Painting

Chapter 2

Now, it's morning, we are in the same position as last night. I can feel the two boys are going to wake up soon and it's going to be strange, really strange. Just as I'm thinking about it, Tyler wakes up, he looks at me incredulously. He looks at Victor and tries to wake him up.

-Dude!

I hear him growl as he stuffs his head in my hair.

-Time to wake up.

Victor replies with a sleepy voice:

-Leave me alone. It's like 5 am.

-No, it's 10 am and you're holding a girl in your arms.

-It's not a girl, it's my pillow.

He says that and his arm wraps me even tighter, then I realize Tyler is still holding my hand. I clear my throat gently and he lets go of it. He gets up and leaves us there. I'm scared, is he going to leave me here, not that I don't like being held like that, I just, you know. He comes back with aspirins, a glass of water and a reusable straw. He gives it to me and he tells me:

-Here, give it to him, maybe he'll let go of you.

I nod my head and I lift Victor's arm. I gently touch his cheek and he opens his mouth, I put the aspirins and the straw in the glass. I put it between his lips and he drinks all of it. He lets go of me and he sits up. I sit up too and I don't know what to do. So I just look at the wall. On it, there's a painting. I don't have time to look at it more closely. Victor clears his throat and says gently:

-What happened last night?

I respond as quickly as I can:

-Nothing!

They look at me and Tyler lifts his eyebrows.

-You guys were really tired and...

I can't even finish my sentence, they get up and say that they're hungry. I follow them to the kitchen, where they begin to make breakfast. The whole room smells like pancakes. Victor asks me if I want pancakes or waffles.

-Pancakes, please.

Victor smiles at Tyler, and he hands me a plate full of pancakes.

-Go put that in the dining room, please. We'll join you in just a second.

I put it in the middle of the table and Tyler arrives with a plate full of waffles. As he's sitting down he asks me:

-So you like pancakes? You don't like waffles?

-No, I like both, I just didn't know that you were going to make waffles too. Can I take one pancake and one waffle?

Victor sits down and tells me:

-Of course.

Tyler replies:

-But, It's going to taste better if you put maple syrup on it. Don't you think Victor?

-What do you mean by that, Tyler?

-That you could go get the maple syrup. So I can continue to make conversation to the nice lady here.

-Last time, I did it, I think it's your turn to go fetch the divine nectar.

-Ugh...

Tyler gets up and walks slowly to the fridge. He opens it, he looks at Victor and he gives me a beautiful smile. I give him one too. He comes back with the maple syrup, pouting at Victor. He gives it to me and says:

-Ladies first, don't you think, Victor?

-Yes, absolutely.

-Are you guys brothers?

They look at me and they start laughing at little bit. They tell me that they are only roommates. Tyler begins to eat his waffles eagerly. Victor asks me if I have a ride home, I tell him that my friends left without me last night.

-Well, we actually have to go to town. Don't we Tyler?

-What? Why?

-We need to get our Christmas tree, don't you remember?

-But, it's only November...

-I want to get this over with. You know I like Christmas.

-Yeah... Yeah...

I am a little bit confused, this tough-looking guy, actually likes Christmas? So, first impressions are really not relevant for me. People who look soft and sweet are actually mean. People who look tough are kind and caring. Well, that's what I think right now. Maybe, those guys changed since high school, maybe they became psychopaths, but I don't think so. But then again, first impressions really don't do it for me.

We finish breakfast and Victor grabs is keys. Tyler grabs his headphones and go sit on the passenger seat. I go fetch my purse and Victor is waiting for me, he locks the door and we walk to his car. Which is a black electric truck, I open the back seat door as he is starting the car. I don't even have time to put my seatbelt on, that we are already engaging on a country road.

I look outside, I get a little sad. I'll never get to go in that cabin again. I actually liked the ambiance a little, even if I didn't spend a lot of time there and I'm really curious about that painting on the wall, the one I saw when the boys woke up. Well, it's probably for the best, it's not like those guys would ever invite me again. They would invite pretty girls and you know, have fun. In probably more ways than one.

Tyler is focused on his phone, probably choosing a song. I know the struggle. When I listen to music, or try to, I never know what to listen to, despite the great amount of playlists I have. I always end up listening to the same one, especially if I made a research for new songs, not long ago. The playlist I listen to the most is an incoherent mix of pop, old school rap, R&B and hippie's songs from the 60's. I would not make a great DJ, that's for sure. My ex-boyfriend really didn't like it, so I would hide to listen to it, even with my headphones. Before I even realize it, we're engaging on the highway.

Victor is giving me furtive glances through his mirror.

-What are you thinking about?

-About music and my ex-boyfriend. Well actually how he didn't like the music I like to listen to.

-You told me about your ex-boyfriend, last night.

-You remember?

-Yeah.

-But, you guys were....

-Drunk?

-Yeah... You were staggering, you couldn't even walk on your own...

-Yeah, but that doesn't mean I can't remember anything.

-But you even asked me to tuck you into bed... and you were holding on to me while you were sleeping...

-That's because he wanted a body pillow.

Tyler says that and start laughing. Victor punch his shoulder, but he only laughs more.

-Maybe you're not the only one who needed comfort last night.