Apartment 311

Ch | 94

Noah Silas Anderson

Chapter Ninety-four: "Dancing with the devil"

This is stupid.

"Hello?" She answered the call the third time.

Nevermind, I take that back.

I sat up on my bed. "Hey, Brooklyn."

"Hi, Noah," she said, her voice sounding uninterested but willing.

"Um..." I now had to think of what to say because I didn't think I'd get this far. "How's Texas?"

"Hey, Noah!" I heard what sounded like Daniel yelling in the background.

Brooklyn smacked her lips at him. "Texas is fine, Noah. Is everything okay, why are you calling me?"

I scratched my shoulder and thought up something else. "I just wanted to talk, I guess." Oh my God, she's going to hang up.

There was this long pause and I banged my head against my pillow, regretting calling in the first place.

After, like, thirty seconds, Brooklyn spoke again. "Oh. Hi. How are you?"

She didn't sound like herself, but I'll take it.

Relieved our conversation didn't end there, I walked over to the window and stared down at the traffic.

"Uh, g-good. I mean, I'd be better if you were here." I bit my knuckle and waited for a response, hoping she wouldn't tell me off.

"Hello? You there?" I asked when she didn't reply.

"I'm here," she responded.

"Oh," I paced along the area rug. "Did you hear what I said?"

"I have to go, Noah. Bye."

"Oh. Well, it was nice talkin' to you-"

She hung up.

***

"I'm surprised you have space left on your body," Sky laughed, removing the needle. I yawned, sitting back in the chair, my hat covering my eyes as I was about to fall asleep.

I didn't have anything planned as far as getting another tattoo. Hell, I was surprised she found somewhere to put it, too. I just needed what I call "ink therapy." Some women go shopping when they're upset, other people drink to cope. Me, I get tatted.

"Still don't want to cover up those guns?" She asked, referring to my arms. I looked up them with pride and shook my head.

"Well, you're all done," she said, finishing with the plastic wrap around my shin. It was a small, basic tattoo that said "keep going" and my right leg mirrored it in the same spot with "go harder."

"Appreciate you," I told her, going for a fist-pound. She smiled and tossed her gloves in the trash.

Ever since Sky got married we'd been actually good friends, it weirded me out but she was cool about everything and we got along fine. In a way, she became like a sister. Eh, no, maybe like that cousin you only see at annual family gatherings but you like, look forward to seeing them and you hang out the whole time. Yeah, that's it.
Except, I think - I know - I'm only keeping her company because Brooklyn's gone. Plus, Gael is with his family and Cassie's mom was in town so I let them have that quality time.