Becoming Starkid

New Roommate

CHAPTER TWENTYNINE:

                  I disappeared for a month. I didn’t tell anyone but my parents of my plans of moving. No one knew where I was. After the kiss, Joe tried to call me countless times but I refused to answer. I ring the doorbell repeatedly to the house all the Starkids have moved into. Joe answers and his jaw drops.

“Andy? What are you doing here? Where have you been?” he hugs me desperately and touches my face as though he’s scared I’ll disappear.

“I’m sorry I sort of, stopped existing, but I’m back. I was just working out living plans.”

“What living plans?” he asks, “You’re at college, there’s no need to make pla…oh.” He notices my suitcase.

“You didn’t! Andy, are you dropping out of college?”

“Can I at least come in before we discuss this?”

“Yeah, come on in.” I follow Joe down a narrow hallway with may different shaped doors, turn a corner and enter a cozy living room with a fireplace. Many familiar faces turn to look at me. And then it is chaos.

“Andy!” They all scream, jumping up from their seats.  Lauren is the first to get to me, catapulting herself at me, squeezing me until I turn purple. That girl is surprisingly strong. She kisses me on the cheek.

“Whoa Lo, you don’t have to go all lezzy on me!” I joke.

“Yes I do! I missed you like crazy! You are never allowed to disappear again!”

“Yeah that would be such a shame,” Brian says sarcastically.

“Missed you to Bri!” I say. He comes in to hug me aggressively and I shriek in disgust, but laugh and hug him back. I get around to hugging everyone, but they are still looking at me expectantly. They want me to explain.

“So you guys all want to know why I’m here,” they nod and murmur in agreement,  “Well I had to make a decision, about my future. And then I realized, you guys are my future, Starkid is my future. So don’t get me wrong, I love Michigan. But if you guys aren’t there, there is no reason for me to stick around there. So here I am.” They look confused.

“If you are wondering, I told U of M that I would no longer be attending.”

“Isn’t that a bit extreme?” says Jaime, “Yes, of course we want you here, but sacrificing a college degree to be here? No diploma…”

“I don’t think you should have to measure talent by a piece of paper. I belong here, and I would’ve ended up here anyways so why not now?”

“We are happy you decided to come,” says Matt knowingly, “Hey, can we talk in the kitchen?”

I walk into a small kitchen with dishes piled in the sink and sticky notes covering the fridge.

“So Andy,” Matt says, “I hope you’re ready to work. We have a new show, and we want to get it going like, now. It’s called Starship. It’s a sci-fi, little mermaid adventure. We using puppets and its going to be a huge production. Are you on board?”

“Why do you think I’m here?” Matt smiles,

“I thought so. I actually wrote you a part; it’s the love interest of the main character, Bug. Her name is February”

“Wait, how did you know I was going to be here?”

“I had an, inkling you turn up. But don’t be offended because the character, it isn’t based off you. It’s just something I think you could act well.”

“Why would I be offended?”

“You’ll see,” Matt says handing me a script.

I start to drag my suitcase up the stairs when Joe swoops in, grabbing it from me. He doesn’t struggle at all and easily lifts it up the stairs.

“Thanks I say, could you just take it to Lauren’s room?” I ask. There are currently no spare rooms so I plan on just bunking with Lauren until I can find other living arrangements. We enter a spacious room with navy blue walls. A large bed is in the middle of it and its gray duvet cover is messily slumped across it. They are clothes littering the floor. Strange. Lauren is neat as a pin; she’d never leave here bed unmade or clothes on the ground. Something doesn’t add up. Then I notice the Boston Red Sox poster and the array of hats on the windowsill.

“This isn’t Lauren’s room, is it?”

“Nope. It’s mine,” Joe says matter of factly, “You are gonna be living with me. I’ve got the best room in the house,” he says spreading out his arms.

“Yeah, its nice, Joe, but”

“But what?”

“I don’t think we would make the best roommates.”

“Why, are you scared?”

“Scared of what?”

“Scared that you won’t be able to keep your hands off of me?” I groan and roll my eyes viciously at him.

“Hey, it was you who kissed me at grad,” he says. Valid point. I had avoided thinking about the repercussions of that since it happened. But it was time to own up to my actions.

“That was a goodbye kiss. It was in the moment, and I’m sorry if it meant anything more to you, but I can assure you it won’t happen again.”

“We’ll see. So if you are so sure there’s going to be no problem, why not live with me? We are friends right?”

I sigh and give is to Joe’s persistence, “I’ll go tell Lauren we won’t be living together after all.”

It’s Joe and our first night together. He wears boxers and a t-shirt and I wear my most unsexy pajamas to bed. I am definitely not trying to impress anyone. After I finish getting ready for bed I go to Joe who is lounging on the bed, reading comic books. I love that even though Joe seems like a lady-killer, he is really a nerd at heart.

“So where am I sleeping?” I ask Joe. He pats the bed beside him.

“We are not sleeping in the same bed Joe.”

“Where else do you suggest you sleep, the floor?” he says. I complain but eventually crawl into bed with him. It’s a big enough bed but Joe insists on creeping closer and closer to me.

“Ready to go to bed?” he asks. I nod and he pulls off his shirt.

“Sorry, this is how I sleep.” And I’m not complaining. His abs are even better than I remember. I can’t help but stare at his chiseled chest.  He flips off the lights leaving us in pitch black.

“Goodnight Joe,” I whisper.

“Sweet dreams, babe.” We aren’t touching but I can still feel his presence next to me. His soft breaths are comforting. I inch a bit closer to him so out fingertips touch. He turns to his side and very carefully kisses my shoulder. He hesitates, gaging my reaction but I don’t stop him so he moves up and gently kisses my collarbone. He keeps moving up and slightly harder kisses my neck. Then his face is level with mine. I can see his eyes on mine even through the darkness. I want nothing more than for him to kiss me right now. And he does. Slowly at first but he builds up intensity and desire. He has never kissed me like that before. Nothing in the world seems important anymore, just that Joe keeps kissing me, but he stops. I want to cry out, beg him for more, but I keep my composure. He flips over, facing away from me.

“Night Andy,” he says.

“What?’ I asked confused. He expects me to be able to sleep after that kiss?

“Being friends is what you want, remember?” He is taking away my power. Making me want him, not the other way around. But I won’t let him.

“Right, night Joe.” I bury my head in my pillow and shut my eyes, forcing myself to sleep. But I don’t think either of us slept a wink that night.