I opened my eyes, the low sun was shining through the blinds right into my eyes. feeling a little dizzy, I stretched and rubbed my eyes. I suddenly became aware that I was in my room, but it didnt feel the same. my mouth tasted of something rotten which made me frown with discomfort. I licked my dry lips, tasting the dried saliva that clung to the corner of my mouth. I felt like absolute shit.
i sat up and looked over at Katie. she was sound asleep, her clothes off and her body exposed to the dim presence of the morning. I pulled the blanket back over her body respectfully and attempted to get up out of the bed without the mattress groaning like a dinosaur.
I stretched once more and picked my shorts up from the hardwood floor and smelled them.
i nodded, deciding they were clean enough and put them on along with a shirt.
i looked over my shoulder to check on Katie, she hadn't moved. one of her bare shoulders stuck out from under the blanket and for whatever reason, it set the butterflies in my stomach on fire. little details like that hit home with me, I just wanted to stare at her forever. every single part of that girls body made me weak. especially those green eyes, they never failed to make me feel captive. her laugh was something else. I could hear it even though she wasn't laughing, it brought me joy.
I quietly pulled out my desk chair and sat down, trying to silently scoot into the desk. in a routine fashion i flipped to the next free page in my classic homely looking notebook. I clicked my red ink pen and closed my eyes, putting the pen to the paper. but I didn't write, I let my thoughts do the work for me.
"I just wanted to thank you."
"for what?"
"being here through everything. even when I had no one and I was at my worst point."
"no problem, I'm always here." I gave her a genuine smile.
"sure, but there's just one thing that i have to get off my chest and it's been bothering me." she stirred the water in front of her with her straw. "I don't want you to yell at me." she added that last part quietly.
"just tell me." I sat back in the booth. I couldn't wait to hear what that crazy bitch had to say.
"i miss you erin."
of course.
i sighed. "don't-"
"don't you feel that way too? do you miss me anymore?"
i didn't say a word.
she sat waiting, her expression clearly showing she wasn't going to take that for an answer.
"I'm sorry, you're a great friend and I love you-as a friend-but..."
"but?"
"it won't work, we both know that. I just don't see you that way anymore. plus I have my eyes on someone else. I've moved on and so can you."
"I can't."
i looked over to Katie as she sat up in the bed. her hair was messy and her eyes were half open, it was an adorable image. a hung over katelynn shoumaker. what an interesting concept.
"rise and shine." I half smiled and closed the notebook.
she mumbled something inaudible and flopped back down, yanking the covers over her head.
"you gotta get home soon, you know that right?" sure enough, as soon as i said anything about it, I grabbed her vibrating phone from her hoodie pocket on the floor and tossed it next to her on the bed. "your mom's trying to get a hold of you."
"ugh," she dramatically sighed and grabbed the phone.
"hello?" her voice cracked, her tone irritated. "yes, I stayed the night at nelly's. well I was sleeping and my phone was on silent. fine. love you too."
i waited for her to hang up.
she let out an exaggerated sigh and tossed her phone across the bed.
"what did she say?" I stood up and offered Katie her underwear from off of the floor.
"she wants me home before noon. it's 11:34." she answered and snatched them from my hand. I raised my eyebrows and put my hands up in an awkward apologetic gesture.
"get dressed and we'll get going."
"did we have sex last night?" she asked out of the blue, slipping on her red laced panties.
"nope." I answered her and gave her the rest of her clothes.
"then why were we naked together in your bed?"
i wasn't sure of the answer to that but I assumed she took her clothes off in the middle of the night.
"I was wondering the same thing." I smirked. "do you remember anything from last night?"
"no..." she replied as if she just realized she didn't remember her whole week.
"well let's just say I saw a part of you that I never expected." I grinned.
"just take me home." she demanded suddenly and pulled herself from the bed.
"alright." my smile faded and we headed out the door.
