Wish I wasn't so shy

"Really Rad Chick"

The sun peaked through my blinds, casting shadows around the room. I slowly opened my eyes. Julian was sleeping peacefully next to me. His shaggy hair was messy over his face. I sat up, stretching, then getting out of bed.

I made my way towards the bathroom. I brushed my teeth, and after that hopped in the shower. I was humming a song that I didn't even know the title of, it just stuck in my head.

I turned off the water and stepped out, wrapping a towel around myself. When I walked out, Julian was still asleep. He looked adorable in his slumber.

His steady breathing filled the room as I changed into some clothes. I was in the process of looking for a top when Julian woke up. He opened his eyes to see me in blue jeans and a black bra. He quickly closed them, not only from seeing my chest, but from his hangover. He grabbed his head and winced.

"Do you have aspirin", he asked with his head under the blankets. His voice was hoarse and deep. "Yeah." I reached over to my night stand for the bottle of aspirin. "Let me get you some water", I said going over to the kitchen. I came back with a glass of water.

His head was still hiding under the covers. I quickly threw on the first shirt I could find. A Tom Waits shirt I found lying on top of my dresser.

"Here you go." I set the water next to him. His head peaked out, his eyes half open. He took some pills and sat up on the bed. Julian now sat there, watching me as I countinued to get ready. I looked back at him, laughing. He smiled, stretching his arms.

I walked over to him, sitting on his lap. He pecked me on the lips and placed his hands on my waist. He had his eyes closed, still smiling.

"What are you so happy about", I asked him. That just made him smile even more. "This moment", he said, opening his eyes again. "I thought I dreamed up what I said last night, but by the way your acting towards me, I guess not." He chuckled.

"Well aren't you glad." I joked.
"Very." And he kissed me again, a little more passionate than the first time. I got off of him and asked him if he was hungry.

"I don't know, maybe I should get going." His face fell when he said that. So did mine, which he noticed because he got up and hugged me. "I wish I could stay too", he said. He was resting his head on top of mine.

"Yeah, I have to run some errands anyway", I said trying to make it seem like I actually had something else to do.
We pulled apart and he started to get ready. He put his pants back on and looked for his shoes. He would make jokes as he got ready so I wouldn't be so bummed to see him leave. But unfortunately he had to go.

We walked out of my room, walking into the small living room. He grabbed his leather jacket off the couch and walked to the front of the door. He turned around to face me, embracing me. He kissed my forehead and I opened the front door. Before he walked out, I kissed him.

"Bye Jules."
"Bye Maya."

And with that, he was gone. My apartment was overwhelmed with silence. I thought I might as well be productive, so I decided to go down to the cafe and bring my sketch book with me. I walked to the cafe, it being only a couple blocks from my flat. It was a cute little place decorated with vibrant green plants and modern furniture.

I sat in the nook of the room after I had ordered an iced green tea. I sketched in the journal; a bell of a door opening ringed in the distance. As I was completing my sketch, some one had taken a seat at the table next to mine. I turned my head for a split second to see who had sat there.

Albert was sitting there, writing something in a journal with a coffee beside him. I was debating whether or not I should say hi.

"Maya? Hey it's Albert", he said once he looked up from his journal. I pretended that I had just noticed he was there and said hello. "You want to join me", I asked politely. Even if I didn't really like Albert, I felt obligated to be polite because he was Julian's best friend.

"Oh sure", he said hesitantly, maneuvering all his things to my table. He glanced at my drawing and complimented it. "It kinda looks like Julian", he smirked, "it's really good." I blushed realising that the sketch did, coincidentally, look like him. "Oh that wasn't really my intention but thanks." I giggle.

"What about you? Whatcha writing in there", I questioned. He shrugged his shoulders and cleared his throat. "Just gibberish in a nutshell." He smiled. He pushed his journal towards me. I eyed him and pulled it closer to me, reading what it said. It seemed to be his thoughts. And on the page next to it, a short story about a young boy finding his first friend who later became his first love.

"What a charming story", I said once I had read it thoroughly.
"Oh you flatter me", he chuckled.

"I don't want to make you feel uncomfortable or anything but, are with Julian?" His question made me blush and even a little confused. I didn't know if were considered a 'thing' yet. "Not officially I suppose. But we're something", I said trying not to fluster.
Albert had a small smile on his face and nodded his head, sipping his coffee.
"Why do you ask?"

"Well I don't know. Maybe it's 'cause the minute he came home this morning, he wouldn't stop talking about you. I mean you're cool and all but Julian says the sappiest shit and I was extremely hungover. That's why I came down here", he said, taking a sip of his drink.

"You guys live together?" He nodded his head.
"Yeah he didn't tell you?" I shook my head and started to sketch a picture of a garden.

"Well we do. That night you met him, he called me after you left. Told me every thing that happend with your ex. He told me that he met this girl named Maya and said quote on quote, 'she's like this really rad chick.' I congratulated him and told him I wouldn't be home, hence the reason why you probably didn't know", Albert said. "Then he told me about how you stayed the night, he told all of us. He really liked talking about you."

I smiled and looked down at my hands. "Aww you too Maya?" Albert smirked. I looked up at him and playfully flipped him off. He wasn't as bad as I thought he was after all.

"So Julian tells me you go to NYU as well", I asked Albert. He was surprised that I was attending there too. "Correct. For film. I just started taking this music appreciation class too. What about you?"

"Photography. Film too." We continued to talked about the different cameras and what filters we use. I showed him some photos I took that I had made into collages in my sketch book.

"Wow these are pretty sick. Maybe you can teach me a trick or two about this stuff?"

"Yeah. We should have a photography date someday", I offered.
"That sounds awesome. Just don't get Jules jealous", he said, teasingly.

"Oh don't be so immature", I joked. We laughed and joked for a little longer. Both of our cups had increasingly become empty and we were now walked out of the shop. "Well it was nice hanging with you, now I understand the things Julian says about you a little more", Albert said. I giggled. "Yeah totally. I'll see you around Albert."

"See ya Maya, let's make that photography date happen", he said. "Hey, you might make Jules jealous", I mocked him. He chuckled and waved good bye. I waved back as we walked our seperate ways.

Albert was actually really cool. We had a lot more in common than I expected. I can't believe I didn't like him at first. And him saying how Julian talks about me. I didn't think he would yap on to his friends about me. It sort of made me feel special and another feeling I couldn't quite put my finger on, something I hadn't felt since my family was still living in New York.

For once, I felt like I had a place in the city.

AN: Thank you all for your nice comments, it makes me hate myself a little less :) But srsly I appreciate your positive response towards this story <3