XPLR | Colby Brock

~137~

I stormed home and up the steps to my apartment, and I twisted the door knob. Of course it was locked, but that made me even more mad. I grumbled to myself and shoved the key in the lock and turned it, and just as the door was open a crack, a white kitten stuck her head out and slithered through the door and started running down the hallway. I groaned and tossed my bag inside, then chased after Mama. Once I cornered her, I picked her up and took her back inside my apartment.

"Mama, I swear, you're gonna get hurt," I told her, petting her head and kissing it before walking back into my apartment. Logan, who was bent over at the time, pouring cat food in the little pink bowl, stood up and looked back at me. "What are you doing here?" I grumbled, annoyed. I shut the door behind me and set Mama down, and she bounded across the room and crawled under my bed.

"You asked me to run an errand for you, remember?" He asked. He glanced me up and down, in my sweaty, exasperated, sad state. "What's wrong? What are you doing home so early?" He asked, "you okay?"

That question, as it always does, got under my skin and made itself at home there. Just like Mama was doing underneath my bed. "No!" I said, tears welling in my eyes as I plopped down on my bed and laid down on top of the unmade covers.  I pulled the cat plush my mother gave me to my chest. I sniffled, hiding the bottom half of my face in the plush. Logan sighed and moved over, sitting on the edge of the bed. He placed one of his big, comforting hands on my waist. "Colby?" He asked. Maybe it's partly PMS and partly circumstances that he was right, but his suggestion angered me. "No!" I said and moved away from his hand.

I slowly sat up and pulled my knees to my chest. "I got fired from the bar," I said. His face changed to a look of pity, which also made me mad. His whole presence made me angry. Ugh, why can't you be Colby?

I'm a horrible person for thinking that.

But I thought it nonetheless.

"Logan, look, I appreciate you being here, but can you please leave? I just want to me left alone right now," I said. He leaned his elbows on his knees and looked up at me. For once his incognizant cockiness made me angry. "No," he said.

"Why not?" I asked, "seriously, Logan, I'm not joking. Leave me alone!"

He stood up and held his hands in surrender. "Okay, okay, sorry," he said, then nearly tripped over my cat.

A week ago, or hell, even yesterday, I would've swooned over what he said. His relentless need to make me feel okay. But right now, it's pathetic. I found myself not wanting anything to do with him. "Bye," he said, and he reached for me to kiss my cheek, but I moved away from him. He sighed and walked towards his door. "Be like that, then. Call me if you need me," he said, and he left, but before he did, he said, "Rose. Do you... want to go on a date tonight? A real one? Like a boyfriend-girlfriend date?"

Unbelievably bad timing! The look in his eye softened me, though, and I subsequently said, "Okay."

Without even really thinking about it, and after being left alone in my apartment for a few long seconds, I turned and walked to my bed. I took out my phone and plopped down on the bed, and clicked on Colby's name.

It didn't take him long to answer, in fact, he picked up on the first ring. There was silence, and then a, "Shhh!" from somewhere beyond the phone. There were a few seconds before he composed himself and started speaking, "Hello?" he tried to say, coolly, but it didn't work very well. I could hear in his voice that he was nervous.

"Hey," I said.

There was a beat of silence before he realized it was his turn to speak. "Are you okay?" he asked. I was beginning to wonder why I even bothered calling him, because now I can't think of anything to say. And his all too familiar voice was making my heart twist and churn inside my chest.

"I'm fine," I said, softly. I laid down in my bed, and got underneath the covers, and Mama joined me. Looking for a new job can wait until I hang up. Of course, my cellular bill might give out before this call is up, but that's a risk I'm willing to take, and one I know he is.

Sick, isn't it? I like knowing that I have him wrapped around my finger. No, I'd never exploit or use him, but the feeling of being important, even in a negative way, albeit this is not the case. Nevertheless, it's something I treasure. "I don't know if I believe that," he said, still trying to keep up his calm, cool, and collected vibe he thought he was giving off. I could feel the sadness in him, even from nearly three thousand miles away. The boy is a mind reader, and I knew he could sense my longing within me through the phone. I won't ever question whether or not his telekinesis can stretch that far, because there's the possibility that he could read my mind through the phone.

"Why not?" I asked, and I closed my eyes, taking this sacred opportunity to savor his voice.

"Because I know you wouldn't call me if you didn't have to. I know this wasn't a butt dial," he said. Change the subject, Rose.

"I mean... I just got fired today," I said, "and I'm running behind on bills."

"Oh, so you're asking for money," he said with a teasing undertone in his voice. "No," I said.
"Well, I just adopted a cat, and I got fired, and... my friend asked me out. It's just a lot all at once. I..." Do I be honest, or do I keep up the guard I've been trying to for the last four months I've been living in New York City?

Be honest, Rosie.

"And I miss you," I said.

Colby, who has a bad habit of breathing on the microphone, suddenly stopped. "I miss you too," he said, "Can I come down to New York yet?"

Be honest, Rosie!

"No," I said, finely. "I don't think you'd like it much."

"Rose, I'd like the seventh circle of hell if you're there too."