor beneath me, random snoring all over the room or soft light from the screen didn’t help me with my sleeping problem either, and I was left lying on the ground and thinking of all the stupid things I did in my life.
So when the teachers decide to wake us up, I’m in that dazed state between being awake and actually sleeping, which makes me even grumpier. Thankfully, most of the people are in the same position as me, so the room is mostly wrapped in silence, and only occasional murmurs breaking the peace and quiet.
I pick up my shit quickly and shove it all into duffle bag before turning around to look at others. Both Andrew and Jeanette look hangover and kind of sick. I don’t know when they returned, but it had to be quite late. They seem to keep a safe distance between each other, so I guess nothing really changed. When the night changes to light and the effect of alcohol wears off, you’re in the same place you were before.
Andrew catches me looking at him. He’s all ready to go, so I move my gaze to the girls. “You two ready to go?”
Brook lifts her head, throwing her bag over her shoulder. “I’m taking a bus.”
“Why are you taking the bus?” Max turns around frowning at her.
“I’m going home.”
“I can take you home.” He looks at Amelia. “Both of you.”
“I’m not going to Lia’s, so I’ll take the bus.” She turns to her friend who’s still putting her stuff away. “I’ll see you later, Lia?”
Amelia tilts her head back, her hair falling loosely down her back. She smiles at Brook and gives a small wave in goodbye, before continuing with her packing.
Max looks after Brook. “You are really going to let her go?”
“What should I do, Max? She’s going home.” She shrugs. “She has her own stuff to do.”
“We could have taken her,” he insists, still looking at the now empty doorway.
“She doesn’t like anyone going to her place.”
“Why not?”
“Just because.” She gets up, her bag packed in her hand. Brown eyes meet mine, but only for a second before she averts her gaze to Max. “Can you give me a lift?”
That wakes me up from the slumber. “I’ll take you home like we agreed yesterday,” I object, coming closer to her and Sanders. “Project, remember?”
“I’m not feeling well,” she murmurs, looking at her feet. “Besides, you have to take Andrew home, and he lives on the other side of the town.”
“We can take him first and then go back to your place or my place to work on the project,” I insist. There is no way she can get out of this. “It’s not a problem.”
She lifts her head, looking at me shyly through her eyelashes. Her lips are pursed and color starts rising in her cheeks. “Like I said, I’m not feeling well. Can we do it another time?” Not giving me time to answer, she completely ignores me and switches her attention to Sanders. “Can you take me home?”
His eyes meet mine, but there is nothing in them as he agrees with her, taking the bag out of her hand.
Without giving me a backward glance, they collect Jeanette’s bag and leave the room.
For the second time in less than 24 hours, I watch her walk away.
With Sanders.
My stomach sinks and it’s doing some funny flips inside. My hands curl into fists by my side. What does a guy have to do for a girl to give him the time of the day?
Andrew appears by my side. His hair is mussed and all over the place. There are bags under his eyes, and it looks like he’s ready to drop. Alcohol or tiredness?
“We going or what?”
Derek
“Where are you going?” Dad’s voice stops me at the bottom of the stairs. I finish putting my leather jacket on and go to the living room where the two of them are watching television.
Getting to the doorway, I lean against it and look at my parents cuddling on the love seat and watching a movie. Even after all these years, they still spend every single day off together. Being in the medical field—my dad as a doctor, an anesthesiologist, and my mom as a nurse—isn’t easy. But, as my mom likes to point out, the best things in life are usually hard to get.
“I’m going out for a bit,” I tell them. “I won’t stay long.”
“You going to Andrew’s?” Mom tilts her head and smiles at me.
Hope King is one of those youthful people. It’s like the passage of time didn’t affect her at all. Wrinkles on her face are minimal, just a tad around her eyes and lips from smiling. She is almost always happy and cheerful. A lot of times, when I was younger and would visit her at work, I would hear from other employees and patients how happy they are to have her there to brighten up their day. Happiness always reaches her blue-green, sea-like eyes. At forty-five her hair has a few greys in it, but it’s still mostly her golden-brown wave that reaches just under her shoulders.
“Nope, I’m going to visit another friend,” I say vaguely.
Her eyebrows rise in surprise and I see her elbow Dad in the gut. “And who is that another friend, Derek?”
I can’t tell them I’m going to a girl’s house, especially not to Amelia’s house. There is nothing wrong with Amelia or her house, trust me, I’m sure my Mom would love her. And that’s why I don’t want to say anything. No getting girl in this house or talking about girls in this house until there is one worth mentioning. That’s the only rule I actually like to follow.
