When He Wakes.

Chapter 3.

Not knowing when Lisa would be back, I made a pan of Enchiladas. Filling my own plate, I put the leftover pan in the fridge before heading to the living room. I sat in my favorite chair in my favorite pajamas. Sinking into the fluffy cushions of the chair I let out a sigh of bliss before picking up the remote and turning on Netflix. I was about 5 seconds from picking what I was going to watch when the kitchen door bust open and I heard Lisa's voice. Lisa was singing something under her breath and practically skipping as she made her way to the living room just to stop dead in her tracks. "No." She said giving me a pointed look. "No, no, no." She paused, pointing at me and making a large sweeping circle around my form. "No, to all of this." "What?" I asked, mouth full of enchilada. "You are not going to spend Saturday night stuffing your face and watching sappy romantic comedies." I crinkled my brow in frustration and finished the big bite I was currently working on. "But I like romantic comedies and stuffing my face!" "Aargh!" Lisa let out a growl of frustration before switching to a different tactic. "Cara, what did you come out here to do? You want to live your life your way and figure out what that means? You want to know who you are without them breathing down your neck? Going OUT is the way to do it!"

"Didn't you come here to slow down and stay out of trouble?" I asked softly. She bit her lip and looked at her feet dejectedly for a second. I had to use it. I knew this was my last line of defense, and I also knew that chances were it wasn't going to work. Lisa had a point, but her idea of a good time often found me in awkward situations, surrounded by people I didn't know, wishing to go home. "What is there to even DO though?" I asked taking advantage of her silence to drive my point home. "I wouldn't mind going out, but there is nothing going on tonight so why even bother?" Lisa smiled her infamous Lisa smile. Shit. She was about to win and she knew it. "Actually, there IS something to do." I had practically handed it to her. "There is a house party on the other edge of town tonight, so it will be too far out of the way to bother anyone." Her smile turned smug as she reached for the remote from the chair and switched off the TV. "Let's get ready, we are going to look hot!" My mind traveled to my wardrobe before I answered "Would you settle for luke warm?" Knowing what I was talking about as Lisa had already been through my wardrobe, Lisa replied "You can wear something of mine, I think I have the perfect thing!" Looking at Lisa, Cara doubted she had anything that would work for her. At 5'6, Lisa had long, athletic legs and womanly curves. She had almost flawless tanned skin, raven hair, and unbelievably light, almost amber eyes. She looked like a brazen summer goddess next to Cara.

An hour later, Lisa was throwing outfits out of her closet and all over the bedroom. She had already tried a few different ideas out on Cara and each one had been laughable. Examining myself in Lisa's full-length mirror, I couldn't help but feel self-conscious. Standing at around 5'1, most of the dresses Lisa passed my way were too long and thanks to my petite form and B-cupped breasts, were too ill-fitting for me. My skin was as pale as paper next to Lisa's and the bright yellow top she passed me, made me look sick. I had put a slight wave in my chest length, tawny colored hair, and my hazel eyes were highlighted with simple make-up and winged liner. A rose lipstick graced my lips. All I needed was something Lisa deemed acceptable so we could go. Throwing me a long black tube, made out of a spandex like material, I slinked my way into it before Lisa Clapped happily. The fabric hugged every inch of me, was sleeveless and ended just above my knee. I felt a little . . . naked in the form fitted material although nothing showed through the fabric. "This dress must be really short on you." I observed, looking at Lisa's reflection in the mirror. Lisa laughed. "It would be by itself, but it was actually a slip that came inside my cream lace dress." I could feel by eyes bulge. "I'm wearing a slip?!" Lisa nodded while slipping on her heels. "Relax, it doesn't look like that. It looks like a club dress on you." She walked out the door while I balked. "Aren't we just going to a house party?"

Thirty minutes later we were on the road. "How did you even know about this party?" I asked Lisa. She flashed me a shy grin. "Do you remember that guy I told you about?" She asked. "The muscley guy whose dog had like 10 puppies?" Lisa was the receptionist at the small veterinary office in town. So far, she had been doing so well that the vet had started training her to be a vet tech. "That's the one. He came in today to pick up some dog food and schedule an appointment for one of his fathers' horses and he mentioned it. Said I should stop by." "Didn't he just buy food, and couldn't he make an appointment over the phone?" I asked, giving Lisa the chance to gush over this guys obvious interest in her. "Yes! He just bought food last week. I brought up that his dog ate a lot of food and he started mumbling about his other dog and stocking up. I honestly have no idea what he was trying to say, but it was adorable!" Lisa laughed remembering the scene. I laughed with her, enjoying her happiness. I was glad Lisa was adjusting so well after everything that had happened. A small pang of jealousy rang through the happy moment, and feeling guilty, I let my thoughts drift.

I should be starting something new here. I should be going out with guys and meeting new people. I should be trying new things and creating more opportunities for myself. Instead I had been working, moping, and encasing myself further into my own protective bubble. I came here to think, but my thoughts paralyzed me. I hadn't thought much about my future over the last few weeks. I had been too busy enjoying the chance to breathe fresh air and do what I wanted to do for a change. Looking down at my phone, I was reminded by the phone call I had ignored this morning. "So, David called this morning." I informed Lisa while keeping my eyes trained on the trees that surrounded us. The road was narrow, dark, and lined by trees on either side. The way the road curved made it look as if we were about to be swallowed up by the forest. "Did you answer? What did he want?" Lisa asked gently. " I ignored it. He left a message though. He asked if we could talk tonight. He said he knew I'd be home, and didn't want me to be lonely." " What a dick!" Lisa half yelled. " So what, he just expected that you would be home alone, staring at your ceiling, pining for him or something? How pathetic. We'll show him tonight."

I had expected her to respond that way. A huge part of me felt the same way. Another part of me didn't know how to feel. David was my ex- boyfriend. We had been together for 3 years. Part of me missed being with him. It was so comfortable being with someone who had known you so well. It was familiar, and easy to fall into old habits. Dating sounded daunting and after being in a relationship for so long, I wasn't even sure if I knew how to date. He was my first and only boyfriend, everything I knew romantically revolved around him. " You're right." I broke out of my thoughts and ended the silence that had grown between us. " I am?" Lisa said slightly shocked that I was agreeing with her. " I need to experience something more than him. I feel like he isn't taking me seriously. He thinks he can call me a few times and I'll forget this whole thing and come running back to him but I'm not." A small flame burned in the pit of my stomach. I wanted to shock him. I wanted to move on and have a good time without him. I wanted him to see me , really see me, for what I could be, for what I knew I was deep inside. Sensing my determination Lisa's lips pulled up in the corners revealing a mischievous grin. " Girl, you know I'm the DD, so do whatever you got to do." She winked at me. Lisa didn't drink at house parties. She always offered to DD as it helped her abstain from giving in while we were out. I always turned her down, not because I didn't trust her, but because I wasn't into drinking. For tonight though, I decided, it was time to let loose.