Warm (Olandy)

More Confusion but Fewer Gremlins [5]

Randy's POV

I walked out of the apartment after Karen, the concrete still smelled wet, it must have rained while I and Oliver were sleeping. Karen was already half a block ahead so I willed my legs to move faster, trying to match her pace.

"I cant believe that Gremlin dragged me across town just to stare at the sun!" She wasn't slowing. "And, to make it worse, they didn't bother to tell me where they were dragging me!" She didn't hesitate, even while attempting to rant to me.

"Please slow down." Thankfully she stopped and waited for me to stumble to her. Right as I was about to reach her, I stepped on my untied shoelace and fell dead on my face.

"Okay don't laugh. It's funny but don't laugh." She mumbled to herself but considering that she was less than a foot away, it wasn't hidden.
"I can hear you, you know." I push myself off the ground and stand up, rubbing little specks of rock and debris off of my face.
"In my defense, that was supposed to be in my head. Also, I didn't laugh, did I?" After a moment, she continued. "No seriously, did I laugh?"

"I uh, I guess not?" And with that, she kept walking, just slow enough for me to follow.
For a while it was just silence, listening to the birds and walking aimlessly. Karen seemed to need the silence, and I guess I did too.

"So why are you staying at Oliver's place?" She stopped and turned to me, Arms crossed as always. What do I say? 'Oh yeah, He took pity on me and now I'm attached?' Or: 'I and Oliver sleep in the same bed but I'm too pathetic to tell him how I feel?' Or even: 'He let me stay at his house and all I do is make him worry and then dare to think he might like me back?' No; none of those would work.

"Bro you there? You look like a deer in headlights."

"Oh, yeah. I uhh, I'm just staying there for a little bit?" Wow. Great job, me. Crystal clear.
"You don't know?" We were almost at the beginning of the park, a lone tree towering above us.

Wait. I actually don't know. Why has Oliver kept me around for this long? It can't be the weather. It wasn't cold out today, the sun beamed down on my new bandages, the reflection was so bright. It looked so weird, so different then what I was used to. Nothing in the dumpster was bright, even the broken bottles and syringes were caked in filth.

The cinema is the opposite, it's alive, every color flooded the small lobby. it's a place where bright lights reflected off of Oliver's fluffy blond hair. He was so bright. He never looked away from me, not really. Only when we made eye contact did he glance away nervously, but his gaze always returned. He didn't take pity on me either, he spoke to me like I was just a person, it was that simple. Oliver is amazing. That part I know. Why someone like him has kept me around for this long, I don't.

"I guess I don't." I'm fidgetting with my hands at this point; the sun is high in the sky as well, and I have to squint to see Karen.

"Huh." She sat in the shade of the tree. "Look, I've known Oliver for a while. For him to allow someone to live with him so suddenly is...confusing?" She looked up, peering through me as if trying to find something hidden.

"What do you mean? Didn't he invite Gingi over today?" From what I've seen, Oliver doesn't mind sharing space with people.
"Yes; he invited Gingi over for the day. You've been there for a bit."
    "How do you know that?"
"Someone who lives in a dumpster doesn't have access to a shower, and your hair looks freshly washed. Also, you're wearing his hoodie." Oh. is she a detective or something?

"Oh." Was it that obvious?
"Another thing," she looked dead at me, double-checking if I was listening. "Oliver gets worried about people quickly. And It looks like you're going to stay around him for a bit, so do with that as you will." She brushed some dirt off of her legs and kept walking. It was only midday, so I followed.

Oliver's Pov time

Gingi was completely entranced by the movie, and Randy wasn't back yet, so I got out a book. The sun fell across the pages, illuminating some floating dust specks.

"Olive man." Well, that was short-lived.
"Yes, Gingi?"
"Why is the sun still alive? Who allows it to stay?"
"What?" I am too tired to even attempt to decode that one.
"What?" Okay, this would go nowhere, and Gingi is now chewing on their tail. I guess I was around Randy for long enough to briefly forget what it was like to be around anyone else. Now I have to remember who I'm supposed to be around other people. Randy. Randy's jacket, I forgot to wash it.

"Hey, give me a second." Gingi was reabsorbed in the movie again, unresponding. I got up and went to the washer and got Randy's jacket. It has holes in its pockets and is frayed at the edges. The blue was sun-bleached to almost white at some parts, the white being covered by stains. By some miracle, 3 of the 4 metal buttons remained. I put it in the washer on the weakest setting, scared it might destroy it in any other. If it was anyone else I would've considered throwing it out, but Randy doesn't have that many possessions, this could be really important to him.

     "WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT NOISE??" Gingi bellowed from the other room, probably not used to any type of sound that isn't screaming.
     "It's just the washer, man!" I turned to look at them but only caught a green blur before they were gone. The apartment was slightly more unhinged and dirty from them just being there for less than 2 hours, how that was possible, I don't know.
    "I am so fucking confused." Well, I guess I have time to read that book now. Returning to the couch, I turned off the tv and retrieved my book, distracting myself until Randy returned. I can't believe Gingi convinced me to skip work for this. At least the washing machine was a nice background noise.

Hello! Sorry for another cliffhanger, but I'd rather get the chapter out faster.

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