Raunchy Roommate

by Bethany Morgan

  "You can bring my dog back to life," I said stubbornly, causing my lips to twitch into a frown again. "Sorry, I know that can't happen but can we just like watch a movie or something?"

  "Of course," Stuart agreed, letting his hand caress my cheek again.

  We stared at each other for a few moments, neither of us making any movements towards the sofa or the television. As cliché as it sounds, being this close in proximity with his intense eye contact on me made me forget about the grief I was feeling for a little bit. Because his worried glance and his self-claimed duty to protect me caused this weird feeling to churn in my stomach. "Ann," Stuart murmured, his eyes flickering between my irises, to my nose, to my lips. His hand found its way to my waist. "Why did you come here when you found out, instead of going to Benjamin?"

  I gulped. It was a question I did not have an answer for. Stuart was just the first person I thought of. He was always number one in my mind, despite all of the things the two of us had been through.

  "I-I-I don't know," I stuttered, blinking rapidly.

  "Well," He announced after studying my face intently, and started tugging the two of us towards the couch. "I'm really glad you did."

  Chapter 20

  Stuart

  The contrast of the cold water against my tired skin was one of the most refreshing feelings I have ever had the pleasure of feeling. I was up all night cuddling with Annabel, attempting to get her to stop crying or to just console her as best as possible, but it resulted in me getting absolutely zero sleep. Even after Annabel finally got some shut eye, I still remained awake just because I was so worried about her.

  Grace was in our room now, taking over as her temporary therapist, but I'm not sure how long it would be to get my happy Anna back. I didn't blame her for grieving, nor did it annoy me, I was pretty sad about Adam's death too, but it was hurting me to see her so upset.

  What did annoy me, however, was that Benjamin has yet to even drop by. She told him that Adam died and apologized for standing him up as soon as she got home, and Benjamin hasn't come over to check on her once within that time-span. He should have dropped everything and came here when he found out the news. That's what I would have done.

  The fact that the two of them were still together was pissing me off. It's inevitable that he's going to hurt her because he's a complete idiot and doesn't know anything about Annabel. For some reason she is still drooling over him, even though I'm right here. When is she going to realize?

  At some point during the midst of clutching her petite body against mine, I found out that my crush on her had come back. It came back so quickly and slapped me in the face so hard that it probably left my cheeks red. Annabel was beautiful with a beautiful personality, and I cared about her so deeply, more than I have ever cared about any girl. I don't think my protectiveness over her is merely because she's my best friend; it's because I liked her. I liked her a lot.

  Although I had the urge to kiss her plump lips and whisper sweet nothings into her ear, I still had my other best friend in the picture. Benjamin may be driving me absolutely insane but he was still my band mate and has been my best friend for years, and I couldn't rip them apart like the jealous person inside of me desired to. I wouldn't pull a Bradley, even though I really freaking wanted to.

  To: Benny Benjamin- you better get your scrawny butt over here soon

  To: stu- ash and i have writing today :-(

  To: Benny Benjamin- you're such an idiot benny she's basically your girlfriend and her dog died wtf is wrong with you

  To: stu- i know i feel bad but there's nothing i can do

  To: stu- love you

  To: Benny Benjamin- love u too but you're being such an asshat right now

  To: stu- yeah

  I rolled my eyes at his nonchalant response and tossed my phone to the side. Grace's exit from our bedroom caused me to stand up from my spot on the slouchy sofa, and she sent me a sad smile. Grace was one of the most annoying girls I've ever met, but despite her horrid personality, she was an amazing friend to Annabel.

  "I have to go to work," Grace explained with a sigh. "I'll come back over later. Do you want me to bring you guys food or anything? I think Ann needs a big tub of ice cream."

  "Yeah, okay. Thanks for your help, Grace," I said sincerely, pulling her in for a friendly hug. She wiggled out of my grasp after a few seconds. "Hey, is anything going on with you and Bradley?"

  She shrugged her shoulders in response. "Not really. I mean, I like him but I don't think he wants to do anything again because of Clayton. Which I agree with. So, we'll see what happens."

