Then Came Blue_ girlxgirl.

Chapter 2

Its the fourth time I am checking my phone this morning, just to make sure I haven't missed any calls. Its Saturday morning and I'm in class. I'm physically present but I can't say where my head is at, well I can but I won't say. Dude is talking about something Aristotle said or did but I could care less. I'm just willing my phone to ring.
"What's so interesting on that phone today?" Louise asks from beside me. Louise_all her friends call her Lou, has a keen sense of sniffing out the little things. I wouldn't go far as to call her my best friend or closest friend, "we don't put a lable on our thing", but she's pretty amazing . Aside from sharing this unhealthy obsession for One Direction, if you probably needed to get anything off your chest, Lou would be your girl.
"What?"
"Your phone, you've checked it over seven times since you got here, anything interesting on there?" She gives my phone a pointed look.
"No I haven't." I put my phone back in my bag. I can't be caught doing that again. But what if she calls, or texts and I don't hear it? I pull it back out and sit it in my lap.
Lou is looking at me weird. "Have something to share Riley?" She asks.
"Nope." I shift my eyes to the front of the class and pretend to be listening to the lecturer.
"Mmhmm," she says in that  black diva kind of way, obviously not buying it.
"Nothing, really," I insist."What gave you that impression?"
"Except for the fact that you've checked your phone, oh let's see, ten times since you got here?"
"They aren't ten!" She also likes to exaggerate.
"Well at least you didn't deny you've been checking, that's a start."
"There's nothing to tell," I say firmly.
"You'll talk, you know you will," she promises.
"Ladies at the back,if you have something to say please share it with the class." The lecturer interrupts from the front of the class.
"Sorry Sir," Lou mummers apologetically." She turns to me and I know what her eyes are saying. Later!
I begin thinking of ways I could avoid her after class. There aren't many. Now I start pondering what I'm going to tell her. I can't tell her anything, either way, what would I say, "Hey I met a girl last night and I'm all twisted up waiting for her to call." That would go over so well. But it probably would, Lou is amazing like that.
I check my phone again. I can't help it. No missed call. No message. Maybe there's poor cell reception around here. Class ends after 30minutes and Lou is already on me like glue.
"So, dish already."
"I've got nothing to dish, I already told you this."
"Riley, I know you, you're not one to check your phone every few seconds, you have almost no social life if not none at all, no offence." She raises her hands as if to placate me.
"Offence taken!" I mock glare at her. Really there's none taken because she's right.
But I know Lou too, she won't let it go so its either now or two hours later, and four later, and tomorrow, and the next day. So I decide to throw her a bone. Plus I'm really itching to say something to someone.
"Okay, I kinda met someone last night. But that's all I'm saying" I say.
"No its not. Where? Was he cute?" She's getting all excited now.
"Venus and yes," I say, remembering the brown eyes, I always go back to the eyes, the pretty face, the wide open smile and I don't correct her use of 'he'.
She barks out a laugh."I'll be damned! Riley miss celibate met someone!"
"I said kinda, and shut up, the rest don't know yet," I say swatting her lightly on the arm.
"Alright alright, you don't need to get physical. Next question, when the hell did you start going to clubs?"
So I tell her Shae dragged me there but I don't tell her about Brian. We all have a big problem with this Shae Brian thing.
  

Its 1:00pm and I've finally gotten tired of checking my phone. Maybe she won't call. Maybe I imagined the whole thing. Like seriously, maybe the interest was only in my head. It was just too good to be true anyway.
And then my phone starts ringing. My heart races, my palms begin to sweat, nerves in the pit of my stomach. Riley chill,its just a phone call.
Gingerly I pick up the phone, "Hello?"
"Hello madam,yes my name is_" The voice is male. I stop listening. My heart sinks so low I can almost feel it at my feet. I release a breathe I didn't realize I'd been holding. Its not her.
"Madam are you listening?" The voice cuts into my thoughts.
"Sorry, what were you saying?"
"I think my money accidentally got wired to your account and I was asking kindly if you could resend it," he says
"What are you are talking about? I haven't received any money on my account sir. How much was it?" I've heard stories about these conmen and honestly right now I don't have much patience.
"Its five hundred thousand, please help me because I really can't lose that money."
"I need to first check my balance and I'll get back to you."
