I distrust my mattress

Part 2

(Ramsey's Pov)

My alarm went off at 7am as it normally does. However today I was off work for a week, I guess you could call it my mini vacation before the long sleep.
I stepped out of my bed and onto the creaky wood floor, I've been careful as of late to not "stomp everywhere" I walk. Not my fault I have a heavy step but it's something Giselle always picks on me for.
Today I'd wear my blue jeans and a white shirt. I had shaggy dyed black hair, originally I'm a blonde but I never really thought it suited me. Made me look like an uncooked chicken.
I grabbed my pack of Marlboro golds and headed for my porch. It was humid but nice outside. Below I heard Giselle playing music, quite loud for 7am, she must be cleaning I thought.
Her and I knew each other in high school but we never really talked, I mean she never really talked back. That changed when we became neighbors two years ago. I was thankful when she moved in beneath me, I even helped her unpack.
I think that experience is what made me like her the way I do. I remember her animal bone collections. (Two pig skulls, four fish spines, one squirrel rib cage, her own handmade dyed rabbit feet, and multiple petrified frogs) I remember the day she gave me the red rabbits foot on my keychain.

~
"That should be the last of the boxes I think." I said wiping my brow. I had helped Giselle move all of her boxes into the small apartment. She was a lot smaller than me and couldn't get the heavy ones in.
"Perfect! Thank you Ramsey you're a darling you know that?" Giselle was sitting on her unmade bed in the living room. "Ha yeah I try to be." I replied.
"Here, let me make dinner for us, I didn't spend all that time organizing the kitchen for nothing." She offered. I was intrigued really I was.
"Oh Giselle thank you but I have to go meet my sister for dinner, another time?" Giselle looked disappointed but understanding. She wore her feelings so well. She inched towards me placing the tips of her long nails on my chest.
"Well I have to repay you for all this help, here I know!" And in the same second she turned around and opened one of the many boxes taking up her living room.
"I made this before I moved, it's a rabbits foot keychain, really it is good luck!" I held out my hand and she gently placed it there. I grinned, I'd honestly always wanted one but I never knew where to get one.
"Thank you Giselle." I said putting the rabbits foot in my keychain, where it's been since then.
We shook hands and I walked up the stairs right outside her door.
~
That was my first of many memories with my Giselle.
She was playing the Double Rainbow album by Babe rainbow. I smiled hard knowing that I introduced them to her at my friend Dereks party two years ago. That party was one of the least memorable ones Derek had thrown. For me at least, I can't necessarily speak for my dear Giselle. I think that was the first night we officially "met" so to speak.

~
The patio was packed full of the same faces I had seen since elementary. Mostly outcasts that we're still relevant enough to go to parties but not relevant enough to have names. The pool was spotted with floating bud lights and a couple cigarette butts here n' there. Derek, one of my better friends, had thrown a moving away party. He wasn't really moving though he just needed a valid excuse to trash his aunts house.
Mrs. Chowin was a socialite, she frequented her rich husbands balls n other bourgeoisie type get togethers. Tonight she was liquored up in France with Mr. Chowin. Derek could've gone to France with her, I even suggested he go. However that wasn't his "scene". Makes all the sense now while I'm watching him shotgun a Colt 45.
I found myself in France, my weight was lifted and my feet danced along the cobble streets. This escape from reality was interrupted quickly as I found myself now in the kitchen surrounded by party goers.
"Move asshole!" A soft voice disguised as a mean one spoke up to me. Giselle motioned her hand for me to slide over.
"Sorry I didn't see you there."
"Don't worry people normally don't, I just needed the sink."
"I see"
"How's the weather up there?"
Maybe it was how perfect her hair hung over her shoulder that distracted me from Giselle's joke. Poking fun at my height was a given.
"See cause you're tall."
Giselle regained my attention now, she was filling a bong up with water.

"Oh, alright I think. What's the view like from all the way down there?" I joked trying to lessen the tension my gaze had created.
"Pretty alright now." Giselle said looking up at me now. I studied her for what felt like a year.
She had long black hair falling over her shoulder and a oversized white shirt on.
She walked in front of me to get to the cooler. She grabbed a corona and took a long sip. Allowing me to study her longer.
She had tight black knee highs on and white boots. Her outfits always matched. Perfectly.
"Do you wanna come hit this with me or keep staring?" She joked breaking my gaze.
Words had escaped me so I simply nodded in compliance.
"Here this way, I found their second living room. Go figure Derek would have one." 
Giselle didn't know how close I was to Derek so her excitement to show me the "secret" second living room was a nice refresher.
By no means was Derek a rich kid, not at all. He just used this house to throw parties at. Nobody knew that though. At least not the majority of folks.
Giselle took a seat on the couch and i sat across from her on the floor. We huddled over the coffee table while we passed the bong back and forth. There was an overwhelmingly comfortable silence, a much needed one.
"So, what kinda music you into?"
Giselle broke the silence, with a loaded question.
"Oh well you know, all the music except for the bands I don't like." I laughed to myself.
"I do know,"
"Well what about you?"
"I think if I had to really chose, folk, punk, and maybe some jazz. Only the good jazz though no watercolors bullshit." She giggled at the end.
I remember thinking what a peculiar taste, I loved it none the less.
"Maybe you'd like babe rainbow, I was listening to them before I got here. Pretty good band I think, some of their songs are a little eh but then again what band isn't like that."
"I could name a few. Just kidding, I'll check them out thanks!" Giselle joked.
We talked more after that, about music and art, things that interested us.
I listened carefully, she talked so passionately about art and her opinions on the party goers.

Soon enough the crowd started to fleet and things were quieting down. Giselle was stoned out of her mind but she kept it well hidden, except for one minor thing.
"Ramsey I cannot drive."
Giselle poked my chest with her long nails as we stood on the front porch.
"I walked here, I could drive you home if you'd let me? We're neighbors now anyway." I offered. I tried not to sound too eager, wouldn't matter anyway Giselle was anything but coherent at this point.
"Aye eye captain, to the boat!" She pointed left but I saw that her red outback was to the right.

"Alrighty sweetheart, all aboard." I moved her hand to point at her car, and we set off. She didn't mention that I called her sweetheart and I was a little bit relieved. Perhaps the weed had loosened my lips too much.

Giselle's car smelled like cigarettes and patchouli incense, there were burn marks on the steering wheel and a pair of dice hanging from the mirror. Perfect for Giselle. It really did suit her.
Giselle's window was rolled down and she moved her hand up and down in the wind.
I wanna be adored by the stone roses quietly played setting the scene. This was one of my best memories. My favorite memory.

We arrived home and I walked Giselle to her apartment.
"Thank you Ramsey, you're such a darling."
"Anytime Giselle."
Giselle pulled me forward and hugged me, I wasn't expecting it but I did anticipate this happening. I hugged her back, it felt like forever then in the same second she released. She smiled at me at went into her home.

I paced up to mine.
~

More to come soon!!