Don't Let Me Fall

Chapter 2

Hard pellets of warm water slide over my body as I rub the shampoo into my hair. I've spent a night at my new home; it's been strange. Peaceful, but strange.

When my mom left, I was expecting to walk into a messy, loud house filled with drunk boys. However, when I entered the huge cabin, it was completely silent. After touring the whole house, I realised that no one was in; I continued to stare in awe at the beautiful pieces of artwork lining the wooden walls before finding an empty bedroom and throwing myself into a deep sleep.

It was still silent when I woke up this morning. So far, I've discovered something incredibly unfortunate. This place only has one bathroom. In this whole, massive building, there is one bathroom. I'm going to be sharing a bathroom with boys. Great. After accepting that devastating fact, I decided to have a shower to wash the stink of travel off my body. 

As I step out onto the bathmat, I feel a cold breeze and watch in horror as the door swings open to reveal a topless, puffy-faced guy rubbing at his red eyes. His chocolate-brown hair is ruffled into what looks like the ears of a particularly energetic dog; as my eyes travel down his body, I see a tanned distinction of rock solid abs. Great. He's going to be a total self-obsessed gym freak. And right now, I'm stood completely naked right in his face.

Yeah, that's the other thing. The door doesn't lock.

I can feel blood rushing to my cheeks as his eyes widen in shock. His mouth forms a comical 'O' as he begins to comprehend the situation. A frantic, tanned hand runs through his hair and he seems to dither in the doorstep for a moment before speaking.

"Shit! Sorry - I'm really, really sorry. Jesus, I didn't know you were here yet. I - I'm just going to....uhm...yeah. Go. Out."

His words meet me in a wave of panic; I can see the regret in his expression as he practically flees from the room. Unable to fully accept what just happened, I look around at the tiled walls for something to cover up with. And there's not a towel in sight. Just great. It's the first day and it's already hit rock bottom. This really was a terrible idea.

Squeezing my eyes shut in a vain attempt to escape the humility, I hear heavy breathing and pacing footsteps from outside the door. The guy's still there.

Cursing to myself, I face the fact that I need his help. Eyes still shut, I call through the door hoping to God that he'll not make this any more awkward. 

"Hey...uhm - guy who was in here a minute ago? This is so stupid - I - ahh - don't have a towel. Could you please get me one?"

A small agreeable grunt travels through the wooden barricade, followed by surprisingly quiet footsteps. A moment later, the door creaks open the tiniest bit; that same hand he ran through his hair thrusts a towel wildly in the air. After grabbing it from him and securing it around me, I exit the room and murmur my thanks. With another grunt, he tells me he'll be downstairs and flees yet again. 

With an exasperated sigh, I head to my room before encountering any other men in the hall.

                                                                                            *

After taking as much time as possible to pick out an outfit from my luggage, dry my brown hair into fluffy curls and then unpack my possessions, I make my way reluctantly down the staircase. I need to apologise to that poor guy. He's probably currently sat in a corner somewhere still red in the face, worrying about how offended I'll be. It's my fault. I should've just gone downstairs and at least introduced myself first.

Taking in a long breath, I turn the corner and am met with a completely unexpected scene. The first floor of the house is basically this massive open space with no walls and a whole lot of furniture. The staircase spirals into the middle of the room; on one side is a cosy wooden area with a fireplace circled by earthy-coloured chairs laden with crotched blankets and rugs. On the other side is a beautiful glass wall showcasing the beauty of this place. In the distance, the hazy line of a mountain reaches to the blue sky, with trees crowding the expanse, inviting us to take an adventure. A large kitchen also lines this side of the house, with a black marble island and deep green herbs lining the walls. Dotting the rest of the space are various armchairs and coffee tables, as well as a pool table and a large dinner table.