1972

Three

"Skylar !!" he called, and i turned around.

Angry as I ever saw him, he walked towards me, and i felt as if my body hesitated to his presence.

"Chris," I said softly so only he could hear me. In my defense, it was in the middle of the hallway, and the others were in the next room. Otherwise, i would raise my voice at him, too, like he did when he came closer to me.

"Where were you !? I've been looking for you for the past forty minutes !"

I just stood there with a shocked face.

"I-" I started speaking, but he caught me before continuing.

"No, don't bloody answer me! Do you have any idea what you just put me through?! Skylar, you said you've gone out smoking. How in the bloody hell did you end up in this...garbage hole? for Christ's sake!" He pointed at me, looking around the space surrounding us.

"What were you thinking? For your information, I was waiting for you inside. Did it ever occur to you? No, I don't think so. How would you feel ........"

He didn't stop speaking in a rather loud voice. I almost couldn't get words out of my mouth; he never raised his voice at me and NEVER talked to me that way. What has gotten into him? It was only forty minutes. Was it the alcohol? I thought.

Somehow, I finally managed to open my mouth and get the words out.

"Well, I'm SORRY I'm just living my life! I did go out to smoke and coincidentally met with one of the band members. That's all. They took me backstage, and I got introduced to the rest of them. That was all that happened; it was only 40 goddamn minutes! Did you go insane !?" 

I hoped he would calm down, but I was wrong. This only lit up his anger even more.

"I'm the insane one!?, it's about a band member, then. What is his name, the bastard?" He said, rolling his eyes at the thought that I was talking to another guy.

I stood there, looking up at him. I started feeling my eyes getting warmed up with tears. I couldn't help it. Why was he making such a big deal out of this? Was he that caring?

No, if he was, he would not talk to me that way, I thought.

"So i can't talk to people now? Huh? I said as he looked anywhere but me.

"Answer me, Christopher !" The first time I used his full name, I knew it would immediately attract his attention.

He snapped and looked at me, a dead, straight look into my eyes. "When you're ready to come and apologize, I'll be at my apartment," was all he said before walking away.

*****

I sat down in that same hallway, against a wall, with my knees together and my head leaning on them. I didn't know what to think. It was not my mistake to meet new people and get carried away. Perhaps i should have told him, but still, he was not suitable for approaching me that way.

I doubted my choices and rethought every step of the night. Why was he so mad? What did he even mean when he walked away like that? If I didn't go, would it mean that it was over? Do I want it to be over?

So many thoughts ran through me at the moment that, suddenly, i heard footsteps approaching me.

I look up from my knees, the blue-eyed blond standing before me.

"Hey .. am I interrupting ?"

It took me a minute to get back to reality. I shook my head, and half smiled at him.

"No, no, no, that's... it's... no, you are not."

He propped himself next to me against the wall.

"Are you alright ?" furrowing his eyebrows as he saw my big, red, full eyes.

I sighed. "You've heard, didn't you ?"

he smiled. "Well.. some of it, yeah."

"What part?"

"Erm.. sort of all of it," he said, and I disappointedly let out a sad chuckle.

"He never talked to me that way before. I didn't know what to say," I said as I turned to face him. He nodded and listened.

"Donno much about you, but it sounded like you got yourself a wanker" he said.

I sighed, "Certainly, thank you for the reminder."

Chris and I have been dating for 2 or 3 months now, so I never met this side of him.

"I should just go and apologize, and everything will return to normal," I said.

Roger looked at me and furrowed his eyebrows in a bit of anger.

"Apologies? You've got to be joking...." he said. "Have you ever heard the way he talked to you?"

I looked at him, confused.

"Well, I certainly did, and that part does not award you an apology or any apology." He said and reached into his pocket.

"How bout we go out for a smoke?" he said as he reached for my hand and held the pack of cigs in his other hand. I nodded and took his hand as he helped me get up.

We headed outside to the exact spot where I had met him. It did feel a bit weird. I only met the guy about an hour ago, and suddenly, he's like that best friend you talk to about all your problems. It felt nice; I'm not complaining; it wasn't the typical behavior you would see from me, especially when meeting new people.

We talked quite a lot, or maybe it was just me. I doubted my life choices, and he observed me and took in all my life problems—technically, only one.

I was starting to shiver a bit as we stood there, and he noticed.
"Um, here, take my jacket. Your freezing." He took it off and gave it to me.

I smiled. " No, no, it's alright, I...I think I better go, Roger; it's getting rather late."  I didn't want to go, but it was true. It was about 11:30 PM by now, and I had work the next day, so by the time I got home, it would be around midnight.

I saw his smile fade slightly, and he returned the jacket. "Oh, ye... course."

Did I disappoint him? I thought as I placed my hand on his shoulder.

"Thank you, Roger."

He looked back at me with a slightly confused look and a half smile at the corner of his lips.

"What for, love?"

I just shrugged in response with a smile, leaving him to guess the answer.

He smiled, "You need a lift, by the way ?"

"Oh no, no .." i chuckled. "Don't worry about it. I'll just walk."

"Walk? Are you mad? At this time. No. Let me give you a lift." and I giggled slightly. He cared, aside from the fact that I only met him a couple of hours ago. It was unlike me too, meeting a guy and suddenly telling him all my feelings and thoughts, and he offered me a lift. I didn't know how to react; I knew my best friend Sophie would be very, happily, may I say, surprised by my actions that night.

"You sure, Roger? I don't want to be a bother."

"It's all good, Sky. Come on." He took my hand and walked to his car.