It's Complicated

Chapter 2

"Complicated? What is up with you and your brother answering like that?" Anger ripped the smile off of Aaron's face. I didn't know it was that serious. I watched as Aaron paced the room, muttering obscenities. He slowly calmed himself, then looked at me. "How complicated?"

"How much time do you have?"

"All day Snuggle-Bug." I sighed in defeat. Am I betraying Kaleb's trust? He never said I couldn't tell Aaron anything.

"Alright Lavender, take a seat, this is gonna take a while."

And that's how I spilled my life story to my brother's best-friend/roommate.

~*~

I shifted positions in the closet. When the fuck will Kaleb's friend go back to his room? I turned the brightness down on my phone as I played sudoku, whipping through the puzzles. I got through at least twenty when Kaleb rubbed his temples in frustration.

"Hey Bug," He yelled. I froze in my position. "Bug, come on. I need help." I texted him. "Yes Bug, you have to." I groaned silently. Before I knew it I stood up and opened the door.

"Whoa! How long has she been there?" The guy looked beyond terrified.

"Since you got here," I said back. I turned to Kaleb. "What do you need help with?" I plopped next to him. He handed me a notebook. I looked it over and found what he obviously missed. "Shakesphere wrote stories of true love with no ending, which is why Romeo and Juliet killed themselves. And numbers four and sixteen are wrong." I stood up and walked to the door, grabbing Kaleb's keys. "Be right back Kabe."

"Okay Bug." His eyes were studying the problems I told him were wrong. He's always had trouble with Shakesphere. I walked down the hall to the bathroom and used it without being seen. I came back into the room and they were still working. I threw the keys on the desk and flopped onto Aaron's bed, flipping to a fresh page of my journal. I began jotting notes onto the grand staff. I heard the music in my head as I continued to write.

I stayed in my trance, the music louder then reality. My hand moved swiftly, at the same pace as the music. My heart started to race and my mind began wandering, falling upon memories of the last time I was in this trance. I threw the book across the room and stormed out, wiping the tears off my face.

"Bug!" Kaleb stopped me before I left the dorm. "Bug, it's okay, he's gone."

"Yeah, for now." I spat back. I felt Kaleb carry me back to the room. As I put my feet on the ground I remembered the ways his eyes made my heart flutter. I punched the wall, leaving a hole in the plaster. I fell to the floor, sobbing.

"She hasn't done this in years." I heard whispers to my side. I picked up my head and wiped off my final tears.

"I'm sorry." I crawled into Aaron's bed and wrapped the covers around me, curling into a ball.

~*~

"It's idea time!" The door slammed behind him. I opened my eyes to the cocoon I formed around myself. I unwrapped myself and sat up. Aaron looked at me with alarm. "She hasn't done that since freshman year. What happened?" Aaron has always been protective of me.

"She wrote a song." Kaleb's voice was groggy. He just woke up.

"Oh." Aaron sat down and hugged me. He kept his arms around me.

"So, this idea of yours." Kaleb shifted his position. I eyed him, but wanted to hear the idea. Kabe already knows.

"So, graduation is in a few days, and after that you guys won't have anywhere to go. I talked to Levi, and he said that as long as you help out around the estate, you can live in a little house they have!" I pushed Aaron away from me.