Touch & Go

9. Shake It Off

Dedicated to UnsinkableShips because i love Maybe One Day. She's awesome!! Her works make me emotion. :'(

the cover is made by the lovely xxxUniqueWriterxxx. thank you! i can't seem to attach it for some reason. here's the link: http://tinypic.com/view.php?pic=mccjo1&s=9#.VrIoiNJ97IU

~~~

"I keep cruising, can't stop, won't stop grooving."

- Taylor Swift, Shake It Off

~~~

February 10th, 2016

CAREFREE. Happy. Chipper. Peaceful.

I opened the refrigerator door to fix myself a sandwich and smiled goofily when my hand skimmed over the Polaroid picture stuck on the door. Grace had clicked it when I was sleeping with my head in Theo's lap while he smiled softly at the camera.

The sunlight from the window had woken me to a pillow beneath my head and no Theo in view. I looked around and found this picture labelled "you both make me barf" (typical Grace) and a post-it note saying "I'll see you in a couple of days, monkey." (typical Theo).

Leave it to him to leave me to figure out what was going on, but I prepared myself for his absence that would stay around for a few days.

The day had passed away too quickly. I had only cleaned my room and placed all 1,365 of my novels alphabetically. Grace had been missing since the morning too. With a simple text message, she had said she won't be home tonight. That's unlike her.

Eh, she's her own person.

I continued cleaning the flat and placing everything in its rightful place. When it was time for dinner, I watched The Ellen Show and munched on some Rice Krispies. Cooking wasn't may forte.

You know, people who're blind since birth can't see their dreams, they can only hear them.

I sent the message and sleep overtook my tired body.

~~~

February 11th, 2016

I woke up to find I had passed out on the sofa.

"Really, Iris? What would you do without me?" Grace spoke from the doorway. I figured she had used her spare key.

"That's something I don't want to think of." I said sleepily.

"Grace? That's not your shirt." I said once I took into account how ungracefully she was dressed. Her suit trousers were paired with a navy blue men's shirt and her elegant heels. That's when she dangled a tie that screamed money from her left arm.

"It's a Gieves and Hawkes." She gave me stern look.

"Where exactly were you?" I asked suspiciously.

She deflected my question by asking whether I'd had dinner, to which she knew the answer. Okay, then. I won't ask.

"Turn up the radio, Eddie!" Gracie's shout came from kitchen.

"Right away, Ellie." I used the nickname our Nana had for us, our middle names were chosen by her and I agree she had good taste. Elise and Eden.

There was something different about her, and there was a swing in her step. I would say it was because of a boy, but I knew her better.

Adam Barnes was on the radio and she started singing along in her Grammy-worthy voice. Gosh, what I would do to be more like her. Her phone rang with a text and I instinctively went for it. Her texts were either from our parents or from work, and she rarely went through them. I'd taken up the job of doing so for her. I thoughtlessly opened the message from an unknown number.

'Same place tomorrow, babe? Ps. You looked delectable in red. ;)'

Red? What? She was wearing a white pair of trousers with a baby pink shirt (in the morning at least).

"Gracie?! Your lover is texting you. He loved your red underpants!" I couldn't wait to see her reaction.

She came out of the kitchen with a ladle in her hand and her cheeks coloured crimson.

"Iris," she asked calmly, "give me my phone."

I laughed loudly and ran away from her.

"Who is it, Gracie?" I teased her, enunciating each word slowly.

She ignored it and tried to get a hold of me.

"You're still wearing his shirt, oh my. Must have been some boy." I continued.

"He was no boy. He was a man. A proper, fit, bang-tidy man who reeked of masculinity."

"Someone fancies a certain hunk. How handsome is he? Will I have cute nephews and nieces? Wait, I'll reply to his message."

"No! Iris, don't you dare!" But it was too late, I'd already sent a reply.

'I love feeling you on top of me.' It was supposed to be embarrassing, but his reply told a whole new other story.

'Oh, what I'd do to you if you were here.' I could imagine a faceless man with a panty-dropping smirk and that made me give Grace's phone back. Once Grace was busy talking dirty to her man, I switched the channels on the radio until Taylor Swift sang on the top of her voice in our living room.

"Shake it off! Shake it off!" I danced along. I wasn't in sync, but when was I ever.

The bell rang but I was too carefree. Must be the mailman. Grace will take are of that.

I squealed when my favourite line was next.

"My ex-man brought his new girlfriend. She's like 'oh, my god!' But I'm just going to shake."

I turned around to see Theo standing there with a smirk on his face and a Ben and Jerry's in his hand. He raised it as an offering and I directed the next lines to him.

"And to the fellow over there, with the hell of good hair," I tried on my best seductive look, "won't you come on over, baby? We can shake, shake, shake."

He laughed heartily and joined me, shaking his arse with his hands in the air. We danced together, laughing until our eyes watered and when the song ended, we were both heaving.

"I've got chunky monkey." He said, referring to the ice cream that was kept on the table.

"You're never letting it slip, are you?" By now, he was within a foot radius.

"Nope" he said with a silly grin and kissed the tip of my nose.

Grace chose to enter the room right then and made a gagging sound.

"Hey! You're the one having phone coitus, you don't get to mock at us!" To which Theo gave an incredulous look while Grace scoffed at me. And I laughed. Life was good. We were all happy.

~~~

edited :)

love, sirrah.