  "Alright, just don't hurt my best friend please," I requested in an intimidating manner even though I was smiling.

  "You can tell Benjamin that I say the same thing," Grace responded quickly. "Okay I need to get going. See you later, Stuart."

  "Bye," I mumbled, watching her disappear towards the front door to leave. I shuffled into the bedroom, spotting Annabel curled up in a ball on the mattress, just staring at the ceiling as if it was the most interesting thing in the world. I didn't say anything, I just slowly crept into bed next to her, wrapping my arms around her body and pulling her towards me so I could hold her in my arms.

  "I want to go home," Annabel finally declared in a firm tone.

  I pressed a kiss onto her cheek. "We are home, Ann."

  She spun around so she was facing me, her bright green eyes staring into my own intently, making my heart rate incline. "No, I want to go to Australia. Actually maybe I don't. Adam isn't going to be running around anymore and that is going to kill me."

  Annabel whimpered and suddenly tears were spilling over the brim of her eyelids again. She covered her face with her palms and I sighed heavily. "Come here, baby," I cooed, moving my arms to around her waist so I could pick her up and place her directly on top of my body. Annabel was squeezing me tightly now, as if she needed this hug more than anything in the world.

  My lips moved forward to plant a chaste kiss onto her forehead. "You should go back to Australia, Ann, even if Adam isn't there. That is where you'll feel closest to him. And I'm sure some of your sadness is because you're homesick, and your parents probably need your support too."

  "I know," She muttered, still crying, as she buried her face into my chest.

  I let my fingers comb through her hair, stroking each soft blonde strand as if it would help soothe her. "I'll talk to the boys and see if I can cancel some of the writing sessions for next week. They probably won't be too happy about it but I honestly don't care."

  Annabel's head raised off of my chest so her head was basically hovering above mine, tempting me even further to cup my hands around her cheeks and kiss her. But I couldn't.

  She quirked an eyebrow at me in confusion. "What? Stuart, you don't have to go with me."

  "Yes I do. We're a package deal," I announced, sending her a small smile.

  For the first time since she had found out the news of Adam's death, her lips curved into a weak grin. "You would do that? For me?" Ann asked breathlessly.

  "Hey, I have family next door to you that I want to see too," I protested in a joking tone, which only made her grin become wider. "But yeah. I would do anything for you, Anna. You know that."

  Now it was her turn to lean forward and kiss my cheek. My breath hitched in my throat due to the fact that I was very aware of my crush on her now, and this simple gesture, that left a lingering tingle from her lips, was making it hard for me to think straight.

  "Can we, um, can we go look at plane tickets?" Annabel ask shyly, as if she was too timid to demand that we leave as soon as possible.

  "Yeah," I agreed, stretching my arm out to reach my laptop that was on the nightstand next to us. She climbed off of me and plopped down in the spot beside me, and I sat up straight so my back was pressed tightly against the cold headboard. The laptop was in the middle of our laps, and her dainty hands clicked away on the keyboard. "I'm paying for this, by the way."

  Annabel dug
her elbow into my chest. "What? No you're not. Shut up."

  "Yes I am," I insisted. "It can be your birthday present."

  She stared at me for awhile through her post-crying eyes before finally cracking a tiny smile. "You're just too lazy to go to the store, Stu."

  I couldn't help but chuckle. "True."

  Her attention returned to the various options of flights and I slyly unlocked my phone, opening up the group message I had with the boys.

  To: idiots - ann and i are going back to Australia soon for a little bit. anyone want me to bring them back a kangaroo ?

  Chapter 21

  Annabel

  When I finally rolled out of bed on Friday afternoon I did not feel any older. I did not look any older. I felt the same as yesterday and I looked the same as yesterday. The only tiny detail that was altered in my life was that I could now proudly say that I was nineteen, rather than murmuring that I was almost nineteen, or declaring that I was eighteen but not for long. Now it was officially my birthday, and it was horridly lame.

  My phone was full of messages from all sorts of people, some of which I didn't even have the numbers saved for. I quickly thanked everyone, along with shooting out a tweet to my followers that expressed my gratitude for all of the birthday wishes.

