Right Next Door

Chapter Four

        Tony left the bookstore shortly after the Axel incident. And I don't blame him. I wanted to leave myself but, unfortunately, I had a committment to uphold. So I stayed where I was even though Miranda probably wouldn't have noticed if I had left anyway. But I couldn't leave the store unaccompanied like that. So I'd spent the rest of my Sunday finishing up homework at the counter and twisting my fingers in Murphy's soft, gray fur. 

        I think about this awkward encounter as I get ready for school. I'd given up trying to look nice everyday a long time ago. So instead of wearing nice frilly skirts and ankle boots and cardigans, I possess an infinite wardrobe of black jeans and band T-shirts and large sweaters that I found for a steal at my local Goodwill. I'm not ashamed of this. In fact, I feel bad for the girls who blow over $100 on one shopping trip and only buy, like, one pair of shoes. If that. I've got twice the amount of  clothes that they do  and for so much cheaper. In my eyes, I'm the winner. 

        The hallways are crowded this Monday morning, as they usually are. Kids are standing around their lockers, catching up on the weekend gossip. As I walk down the hall, I find that, many times, eyes are travelling after me and whispers are following me. I'm about to turn around and question one of the sophomores who has just loudly used my name in a sentence but at this moment, five slender fingers  wrap around my wrist and I'm being pulled into what I think is a janitor's closet. Jesus. Whoever this is is really cliché. 

        "Sloan," the person says. It takes me a moment to recognize the voice. And when I do, I'm still not sure that what I'm hearing is right. Three Axel encounters in three days? It can't be. 

        "Axel?" Axel scoffs and, because of the closeness of the particular place he pulled us into, I can taste his cigarette breath on my tongue. I flinch. 

        "No, it's your mother. Yes, it's Axel. God, you'd think you'd recognize my voice by now." Now I'm annoyed. 

        "Well, excuse me, but I'm pretty sure that we haven't spoken for, like, um, six years." 

        "That's ridiculous. We talked yesterday." I glare at him even though it's too dark in here for him to see it. 

        "You know what I mean. You're the one who's being ridiculous. You completely ice me out for years and suddenly you're showing up at my window at one a.m. At the place that I work. Pulling me into janitor closests! C'mon, Axel! What is wrong with you?" Axel blows out a long, complicated sigh. Again with the cigarettes. 

        "Whatever. I pulled you in here for a reason, Sloan." 

        "Really?" I snap sarcastically. "It wasn't just for a chat?" I can tell that I'm pushing Axel very near the edge. He always had been an impatient, angry guy. This wasn't anything that I wasn't used to. 

        "No, it wasn't just to 'chat'," he snaps back. I'm not hurt by his harsh tone. In fact, I almost appreciate it. I'm so sick of people being constantly polite to me. 

        "Then why am I here? Get to the point, okay? I've got to get to homeroom." It's then that I notice that Axel's fingers are still wound tightly around my wrist. It's been years since his skin had come even close to being in contact with mine. I can't help but feel my pulse quicken ever so slightly. He must feel this because he lets go then. 

        "I wanted to thank you for the other night." I take a step towards the door, not expecting this. 

        "You're welcome. Now, I really do have to go." I start to open the door but Axel slams his hand against it, preventing my escape.