Breathe Easy

|3.| Well, Well, Well

When we got to the apartment complex I lunged out of the car, nearly stumbling over my own feet. I was bursting with energy and felt like I could run a marathon, yet at the same time if I took time to lay down I would fall asleep almost instantly.

I swung around while jogging backwards, flinging my arms out at my side. "First one to sit on the comfy side of the couch gets it for the rest of the week!" I shouted, turning back around to run at full speed into the building and up the stairs.

"No fair, I'm wearing really tight shoes and they hurt! You're being unfair right now - stop running. At least let me catch up."

"You sound like a baby."

As I reached our floor, I faintly heard Camila's feet quickly padding the stairs. I fished for my keys in the pockets of my black slacks, hastily pulling them out. My hands were shaking madly as I struggled to put the key in place. Meanwhile Camila's footsteps were growing less distant, which meant she was close. I heard her whispering a whole litany of swears, and I found that hilarious because she rarely ever swore.

She appeared around the corner, and we immediately made eye contact.

"Hey asshole," she panted through an innocent smile, leaning against the door frame at my side.

"Hey sunshine."

When I finally got the door open Camila and I both went through at the same time, getting stuck side by side momentarily. I dashed into the apartment with a loud cackle, Camila right on my tail hooting and hollering for me to move. Right as I was about to leap for my sacred destination, she shoved me out of the way and lunged over the arm of the couch, hurriedly crawling to the other side. She soon stood up on the couch and began jumping, doing a little victory dance as I gaped at her in utter disbelief.

"You fucking pushed me!" I screamed indignantly.

Camila stopped laughing once she realized I was genuinely angry, collapsing to her knees. Pressing her lips together, she stared at me, astonished with wide eyes before looking off elsewhere as if thinking, "oh shit".

"Well, you kinda did cheat by getting a head start..." she said, trailing off.

I took a deep breath and nodded continuously until I had myself convinced that she was maybe somewhat kinda right. And it was just a couch.

"Yeah, yeah. You're right. I showed no mercy for you and you showed no mercy for me. It's not that big of a deal. It's fair, I suppose. I apologize for screaming at you - I kinda lose it when I lose at something."

She smiled real big in relief. "Wow. You're so...competitive. You scared the hell out of me. I thought you were about to go haywire."

"Startled my own self a bit." I gave a brief laugh and slid my hands in my pockets, feeling slightly embarrassed.

"Well, I get this side for a week but you can still sit here, right next to me." Camila motioned for me to come over.

I walked forward and sat at the opposite end of the couch with my arms folded. Out the corner of my eye I could see her looking at me. I gave her a sidelong glance, biting my lip agitatedly. On her face was a tender half-smile, and she happily patted the spot next to her.

"You want me to sit there?" I asked above a whisper.

"If you want to. I'm gonna go change out of this dress, but first I want to give you a big ole hug to make you feel better since you're grumpy about losing." She grinned cheekily and ambushed me with a tight embrace as soon as I slid over.

I groaned as she rocked me from side to side. This girl really, really loved hugs. But I suppose it was okay because they were always great, and she was cuddly. She'd said that I was the cuddly one - the cuddliest person she'd ever hugged - when in reality she was.