In Between

Chapter 7: Opal

The dish shatters in the sink, his screams overpowering the sounds of glass breaking. I can barely make out his face through my tears. My body shakes as I sit at the table. His work boots trail mud and dirt across the floor with every stomp. "Dumb bitch!" I flinch, his body towering over me now. "How many times do I have to tell you not to touch my truck?" I don't say a word. I was just trying to help. It was dirty. Frantically, he searches the entire first floor of the house, shouting and throwing things around. It's just a car charger. He must've had a bad day at work. "I didn't take anything out besides the trash." Regrettably, I caught his attention. He accuses me of throwing it out, his hands waving around with blame. Quietly, I shake my head, "no." He scoffs. I can practically see steam blowing out of his ears; his face, a bright red. "Fuck you!" He hollers whilst tracking mud up the stairs. The bathroom door slams shut. Shortly after, the shower starts running and I can breathe. I quickly wipe my tears and run to the truck. Sharp pain climbs up my legs from the gravel under my bare feet. I sit in the driver's seat for a moment, keys in hand. Where would I go? My eyes glance over to the glove compartment. Bet he didn't look there. It creaks open, revealing the charger that he claimed was missing. I sigh to myself; not moving right away. But where would I go? Tears pour down my face. It's okay. I sob. You're okay. Suddenly, I'm aware of how shaky my breathing is and that I'm still in his truck. Collect yourself.

I shut the door behind me, lighting a cigarette inside of the kitchen. Start with the broken dishes. I drag the trash can to the sink and start pulling out pieces of broken plates and cups. The smoke of my cigarette prances around the air in front of me, somehow giving me a sense of peace. Now, clean the counters. Wipe, spray, wipe. Now the floors. The sink water runs hot while I add floor cleaner to the mop bucket. Let the mopping solution cool a bit while you sweep. You're fine. I put my cigarette out with the running water before turning it off. Sweep, mop. The table. The shower shuts off. Wipe, spray, wipe. The living room. The bedroom door shuts loudly. Everything gets put back to where it belongs, and the floor gets vacuumed. And just like that, it didn't even happen. I clean the stairs as well, hoping he doesn't leave the bedroom. But the door creaks open as I shut the vacuum off.

"What are you doing?" He still sounded aggressive.
"Cleaning."
"Find my charger?"
"Yes."
"Good. Get dressed. We're leaving."
"Where are we going?"
"Doesn't matter, hurry up."

I hesitate, but ultimately do as I'm told; putting everything away and changing into one of my favorite fall outfits. A tight, green v-neck and a short, black plaid skirt with thigh high tights and boots. The ride was silent and I had no idea where I was going. Anxiety filled my stomach. Don't ask, it's fine. We pulled into a small parking lot for an unfamiliar apartment complex. The sky was seasoned with orange and pink against the brick buildings. Where are we? He doesn't wait for me to follow him to apartment 5B. It isn't until we reach the door that I see Logan. To my surprise, a woman stood beside him. He introduced us to her as we entered. Opal, interesting name. Her light brown hair fell long against her thin body. Her eyes matched her name. Maybe that's why they named her Opal. I give them a smile; as much of a smile as I could give after how today has gone. Still don't know why we're here. Logan smirks, "Opal and I are happy you're here! Thought a little in-home, double date would be fun." Her voice is high pitched and scratchy, "Movie is ready, popcorn is popped, and I even made Logan find his extra blankets so we can stay warm!" She seems so happy.

The apartment is small. We are greeted by a couch directly in front of us, and to the right is the television mounted to the wall. The walls are bare. He takes a seat, pulling me down to sit beside him. He doesn't cuddle me, or even put his arm around me. He just sits there, eyes glued to the television. Logan sits on the other side of me, and Opal sits beside him. After pressing play, she throws blankets on top of herself and towards me. I cuddle into the blanket and stare blankly at the flashing lights on the screen. This is weird as all hell. Nearly thirty minutes into the movie, Opal excuses herself to the bathroom. We remained silent, the movie still playing. I feel a hand on my thigh, underneath my blanket. I smile. He must not be mad anymore. The hand squeezes, slowly making its way up my thigh. I look over at him, he's paying no mind to me. Wait, that's not his hand. Logan smiles at me with one corner of his mouth. I get up and urgently state, "I have to pee." Opal sees this from the bottom of the stairs. "Come on, I'll show you where the bathroom is!" She must've just gotten down here. I follow her.

"So, how did you meet Logan?" She asks as she slowly guides me up the stairs.
"Met him through my boyfriend a few years back."
"He told me he's never had a serious relationship."
"He's not lying."
"You say that like he's been with lots of women, though."
"That the bathroom?"

I rush in and close the door behind me before I even turn the light on. What is happening today? I look around, the bathroom is as bare as the living room. I check my phone, 8:30pm and messages from my mom and sister. This is a weird day and it's not even nine. Opal knocks on the door, "you okay?" I flush the toilet I haven't sat on and tell her yes. Put my phone away, washed my hands and opened the door to Opal standing there.

"Has Logan been with lots of women?" She's trapped me in the bathroom. I shrug.
"What's a lot of women mean to you?"
"You're cute." She giggles.
"What?"
"You're cute!" She walks towards me, backing me further into the bathroom.
"Like, my outfit?"
"That too," she closes and locks the door behind her, "ever been with a girl before?" What the fuck is happening?
"Uh, no. Why are you locking the door?"

Before I can say another word, her lips touch mine. They are gentle and soft. For a moment, I enjoy the warmth of her body against mine. Woah, wait, what's happening right now? I hesitate to pull away, just for a moment. She steps back and apologizes, her cheeks a rosey pink. "You're just really attractive.. and Logan is such an ass sometimes.. and I guess I just thought maybe you and your boyfriend would consider.. or maybe you, me and Logan could..." She rambles on. My mind is still trying to wrap around what happened and why it didn't feel wrong. "We should get back down there" I break her run-on sentence. She nods, unlocks the door and looks at me before leaving the bathroom, "pretend it didn't happen?" I shake my head no, "it happened, but we can talk about it another time."

The boys stayed in the same place, focused entirely on the film. Opal and I make our way back to our seats as if nothing happened. Having another girl around wouldn't be too bad. Logan wraps his arm around Opal, kissing her passionately. What a dirtbag. He's still ignoring me.