STAMP OF APPROVAL - a selection story

"i don't want anymore seaweed"

L E V I

round eight ||

march 6th

[ 11:45 PM ]

ABRI

I finally shut my laptop, shoving it away. I stretch along the couch, yawning as I glance at the clock. Almost midnight. I need to head to bed. Levi and I ended up talking for hours, which I think he needed. He looked exhausted. I don't think I've ever seen him look that tired, not since the first time I saw him in five years when he came home. He hides his exhaustion well, ever since then, and I want to know what happened that caused him to lose sleep last night.

He lost tons of sleep coming home. I don't know how he survived on five hours every night, and then managed to work and go to school, then come home and take care of me. I didn't make it easy on him, that's for sure, still a kid even though I knew he was doing his best.

I want him to enjoy himself there. I want him to be making friends. He's been doing the same things, day in and day out, ever since he came back home and I think a change of pace is good for him.

I got him to talk about the past week's events. The party they planned for Charlotte, his basketball game with Prince Luc, even all the game nights he participated in. He lights up when he talks about everything he's doing there, which makes me think that even though he complains about certain things, he actually enjoys his time there.

I lock up the house, climb into my pajamas, and crawl into my bed, yanking the covers up past my neck. I put on my headphones and play some relaxing music to keep out all the sounds the house makes so I'll be able to fall asleep faster.

Then I hear a crash. I yank my headphones off, sitting up in bed.

There's movement outside. I slowly creep out of bed, panic beating in place of my heart. I grip onto the bat I have next to my nightstand as I tiptoe out of my room. I do a mental check of the house. I locked every door, the two that we have, and every window. And the alarm is set. Levi won't know until he gets home that the alarm system I had installed that had been broken is now fixed, and that he actually paid for it, but he did give me his card for emergencies.

And me sleeping alone in the house is an emergency.

Another crash sounds right outside the house, and I jump, my heart leaping into my throat. I see the house next to me turn on their light, and I'm glad that this isn't in my imagination. I hear voices and yelling coming from the house across the street. I look out the window to see a couple coming near the house, swearing and yelling curses at each other.

Then sirens can be heard.

I clutch the baseball bat in my grip as tight as I can, sinking down against the couch, watching as the couple moves around the house, still yelling, more crashing, which I'm guessing if them throwing stuff at each other.

They don't stop. I know if Levi were here, he'd step outside and attempt to settle them down as the police came. This couple has been known to fight, but they definitely haven't done it in a while. They're about the only annoying thing about this neighborhood.

I sit tight. Clutching my bat. Hoping they'll go away.

march 9th

[ 11:52 PM ]

BARD