  I traveled into the bathroom, ridding myself of my pajamas, leaving behind a pool of clothing on the tiled floors. I turned the shower knob and waited a few seconds for it to get warm before swiftly stepping inside, feeling the hot water beat down on me like a waterfall that would cleanse all of the impurities off of my exhausted body.

  With a heavy sigh, I squatted down and took a seat in a curled up ball position, hugging my knees against my chest. The stream of water continuously pouring on the top of my head made me feel as if I was participating in a dreary music video.

  I should have been in a better mood. It was the exiting of my mother's vagina day, after all. But it felt incredibly odd for me to be celebrating another year of life when I was still stuck mourning over the death of Adam.

  A sweet scent of fruit filled my nostrils as I raised to my feet, washing my body with the lovely smelling shower gel. I shampooed and conditioned accordingly as well, before leaving the shower and smothering my body with a plush towel.

  On the kitchen counter there was a note from Stuart, claiming that he had to go to the store and would be back soon. I instantly frowned. I had seen him last night, but that wasn't enough for me. I had suddenly been craving spending more time with him than ever before, and when Stuart wasn't lounging somewhere in our house I grew lonesome. I'm sure he must be sick of me and my annoying, emotional behavior by now, so I don't blame him for leaving for a bit, but I really wish he was here.

  Benjamin had invited me to come over before we went to dinner, so I figured I should get ready for that. I applied my usual make-up and slipped into a casual dress, dreading the fact that I even had to look nice when all I wanted to do was sleep some more.

  I did want to see Benjamin since I have missed him, but ever since Adam died I have been distant from him and there was slight tension between us, so I was kind of worried for what tonight would bestow. A tiny part of me was kind of upset that he hadn't made any effort to come visit me when all I really needed was for someone to kiss me and tell me that it was going to be okay. I guess Stuart did the second one, which I was grateful for, but then again that only made me feel even more guilty for ditching Benjamin the other day.

  The drive to their house was shorter than I expected, but maybe it was because I was too consumed with my thoughts. Soon enough I was knocking at their front door that was eventually opened up by Bradley.

  He smiled brightly at me, the smile overtaking his face and reaching up to his vividly colored hair. "Hi Annabel! Happy birthday! It is your birthday, right?"

  I allowed myself to giggle. "Yes, Bradley. Thank you."

  He awkwardly pulled me in for an extremely quick hug. Bradley's hand immediately began to scratch the back of his neck after, as if he felt jittery or uncomfortable with my presence. I couldn't blame him for that though; we still haven't made the switch from acquaintances to friends just yet. "Uh, you, um, you can come in! Yeah, come in!"

  "Okay," I agreed, laughing nervously. "So, do you know where Benjamin is?"

  Bradley scrunched his nose as he traced his brain for any recollection of Benjamin. "Well I just got home like two minutes ago so I don't even know if he's here, to be honest. You can check his room though! It's upstairs and like the first door on your left."

  "Alright, thanks Bradley," I said politely, hesitantly strolling up the staircase.

  The first door on the left was black with a brushed-silver handle, and I took a deep exhale before knocking on it. There was no response, so I knocked again. Still nothing. After one more unrequited knock I carefully pushed the door open to see if Benjamin even was in his house yet or if his room was just completely barren.

  When the door slowly crept open, I gasped at the sight in front of me. If anything I expected to see Benjamin jacking off or listening to music. But I didn't expect Benjamin's mouth to be pressed to another girl's, kissing her passionately.

  "Ann!" Benjamin exclaimed as he broke apart from the unknown girl, his eyes widening as mine narrowed. "What are you doing here?"

  "It's my birthday! We were supposed to go to dinner in like an hour!" I screamed, suddenly becoming very angry.

  He frowned. "Oh right. Dammit, I'm sorry, Ann. I completely forgot."

  I gestured towards the mysterious girl who was the source of my anger, not because he forgot my birthday. Benjamin glanced over at her and then light bulbs seemed to flicker off in his head. "Oh! This is Sarah! Sarah, this is Annabel."

