What Can Be

Chapter 1

"Sage, where's my coffee mug?" I ask, annoyed. This is the third one I've had to buy and I swear, if she broke that one too, I'm moving out. Not really, I'd have no where to go.

"Your what..?" She asks as she slowly looks away and innocently stuffs her face with her bagel.

"Damnit Sage, you know I like my coffee mugs! Use your own!" She's about to say something back, but Ryan storms in the room, demanding attention,

"I swear they gave me two different shoe sizes. Look at this," he slams a foot onto the table dramatically, "this is definitely too big for my foot. But this one," he switches feet, "fits perfectly."

"Maybe you just have two different size feet." I say, annoyed as I brush his foot off the table.

"Maybe you should be a little bit more considerate of me today. It's a big day for me, my friend."

"Why?" Sage asks with a mouth full of bagel.

"Because." He stares down at Sage for a moment, simply horrified that she doesn't remember the news. "Today I am getting Carter a job at my office. Which means," he swipes the bagel out of Sage's hand, "I don't have to pay for any more of his anything." He adds a laugh to the end of his phrase and takes a bite of the bagel. I roll my eyes and pull out some irrelevant mug from the cabinet go make myself coffee as Ryan begins criticizing Sage on the bagel. Between the bickering between Sage and Ryan and the brewing coffee, I barely noticed when Carter burst through the front door with his arm around some random girl.

"Raven." Carter turns to me, forcing me to pay attention, "My friend here, Lauren, would like to know if she can use your shower this morning." I glance at Lauren. Just like every other girl Carter brings home. Skinny and, now, hungover.

"Yeah, sure." I say as I pour myself some coffee.

"Oh and be a dear and make me some coffee. Don't be afraid to add a shot of liquor in there too. I have a long day. Thanks babe." He winks at me and I immediately roll my eyes as I get out another mug.

"Oh no. No sir. I am bringing you to this job interview sober or not at all." Ryan interjects, still holding the bagel in his hand.

"Ryan's right. You'll give him a bad rep, too." Sage pipes up. I turn to the fridge and get out some fruit to chop up and I hear the water turn on in my shower. Oddly enough, I'm used to random girls using my shower due to Carters endless supply of drunk girls he seems to always take home with him. I take a seat and open my choreography journal. I go over the moves in my head as there's endless chatter going on around me. Carters girlfriend, Lauren, finally makes her way out of the shower and Carter is about to escort her out so she can leave and he can get changed for the day, when Jen bursts through the door,

"Oh my God!" She screams and rushes over to us. I sigh and look up, I just want to focus, damnit.

"What?" I demand. Jen looks at me excitedly,

"Some guy just moved in a couple nights ago down the hall. He is so hot!"

"Well, did you talk to him?" I ask, a bit excited. It's been quite a while since I've had a hot neighbor.

"No..." She looks down, a bit sad.

"Oh! I did!" Lauren speaks up. We all turn to her. I slowly start losing interest because I can just do something stupid and neighborly and bake him cookies or something, I'm not too worried about finding a way into his life. I take a sip of my coffee and begin running over choreography in my head. "Yeah! His name is Levi, I think." I immediately spit my coffee out a bit and just look up at Lauren. "Everything okay...?" I haven't exactly told anyone about Levi. I mean, he's in the past, right?

"Yeah. Just... Hot coffee..." I cover it up and then lock eyes with Sage. It couldn't be the same Levi, could it? I mean... That was when I lived in Portland, he couldn't end up in the same apartment complex as me in LA. what could possibly be here for him, anyway? "Uh... Carter, you should go. You have a big day, remember?" I begin shoving the two of them out the door and close it behind them. I lock eyes with Sage and immediately sigh. "Ryan. Jen. Don't you two have something to talk about... In there?" So I push them into the other room and sit down at the table with Sage.

"It can't be."

"It is."

"No, there's a lot of Levi's in this world, I'm sure-"

"I don't know, Sage! I just have this feeling..."

"Look, I'm sorry, but you left him when you went to college, remember? It's been years." I sigh and look down,

"Y'know... You're right." I lean back, a little defeated. She puts a hand on my shoulder,

"I'm sorry, Raven. But we can still make cookies for him, Jen said he's hot!" She raises an eye brow. I laugh and nod. Maybe I'll just have to start over. With a new neighbor named Levi.

Ryan and Jen slowly creep back into the room, a little confused.

"Everything okay?" Ryan asks, awkwardly. I glance over at him and just nod my head, yes.

"Is it about the new guy?" Jen speaks up. I just look at her for a moment and then turn my head to Sage, pleading with my eyes for her help.

"No, Jen. She just needed my advice on some girl stuff and we had to use you to get Ryan out of the room. Sorry." Sage laughs it off, nonchalantly. I'm always in awe of how flawlessly Sage handles issues like this. It's a gift.

Anyway, I spend the rest of my morning subtlety going over my choreography. I'm teaching a lyrical jazz combo tonight to twelve year olds and I'm a bit intimidated. I go over one part in my head again and again, and suddenly Sage throws my phone in my lap.

"You know who is calling again." I look down at my phone and see Jack flashing on my screen. I met Jack at the bar about two weeks ago and we've been on two dates since. He seems to be a pretty nice guy and he's always so sweet. I smile a bit to myself before answering the phone.

"Hey!" I immediately answer. I'm also pretty comfortable around him already, which is rare for a second date relationship.

"You free today?" He immediately asks me. His soothing voice sends a shiver down my spine as I relive the night at the bar for a moment.

"Until 6, yeah." I roll my eyes, a bit annoyed that I have that class tonight.

"Damn, I was going to buy you dinner. But what about lunch?" I bite my lip and smile to myself.

"Yeah, definitely!"

"Alright, I'll be at your place at noon, yeah?"

"See you then." And he hangs up. I close my choreography journal and immediately stand up to get ready.

"Well?" Sage asks, I giggle a tiny bit,

"We're going to lunch. He'll be here in an hour and a half." She smirks at me, "what?" I demand. She laughs,

"This is a third date. Girl how serious are you getting?" I shrug and smile a little,

"I mean... He's just really nice..." I can't wipe the smile off my face and I look down at my coffee.

"Okay, well go get ready!" She pulls my arm towards my room and I laugh and stumble inside. I'm honestly not too concerned with what to wear, he doesn't seem to care. I mean, the might've we met, I had just finished a five hour long dance workshop so I was wearing my dance clothes. I sigh and pull out a white sweater and throw on some leggings. I throw my hair into a bun and do my makeup. By the time I'm finally ready, there's a knock at the door. I take a deep breath and walk to the door.