Pure O

Chapter 3

As we drove down the road in awkward silence, I decided to break it. Because it's awkward...and that's awkward. "This is a productive way of getting to know someone." I say jokingly. He laughs a little and glances at me. "Well then. Want to play a game of 21 Questions?" he asks smiling "Are you kidding?" I ask making his smile drop "I like that game. You first." I say causing him to smile again. "Alright favorite color?"

********Time skip to the store********

"You did what?!" I ask laughing at his weirdest dare. "I painted my toenails using my teeth." He repeats while laughing as we pulled into the parking lot of the store. "Wow. My head can't even reach my feet. If I tried, I'm scared I'd be stuck in that position and would have to become a living sculpture. And we have here: ' Girl who tried to paint toes using teeth' Exhibit' " I speak as if I were a tour guide. I laugh and get out of the car. "So what do you need out of the grocery store?" I ask him. "I was actually going in the art store." He says pointing in the other direction of the grocery store. "Oh okay do you want to meet back right here when we're done?" I ask him as I begin to walk off towards the store. "I could come in with you. If that's fine with you." He says following behind me

"You don't have to if you don't want to." I say stopping to look at him causing him to stop as well. "It's fine." He says leaving no room for discussion as he starts walking towards the entrance of the store. After coming out of the grocery store, he takes the bags and puts them in the car and comes back to me. "To the art store?" he asks "To the art store" I say in a confirming manner, and we began walking towards the store. Going in, he automatically goes in the direction of the paint and canvases.

"You paint?" I ask "Yea. I do a little." He says grabbing different size canvases. "Hey could you grab a cart please?" he asks. I went and grabbed it and brought it back and helped him put them in. He then grabbed a few paints and brushes and we walked to the checkout. The lady at the register kept staring at him while chewing her gum loudly and twirling a piece of her hair till it was knotted on her finger, causing her eyes to widen, and me to chortle, but he just gave her the money and grabbed the cart to leave. After he put the bags in the car, we got in and pulled out of the parking lot to begin our journey back home.

"So what made you move down here?" I asked him looking out the window. "Well. There were some.. complications were I was living previously..."

"...which was deep in the city by the way, and I felt the country would be a better place. No one around. Quiet. Nothing but open space. Could do a lot more down here then up there in my opinion." He says shrugging. "Take it from the one who's been living here all her life, it ain't much to do. Go to the stores, go to work, and go home." I say shaking my head. "Welp. You have to find something to do if there isn't anything to do." He says smiling "Something like what?"

"Hm. I don't know. Maybe going out on a special date to Marley's with a special someone let's say around 9?" He smirks pulling into the driveway. "Good idea. I bet Candice would like that very much, she's been needing a break and so have I." I say acting oblivious making his smirk drop and eyes widen. "Thanks for the ride." I smirk hopping out and walking around the car. "No wait Melissa I-" "I'm free Friday." I say turning around and walking backwards. He chuckles and repeats the date information and I repeat it back waving and unlocking the door. Waving back he turns and walks up his own porch.

Before I go in he yells, "Hey, maybe tomorrow you and your sister can come over. I'm nearly done straightening up the place." "Uh sure. I bet Candice would like that." I call back. He nods and waves again before going in. I had been so caught up in the moment that I hadn't even notice Candice was back. "HEYO!"I hear Candice call from the living room with a face mask on, scaring me in the process. "GOD. Shrek. What're you doing out of your swamp?" I say walking into the living room and plopping down on the couch.

"Ha ha. So what, you didn't notice the automobile in the driveway? Or did you float over it love bird?" she asks putting popcorn in her mouth and smirking...trying to smirk with the hardened mask on. I smiled sarcastically and she copied before rolling her eyes and turning back to the TV. "No I didn't notice the CAR, weirdo, in our driveway." I say taking her popcorn bowl she was eating out of. "Dates do that to people huh?" she asks, snatching the bowl back. "How'd you hear that with the TV up so loud?" I ask grabbing the remote and turning it down.

"I hear everything remember. And stop touching stuff." she says snatching the remote back and turning it up again. "Why do you need it up so loud if you can hear everything smart one?" I ask snatching the controller back and putting the TV on mute. Taking the controller and turning the TV up again, she says, "No but in all honesty. I'm pretty sure all of CHINA heard you. You guys were yelling after all smart one." She says emphasizing China.  While trying to take the controller back, she popped my hand and went back to watching her show. Nodding, I get up and walk by the TV, flicking the power switch on the extension cord before running up the stairs. "HEY IT WASN'T RECORDED...NOW HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO KNOW HOW STEFAN FEELS ABOUT CAROLINE?!!?!" she yells "SOUND'S LIKE A PERSONAL PROBLEM CANDY" I shout back, laughing after I hear her groan.

A few seconds later I hear her running up the stairs and into her room. "I'M TAKING MY SHOWER FIRST! SHOWER HEADS BROKE IN THE OTHER BATHROOM!" Grabbing my towel, I rush into the bathroom and lock the door. "You've been here long enough to get in." I say to her before getting in. After I get out of the shower, I realize that in the rush to beat her, I didn't grab my clothes. "Candice I didn't grab my clothes could yo-" "SOUNDS LIKE A PERSONAL PROBLEM!" she shouts before I can finish.

Groaning, I wrap the towel around me and get ready to leave out before I hear her call, "OH AND THE AIR IS ON BTW" "BI-" I start "Watch your language young lady. Do you kiss Jake with that mouth." She says busting the door wide open causing the cold air to hit me. Gasping and glaring at her, she takes off into my room and shuts the door. Chasing behind her, I slide to a stop, and fortunately catch myself on the wall. Slowly opening the door and walking in, I look around, but before I can look behind me, she had pulled the towel off of me and ran out into the bathroom laughing like a maniac.

"NOW WE'RE EVEN!!!" She yells from the bathroom. Walking over to the dresser, I grab my clothes and began putting them on. I walk over to turn my light off and close the door, but before I do, I walk into the hallway and kick the bathroom door, smiling when I hear her yelp and the soap drop. "I'll get you back Dorothy. And your little dog too." I say cackling. "I don't even have a dog! Loser." she calls as I'm walking away.

As I walk into my room, I close the door and turn off the light. Walking to my bed, I finally notice. My curtain was open. So is one of the rooms window across from my window. I can't see what room it is, even with the open curtain because the light is off. The other window was just boarded up, but through the cracks I could see that the lights were off in there too. Closing my curtain, I lay in bed hoping that tonight's events went unnoticed by our new neighbor. Giving no thought to why the room had been boarded up.