handle [discontinued]

SUMMER // 9

I had to take into consideration that summer was nearly over with school starting in about a week. Time had passed so quickly and I had yet to go school supply shopping. It made me feel all energized of buying things in bundles.

Right now, I was laying lazily on the couch, watching a common crime show. I didn't watch a lot of television, but I was bored today so I just did it to waste sometime.

My phone started ringing, which was usually unusual, but now it was common to receive a phone call or two everyday.

"Hello?"

"Hey."

It was Denim. He was usually the one to provide one of the phone calls I would receive. Sometimes he would be the other one if he were bored.

"Hey." I breathed, feeling a little hungry. "Whatcha doin?" I asked as I walked into the kitchen.

"Nothin, at home chillin." He answered.

I pulled some pasta out of the fridge that I made a few nights ago. I put that in the microwave for a minute and waited.

"I was gettin ready to go shopping. Maybe after I painted finished painting."

I did need to paint. I had planned to paint the entire summer, but I had only gotten to paint for the last three weeks in July. I had three paintings finished that were requested, and now I was painting just on my own ideas. I'd gotten some inspiration from tumblr, already having three or four ideas that I was ready to paint.

The paintings were all in my room and all unfinished. I couldn't sleep last night, so I had an early start. I switched between each one, so they were all almost finished. I had been painting since about 4 this morning, and it was about 11 in the morning now.

"Can I come chill?" He asked, shy. "I was gonna hang out with the boys later on, so I was thinking I could hang with you before then."

"Yeah." The microwave had finished it's two minute course. "Yeah sure."

By the time I had finished two bowls of pasta with some hot sauce and soy sauce, Denim was knocking at the front door. I opened it with a mouthful of basil pasta in my mouth, and Denim laughed at me.

"Don't judge me." I frowned, chewing the rest of the food that was in my mouth. "I'm hungry."

I closed the door behind him, and he stood before me. He was a few inches taller than me, but I still looked up at him. He kissed me softly, holding me by my waist. He pulled back slowly, and my bottom lip was betwixt his two rows of teeth.

"I missed you." He whispered.

It had only been a few days since I last saw him, and he had said the exact same thing. "You're always missing me." I smirked as he kissed my forehead.

"What do you want to do?" I asked, going to the kitchen to fix me some pasta. I heard him say something, but I didn't catch it. "You want some pasta?" I wanted to get rid of it before it went bad.

"Yeah, sure."

I heated up both of our bowls and brought out the condiments from the fridge. Denim came into the kitchen and sat on the counter. He asked if he could see my paintings, and I told him that they were in my room. He went back there, and I waited for the pasta to finish heating up.

I turned on Netflix so we could watch a movie. I put on Bob's Burgers, one of the main TV shows I watched besides crime shows.

Denim came back, putting his phone in his back pocket. He sat down on the couch, putting my feet on his lap. He pointed to the current episode that was playing, then he looked back at me.

"What's this?"

"Bob's Burgers."

"Oh yeah, I seen this on Fox before."

"It's my favorite." I ate some of my pasta while Denim picked at his. "You don't like it?" Denim shook his head and passed it to me. "Mm mm," I denied, pushing it back at him. "Try it."

Taking the bowl back hesitantly, he mixed the noodles together and ate some. He chewed and swallowed, and he ate some more. "'S good." He nodded, his mouth full.

"Told you." I smirked, eating some of mine. I looked back at the episode I was watching, settling into the couch.

Around 4, Denim said he was gonna go chill with Berah and them. I watched him leave, and then I decided to head out myself. I got dressed and left the house.

I went to a Staples nearby the house in a little complex that included a Costco, some small restaurants, and a movie theater.

I only needed a few things since I was officially a senior, and there weren't that many things I needed. I got 4 binders, a folder, paper, and some writing materials. I purchased it and put it in the back seat.

Then I saw a Starbucks across the street. The Caramel Ribbon Crunch was going to be leaving in a few weeks since it was a summer drink, and this was probably one of the last times I would be able to drink it.

I walked inside the store and walked up to the register. I would get my drink, go home and then continue painting. I ordered my Caramel Ribbon Crunch, Venti, and waited by a table for them to finish making it.

When I heard "Drew", I walked up to the counter, thanking the barista.

I turned to leave, and then I ran into someone much shorter than I and spilled her drink all over the floor. I would've spilled it on her white skinny jeans but she stepped back just in time.

"Oh God, I am so sorry." I apologized and put some napkins on the floor to wipe up her drink.

"My fault really, shoulda looked where I was goin." Her country-urban accent was so thick, and I absolutely loved it. "And it's my Dad's fault I'm so short." She laughed, and I laughed with her.

"What did you get?" I threw away the used napkins and the empty coffee cup. "I'll get you another."

"'S gucci." She shook her head. "You don't have to-"

"-Really, though, I should." I nodded. "Forreal, what did you get?"

"Green Tea, venti." She shrugged, then I turned in to go into the line. I could feel her eyes on me, and then she finally spoke up. "I'm sorry for staring but, are you tumblr famous? And popular on Wattpad?"

I nodded, then I examined her a little better. She was short and she had big cheeks, and her smile was on point. She was a brunette with a pretty complexion to mark her infinite beauty.

And yes, she was white.

"Yeah, I am. @lanajhene & @mexxybuns . I'm not that famous on tumblr though, I only have a little over 100 followers." I shrugged.

"Oh my God! I'm Monoroe, @monnyroe ! We follow each other!" She smiled and we hugged.

I had talked to her a few times online, and we both read each other's books and followed each other on tumblr. Monroe was a really funny person, and at first, I didn't even know she was white. She acts more black than I do, and it's hilarious.

We chatted for a few minutes, and it turned out that she just moved from South Carolina. She was going to be a senior at my school, too. We traded numbers, and we haven't stopped texting since I got home.

I think I found a good friend. And one to keep.