spoken word. (gxg)

twenty-three.

twenty-three.

Lucky, I thought blearily as I woke up, that it was the weekend. I felt rather refreshed, having slept a heavy and dreamlessly, but had a bit of a headache. I sat up in what I assumed to be the guest room of June's house, glancing around the room. A part of me hoped that June would be here, sleeping next to me, but a more realistic part of my brain recognized that she looked exhausted and probably needed to sleep in her own bed.

At least, that's what I thought as my left foot touched the hardwood floor, which was surprisingly soft for wood. I looked down, expecting to see a small carpet or whatever else rich people put under their beds to protect their feet from the hard ground in the mornings. Then, I picked my foot back up.

It was good that she was asleep. I didn't think that June, who was asleep on a thin futon next to my bed, would have been pleased that I had stepped on her hair.

Gently, I stepped around her, then hesitated. This was the ultimate opportunity to stare at June without embarrassment. Besides, we had kissed, so it wasn't creepy... right?

Shit, we had kissed. My face flushed as I thought back to the night before. The terrifying and severe and beautiful June Willow had kissed me. Never in a million years would I have predicted that June Willow, with her gorgeous red hair and hundreds of admirers, would have thought me just as appealing as I thought her.

I examined June's perfect features, moving to sit cross-legged on the floor next to her. Her body rose and fell delicately with every breath that passed her pink lips. The room was dark, lighted only by the sparse beams of light shining through the cracks in the blinds. It was stoic, comfortable-- peaceful. I leaned back against the wall, shutting my eyes. The air was slightly cool, it felt good to my lightly pounding head.

Desperately, I tried to soak in the moment, lock it in my mind so I would never forget. As June's even breaths lulled me to sleep, I felt a contented smile move my lips.

"Mia," June's voice pulled me from slumber, and I glanced at her, confused from sleep. Rapidly, I pulled myself back so I wasn't mere inches away from her face, face reddening. Somehow, I had curled up against June in my sleep. She looked amused, and my heartbeat pounded in my chest.

"June," I said, breathless. A moment passed, then she blinked, standing up.

"Breakfast?" She asked me. I put a hand on my stomach, noticing how hungry I was.

"Is Tyler cooking?" I asked hopefully. She shook her head.

"He's already at work," she told me.

"Darn," I pouted, and she laughed. Suddenly, an idea crossed my mind. "Should we go bother him at work?" I grinned wickedly, "and get breakfast while we're at it?" Abruptly, she stiffened, her expression turning hard. I blinked, shocked.

"Or... we could eat here?" I suggested. She nodded, moving fast to leave the room, and I trailed behind her, confused. What had I said to warrant such an intense reaction? Had they fought about something while I was asleep? Was she jealous? I couldn't imagine why-- I thought I had been more than clear what my intentions were the night before.

"Cereal? Sorry, I don't cook," June offered.

"Sure," I said, "do you have Cheerios?"

"We do," she confirmed, pulling out a box. I was silent for a moment before speaking.

"Why don't you want to go see Tyler?" I asked her. Her back was to me, so I couldn't see her expression.

"It's not that I don't want to see him," she sighed, "it's just..."