Hallways

3: Stuck Like Glue

My friends apartment seemed bigger than usual when I walked through the threshold after being in a hotel room for the past week. The kitchen seemed much more spacey and the living room seemed more like a resting place for my purse and keys. My mind wondered off as I walked down the hallway towards my room, the lights flickering on as I flipped a switch. 

The drive here was nothing special, simply a ride filled with music and thoughts. The thoughts is what wasn't making sense to me. He was stuck there, in my head.

His smile. 

His posture.

His words.

His voice.

I couldn't shake it. His presence around me made me feel tingly and shaky and nervous. And Kelli Zimman never gets nervous. What was he doing to me?

Suddenly I was pacing next to my phone. I was having flashbacks of doing this countless times during high school and I chuckled softly at the memory. Suddenly my phone began to ring and vibrate and I dove for my bed, stretching my hand to grab it from the bedside table.

"Hello?!"

"Kelli, you sound like you just ran a mile."

I rolled my eyes as my friend Zella spoke quickly, making the words run together.

"How are you enjoying the apartment? I wasn't planning on being back in LA till next week so you can stay as long as you like. Hey also I saw this thing andyouwerekindaonthisfanpage."

"Slow down Zell. What's wrong?"

"You're on a tumblr page. You're in a picture with that guy from that one group."

"Avi? Pentatonix?"

"Yeah that."

I chuckled as I quickly denied her thoughts.

"He was just talking to me about the concert and he wants me to come do a summer camp for him."

"So he got your digits?"

"Yes, he 'got my digits'." My eyes almost rolled out of my head from how much I was rolling them. 

"Well then I'll leave you and your phone alone." 

And with that she hung up quickly. 

I pulled the phone away from my ear and stared at my phone questionably.

I chucked my phone back onto my bed, deciding to leave it behind in search for food from the kitchen. My feet traveled slowly, almost holding me from completing the mission of food searching. 

As I entered the kitchen, my eyes landing on a box of cookie mix, my phone began to ring.

I never knew how fast my feet could carry me until I heard that ringtone.

My finger pressed the green button before I even looked at the number but somehow I knew it was him.

"Hey. Is it to early to call?" I chuckled at his greeting. 

"No, I've actually been waiting for you too." I could see his smirk in my head as he said, "Oh." along with a slight chuckled.

"Anyways. I was wondering if you would like to meet today? I really would like to talk with you about camp and the whole process." I thought for a second before looking into the kitchen where the cookie mix sat waiting to be made.

"You know, I have a batch of cookies baking in the oven, pizza on the way, and an empty apartment. How does pizza and tea sound?" His laugh made my lips curl up into a smile.

"It sounds great. Text me your address and I'll be there in thirty." I nodded and we exchanged goodbyes before I went to text him. His response was a simple thumbs up and a smiley face. 

Next thing I knew I was flying around my kitchen. My hands throwing cookie dough onto a backing sheet and placing them into the oven before calling Dominoes and placing my order. My feet then carried me to my room allowing my hands to basically rip my shirt off, changing into a loose burgundy top. I shimmied my skirt down my legs and put on a pair of jeans, my feet shoving themselves into a pair of house shoes and running towards the kitchen where the oven had beeped. 

Then there was a knock. 

"Just a minute!" I yelled as I pulled the cookies from the oven and placed them on a plate. 

I opened my door to find Avi standing there with the pizza in his hands and the delivery boy driving way.

"Don't tell me you paid for that pizza." 

"Guilty as charged."

I playfully rolled my eyes as I led him towards the kitchen, taking the pizza from him and placing it on the counter. I pulled out the paper towels as I began to question his, "So do you want to eat and then talk or talk while we eat?"

"I'm starving, we can just talk while we eat." I nodded as I went and turned on my stereo and turned on my music, an Eric Whitacre piece beginning. Avi then came from the kitchen into the living room with two pieces of pizza and two water bottles. I smiled as i took my piece with a 'thank you' and sat down on the couch, him following short after. 

"This is probably the first time I've sat all day." I say with a sigh before taking a bite of the pizza.

"I understand completely." He chuckled before following my actions. 

I hadn't gotten a full view of him until now. His hair was slicked back into a pony tail, his beard trimmed slightly from the time I saw him earlier today. He was wearing a dark purple shirt and black skinny jeans to match. He was wearing a pair of flat black converse high tops and I smiled as I looked back up to see his face. His lips shaped into a smirk and I blushed.

"What is it?" 

"Nothing, I was just thinking." He claimed quietly as my blush darkened. 

"So what do you want to talk about?" 

"Well, I need to ask about your experience in acapella arrangements, what voice part you sing; those types of questions." He explained, angling his body more towards me and I did the same. 

"Well. I've always sung acapella pieces throughout my career in vocal performance and choral directing. I sing as a soprano most of the time but I fluctuate from soprano one to alto two-"

"Wow, that large of a range?"

"I can go to almost the end of a piano on the right hand side and then to about a low E flat to a D sharp. What's your vocal range."

"I can go from a high C sharp to a low F sharp. My vocal fry goes to an E flat though so I guess that's my lowest."

"Impressive."

"I could say the same for you."