Life After You

chapter 3

"You know that kiss was setup right?"

Addie laughs, "why?  And by who?"

"Cristina.  The dare was originally supposed to go to me but I chose truth.  Then you chose dare and I saw the gleam in her eyes.  I tried to get her not to, but she did it anyway.  She thinks we'd look cute together. "

Her laugh continues,  "We would definitely look cute together,  but..." Her mood sombers,  "I've been in some really shitty relationships lately.  So I'm not really looking for a relationship right now." 

"I'm with you on that.  The last thing I'm looking for right now is a relationship, even if it would be with a hot red head." I wink, causing the dimly lit room to again fill with laughter. "Are you done eating yet so we can finish the movie?"

"You know that we can watch the movie while I eat, right?"

"No we can't.  You need the light to eat and it has to be dark to watch the movie." I stick out my tongue and have to choke down the memories of Arizona that come flooding back with the gesture.
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"Teddy?" A fair hand flashes in front of my face.

"Huh, what!?" I shake the memory from my mind, and let the smile fade off my face. 

"Where'd you just go?"

"Oh, uh, nowhere."

"It didn't look like nowhere," she tries prying the information out of me, and adds, " you looked really happy though."

I smile again and consider telling her, but I don't. "It really was nowhere."

She purses her lips, trying to elicit a truthful answer, but I don't back down.  I can feel her glare melting holes in my head as I continue to stand my ground.  She runs her tongue along her top teeth, and I almost falter.  "Addie, really it was nothing."

"Fine.  I'll drop it."

A feeling of power grows inside me, I love it when I get her to back down.  I push away from the small table, and start gathering the dishes.

Addie starts to follow my lead, but I cut her off.  "I've got this, go pick another movie."  A smile spreads across my face as I watch her walk over to the bookshelves filled with movies.

I shake my head to try to clear the thoughts that keep building up, and then return to cleaning up our lunch.  Before I finish I hear a voice from the other room, "What about 'Home'?"

I giggle before calling back, "Are we 6?" 

"So, no?" 

I buckle over laughing at how sad she sounds, "I was just kidding, gosh.  Of course the answer is yes."  Her squeals fill the small apartment, "can you put it on in the bedroom though?  I want to comfortably lay down, and my couch sucks."

"Why don't you get a new one?"

"Because they cost money that I don't have because I have to pay 47,000 dollars a year to go to school."

"Fair enough," her voice fades as she walks toward my room.

I finish the dishes, turn off the lights, and head to my bed.  The menu is playing when I get there, but Addie is nowhere to be seen.  "Ads?"

"Bathroom"

"Oh, okay. I'm going to start the movie."

"NO!!" She shouts from behind closed doors, I laugh, 'I swear she's 5.'

When she finally crawls into the bed with me I press play and snuggle closer to her cold form.  "How are you always so freaking cold?" 

"I don't know. How are you always so hot?" 

"Genetics," I smirk.

"Not exactly what I meant." she laughs, pushing me away.

We banter lightly back and forth throughout most of the movie until we drift off to sleep.When I wake up the clock reads 9:58 PM and Addison is still fast asleep next to me.  I nudge her lifeless form and receive a grunt in return.  "Addie, it's 10 o'clock.  You need to wake up and go to your dorm."

She only replies in incoherent noises.

"Come on Addie, you have classes in the morning.  And I need to call Maura."  With that last bit she was up and out of the room so fast I almost couldn't see her.  Whatever happened between those two is not something I think I want to know.

"Okay well bye, I'll see you tomorrow," I call as she's putting her shoes on.

"Yeah, lunch?"

"Of course," I reply making my way over to hug her.

"Alright, bye dear," and with that, she's out the door.

I lock the deadbolt before resting my forehead against the door.  A deep sigh escapes my lips, as I turn and slide down the door.  My phone fumbles in my hands as I dial the number I remember as if it were my own.  A trembling thumb rests over the green call button for a couple minutes before finally pressing it, followed by the speaker phone button.

*Ring Ring.*  *Ring. Ring.*  *Ring. Ri-*

"Teddy?"

"Hey, Maur."