LAYERS

Hosptiality

The blue haired girl wrestled with the keys in her pocket, struggling to get them free. She remained silent, face warming with embarrassment.

"Ah, got them," she said triumphantly.

She jangled the keys to emphasize, though the boy hadn't seemed to notice. Unbothered, the girl quickly moved to unlock the door, cool air leaking from the apartment as she opened the door.

"We're here!" the girl announced, cheerfully welcoming the boy into her living room. "Welcome to my humble abode!"

The very first thing the boy noticed, after wiping the condensation from his glasses, were the two flags hanging proudly on the wall behind the couch. One was striped in accordance to a rainbow, and the other presented three lines of color: pink, purple, and blue.

"So," he began slowly. "You're a lesbian?" There was a feeling of warmth unfurling within him at the revelation, relieved at the notion she might not hate him for his own self.

"No," she said, tone clipped and eyebrows tight, despite the smile on her face. The warm feeling within the boy dispersed immediately. "I'm bi- my brother's gay. Are you good with that?"

Her energy had taken an entire one-eighty, emitting something far more fierce than her initial greeting. She was wholly prepared to kick the boy out if he proved homophobic.

"Ah, no. It's fine," he said, holding his hands up in surrender, intimidated by the girl's intensity.

"Good!" she said, returning to the cheerfulness she'd shown mere moments ago. She grasped the boy's hand, leading him into a bedroom.

The boy's face heated as he blushed, for a pretty girl was holding his hand and leading him into a bedroom, of all places. He felt guilty for any inappropriate thoughts that came to mind.

"This is my room," the girl told him. She was nonchalant, as though the boy wasn't a complete stranger. "Make yourself at home."

It was a decently sized room, with dusty purple walls. It was different from his ex's. Neat and tidy, with the exception of her bed. As the boy was looking around the girl's room, he caught sight of the rain pelting against the window.

"Ah, it's still raining-" he began.

She cut him off, startled as she recalled the boy's current condition. "Oh, your clothes! You're soaked from the rain. Let me get you a shirt or something."

She's being extremely nice, the boy thought as he spoke. "You don't need to! You're also wet, shouldn't you take care of yourself first?"

"Nope!" she said without missing a beat. "You're my guest and you'll catch a cold."

"Still-"

"Too late!" the girl said, unapologetically striking his protest short. Before he could say anything further, she twisted her way out the door, shutting it behind her.

The boy stared at closed door, feeling awkward standing in this stranger's room.

Unbeknownst to the boy, the girl braced herself against the door of her room. A small smile curled her lips as she tucked her loose hair behind an ear. God, he's kind of cute.

The girl's face darkened to a shade of pink when the thought registered. No. I shouldn't think that.

After the girl had retrieved a shirt, she returned to the room, immediately freezing upon opening the door.

The boy had taken off his shirt, skin glistening from sweat and the rain.

A startled scream was released from the girl, tripping over her feet as she stepped away. The shirt she'd brought for the boy fell from her hands as she fell back. She propped herself up the palms of her hands, legs splayed out ahead of her. Despite her mouth opening, no words escaped her throat. Her face felt hot as she stared helplessly at this shirtless boy in her bedroom.

"Um," the boy said, concerned. "Are you okay-"

"Mint!" a small boy exclaimed, turning the corner and beelining for the girl- Mint, supposedly- on the ground. "Are you okay? I heard you scream!"

The shirtless boy watched as the scene unfolded. This must be the little brother that was mentioned earlier. The brother held his hand out for Mint before finally noticing the man in his sister's bedroom. The man who was lacking a shirt.

Mint's brother wrenched his hand away from Mint, backing into the corridor wall. "MINT. WHY IS THERE A NAKED BOY IN YOUR ROOM?" the young boy yelled, his face managing to turn even redder than his sister's. Mint's brother covered his eyes, trying to avoid looking at the man's bare chest.

"I'm not naked?" the man said quickly, bewildered and trying to explain himself.

"DOESN'T MATTER!" Mint said, covering her eyes with one hand, throwing the shirt at the man with her other. She scuttled to her feet and out of the room, slamming the door behind her.

Oh my god, Mint thought, willing her face to return to its usual paleness. Oh my god, he's kind of hot.

"Mint," her brother said. "Who the fuck was that."