I hangup and check my balance. No money has been sent to my account indeed. I call him back and tell him this but he keeps insisting. I'm really not in the mood for this today and I'm  getting irritated fast. Either he's not listening or he's trying to rob me, probably the latter.
"Dude, you should probably go find someone else to rob and get off my phone! I haven't received any money!" I spit out and hang up on him.
He gives me about fifteen minutes before he calls again. This time I really am irritated when I pick up.
"Dude, are your crazy or simply daft_" I hear a soft chuckle at the other end of the line. The person is chuckling and this definitely isn't a masculine chuckle.
"Well hello to you too sunshine," she says with a smile in her voice. "And I'm neither crazy nor daft, at least as far as I know." She's still laughing. Its her! She called!
"Shoot!! I'm so sorry that wasn't for you. Oh God, you shouldn't have heard that. I don't always pick up the phone like that, I promise but see there was this guy who_ you don't want to know this do you? Of course not, you don't_" It registers that I'm rambling. I ramble when I'm  nervous, okay not usually. Usually I laugh. "And I am rambling right now aren't I? Feel free to tell me to shut up because I might never stop."
Now she's full on laughing and I am embarrassing myself. I am glad Shae is out. I wouldn't want any one to witness this seeing as I've always fancied myself the queen of cool.
"Riley, shut up!" she laughs on.
"Okay," I say, totally mortified. Now she'll think maybe I am crazy.
"That was entertaining," she says.
"I am glad I could be of help," At least she isn't hanging up. "I'm sorry, I guess l am just nervous."
"Well I was too until you became a rambling mess," she laughs. "It was adorable."
"Fuck you very much," I say, which only makes her laughs harder.
"Too soon baby, too soon," she laughs some more. I like the way she laughs so easily.
"What took you so long to call me?" I find myself blurting out. Why did I just ask that? I face palm. Could I probably come off any more desperate, I don't think.
"You been waiting on me?" I can hear the teasing in her voice. "We'll I didn't want to seem too eager," she mumbles shyly. I love that she has these shy moments.
"You do realise that translates to 'you were eager', right?" I smile. I guess it wasn't just me.
"I didn't think that through, did I?
"No, you didnt." I am smiling like a lunatic. I like how easy it is to talk to each other.
"Riley,I want to see you again." Its a statement, not a question. She's telling me what she wants. I love a person who can take charge like that.
"That could be arranged," because I want to see her again too.
"Tell me when and where and I'll be there."
* * *
I am one of those girls who aren't very in touch with their fashion sense so by the time Shae gets back I've worked myself into a tizzy.
"What happened in here? A tsunami?" she asks as she steps into the room, stepping over clothes I have strewn all over the floor.
"Nooo, I happened. I can't find what to put on." I whine.
"For what? Where are you going?"
"Just to hang out with a friend," I offer vaguely.
"A friend huh?" She raises a questioning eyebrow. "What sort of friend are we talking about?"
"Just a friend."
"Do I know this friend?" She comes to sit on my bed. She starts looking through my clothes.
"Nope, she's someone I went to highschool with," I lie, but I know at least she won't ask many questions.
"Huh. Then why are you trying to impress her, you wouldn't be this worked up for me?" She's now tossing clothes over her shoulder. I stand there trying to come up with more lies.
"I wouldn't be because you've already seen me at my worst, and I don't want to embarrass someone if I show up looking all meh."
"Okay, I get it. It's a sunny afternoon so I guess this should do." She hands me a peach coloured short skater dress.
It'll have to do and it usually makes me feel pretty.
"Thanks babe, you're a life saver." I give her a quick hug. She falls on the bed face first.
"I think I'll take a nap because I'm still a little hangover from last night. Have fun you and your friend."
A few minutes later I get a message pop."I'm  outside"
"Hey Shae, I'll be back soon." I'm so excited I'm skipping along but only on the inside.
"Do everything I wouldn't do," she replies. I smile at that. If only she knew.
"Its not that kind of hanging!" I say as I close the door behind me. But I hope it will be sometime in the future.
I'm looking around for a cute little tomboy but I don't  see one. There's a Smart fortwo car parked across the gate blipping its lights. Assuming its for me, I walk over gingerly and I guess it is. I can now see her through the glass as I get closer. She steps out of the car and meets me at the front. Black jeans, white tank topped with a red flannel open at the front. Only the tats on her arms are exposed now.Everyone looks good in flannel but she gives it a whole new meaning, I think.
