three

26 1 0

by shawnaaa_

by shawnaaa_

my drive to work was boring. it was getting increasingly cold as well, which didn't make me feel much better. as i drove down the frosted road, i watched how fragments of snow would occasionally fall on the windshield of my car. my hands tapped impatiently on the steering wheel as i descended further down the seemingly never ending road. i had only lived maybe 20 minutes away from my job by vehicle, but my mood seemed to make those 20 minutes feel more like an hour. i wasn't exactly sure why i was upset. more specifically, i didn't know what specific reason i was upset.

i was disappointed that i had to kick that pretty blonde about so soon. i was increasingly becoming more upset as the reality of my dad was starting to kick in. i was also annoyed about the job i was currently traveling to in overly-cold weather. it was only 25 degrees outside, and i would have much rather been back at home sipping on my coffee. but, to my dismay, i had to accept the reality of being an adult. i wouldn't of cared that much if i had actually enjoyed my job. but, unfortunately for me, i worked in a shitty office. i think i had taken the constantly-asked question by my teachers much too seriously because when they would ask what i wanted to be when i grew up, i really did mean my answers. i wanted to pursue music, any form really. i had a grand piano back at home that i would play and sing along with. i found so much beauty in music. the fact that i could produce any sound i wanted digitally or by pressing my fingers on the digits of the piano was all enchanting to me. but of course, i constantly had the underlying feeling that it was pointless to even try to make a career out of it, so i pussied out.
there were no sounds in my car, except for the sound of snow crunching underneath the tires, and it was doing nothing but help plummet my mood. i sighed, and continued my path down the road.

by the time i got home it was about 7:30 pm. the snow had only gotten heavier. i kicked the remaining snow off of my boots and walked into my door, instantly greeted by warmth. through the dim lighting, i could see wyatt curled up on the couch. i smiled and went into my bedroom to change into boxers and a sweatshirt, before coming back out. i sat on down on the creme-colored couch, equipped with a with a fuzzy blue blanket. i lazily scrolled through channels on the television, becoming more and more frustrated when i couldn't find a good show to watch. no one wants to watch . defeated, i flipped the tv to netflix. i grinned when the theme song of 'its always sunny in philadelphia' flooded into the room.

i had been laying on the couch watching the show for about an hour when i heard a familiar sequence of knocks.

one, two, three, four......one, two

i stood up from my position, quickly cracking my sore back before walking towards the source of the sound. when i opened the door, a flustered blonde boy stared back at me. he wore a slightly oversized beige sweater, paired with a simple pair of black jeans. i observed how the colors complemented his sun-kissed complexion. his hair was styled in a messy quiff, some pieces of hair falling out on either side. he was softly chewing on a piece of gum, per usual. something i didn't see, though, were the faint freckles sprinkled over the bridge of his nose. i looked closer, noticing the covered plate and wrapped box he held shyly in his hand. i felt him shift underneath my gaze and immediately glanced to the side, my own cheeks slightly flaring up. to play it off, i looked back at him him an arched eyebrow, confused as to what his intentions were. as i expected, he began to splurge out a jumble of words.

"i know this is weird of me to constantly show up at your door but i just feel like i could do more to show you how grateful i really am of what you did," he pointed a finger at the plate and box in his hands, "christmas makes me really happy and its coming up in 12 days, so i baked you cookies and got you a gift because you deserve to be happy too. they're snickerdoodle and chocolate chip, but if you don't like those types of cookies, i could make any kind you want-i really don't mind because i love to bake. if this creeps you out, i promise i won't bother you again, i just want you to understand how much i appreciate you." he finished his speech, exhaling nervously. i felt a pang in my heart in my heart at his words. i didn't think that the boy would take the simple gesture so dearly. i remembered i had yet to answer, doing so quickly. "that's so sweet, you really didn't have to. and snickerdoodles are my favorite kind of cookie, and i like chocolate too, so don't worry. do you want to come in? you could help me eat the cookies." i don't know why i kept inviting him inside, but i did so anyways. i hadn't expected anything to come out of me giving the boy a ride, so this was all surprising. scott seemed happy with my question, responding with a short 'sure'. i moved to the side, allowing him to walk in. this time, he really seemed to take time to observe his surroundings.

"i never noticed you had piano", he commented, referring to the grand piano sat in one of the corners of the living room. he was so far up wyatt's ass, so i wasn't that surprised.

"really? it's only the biggest thing in this room", i replied. i smiled at him to assure him i was joking, to which he mumbled a quiet 'shut up'. he continued to look throughout the various rooms of my apartment as i sat on the couch, waiting for him to return. after about 2 minutes, he returned with the grey sphinx he couldn't seem to get enough of. predictable.

we sat in silence for a few minutes before i decided to start a conversation. "so scott, whats with you and this damn cat". he looked up, and removed his hand from its spot on wyatt's belly. "oh, i've always liked cats and animals in general. i had one that looked a lot like wyatt when i was growing up so it also brings back memories. i'll leave him alone, if that's what you're getting at. i'm sorry."

are you kidding me.

i shook my head, chuckling. "scott i was only kidding. i don't care, it's cute. you apologize too much, loosen up." he just nodded. "okay"

i looked at the neatly wrapped gift and plate next to it. those cookies smelled damn good. i grabbed the plate and set it in my lap. i removed the covering and pickled up a snickerdoodle. as i placed the cookie in my mouth, scott watched me, eager to see my reaction.

"holy shit", i said with a full mouth, "these are really good, scott." he seemed to be satisfied with my answer and pointed to the present. "open that next, i wanna make sure you like it. if you don't, i'll just return it and get you something better." i pouted at his words, doing as he said. i discarded of the festive wrapping and opened the box, gasping at what was inside. i pulled out an adorable red christmas sweater, gushing at the soft material. next i grabbed the silver bracelet that originally sat on top of the sweater. i held it in my hands, seeing the cursive engraving of 'mitch'. i looked at scott with surprised eyes. it was such a kind gesture, and i still had yet to understand what i had done to deserve it. all i wanted to know now was who or what made the poor boy cry that day in the park. if i was sure of anything, it was that he didn't deserve it at all. i hugged the boy, whispering a 'thank you' into his ear. when i sat back, i turned my attention to the paused television sitting in front of us.

"do you like it's always sunny?" he snapped his head up at the mention of the show, nodding. i smiled. "how about we watch it since it's already on. i'll eat the snickerdoodle cookies, and you eat the chocolate chip. deal?" he nodded again, "deal". i un-paused the show and got comfortable in my seat placing the blanket over my body. i offered to share the blanket, undermining its size. he complied, situating himself underneath it. there was no space between us, as that was the only the way the blanket would fit over us both. the heat from his body radiated onto mine, warming me more than the blanket itself.

it was about 10 pm by the next time i had looked at the clock. i was quickly becoming tired. instead of trying to force my eyes open. i attempted to place my head on his shoulder without him noticing. my eyes began to grow heavier. i felt the vibrations of scott's body as he laughed at the show. i couldn't remember the last time i felt this comfortable and relaxed. i finally shut my eyes, allowing myself to slowly drift off.