sleepy city [discontinued]

11 | company

jackson

Class was getting boring. I was sitting in the middle of sociology, listening to the professor drone on and on about the body's reaction to sensation. Sometimes it depends on the person. For example, a girl could cry out of happiness when being proposed to or cry out of sadness and regret when she finds out her parents died.

I was thinking about other things to make time pass: what I could eat later on, what I could do after I ate, maybe even watch a horror film. It was funny because I never got scared during horror films. Insidious, The Conjuring, The Purge, Cabin in the Woods, The Woman in Black, none of them. The Saw movies were my favorites; the doll riding the bicycle was hilarious. I knew London was terrified of them, she hadn't watched a horror movie since Insidious in 6th grade. She told me she was so scared she cried.

It made me laugh a little as I watched the professor speak. I thought of her grabbing my hand and closing her eyes while we watched Poltergeist or Ouija.

"Why are you laughing?" She would say. "This is terrifying."

"Not really." I would say back. "You're just so innocent."

Then she would try to mean mug me. "No, I'm not."

"Yes you are." Then we would argue back and forth.

I'd tell her to shut up after she would tell me. "Make me." She would say.

Then I would whisper, "You might moan a bit." She might smirk or try to hide her blush. I don't know for sure: this is all hypothetical. I wonder what would happen in that situation or in real life and the conversation was pretty close to that.

"So make me." London would say with a daring voice.

I would lean forward and stroke her waist and turn her and tug on her lip. I would kiss her and she'd moan and pull me closer.

Fuck.

I wish that last part would happen more than anything.

-

I kept hearing a ringing sound. It was distant, then it grew louder, and soon it became more meshed together.

I opened my eyes slightly to see the value of outside. It was dark, but it wasn't quiet. New York was never quiet. I rolled over to my dresser, feeling for the object that was the origin of the buzzing sound. I was 3:39 in the am, and I had a number of consecutive texts and calls in the last 15 minutes, all from London. Now I was getting a call from her. Something had to be wrong. I answered immediately.

"London? What's the matter?"

Her voice was broken and I could hear her sniffling.

"London?"

"Can I come live with you?"

I kept my surprise quiet. "What's wrong?"

"My parents are accusing me of something I didn't do, and I'm sick of it. I really need to get away from them; I'm sick of my brother, sister, all of them. I need to leave." Her voice was breaking. "I really feel like harming myself or just doing something to cause me not to be stable, and I'm already pretty unstable."

I didn't know what to say. I want to help her and I know I can support her.

"I don't-"

"Jackson, please. I can't stay here any longer without completely breaking down. I'm already packing my clothes."

"Ok, ok." I breathed and sat up and wiped my face. "What do you think you should do?"

"I think I should take the bus to the MARTA station, then take a train to the airport."

I was silent, cautious about the situation. I would do most anything she wanted for her to be happy, just so de wouldn't do something reckless and absurd.

"Ok, just do that. Please be careful: it's late and people are crazy."

"Including me." She muttered before hanging up. Jesus I hope she's okay.