He walked aimlessly through the large house, seeing everything and nothing at once. The living room where the furniture looked right out of a showroom, and was very rarely used. The diningroom with its table for twelve, also rarely used. The large kitchen, used, but usually not by him. The state of the art stove, rotisserie, built-in grill, everything he had to have only to have someone else cook for him. The trophy room, though unlike other trophy rooms with heads of kill or statues of football players, his was filled with large glass statuettes, golden CD's, certificates of thanks, numerous photos and newspaper clippings. Everything he wanted to get away from, if only for a little while, and never could. And then it dawned on him. How easy it all was. He rushed back through the house...it was just that..a house...not a home..not to him. With shaking hands, he grabbed his car keys off of the table by the garage door, and rushed out to his SUV. He stood there, staring at it a minute, and realized that even that slapped him in the face with who he was. Staring at it for one more moment, he turned away and walked over to one of the other vehicles in the garage, the one that he never used. The one that was his pride and joy before everything happened. His little 85' Toyota, the one his parents had given him, the one they themselves had driven for as long as he could remember. He sighed as he dropped his lanky frame into the small car, and then started it up, letting it idle a minute. He said one last prayer that the car would make it, and then tore down the driveway, only one destination in mind.
He drove silently, the radio turned off. He had one thing on his mind and only one. It wasnt the charity basketball game tomorrow, it wasnt the radio interview and television show the next day, it was her...his sanity, his one escape from what had quickly become his reality. He hadnt spoken to her in two years, hadnt seen her in three, but he knew she would be there when he needed her the most...and that time was now. He drove the four hours to where she lived, the trip like second nature to him despite the time since he had last made it. Everything was a blur to him, he wondered how he made it alive, but somehow he did, and he couldnt believe it when he pulled into the drive of her apartment complex. As he parked his car, he thought about what he was going to say, as he walked up the stairs, he wondered how she was going to react, and as he knocked on the door, he wondered what he was going to do if she wasnt home, or worse yet if she had moved. He knocked again a few minutes later, and then heard her quiet grumbling as she made her way to the door, and he realized he must of woken her. He looked at his watch and cursed when he saw that it was four in the morning, never having checked the time through out his journey, and then there she was, just as he remembered her.
She stood there staring at him, a look of surprise on her face. He stared back, his mind going blank when he tried to say the speech he had prepared, and then she just stepped aside, letting him in. He moved inside, and then she walked around him, heading back towards the bedroom. She turned back to him for a moment before continuing on her way, leaving him standing there. "You are more than welcome to stand there all night, or you can come lay down if you are tired" she called out from the bedroom, and he chuckled, she hadnt changed. He moved through the apartment, into her bedroom where she already lay curled on her side, a teddy bear tucked under her arm. He stood looking at her a moment, realizing that the bear was one that he himself had given her, and then he stripped down to his boxers and climbed into the warm bed, quickly falling into a deep sleep, the first real sleep he had had in several months.
He grumbled a few hours later as the sun hit his face, and he tried to shrink back under the covers. He lay there quietly again a moment, before having the feeling of being watched. He slowly pried his eyelids open, peering over the edge of the blanket, and there she sat, a small smile on her face. "Yes?" he asked, and she giggled. "Nothing" she said, but she continued to look at him. "If its nothing then why are you staring at me? I know I'm hot and all, but damn.." he said, and then yelled as she hit him in the head with a pillow. "Woman you better stop before you mess up the hair" he told her, trying to act mad. "There aint much there to be messed up" she pointed out, rubbing her hand through the short haircut he sported, and he sighed. "Come on lazy butt, lets go cook some breakfast" she told him, and he again pulled the covers up over his head. A moment later, he felt her start jumping on the bed beside him. He lay quietly, hoping she would just go away, and then a moment later she screamed as she fell down beside him. He laughed, pulling the covers back down, her ankle stilled grasped tightly in his hand. "That was not funny" she said, a pout on her face, and he laughed harder, she joining him a moment later.
An hour later they were in the kitchen, he sitting on the counter, and she cooking. They sat silently, both just adjusting to the feel of being in one anothers presence again. She walked over to start setting the table, and she finally spoke. "Don't you have something you are supposed to be doing today?" she asked him, and he shrugged. "Nah, not really" he told her, and she looked up at him. "They seem to think other wise" she said, tossing a paper into his lap, his face smiling up at him from a story about that days charity event. "They can manage without me" he told her softly. She just shrugged, and he hopped down off the counter, heading over to the table, the newspaper hitting the garbage can on the way. He watched her silently, thankful to whoever was responsible, that he still had her in his life. They had met five years ago, he was at a party at Chris' house. She had been there with some friends, and while he tried everything he could think of to get her attention, she never gave him the time of day. His chance to talk to her had come later that night. He was standing in the doorway to the kitchen, and she was trying to get past.
"Excuse me" she said, trying to duck beneath the arm of the man in her way. She sighed when she saw it just wasnt happening, and looked up into one of the most beautiful pair of eyes she had ever seen. He was looking down at her, a smile on his lips. "Can I get through please?" she asked him. "Maybe, its gonna cost ya though" he told her, and she rolled her eyes. "What would it cost?" she asked. "Dinner with me" he told her, and she rolled her eyes again. "I think not" she told him, and he looked down at her shocked. "Suit yourself" he said, moving to shrug, and she quickly slipped by, smiling to herself as a string of curses left his mouth.
They finally had dinner together, thanks to Chris and her friend Lisa tricking them. After not looking at each other for the first half-hour, they finally gave in, knowing this wasnt going to end any quicker anyways.
"So whats your name?" he asked her. "Whats it to ya?" she asked back. "Why do you hafta argue everything I say?" he huffed, angrily stabbing at the food on his plate. "Relax popstar, I think its already dead...and my name is Lila" she told him softly, and he looked back up at her. "Dont call me that...my names Justin" he told her and she crinkled up her nose. "Well I like popstar better" she told him. "I dont, and I'm not a popstar anyways" he said back. "Well I'm the one who hasta say it and I like it...and besides, you will be...just wait...one day you will be" she said. "Whatever, I could only wish" he said softly, a twinkle in his eye, and she knew then that she was right, he really would be.
Number of reviews: 1
Print:
Chapter or Story