mad hatter // r.s.l.

5 : little talks

"Two chamomile teas." I placed a mug in front of the blonde and she smiled gratefully before her fingers curled around it, raising it to her lips. The tea was scorching, so it surprised me when she took a sip.

"It's lovely! Nobody told me you were a tea expert."

"Tea and pancakes too. So, what did you want to talk about?" I sit on the counter.

"I don't know; I have nothing to do, so I decided to get to know you better" Brady grinned. "I mean, once is a coincidence, but twice..that is some trippy shit"

Trippy like everything in my basement, I thought, but physically smiled. "I'm s partly open book."

"What do I have to do to get to the closed part?" She asked.

"Hold a knife to me and tell me to spill." I laughed and she did also. "But I don't know- um, I'm Ross, 22 with a major in Biochemistry, going to start working at a lab next week"

"Okay. We have something, now, your actual story." Brady pushed on. "Your dreams, aspirations, your opinions on feminism."

"Originally, I wanted to go into the Army and be an RAF pilot, but my parents wanted me to play football so a guy from UCLA went to watch me play football, but I had a mishap with my scholarship because weed was found in my pee, yadda yadda- so I decided to go into Biochemistry, which always interested me. I graduated and boom, next week I'm going to be working in Evolutionary Development"

"That sounds intellectual." She chuckled. "I knew you looked interesting!"

I moved from the counter to the chair beside her. "Now you, my friend, seem like an open book."

"Ah, I'm not much." She shrugged.

"Don't say that! Spill."

She sighed. "Mom's a country singer, I have two siblings- Luke and Gabi, my Dad's a producer and we have a husky called Teddy. I love anything to do with art, that including dance, painting and music but not so much of the latter."

"Why's that?"

"I associate sadness with music, because as you may know, I was what stopped my mother's career. She went on tour with Luke until he turned 3, and then she had me thinking I would be easy. When she took me, her tour finished 4 months early because of me." The sadness in her voice killed me. "So I'm kind of the failure of the family, but don't get me wrong, they're sweet. But I can tell when they're trying harder for me aka my forced engagement which is totally sexist because they are encouraging Luke to find a girlfriend but won't let Gabi and I"

"That actually sucks, if my parents did that to my sister, I would have to give them a piece of my mind."

"I wanted to move out to my own apartment, and then eventually New York but my parents want me close by, and it would be out of hand for Edward." Her fingers drummed against the mug. "Well, fuck Edward."

"He sounds like a dick already." I commented.

"You wouldn't like him, I can tell. You two would bump heads instantly." She looked at me. "You're both ambitious, but he isn't in a good way."

Her words were followed by silence, which was cut short by a loud gulp coming from her. I looked at her, a smile tugging at my lips. "Sorry! Your tea is just really good."

"Do you want me to show you around?" I stood up and she nodded.

I showed her the living room, and the downstairs bathroom, then we headed upstairs.

"Here is a random guest room I have never gone into." She tuned me out, walking inside. "Until now I suppose"

She looked back. "Sorry, but if your house was mine, this would be my art room. I could build in a counter for the paints and stuff- I'm sorry, I'm talking as if this is my house."

"It's fine. Your enthusiasm is cute."

"Thanks." She pushed my cheeks together and moved on. "I assume this is your room..?"

"Yeah. You can go ahead if you wish, it's not like I'm hiding anything dark." except from the basement.

I had painted the walls a navy blue with the one wall the bed was against painted white, and inside was my bed, desk, wardrobe and stuff. It was like my teenage room, just more modern.

"How many hookups have you stumbled in here with?" She laughed, sitting on my bed.

"Hmm, about five." She laughed. "I'm serious, about five girls."

"I expected it to be more." Brady shrugged. "Can I ask you a deep question?"

"Knock yourself out."

"What was your biggest mistake so far?"

"I think you'll have to earn that answer."

"If you ask for a-"

I held my hand up. "Don't go there."

"Good!" She laughed. "But it's cool, totally understandable."

Suddenly, Brady grabbed a marker from her pocket and rolled up my sleeve. When she realised I had tattoos on both arms, she scoffed. "Where do you have space?"

She dashed for my neck, slowly drawing something. "Little game for you, my number is there but that's not the right order, so you can figure it out and then call me to set up a meet-up, yes?"

"I will never-"

Her phone started ringing. She held a finger up to me and dashed out. Brady wasn't far, since I could hear her whisper-yelling to somebody. Whoever it was, completely altered her mood, which was noticeable when she returned. "I have to go, but don't forget the number, alright? If you shower then it's it!"

"I won't, do you want me to drive you?"

"If it wouldn't be much of a hassle"

"Course not." I stood up. "Let's hit it"