"Hey," she says with an awkward little wave. The eyes. I think I'll always go back to the eyes. "You look pretty."
She comes to stand right in front of me. There's a little awkward tension before she pulls me into a hug. If she holds on a little longer than what is expected of a simple hug between aquitances, I don't care.
She smells so nice. She feels so nice.
"Oh, this old little thing, " I say when she finally let's go, looking down at my dress. I smile. She smiles. "Thanks though but do you think we can do this in the car, out of the melting sun?"
"Good thinking, come on," she says.
She doesn't open for me the door but that's okay, we aren't in a movie.
"Cute ride," I say, "Not at all what I expected."
"What? Were you expecting like a bike or something?" She turns to look at me with a smile.
"Yeah?"
"So you see a tomboy with tats and you immediately imagine they are bikers? You've watched too many movies."
"Hahaha yeah, probably. So where are we going?" I ask.
"Uh..." She looks sheepish now. "Actually I don't have any idea, I kinda didn't think beyond the seeing you again part."
Butterflies flutter in my tummy when she says that.
"Awww, if you aren't quite the charmer, I don't know who is," I tease.
"Hahaha shut up and come up with ideas."
"Okay bossy pants, how about we just go for ice cream, its a hot day after all."
"I don't really fancy ice cream but_"
"You don't what? Why?" I sound outraged. I am just shocked.
"Come down missy," she laughs. "I can see how strongly you feel about icecream but hey, we all don't have to like it." She keeps glancing at me as she talks. "I'll do with a smoothie."
"Smoothie, yuk!" I mock gag.
"Hahahaha don't knock it till you've tried it baby," she says with a wink. That wink goes straight to the pit of my stomach, or maybe even a little lower.
"I have tried it," I say, "but I'll take ice cream any day."
"Oh, you just don't know the fancy things in life."
"Ha! Says the girl who doesn't like icecream."
* * *
At the icecream shop she puts her hand at the small of my back gently ushering me in before her.
"Mmh, quite the lady," I tease.
"Not really, just checking out your ass."
"Oh, you dog!"
"Guilty as charged," she says with a chuckle.
We find a free table outside. She sits across from me, looking at me from across the table, her gaze boring into mine. I'm having a strawberry mint icecream and she's having the earlier said smoothie.
"First order of business, let's talk about that ink you've got," I say. Then I add softly, "It's hot as hell."
"No small talk with you, the second name talk, siblings, family, you know, first date questions?"
"We'll get to that, I'm just really dying to know about the tats." She has one hand resting on the table and the other holding her glass. Surprisingly the one holding the glass has no tats, at least none that I can see. I find myself tracing those on the one just idling on the table.
"Hmm, let's see," she examines her wrist. "Most of these are just random designs I saw on people, or at the parlour and I liked, and the chain around my wrists its well, you know..." She uses her hand to make a dismissive gesture in the air.
"No, I don't know."
She laughs softly. "Well, its the gay thing, I got it when I decided to be okay with myself and accept who I am."
Its a chain that circles her wrist but instead of closing off, it breaks on the inside of her wrist. Its a broken chain. I wish I had broken chains. I'm tracing the chain absentmindedly, admiring it ,wishing for it.
"You aren't out are you?" she asks softly, as if not to spook me.
"No, not exactly, I just haven't figured it out quite yet."
"You haven't quite figured it out yet? What does that mean?" She looks puzzled. I move to pull my hand back so I can hold them in my lap but she catches it and holds on to it.
"Uh, I've only ever dated dudes and_"
"So you saying you're straight?" She interrupts, her back going rigid. I roll my eyes at her.
"_its only recently I noticed I might like some of my friends a little more than is acceptable." I continue.
"Oh," I can see her shoulders relax again.
"Oh is right, you interrupting cow."
"Okay."
The time passes as we talk about nothing and everything. She's out, to all her friends, her family doesn't matter because its not that kind of family she says. She's 26, she's an artist, she does art and sells it although that isn't her only livelihood. She works part time at a tattoo parlour plus her parents are loaded. Now I understand the little car. Music, she likes everything, she likes to dance_
"Wait, you like to dance?" I ask." When we met you said you felt out of place at the club?"
