Anyone Else Would Be Dead By Now

Chapter Four

After I got dressed into blue skinny jeans and a plain grey V-neck, I found Cougar sitting on the couch,watching television. He looked slightly enraged by the program currently running.

"What the hell is this?!" Cougar yelled and threw his hands up infuriated. "These...people are orange! And stupid! How could they possibly televise this bullshit?!"

I glanced at the screen to see what Cougar was watching. Jersey Shore on MTV((?)), no wonder.

"Those people are basically paid to be stupid assholes, Cougar. I don't know why anyone watches it anyways." I said, shrugging my shoulders. "You wanna get out and do something today?"

Cougar leaned his head back on the couch and nodded as eagerly as a small puppy who wanted to go for a walk. I stared at my Mickey Mouse clock that hung above the television set and stereo. It was barely 11 o' clock.

"Geez" I muttered, scratching the back of my neck. I turned my attention to Cougar. "I thought it was later. Well, what do you want to do? There is the movies, the library, downtown, whatever."

"La biblioteca?" Cougar asked. ((Library.))

"Sí, sure. Why not? I could use some books and DVDs anyway. If you're ready now, let's go!" I grabbed my keys and led Cougar out of the apartment complex. However, as we turned a brick corner outside, I noticed a short, brown haired, older woman attempting unload groceries.

"Mrs. Roberts!" I called out to her. "Let me help you with those!" I rushed over to assisst Mrs. R with her plastic grocery bags. Cougar followed suit and lifted an armful of bags.

Mrs. Roberts sighed. "Oh my goodness! Thank you Martina. These arms aren't quite what they used to be!" The old woman paused to massage and wring out her bony hands. "You're boyfriend is quite the strong one." She said, a hint of slight suspicion in her tone. Cougar raised an eyebrow. Please play along Cougar, I thought to myself.

Cougar started to speak, "I'm n-" I cut him off quickly. "Thank you Mrs. Roberts. Isn't he?" Cougar gave me a questioning look then shrugged it off, as though he were agreeing on the statement of his strength.

We followed Mrs. Roberts up to her empty, third floor apartment. She pointed to her ancient wood dining table and motioned for us to set the bags down there. "Thank you Martina. You too, young man. Would you two like some coffee?" Mrs. Roberts asked. I hated to say no to her but I had to get Cougar and I out of there. Like, pronto.

"I'm so sorry Mrs. Roberts, but we have plans for today. Can I take a rain check on that coffee though?"

"Oh, of course dearie. Anytime!" Mrs. Roberts nodded her head. "You must come by again however! You two make such a lovely couple!" She beamed radiantly.

Cougar slid his arm around my waist. "Gracias, señora." ((Thank you, ma'am.))

"Ooh, Spanish! Alright, well don't let me keep you two too long. Go on now! Get out!" Mrs. Roberts brandished her arms at us. I waved a quick goodbye as I dashed out and grabbed Cougar by arm. As soon as the door slammed shut, I put my hand over Cougar's mouth. "Shh..." I whispered cautiously. "Mrs. R likes to watch out of her peephole for kicks."

He swatted my hand away gently. "Do you want to give her something to watch then?" Cougar whispered as he tilted his head downward.

Before I could answer properly, Cougar cupped my face in his calloused hands and crushed his lips against mine. I was too shocked to respond at first but when I had regained actual thought, I laced my arms around his tanned neck. It was a brief moment of lust as Cougar hands trailed down my sides to my waist.

Then we heard a squeaky laugh and a scuffle of feet and Cougar grabbed my hand and we raced down the stairs, two at a time, laughing like idiotic fools. The moment we reached outside, I halted quickly. "Qué?"((What?)) whispered Cougar.

I pointed up. "She watches from her window sometimes too." Cougar nodded, understanding. In response, he pressed against the brick exterior and buried his face into my neck. "Say when she is gone." Cougar murmured quietly into my neck. I tilted my head back against the wall and waited for Mrs. Roberts to shut her paisley curtains and leave.

After a minute, the curtains were flung shut and the small silhouette of Mrs. R vanished into the building. "She's gone." I said quietly into Cougar's ear. "But not for long." I held his wrist and led him quickly to my car, a beautiful crimson red Camaro. "Get in. Get in." I asserted quickly. Cougar obliged and jumped into the passenger seat.

The engine turned over and roared as I gunned it and raced out the complex parking lot. Five minutes of laughing soon led to a conversation dictating why Mrs. Roberts was potentially the nosiest neighbor ever. "So I have been living in that building for over a year now. And the thing with Mrs Roberts is, she has heen trying to set me up with her douchebag son, Jackson. Not to mention, Mrs. R is former FBI, so I have to watch my ass when she tries to pull something." I whisked around a corner as I explained the situation to Cougar. He gave a whole hearted laugh then proceeded to respond. "Have you ever met her son?" Cougar raised an eyebrow.

"Yes. I have. He is a full-blown jackass." I stated very matter-of-factly.

Looking to my left, I saw the big, white building that was the library where I spent many hours during high school, studying and observing both books and people. The library was that beautiful kind of old that got better with age. Massive, pearly pillars graced the multitude of well-worn stairs leading up to heavy set golden doors that looked like a gateway to the heavens. I sighed inwardly and parked the car across the busy street from the alluringly grand library.

Once inside, Cougar and I stopped to stare at the high ceiling covered in intricate paintings of artistic beauty and symmetry. Magnificent spiral staircases led up to the second floor. I had only gone up there once or twice. Both times it appeared to me a ghost town.

Another set of heavy, gold doors adorned the foyer of the gracious library. It felt almost homely here. Clearly, Cougar felt that presence as well. He sighed and spoke in a Spanish accented whisper. "Martina, está biblioteca es tan hermosa. It's beautiful." ((the library is very beautiful.))

I smiled and replied. "Isn't it?" I paused to breathe in the scent of books, new and old. "Alright, if you need me, I will be in the music section." Cougar nodded. "I'll go find the books. Should we meet back here, in say, una hora?" ((an hour))

"Sounds good. See you in an hour." And with that, we each went our seperate ways to venture through the vast building, only to meet back in an hour.

Until both of our cell phones went off with a message from Clay.