Total Opposites | Cairo & CC

Chapter Nine - Room 1007

CC - Chapter Nine -Room 1007

Song Choice: Sparks by Coldplay

I was on my way to my second class of the day, still reeling over Cairo's abrupt exit, when I got the text of her location. I still wasn't sure what she had meant by sending it with no context, but I decided not to risk it and head her way. It looked like she was at her dorm, which was only a few minutes from where my next class was. I took off, walking as fast as I could to the blue dot on my phone.

I quickly made my way to the building, but realized I had no idea what floor she was on.

I quickly texted her,

What room?

1007, was all I got in response.

I opted to take the stairs, as I was too anxious to sit and wait for the elevator, and held the straps of my backpack down on my shoulders as I ran up all ten flights of stairs to her floor. Opening the door to her hall, I began searching for room 1007, until I found it at the end of the hallway.

I knocked carefully, and heard a soft, barely above a whisper, "It's open,".

I carefully opened the door, just to see Cairo sitting in the corner, knees pulled up to her chest, arms wrapped around her legs.

What I hadn't yet noticed was the lighter on the floor next to her, or the way her jacket and bag were carelessly thrown on the floor.

"Cairo?" I said, barely above a whisper, as I made my way over to her. She turned to look at me, and I could see her eyes were watery and bloodshot. She's been crying.

"Fuck, CC, I didn't mean to text you. I don't know what I was thinking. I'm sorry for leaving you. You don't need to stay, don't you have class?"

Cairo stood up, and that was when I noticed the lighter on the floor next to her that was kicked towards me as she stood up, and it was also when I noticed the burns on her arm.

"Cairo...let me help. Please. You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to. Just, please, let me clean those burns so they don't get infected. Do you have a first aid kit somewhere?"

Cairo didn't answer, instead going to sit on the edge of her bed, and so I asked again.

"Cairo. First aid kit?"

"It's in the bathroom, under the sink."

Taking a quick glance at the girl before making my way to the bathroom, I could see that she just looked lifeless. Her eyes seemed glazed over as she stared at nothing. I hope she's going to be okay.

Upon retrieving the first aid kit, I made my way back to Cairo, sitting next to her on her bed.

"Can I see your arm?" I inquired, and the girl simply nodded, seemingly unable to form words.

I gently grabbed her arm, turning it so I could see the burns on her inner forearm. They looked bad, but they didn't look to be third degree. Maybe first, second at most? She didn't need to go to a hospital, I knew enough first aid to be able to treat them.

Grabbing some antibiotic ointment, gauze, tape, and scissors from the first aid kit, I carefully began to put ointment on her burns and wrapped them with the gauze, cutting some tape to hold it in place.

"I think you're all set. Why don't you stay in for the day, hmm? Maybe change and crawl in bed?"

Cairo simply nodded again, going to her closet and pulling out shorts and a sweatshirt, and going into the bathroom to change. When she came back out, I had pulled down the covers on her bed, and she climbed in.

"Do you need anything else while I'm here?"

She didn't react, and I began to head for the door.

"Wait, CC, will you stay?"

"Of course," I said, making my way to her desk chair to sit and wait until she fell asleep.

"Come here," was all I heard, and I turned, realizing Cairo had just asked me to get in her bed with her.

I realized that I wasn't really dressed for a comfortable day in, and Cairo seemed to take notice as well.

"You can get something out of my closet, if you want,"

"It's okay, I've got Nike Pros under my pants, I can just do that if that's okay with you?"

"Sure,"

I removed my cargo pants, leaving me in a t-shirt and my black Nike Pros, and I climbed into bed with Cairo, leaving space between us in case she wasn't comfortable. Instead, she opted to come closer to me, putting her head in the crook of my neck and her injured arm over my torso, pulling me closer, and shut her eyes, quickly dozing off.

That was fast, was all I could think before I quickly fell asleep in Cairo's embrace.