"Yeah but dancing doesn't only happen in clubs babe," she replies. The 'babe' hits me right in the feels.
"Oh yeah? Where else?"
"I do aerobics and zumba at a dance studio right next to where I live, sometimes they let me train. Its so freeing and fun."
While she talks I stare at her, she's really pretty. I watch her lips as she sucks on her straw, I watch the way she sits in her chair, confidently, owning the space around her.I take in everything I can about her. She has rolled up the sleeves of her flannel so I get to see the smooth skin of her arms, the ink circling her wrist adds on the appeal, I watch her slender neck, her pulse point but mostly I look at her eyes.The brown of her eyes would be cold if it weren't for her bright warm smile. They sparkle when she smiles and they are intense when she's listening, unwavering.
"Wow, you super woman or what? No wonder you're so in shape," I say. She laughs lightly at this.
"I can be whoever you want me to be.You should come with sometime," she says.
"What? You saying I need to get in shape?" I'm teasing her of course.
"Mmhmmh," she shakes her head," I like your shape." And I like you, I think.
We've been here since 3:00pm, its now 5:30pm in the evening.
"You wanna blow this joint?"she asks, with air quotes.
"Yes, always yes to a joint." We are still laughing as she clears the bill and we head out.
She's driving but I notice it's not towards home, well my home.
"If this is you kidnapping me, you should know I left your name and every last detail with my roommate.
She laughs. "If I were kidnapping you babe, you'd know." She winks. Again with the winking. "I thought maybe we'd catch a movie, its still a little too early, don't you think?"
"A girl after my own heart". I smile at her and she smiles back.
"You have the cutest smile I've ever seen," she says with a certain amount of reverence in her voice like she has seen something new. "It lights up you're whole face, so bright." She seems to have forgotten she has to watch the road.
I feel the flutters in my stomach again and something swells in my chest. I've been told I have a nice smile before but there's something different about it coming from her.
"Thank you but you know, you have to watch the road if you don't want this smile plastered on the sidewalk."
"Oh, right!"she turns back to the road with a laugh.
She pulls up at the theatre. We buy movie snacks and grab seats in the back row. There aren't many people today so most of the seats are empty. A Million Ways To Die In The West is showing. I love that movie. I also love the way she laughs with so much abandon. I think I might have watched her more than I did the movie. Somewhere in the middle of the movie we got our hands entwined and I love the feel of her this close. I can smell her perfume. Surprisingly its feminine, its something vanilla and what I think is just her. She smells so fresh, sweet, and just feminine.
Its 9:00pm by the time we get out of the theatre. When we walk out, she doesn't let go of my hand as we walk back to the car. She's narrating all her favourite parts of the movie so gleefully like a little child would. The whole of her lights up. The contrast between her boyish demure and her childish glee is so startling but endearing.
She drops me back at the hostel. She doesn't let go of my hand the entire way.
"I promised myself not to ask you to my place tonight but I really want to take you home, I don't want this night to end." she says.
"I'm glad I made such an impression." I say. "I had fun too, you are fun."
"Well, what can I say?" I let go of her hand and swat her lightly on the arm. She reclaims my hand, her thumb lazily stroking the soft skin between my thumb and pointer finger.
"Can I see you again?" she asks. She looks me in the eye, quite intensely I might add. It makes my breath catch and my body sing.
"If you didn't I'd probably hunt you down myself."
"I have every intention of seeing you again."
"Okay. This is good night I guess." But there's an awkward moment where we both seem unable to move.
Then she leans towards me, lightly she grazes her lips on my cheek, close to my lips but its enough to send my body in flames. I can feel the heat go through me. I feel the tremors down to my toes. She doesn't lean back immediately. She rests her forehead on my temple. I can feel the imprint of her lips where they touched  my cheek, her hand gently stroking my other cheek. I lean into her and put my arm around her and we just hold on to each other. It's just nice to be held.
Her breath on my neck isn't helping with my body reaction. My breath is picking up, my heart is racing like a horse, tingles from all over my body seem to find their way somewhere between my legs. She kisses the spot on my cheek again and again. Then she draws back. I can't see her eyes clearly with the parking lot lighting but I'm sure they'd be dilated. Maybe she should take me home. She pulls away from me finally.
"Goodnight Riley," she says softly.