Across the Hall (girlxgirl)

nine

• N a y a •

It had taken some time but Ember had finally started to warm up to me, she wasn't so cold and standoffish whenever I was around and since we'd grown closer she had finally taken me up on my offer of chilling on the lawns with us during breaks. She never came alone though, always with Naomi in tow (much to Gabe's excitement) and always sitting the furthest away from Olivia, which I completely understood, Olivia was still on thin ice with me too.

I wasn't complaining though, I loved having Ember around. I could talk to her all day, she was hilarious, thought-provoking and interesting. It just sucked that my friends didn't know that side of her. Not that I minded, it felt like our little secret: conversations in the car about whatever was on our mind, arguing over movies, and cracking up in the kitchen at lame jokes. Ember had started doing that a lot lately, laughing and smiling, the first it happened I was completely caught off guard.

Ziyaad was to thank for the first time I heard Ember laugh. In the process of retelling a childish knock-knock joke in between his tiny giggles, I heard it, all the way from the kitchen. The sound was light, warm-hearted and simply beautiful, it took me a second to realise the laugh belonged to Ember but when I did I found myself smiling quietly to myself. After seeing her function as an emotionless zombie for almost two months it was nice to hear.

"Naya!" Sophia whined, pouting as she stroked the side of my neck, finally gaining my attention again, as I laid on Sophia's bed while she straddled me.

I had time to kill since Ember was teaching music to a kid in the neighbourhood nearby and I promised her I'd pick her up afterwards. With nothing better to do Sophia served as a nice distraction.

"Sorry, what were you saying?" I hummed, running my hands up her thighs before they settled on her hips and she rolled her eyes.

"Am I going to see you at the party tonight? We can get really drunk and sneak away, like old times?" She smiled suggestively, happy to have my attention again as she leaned down to kiss my neck.

"I can't tonight. I've got an early soccer match tomorrow." I murmured and I heard her sigh before she sat slowly up, the ends of her hair tickling my face.

"Well, then I guess I could just come to your game. Maybe even wear your jersey?" She asked hopefully, a small smile on her face, and I had to stop myself from groaning in disappointment.

"Sophia." I sighed deeply as I sat up, gently moving her off my lap. "You know that's not what's happening here," I muttered, a headache starting to form. Before we started hooking up I made it very clear that I wasn't the relationship type and probably never would be and she said she understood.

"So why were we hooking up for the past few months then?" She huffed angrily, folding her arms across her chest. "Were you just going to keep fucking me until you got bored?" She spat and I sighed, already tired of the conversation.

"Don't say it like that, I like you Sophia but we agreed we're just having fun, nothing serious." I pointed out, trying to ease the situation but I failed, miserably.

"Fuck you Naya!"  She spat angrily, hitting me with a pillow.

"Come on, don't be like this," I said gently but she just pushed me off her bed.

"Just get out!"

"Sophia-"

"I said get the fuck out!" She exploded, tears in her eyes, and I did what I was told, not wanting to make things worse.

I quietly slid off her bed and grabbed my stuff before I let myself out, heading straight to my car.

Sophia was just like the rest of them. It was fun up until feelings got involved, and then I got treated like the bad guy for not reciprocating them, even though they all knew I wasn't looking for a relationship. Besides, relationships sounded more like a headache and awaiting heartbreak than anything else.