Ready or Not

Chapter 13

Hearing the alarm on your cellphone go off, you reach for it, trying to hit the snooze button. But the only thing that you manage to do is to knock the phone off the nightstand on to the floor. You didn't manage to turn the alarm off, so you are given no other choice but to get out of bed. Sleep last night was fitful and not very deep. However, duty calls and you must answer. You pick up your phone off the floor and turn off the alarm. You see that there are insane number of missed calls and text messages from both Namjoon and Warren. You decide to open it up and peruse it. Trying to get some sense of what it is that they want. The bottom-line message is them wanting to know where you are and to reach out to them when you get the message. To keep as much peace of mind as possible, you ignore all the text messages and voicemails and leave both men's texts on read. You have two students that you need to get to, so you go through your AM routine and get out the door.

Right before you walk out of your apartment building's front door, something stops you. As you halt your steps, a thought enters your mind to take the back stairs out of the building. Then you think, "Just in case Joonie and/or Warren are waiting for me outside my building. If I leave out the back, I won't have to deal with any of it." So, you decide to listen to your gut feeling and walk down to the basement and take the back exit out to the street on opposite side of the front entrance. As predicted, no Namjoon or Warren. Fully bundled up to combat the cold morning air, you waddle your way towards the nearest subway station.

The two students you are tutoring today are routine. Both sessions go without a hitch and by the time you are done, it is little after 11:00. Reversing the trip you took this morning, you get back into the apartment around 11:30. Once back in your apartment, you grab your overnight bag out of the closet and start packing to go visit your father. You haven't seen your dad since late August, and you've missed him. When he told you that he now has a lady friend, you were tickled pink. You didn't like that your father would be rattling around in that big old house of his, all by himself. The thought of it made you feel sad and worried for him. But now, looks like he at least has some companionship. When you have your bag packed, you make your way back to the subway station. From there, you are going to the Grand central train station to take an express train back home. You told your father that you would be home between 2:30 and 3:00, however, you are making very good time and update your estimated time of arrival as 2:00 PM. You have no clue if Namjoon or Warren are waiting for you outside your apartment building and don't really care. You take the same back way out of your building and head to the subway station.

By the time you get onto the train that will take you back home, it is a few minutes after noon. You find yourself a window seat and pull out from your bag, another well-worn book. This one is called Emma, by none other than Jane Austen. You figure you'll be able to get through at least half of the book before you get home, so even before the train departs, you start reading. Then you think, "I should text dad and let him know that I'm on the train now."

You:
Dad, I'm on the train now and should be home around 2:00.
Little earlier than originally expected.
I can't wait to see you.
I'll text you when I'm off the train.

As you had expected, there are several more text messages from Namjoon and Warren. Seeing them brings back the events of last night's party. You hearing Warren's lust laden sigh coming from behind closed door of the bathroom as he was buried in that woman's mouth, and then seeing Namjoon lying on top of Kelly, kissing her. You think, "This whole thing is just too much for me to handle. I am not equipped for this. I just hope they get the point and at least have the decency to leave me alone."

The train slowly starts to move away from the platform and as it clears the tracks of the station, it starts to pick up speed. You've always loved train rides, even as a kid. To indulge the child in you, you put your book down and stair out the window. You ride through bit of cityscape, but before you know it you can see beautiful autumn foliage and prettier scenery. While you are on the train, your cellphone continues to buzz and ring, so much so that your seatmate asks, "I'm sorry, but I was wondering if you can hear your phone going off.  Because it's been buzzing almost non- stop and I didn't want you to miss it if it was something important."