Roommates

Chapter 18

Approaching the apartment, Aurora felt light on her toes. Evangeline held her hand all the way from the parking lot into the building, the entire elevator ride up, and down the cat walk. She wouldn't let go. Caught up in their laughter, Aurora spun around and around in sheer delight. Unsteady on her feet, she lost her footing and fell into the door, pulling Evangeline with her.

With her back to the door and Evangeline crashing into her she had no choice but to embrace the impact. She smacked her head against the wood. With a gentle sigh, she muttered, "ow!"

Evangeline caught her breath from their giggles and her tone was replaced with genuine concern. "Are you okay?"

"Just a bump," Aurora assured. The pain escaped her as she began to feel Evangeline's weight pressing her into the door. Like a heavy and warm blanket, Evangeline laid on Aurora. Stuck between the door and her friend, Aurora felt oddly comforted. However, embarrassment quickly replaced the feeling. She filled their silence with insensible words, waiting for Evangeline to pull away.

Evangeline looked between Aurora's caramel eyes, unconcerned with how far she had overstepped. She knew Aurora could feel her heart beating out of her chest, but she wasn't worried about it. They'd been dancing and singing like maniacs, obviously that was all this was. "We should, uh— we should get inside."

"Right."

Catching her balance and stepping back, Evangeline waited for Aurora to move so she could unlock the door. She tried to focus on getting the right key, but her key ring became a logic puzzle she had no interest in solving. What if they stayed in the hallway for a while longer?

Finally, she came to the right key. She jammed it into the lock and twisted, opening the door. "I think I'm going to take a shower," Evangeline said, out of breath.

"Sounds good!" Aurora said, setting her keys in the teal bowl. She was picking up on small pieces of Evangeline's habits every time she came over. Whenever Evangeline comes into the house, she turns on the living room chandelier light, she puts her keys in the bowl, she puts her wallet in the drawer and she takes off her coat to hang it on the rack. Her routine was almost adorable in a sense; she was structured, in the very best way.

Evangeline disappeared into the front bedroom, leaving Aurora alone in the living room. Feeling at home, Aurora wandered to the back of the apartment to look out of the window that took up the entire wall. She grabbed the remote control to open the curtains and watched as down-town Seattle grew before her eyes. The lights cast blue and yellow shades across the tan walls of the living room. Blinking signs from the street level dimmed in comparison to the street lamps and billboards.

Living in the city was never Aurora's dream, but moments like this made it a unique experience that she couldn't take for granted. It wasn't so bad six stories above ground level. Everything beneath her seemed peaceful.

She took a deep breath and leaned against the window, looking closer at the glass. Streaks left by wept raindrops trailed down the window. A smudged hand print on the inside panel stood out against the picturesque artwork decorating the exterior panel.

"If you need to shower, go ahead," Evangeline said from behind her. Her shower was quick and Aurora had barely noticed the lapse in time. "By the way, I have some clothes for you to borrow, if you don't want to go down to your car to get your stuff."

Aurora took a sharp breath to pull herself away from the window. "Thank you," she said.

"They're sitting on the counter in the bathroom." Evangeline went into the kitchen and before she disappeared behind the wall, Aurora snuck a glance at her. She was in whimsical baby blue and yellow pajama pants and a tight fitting white tank top. Her hair fell in damp curls past her shoulders, leaving a soaked through patch on the back of her shirt. Aurora could almost make out the lines of Evangeline's black back-piece tattoo that she had never noticed before.