  "I'm a big fan of your movies," Sarah said with a smile. She seemed very sweet and was beautiful, but I couldn't help but grow incredibly irritated at the situation unfolding.

  "Thanks."

  "I'm sorry about Adam too," Benjamin stated, sending me a sympathetic look. "Stu said he was a great dog. I'm very sorry."

  "Jesus Christ, Benjamin!" I screeched, throwing my hands up in the air. "Are we not going to discuss what I just walked in on?"

  He furred his eyebrows together in confusion. "What? Did you think you and I were exclusive?"

  "No," I lied, suddenly feeling my cheeks grow hot as the embarrassment kicked in. Of course I liked another guy more than he liked me. Of course I jumped to conclusions to quickly without seeing if he felt the exact same way as me. Of course I felt guilty for even hugging Stuart when he didn't feel an ounce of guilt kissing other girls. "Actually, yeah I did. But whatever. Screw you, Benjamin."

  I turned on my heel to make a rapid dash for the exit, but Benjamin's hand gripped around my wrist before I could do so. "Wait, Ann," Benjamin called, holding up one finger to motion to Sarah that he'd be back soon. "Can we talk?"

  "Fine," I grumbled, letting him lead me out to the adjacent balcony. I sat down on the bench that overlooked the city of Los Angeles, and Benjamin mimicked my actions.

  He let out an enormous sigh. "Okay, I'm sorry for that. I need to be honest with you now, okay? I really like you Ann, you're an incredible girl. But Sarah and I dated for like over a year and she just came back today and I realized when she showed up at my doorstep that I was still in love with her. I was planning on asking you to be my girlfriend, yes, so that exclusive thing was kind of a lie because before today I would have considered you to be basically my girlfriend too. I'm really sorry I had to end things with you this way and I would have loved to given us a try, but the universe is giving me a second chance with the girl I was originally planning on marrying someday, so I really don't think I can let her go. I'm sorry."

  I was still mad that he had told me this in this manner, but I let my lips curl into a sad smile. My fury slowly evaporated when he spoke like the sweet Benjamin Moore that I knew, instead of the cockier one that was present in his bedroom. He made a valid point, and I would be a total jerk if I didn't recognize ho
w important this was to him.

  "It's okay. History always comes before new people in your life. I get it, Benjamin," I told him, placing my hand on his knee. "Sarah is really pretty and seems really nice. I'm sure you two will make a lovely couple."

  It wasn't worth it to start a pathetic fight. I was already having a terrible day and if I learned anything from Adam's death it was that life was much shorter than we often anticipate, so I need to make the most out of everyday and not waste my time getting upset over things that aren't entirely in my control.

  "Thank you, Ann," Benjamin replied, slowly wrapping his arms around me in a hug. "I hope we can still be friends, okay? I don't want things to get awkward, especially since Stuart will get even more uncomfortable with us than before if we hate each other."

  "I don't hate you," I assured Benjamin. He was too cute for me to ever hate him. "I'm kind of mad that I got dressed for nothing, but I'll get over it too. Just like how I will get over my crush on you."

  Benjamin grinned blissfully, as if he was truly grateful of my ability to be mature about this. He pressed a friendly kiss on my cheek. "Thanks, Annabel. Speaking of crushes, I think Stuart has one on you."

  I nearly choked on my saliva.

  "What? No, we're just best friends," I blubbered, shaking my head. There was no possibility that Stuart could like me. He always viewed me as a sister or his annoying roommate.

  "Annabel," Benjamin deadpanned, stopping my frantic behavior. "He is so protective over you. He got a boner just from kissing you for like ten seconds. He looks at you the way I used to look at Sarah. He's willing to go to Australia with you. The signs are all there."

  "I don't know," I answered wearily. Benjamin brought up some good arguments, but I just couldn't imagine Stuart ever having any feelings for me. I thought I was the only one, all those years ago, to develop even a tiny crush on him.

  Benjamin shrugged, hugging me again. "Okay well, happy birthday, Annabel. Thank you for taking this so well. Hopefully I will see you soon?"