Band OneShots

One Two Three - Jaime Preciado

It isn't easy to live with OCD, but Jaime is there to help.

Walking down my hallway I constantly look down at the floor. It bugs me how you can't actually see where one plank of the wooden floor starts and where it ends.
This isn't right. That's just not right...
I walk into my bathroom and instantly relax. Tiles. I love tiles. They are clean and shiny. I can count them... And I don't have to step on the freaky spaces between them.

As always it takes me exactly three steps to the little sink. I look into the mirror cabinet and am relieved when I see everything is in its place. On the top left are my nail polishs. There are three different colours and of every colour there are three little bottles. Next to them is my little make up bag. Something inside me itches as I see it's only one bag, but that's okay... I don't need three make up bags... One is enough. I know there are three lipsticks, three eyeliner pens, three mascaras, three everything inside. So this calms me down again. On the next shelve lay three tubes of toothpaste in an exact line. I grab the one on the right and flinch when I see the middle one was used.
I try to ignore it and go to the next shelve. Like the toothpastes there lay three toothbrushes. Again I see the middle one is used and messily placed back down. Immediately I reach out and straighten it, so the three brushes form a perfect line. I take out the right one and place three little dots of toothpaste on the brush. I place the toothpaste back in the cabinet and make sure it is in line with the others.
I turn on the water and let my tooth brush get soaked.
"One... Two... Three", I mumble to myself and turn the water off again.

If you haven't noticed: I have a weird obsession with the number three.
I know it's more than an obsession... People tell me I'm sick, I need to get checked. Even my own parents wanted me to get checked out by some doc but I didn't want to. I refused to. As a kid I'd run away whenever my mother took me to the hospital or I just wouldn't talk to the people she took me to. I guess I have something like OCD, but I never wanted to know for sure I'm different and ill...
I know it's not normal to have to do or have things three times. It bugs me whenever it's not the case but most times I can calm myself down. I learnt to cope with my obsession in public places, so I don't get a breakdown in the middle of the street. I always have three marbles in my jeans pocket. Whenever I feel myself freaking out I take them out and count them. I just sit down and roll them in my palms and count them.
Whenever I just feel unsure and something bugs me I roll them around in my pocket and it helps me.
Other than that I like it if something is clean and I love right angles, straight lines and clearly divided things. Like tiles. They are just perfect.

I spit out the tooth paste and rinse my mouth. I repeat it two times. Then I'm ready to wash out my brush and I place it back in the cabinet. I close the cabinet and smile when I look into the mirror. In the reflection I see Jaime leaning in the doorway and looking lovingly at me.
I send him a smile and turn to my side to dry my hands. Two of the dark blue towels hang tidily over the rail, the last one nearly falls to the floor and is just messily thrown onto the others. A real shudder goes through my body and I close my eyes for a second and take a deep breath.
"I'm sorry... I didn't think about it", I hear Jaime whisper.
I shake my head and smile at him: "It's okay..."
Hurriedly I adjust the towel.
"I was in a hurry cause it was late at night when I came back after practice... But I'll make it up, yeah?"
"It's okay, really", I assure Jaime and wrap my arms around him. I hate it when he does something wrong, but I hate it even more, when he apologises for it. It's me who should be apologising. I'm the weird one in this relationship and Jaime shouldn't have to look out for me so much. I hate how he has to change himself for me. I know Jaime is a pretty messy guy and loves a laid back life and being spontaneous. He's just everything I can't be.

"You know the guys are coming over later?", he asks.
"Yeah", I sigh and take a step back out of his embrace.
"You know we can always cancel. They'd understand. Or we can go and meet up somewhere else", he suggests.
"No no. Just make sure we have everything for dinner... Make a list what we have to get from the market, will you? I'll take a shower and make myself ready", I smile and he presses a soft kiss to my cheek. I bite my lip and stay still. I hear him chuckle and press two more where he placed the first one: "You know, sometimes I love how you want things done three times..."
I blush at this and shove him out of the bathroom. I hear him laugh at me. Still with red cheeks I peel of my top and panties and step into the shower. I turn the water on three times, then I let it flow over my body.