I ran my fingers through my hair and let out all the air in my lungs with a sigh.
"Josie?" I heard a mumble from the living room. I quickly rushed by her side and welcomed her eyes with a smile.
"How'd you sleep?" I asked. She stretched her back and I heard a tiny crack before she sighed in relief.
"Good. I have to go do homework." She pouted and dragged her sloppy body up the stairs. I cleaned up our junk food mess and cleaned the kitchen to the point where it was spotless. The loud TV was giving me the worst headache, do I picked up the remote and clicked the power button. I hopped up the stairs and laid my tired body onto my bed.
My rest didn't last for long as I remembered I needed to get ready for bed. Stepping onto the cold tile floor made me crave the hot water from the shower more and more every second.
"We're home!" Erupted from the kitchen.
"Okay!" I yelled in response.
I quickly took off each article of clothing and rested my phone on my nightstand in my room. I tiptoed into the hot water and my muscles unknotted. I was so grateful for every hot drop that poured from the faucet.
I finished cleansing myself and just enjoyed the warm liquid beaming on my skin, but my ringtone interrupted my peace. I quickly shut off the water and peeled back the curtain to the shower. Stepping out I almost slipped but caught myself on the towel rack. I ripped the towel from the rack and slipped my way to my phone.
"Hello?" I didn't even bother the check who was calling.
"Hey...Josie...Listen I'm really sorry for being a dick today. It's just my sister, and this assignment is stressing me the fuck out." Ashton.
"It's okay, Ashton. I get it."
"You're right. I don't get it. That's why I should be grateful for what I have. And you were right about that. You don't even know where your brothers are and I come home to my own blood and family. I'm sorry. Can we meet up at my place tomorrow?" I nodded, but then remembered he couldn't see me.
"Oh, yeah that sounds great. And Ashton, you really didn't have to do that."
"But I did." The line ended. The silence disturbed me as I wished we would've been talking all night.
Ashton? Apologizing? I wonder how many people can say they've actually heard him say "I'm sorry".
--
--
I'm excited. I can't wait for the tall, bandana haired boy to walk into class with his ripped jeans and a t shirt with a band I've never heard of. I became antsy as people came from the hallways and slid into their seats, but no Ashton. This is the time he usually arrives.
"Josie." My name came right from behind my ear. I jumped as I turned around and Ashton laughed to himself.
"What..the..."
"I wanted to scare you. And it obviously worked,"he glided into his chair and sprawled his legs across the walkway,"little late reaction though." I rolled my eyes and copied the homework from the board to my agenda. Ashton's feet occupied the entire right section of the floor portion underneath my desk.
"I'm glad you're comfortable." I flashed him an annoyed smile, but he seemed to enjoy it. Realizing quickly my 'smart' remark wasn't helping my confidence, I directed my attention back to the board.
Once in a while I would glance at Ashton, he would either be rubbing his folded lips in, grazing his tongue across the inside of his bottom lip, or licking his plump, red lips.
He turned his head my direction and I moved my eyes off into a space to the left of him, which to my luck, was Ruthie, attempting to get my attention.
I furrowed my eyebrows her way and Ashton leaned across the aisle.
"What're you doing?"
"I'm not talking to you, I'm talking to Ruthie." I whisper yelled and he sat himself back in his chair.
Ruthie charaded her eating with a fork which I translated to "lunch?" I quickly brought a thumbs up under my chin and continued writing notes.
--
--
I held the paper sack nervously in my hand as I approached the table Calum and I have sat the past few days. Ruthie waited there scrolling on an app on her phone. As soon as I sat next to her she locked it and faced me.
"Calum apologized." She smiled.
"That's great, I'm so happy for yo-"
"I know he went to your house." I could feel myself stop breathing for a moment. Did he tell her he came over here?
"I just wanted to say thanks for being a good friend to both Calum and me. He was confused and wasn't thinking he told me." She smiled, but I assumed it wasn't for me, it was for herself. She was confirming to herself that everything was okay.
"Well, I'm happy for you both." I nodded and rolled open the sack lunch in front of me. This conversation pushed me out of my comfort zone because she doesn't know that whole truth. She doesn't know he was confused about liking me over Ruthie which is ridiculous just thinking about it.
I folded my arms into my body and took a small bite out of my sandwich. Calum's presence soon occupied the space next to Ruthie pulling her in by the arm. Her cheeks heated, if only she knew...
Ruthie glanced up at Calum and they looked at each other like they adored every inch and every flaw of one another. Calum didn't know what he was thinking coming to my house asking for a kiss. Because she loves Ruthie. He pulled her in tighter and dead locked his eyes with mine. Calum nodded and forced a small smile upon the ends of his lips. I awkwardly forced one as well.
I turned away from the couple and scanned the outside garden on this cloudy day. I observed student eating and laughing. Rotating my vision to the cafeteria, I moved my eyes across the window side until a pair of eyes were staring straight at me. He naturally smirked and looked back down at his lunch, the curve on his lips remaining in its spot.
-
-
-
-
-AYE WHATS UP! Ruthie is actually one of my friends in real life just saying...see what I did there... Shoutout to my homie Julie, please pray that we can go to the black keys this weekend. Please God. Thank you guys for reading, if you do even read it.
-dee