Not that Amelia’s not worth mentioning or bringing home—she is. If there were pictures in the dictionary hers would be right next to perfect girlfriend material.
“Just a friend.” I grin sheepishly at her, rubbing the nape of my neck. “I won’t be too late.”
Not giving her time to protest or ask any more questions I wave at them and turn around to go out.
It’s not that they give me a hard time about staying out all night. There are a lot of nights they both work night shift, so by now, they know that sometimes I spend the night at Andrew’s and he at my place. Nothing new about that. And with the way Amelia and I parted ways earlier, I’m not even sure she’ll let me enter her house, much less stay.
But earlier today she said she wasn’t feeling well, and that thought didn’t leave my head for a sec
ond. Not while I was doing my homework, and not while I ate lunch or went jogging. I couldn’t even take a nap no matter how tired my body was because my mind was filled with her.
It’s crazy.
The way that this girl occupies my mind is driving me nuts!
I can’t think straight because she’s always on my mind. I wonder what she’s doing, or like now, how she is feeling. Is she all right? Is there somebody taking care of her? What if she’s all alone?
Once I reach the door, I find Ace sitting in front of them. His head is tilted to the side, and he looks at me with his pale eyes. I rub his head in passing.
“I’ll be home soon, buddy,” I whisper, trying to get around him, but he doesn’t let me through.
“What? You wanna go with me?”
Ace barks once and gets on his feet, wiggling his tail.
I shake my head at his excited face and open the door. “C’om.”
He wiggles past me and starts walking toward the car parked in front of the house. I rarely bother putting on his leash because he never walks too far away from me. He steers away from other dogs, cats, and humans. Actually, I really think I’m the only person he’s comfortable enough to be around. If I’m at home, Ace keeps to my side, and if I’m out he stays in my room.
I open the back door for him to get in, but he gives me a look of disgust and walks to the passenger’s side. Sighing, I walk around and open him the door.
“Demanding little...”
Closing the door, I walk around and get in the car myself, put on my favorite rock band and turn the key.
It’s time to pay a visit to little Miss Campbell.
Amelia
“What do you think, Lola?” I look at her curled safely against my middle. She doesn’t even sneak a look at me. That’s how interesting I’m to her. Not even my dog listens to me, but that doesn’t stop me from continuing to talk to her, crazy-dog-person that I am. “I don’t like Rory with Dean, they are so boring together.”
I watch for a few minutes in silence. It’s that scene in which they are walking and kissing at the same time. How do they manage not to crash into something?
“Jess was fun until the moment they became a couple.” I look back down at her, but still no reaction. “Now he’s just acting like an idiot all the time, and the only thing they are doing when they are together is inspecting each other’s throats.”
She sighs like I’m boring her to death and she just wants me to shut up so she can sleep in peace. I would know, after having her for five years, I’ve become an expert in deciphering her looks, sighs, and barks.
Giving up on discussing Gilmore girls with Lola, I return my attention to the laptop where I’m watching reruns of season three.
It’s the best cure when I’m feeling moody and my whole body is hurting. A few minutes later, however, Lola lifts her head abruptly, surprising me. I look at her as she listens for a while before she gets up, shakes her colorful fur, and jumps off the bed. Barking happily, she pulls through the crack in the door and runs down the stairs just in time for the bell to ring.
Groaning loudly, I press pause and roll onto my back.
My parents are out having dinner and movies with their friends. They have the key so that can’t be them.
It’s almost nine, and the house is covered in darkness. The only light left is the one in my bedroom and the one in the foyer for when my parents return home, so whoever it is, has to know we aren’t home.
I get into sitting position and run my fingers through my messy locks. The cramps are killing me, so I spent the whole day in bed doing nothing but sleeping and watching TV shows.
Brook, maybe?
She probably had another thing with her mother and decided to crash here. It wouldn’t be the first time. This is even early for her. Once she came at two in the morning, scaring all of us to death, but since then we got used to her just popping up in whatever time of the day or night. We even gave her our house key so she can enter whenever she needs, but she rarely uses it.
I slowly get out of my room, just as the bell rings for the second time.
“Coming!” I yell loudly, trying to out voice Lola.
Turning on the light, I shove her away lightly with my furry sock so that she doesn’t get in the way of opening the door, but she thinks it’s a game and starts attacking my foot. “Move, you little beast,” I tell her affectionately, a big smile on my lips, nudging her again. She can be so silly sometimes.
“Hey…,” I start, opening the door, but my mouth hangs open, no words coming out of them when I see the person standing on my front porch.
“Hey, there.” Derek beams back at me.
We stare at each other.
I can feel Lola run between my legs. There is a lot of barking and movements around us. My eyes fall to the ground and I see what has her attention.
