Both Sides ☯ h.s au

Five.

I heard the door open down the hallway, first panicking, then realizing I had a guest last night I let out a sigh, I’m always different in the day time. What was I going to say to her? Was I going to let her stay here longer? I didn’t know what I was going to do…

“Morning”, she chirps as she walks towards me seated in the kitchen wearing only an oversized shirt that went down to her knees. I guessed she had nothing on underneath it but I stopped my mind from wandering any further.

“Mornin’”, I replied calmly as I took another small sip from my boiling hot coffee I’d just made, “Coffee?”

She shook her head, “No thanks, I don’t drink caffeine”

Nodding I let it go, wanting to insist seeing I believed that I made the best flat whites that you can ever drink but, whatever, her choice.

“So…” she began, she seemed uneasy, I didn’t blame her, on the outside I wasn’t exactly the most appealing person, come to think of it I’m not on the inside either.

“You can stay as long as you want… just…um, just saying”, I blurted out in a panicked tone, her eyes widening at my proposal.

“No, no, I don’t want to intrude anymore that I already have, you have done so much for me; I can’t thank you enough!”

“No Jade I insist, stay”.

She smiled. It was really sincere and heart-warming to see her this way. She seemed calm, happy even. Compared to last nights scared, shy, and horrified version of Jade, this was refreshing. I knew that telling her she could stay was really out of the blue and completely random but I think she needed to know I was happy for her to stay longer. Was I? Was I really happy to spend all my time around someone else? I don’t know, but I knew she needed somewhere to stay until she got back on her feet, and I wasn’t going to be someone who would rip the reality of that away from her.

“Would you like anything to eat or drink? I just went shopping so I’m all stocked up”, she giggled at my words, not sure if she was giggling at me or with me but I didn’t really mind.

“Yeah, but don’t trouble yourself, I can make myself something, you drink your coffee”

“Are you sure, I’m a pretty good cook”, I gave her a look that she returned with a cheeky smirk.

Shaking her head she responded lightly, “Nah, I’ve got this”

Nodding I got up from my bar stool and walked over to the living room. It was big, too big, a lounge room made for entertaining, although, I didn’t have anyone to entertain, apart from Jade now. I had brown soft leather couches, very expensive I might add, the rug was fluffy and white which wasn’t a bad thing, I never went anywhere outside to get my shoes dirty so when I walk on it, it never changed from its original pearly white self.

The TV was a flat screen, 72 inches, its huge and once again would be amazing for entertaining but then again movie marathons on that thing beats the cinemas. It’s plastered up on the wall and looks as if it was floating, it pulls away from the wall slightly and when you turn it onto 3D, shit gets real. I have a few paintings over the place, they’re each of nothing at all, just bright and colorful paint splashed around, although it’s something a child could do it really looks brilliant going with the rest of the room.

I sat down, my body sinking into the soft cushions as I slump down lazily. I search in the gaps between cushions trying to find the remote. I dug underneath until I finally grabbed something solid, pulling it quickly towards me. Glad to see the multicolored buttons I turned it on, waited a few second before the screen burst with life, the sound doing no different. I flicked through the channels. Nothing. God damn do they just now run entertaining shows in the middle of the day?! Frustrated I slam my finger on the power button and throw the remote beside me…no wonder I lose it!