When Our Stories Collide

Chapter Five

I wake up slowly and stretch in bed, unwilling to move from my comfy oasis.  I glance through my lashes at the clock, 1:00 pm.  It's not unusual for me to sleep in but this is late, even for me. 

The delicious aroma of coffee wafts into my room tempting me to get out of bed. Bethany always sets the coffee to auto brew the day before so there's less work for me in the morning.

To say I'm not a morning person is an understatement, but the promise of coffee gets me moving.  I stumble down the narrow hallway of our apartment with my eyes half-closed and make my way to the bathroom. I start running the shower, hoping by the time I've got a cup of coffee the water will be hot.

I'm essentially a zombie right now, but when I pass by the living room I don't fail to notice Bethany's keys are missing.  She either left early or never came home last night.  From what Sam said about her and Christian, I'm assuming it's the ladder.

Go Bethany.

I smile to myself as I take my favorite vintage Looney Toons mug out of the cabinet and pour myself a cup of steaming hot brew.  One scoop of sugar, a dash of milk and it's time for a shower. 

Halfway to the bathroom, I remember I turned my phone off last night.  I carefully set my coffee down so I don't spill it and dash to my room.  I quickly power my phone on and after what feels like forever, I'm shown the home screen. 

Breathlessly, I wait for any messages or calls and nothing.  Disappointment waves through me and I toss my phone on the bed angrily. I climb into the shower and being the melodramatic person I can sometimes be, I attempt to slam the shower curtain. 

Maybe Jack changed his mind.  Maybe he went home with one of those groupies.  Maybe his phone died.  Maybe he didn't reach Beth in time.  I sit in the shower with my knees tucked in my arms and let the hot water drown my sorrows. 

That's when I hear it.  The instantly recognizable sound of R2D2 from Star Wars plays over and over from the next room. I've been meaning to change that ringtone for years but I couldn't be happier hearing that beautiful sound now. Texts and voicemails finally came through, they must have just been delayed! 

Enthusiasm surges through me and prods me up from my fetal position in the bathtub. I flick the water off and roughly grab a towel off the hook, practically yanking it out of the wall. I barely towel off and hop out of the shower as quickly as I can, too quickly.   The second both feet hit the tile I slip and fall hard on my ass. 

"Fuck!"  I yell out to my empty apartment. 

I take a second to catch my breath and then silently thank god I didn't hit my head.  The pain shoots up my backside and I'm confident I'll be sporting a huge bruise later. 

I crawl naked through my doorway and reach for my phone from the floor. Two phone calls, one voicemail, and four texts. 

Bethany left a voicemail and a text, letting me know she was staying at Christians.  One text was from my mother, which I make a mental note to respond to later.  I have one missed call and two texts from an unknown number last night after 1 am.

"You awake Mags?"
"Don't forget you promised me a date tomorrow.  I'll pick you up at 4."

I roll onto my back and kick my feet in the air excitedly until I feel a sharp pain stab my buttocks.  I shriek and lift myself up to relieve the pressure.  Yeah, that's definitely going to bruise. 

While drying my hair, I curl the ends in but keep it mostly straight in an attempt to match the style Rachel wears in the show Friends. I decide to take more time on my makeup even though sitting is slightly uncomfortable, so I lean mostly on one cheek.