“You have a dog?” I squat down and catch her in passing, lifting her up in my arms, not wanting to risk her getting the idea of running off. She’ll think it’s a game and won’t let me catch her.
Once she’s secure in my arms, I look at the other dog. It’s a husky or some husky mix, and he’s adorable. Just a small puppy with fluffy fur and intelligent blue eyes.
“Hey, baby. What’s your name?” I extend my hand, inviting him closer. He doesn’t have a leash or even a collar, but he doesn’t seem to be in a hurry to leave Derek’s side.
“This is Ace.”
“Come here, boy. Come.” I wiggle my fingers in his direction.
Ace lifts his head to look at Derek and when he gives him an okay, Ace moves closer to me. I pat his soft fur and scratch him behind his ears. It seems he likes it because he urges me to do it more. Ace moves closer to me, sniffing my hand and licking me.
“Aren’t you handsome?” I laugh at his antics.
When I stand up again, Derek’s still there, looking at me and the wiggling creature in my hands.
“Hey,” I repeat dumbly, not knowing what else to say.
He chuckles at me. “Hey.”
“We should really stop saying it,” I add, blush rising on my cheeks. “And you better pet her or she won’t stop moving.”
Lola’s been restless since I took her in my arms. I’m not sure why exactly. Maybe because she wants to go to Derek, or it could be the new doggy company. She’s the jealous type.
His smile and eyes soften, but the blue of them becomes darker, more intense. “She would like that, wouldn’t she?”
“Mhm.” I agree, not moving my eyes from his.
They transfix me. They hold me and draw me to him. I think if I look too long, I’ll be swallowed by those blue depths and there will be no way for me to find my way out of them. Not that I believe he would let me.
Without breaking our eye contact, his hand moves to Lola’s head and he pets her softly behind her fluffy ears. She stops wiggling instantly, and I can feel her move her head more into his touch.
Who can blame her? Derek has nice hands. They are strong and kind of rough, but at the same time, his touch is soft, almost like a feather lightly moving over your skin. Just thinking about it, something I really should stop doing, is making me shiver. But there is no escaping my memories of his hands on my skin.
I can’t obliviate him from my mind.
“–Lia?”
“Mhmm?” I break out of the spell, blink a few times, and look at him. “What?”
“Are you feeling okay?” His voice is low and concerned.
“Yeah, why?”
“You said you weren’t feeling well before, so I decided to stop by and see how you are doing.”
“Ohh that,” I remember, embarrassed.
Great, now he’ll think I was lying to him because I didn’t want to work on the project. Or even worst, he could think it was all because of yesterday at the library and that stupid game and later Diamond Morgan showing up.
“It wasn’t something serious,” I add quickly when I see his narrowed stare. “I had stomachache bef
ore, but now I’m not feeling that bad anymore. I took some painkillers and had a quick nap in the afternoon.”
“What from?”
“It was…” I blush even more and look down at Lola. There is no way I’m telling him I got my period and that I usually have really painful cramps the first day.
No way.
“Just girl stuff.”
“Girl stuff?” I can hear it in his voice that he doesn’t believe me entirely, but if he can’t connect the dots by himself I won’t do it for him.
“Yeah, girl stuff,” I repeat. “You didn’t have to come all this way because of that.”
I look up just in time to see him shrug. “I didn’t have anything better to do anyway.”
His response stings. He came just because he was bored?
What were you expecting? Derek King showing up so he can confess his undying love for you?
Once again, we fall into silence just staring at each other.
“You alone in there?”
I look behind my shoulder at the darkness like there is some other ‘in there’. “Yeah, my family is out.”
He shifts his weight from one foot to other. Looking at the floor, he puts his hands in pockets of his sweats, almost like he’s nervous.
“Would you mind if we hang out here for a while?”
He asks somewhat hesitantly, like he’s afraid I’ll send him on his merry way. It is something I should do, and I was really going to do, but it makes me close my mouth and swallow.
He lifts his head and looks at me under his eyelashes. Never before have I noticed how long and thick they are. His teeth slowly release his lower lip, and I can’t help but notice how rosy and plump it is. Soft. Inviting. Kissable.
Taking one deep breath in, I nod slowly and open the door widely. “Yeah,” my response is a shaky whisper. “Come on in.”
His blue eyes widen in surprise, but he doesn’t say anything and simply follows me inside with Ace in tow.
I close and lock the door behind me and lead them to the living room.
Once inside, he sits on our sofa between all the pillows my mom likes to have stashed on it. The image of his big, wide frame sitting like that, between dozens of different decorative pillows makes me laugh.