Looking After You

(27) Ages: 20 & 17

Ages: 20 & 17

Jenny balanced the tower of Tupperware in her two small hands as she climbed the stairs of James’ apartment building. It had only been a week since Jenny returned from England. Denise insisted she deliver some leftovers to James, convinced her baby boy wasn’t eating enough vegetables. Jenny’s excuse was right on the tip of her tongue but when Denise looked at you with her big brown eyes, swearing she knows you’ll do the right thing, you may as well forget it. Whatever you wanted to do is no longer relevant because disappointing Denise was just not an option. Walking up the stairs, Jenny instantly regretted not calling first. She knew he was home, his car was parked downstairs, but there were plenty of reasons he may not have wanted her to visit. What if he was studying? What if he had a long shift the night before and was trying to sleep? What if he was taking a shower?

- Jenny paused on the step and shook her head, quickly stopping her thoughts from going any further after that last scenario. If James was still living next door, going to see him would never be this complicated. She would simply barge through the front door and upstairs to his room but this wasn’t her next door neighbor anymore, this was a twenty-year-old guy who had his own apartment and his own life separate from the adoring girl next door. After the treacherous hike up three flights of stairs, Jenny set the tower of Tupperware beside apartment 23C. She lifted her fist to knock on the door but stopped suddenly and retracted her hand. Reprimanding herself, she reached into her back pocket and pulled out her cell phone. She was so stupid not to call. Of course, she should have called, what was she thinking?

“Hey, Jenny,” James answered the phone, his scruffy voice putting a smile on Jenny’s face. She was honestly just surprised he hadn’t deleted his number from her phone. She wouldn’t have blamed him. Listening for background noises, she sighed in relief at the absence of water hitting a solid surface.

“Hey! What are you doing?”

“Just hanging out with Keira. What are you doing?”

Jenny’s stomach flipped in embarrassment. That was one scenario she, stupidly, didn’t think to consider. From the background, she heard Keira distantly.

“Jenny! Come hang out with us!”

James laughed and pulled the phone back to his mouth. “Keira says you should come hang out with us.”

Jenny smiled and suddenly, the embarrassment was gone. Maybe she didn’t hate the fact that she liked Keira so much. At that moment, she was nothing but grateful. “Well, that can actually be arranged. Your mother sent me to bring you some food.”

“Awesome!” James exclaimed and Jenny could practically see him rubbing his stomach. “I’m starving. What time are you coming by?” A knock was heard at the door and James turned to look, his left eyebrow arched in amusement. “Jenny, did you seriously just call me from outside the door?” He chuckled and stood up from his seated position on the couch.

“Just let me in, Jameson,” Jenny demanded in a false sense of frustration and ended the call before bending down to pick up the large tower of Tupperware once more.

James swung open the door just in time to watch as Jenny lost the balance of the third plastic container. He sprang forward to catch the Tupperware and in doing so, smacked his body against all six other containers that Jenny had been balancing. Feeling as though the mere act of breathing would send all containers falling to the ground, he stood completely still and smirked at Jenny whose face was just inches from his. The only thing keeping them from touching was a roast, potatoes and about a pound of mixed vegetables. “What now?” James questioned, his eyes wide and a smirk plastered across his face.