Housemates (boyxboy)

Chapter 9

An unpredicted storm brewed overhead as the ill-lit living room I currently sat in brightened every so often as lightning sparked by the long window and thunder boomed loudly seconds later. It was eerily gloomy as I blankly watched the television with eyes that bore straight through the screen with no thought about what was being broadcasted. My mind was elsewhere and empty at the same time. I wasn't sure what was even going on in there.

Keys soon rattled against the wooden door in the entranceway of the house and it seemingly knocked me out of my peculiar trance. The old door creaked open slowly as if the person was in no rush to get out of the rain and I watched as they silently entered the house. The boy's blond hair was soaked a shade darker and he held a jacket in his arms that he hadn't bothered to put on, leaving his tank top pattered with rain and it stuck to his chest tightly. He dropped the jacket to the floor without a word and his eyes met mine almost unwillingly as he quickly tore them away.

I understood from his actions that things probably hadn't gone well. And he wasn't handling it well either.

Releasing a deep sigh, I silently cursed to myself knowing Zion would be emotionally unstable and I would have to deal with it.

I was the cause behind his current misery after all.

"Shit," I mumbled, painstakingly pushing myself off of the couch.

He was going to be angry.

I pursed my lips as I trudged through the house, kicking the steps as I walked up them. Zion's room was across from mine and I'd never wandered in there before today. I had no reason to.

But now, I had to make amends. And that was something I knew I wasn't too good at doing.

Slowly bringing my hand up to his door, I knocked softly as I waited for him to open it. When he didn't, I sighed again and resorted to speaking to him through the door.

"Zion," I said. "Let me in."

A muffled voice sounded from the other side that I couldn't quite understand so I asked him to repeat himself. Of course, when he did, it was just as unclear as it was the first time.

I seriously considered busting that damn door down. At this rate, I wasn't going to get anywhere.

Placing my ear against the door in an attempt to get a better listen, I said, "Open the door."

Zion spoke again and I cursed upon the inability to hear him for the third time when suddenly, the door was pulled open quickly and I fell forward into the room from leaning on it so heavily.

Zion hadn't stepped out of the way soon enough and I barreled into him, grabbing his shoulders to steady myself. Awkwardly standing like that for a second, I looked into his eyes and quickly pushed myself off of the older fellow.

Zion's wet hair was pulled back in his usual bun and he looked at me through eyes that burned with anger.

"Thanks for showing up," he said, his voice dripping with rage.

I hadn't known my presence was such a big deal and if I had, I still probably wouldn't have gone.

I wasn't a big fan of weddings.

"I told you I wasn't coming," I sighed, leaning against the grey wall of his bedroom. "But you didn't reply."

"You told me you weren't coming through a text," he seethed. "Twenty minutes before it was time to leave. And you wonder why I didn't give you a reply."

I slid down the wall until I was able to rest my arms atop my knees and stared up at the angered twenty-four-year-old before me.

"Why did you want me to go anyway?" I mumbled.

"It was your payback for the ramen you ate," he told me, folding his arms across his chest.

I failed to see how a wedding compared to a seventy-nine cent cup of ramen.

"They're of different calibers, Zion," I said. "Surely you can understand that."

"No," he said. "Not when you bail last minute."

"Twenty minutes," I corrected him and he shook his head at my immaturity. I felt like a child.

"Whatever," he said, turning his back to me.

"Why are you so mad?" I asked. "Was my presence of such high importance?"

He turned around again and narrowed his eyes at me as if he despised me for asking such a question.

"I thought we would have a good time together, Cade," he said, his tone harsh. "But apparently, it wasn't the same for you."

I wasn't sure what to say so I didn't say anything at all. And Zion took the initiative once I failed to open my mouth.

"Looks like you still owe me," he said, staring down at me.

"I'll buy you two cups of ramen instead of one," I told him.

"No," he said.

"No?" I repeated.

A corner of Zion's lips curved up in a small smirk. He could never stay mad for long.

"You'll know when it happens," he vaguely replied and I scrunched my eyebrows together.

"What does that mean?" I questioned as he turned away, gripping the bottom of his wet tank top.

Without answering me, he tugged the tank off of his body and tossed it onto the floor as I looked at his broad back. I'd never seen his body before and was surprised when I saw how toned and muscular he was.

"Quit staring," he said, reaching over to grab a new shirt.

"I'm not," I muttered, looking down at the ground.

"I have eyes in the back of my head, remember?" he asked as he pulled on a dry shirt.

"Sure," I said.

"Well?" he said, turning back around to face me. "Aren't you going to leave?"

"Oh," I said, pushing myself off of the ground before reaching for the door knob. "You have a hot date or something?"

I froze once I heard Zion's answer.

"Yeah."

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thx for reading (: