Lips Like Coffee

cup: 18

Norma

He hadn't spoken to me all morning, and I was a little annoyed at the childish glare he gave me over his coffee mug. I still didn't know what I did to upset him, but at this point I didn't care either. If he wanted to be petty, then I could be petty too. I had something to do this morning before the match, and being away from him for a few hours was exactly what I needed

Slipping on a pair of flats, I grabbed my keys from the coffee table and left the apartment. I walked to the bus stop, and checked my phone for what time it came. There was still a good ten minutes before it arrived, but I didn't want to take the chance of missing it by going back to the apartment.

My phone buzzed in my hand, so I glanced at the screen as I sat on the bench behind me. Pen was calling me, but I let it ring as I opened up the manga reader on my phone. He wanted to talk now, but I did not. As I read one of my favorite manga, the bus wheezed to a stop in front of me. Standing up, I shoved my phone in my back pocket as I prepared to board. The door opened, and I waited as people stepped down. Before I could step up, I felt fingers close around my wrist and I turned around ready to defend myself.

"So you're ignoring me now," Pen said, and I lowered my one hand as I snatched the other from his grasp.

"You were ignoring me first," I said, then fixed the sleeve of my shirt. "I have to go."

I climbed onto the bus, then swiped my pay card. My face fell at the sight of Pen, and I stood up from my seat to stand close to him.

"Why did you follow me," I gritted, teeth clenched as I gripped his arm for stability.

"Because we need to talk," he whispered back, wrapping his arm around my waist as he held on to the overhead railing.

I dug my nails into his bicep as the bus rocked to a stop, then relaxed as I looked up at his face.

"You cannot follow me."

"Why not? Where are you going?"

"Somewhere you can't be. When the next stop comes, you need to get off and go home."

He would either get himself or both us killed if he came with me. I didn't feel like risking both our lives to have a petty argument, but he didn't know our lives were on the line if he did.

"Norma-Jean, I'm a grown man, you don't tell me what to do."

"Yea, well that was a childish thing to say. Now get off the damn bus."

Putting my hands on his chest, I tried to push him but failed as he tightened his hold on my waist. Even if we were disagreeing at that time, and I hated to admit it, I was enjoying being held by him. Which was making it a tad hard for me to focus, because he kept rubbing my hip with his thumb in this soothing manner. I wanted to push him away and pull him closer all at the same time.

I cursed under my breath as the bus came to another stop, my stop. Breaking away from Pen, I stomped off the bus, more annoyed with him than I was before. He followed me off the bus and down a couple streets, before I turned to him with a hard glare.

"Stay here," I said, taking a couple steps back from him. "Please, for all that is good, do not follow me."

Not waiting for affirmation, I turned on my heel then walked away from him. Once I went around a corner, I ducked in a tall bush to see if he listened to me. After five minutes passed and there was no sign of Pen, I emerged from the hiding place and continued down the street. In the short distance, two buildings stood across from each other, both with American flags waving in the slight wind. The small orange brick building was the Army Reserve and it had two small flower gardens on each side of the door: vibrant. While the opposite building was a large white concrete building, with the words, Finn Ink, graved in steel above the door.