And They Were Roomates...

Chapter 3. kind?

I hear sounds before I ever even open my eyes. There's footsteps, and something crackling, and humming.

Was there someone in my house again?

I open my eyes, to find myself on an unfamiliar couch with a blanket slung over me. When I try to sit up my head goes dizzy and I groan.

"Well good afternoon sunshine." Someone says.

I freeze.

No way. There's no way I came home with him. Even drunk me would know better.

Before I know it he's standing in front of me holding a glass of juice and a bottle of pills. "This will help the headache. I promise."

My voice refuses to work so I just blink at him, and after a moment I take the glass and pills form him.

I try to open the bottle but I can't, so Sebastien takes it from me and opens it for me. "There you go. How are you feeling."
"Uh not great." My throat is scratchy and so my voice comes out raspy. I put the pills on my tongue and wash them down with the juice. It stings my throat, but at least it's something. "Thanks."

I move my feet so he can sit down. "What happened last night?" IT feel slike a dream that I can't quite remember.

He smiles. "Do you remember anything?"

I search my brain for remnants of last night, but I only find blurred faces and the smell of booze. "No, not really."

"Well we were at a party, and you drank a lot. Like almost a whole bottle of whiskey, and some vodka. And that was after I got there, so I have no idea what you had beforehand."

"Wow okay." I look at Sebastien to see if he has anything else to say but he stays quiet. " And how did I end up here?"

"You were too drunk to even walk on your own so I brought you here to lay down, and you ended up passing out in the car."

Good job Jaqueline, you have officially embarrassed yourself.

Pulling the blanket off me I try to stand up, but immediately fall back onto the couch. "Woah, okay that's not happening."

"Just rest a little bit before you try to conquer the world Jaq. Let me get you something to eat, and then you can try getting up again yeah?" He pats my leg and heads into the kitchen.

I hate the feeling of being helpless, especially in the company of Sebastien. It's not like he hasn't seen me worse than this, but that was a lifetime ago.

"Hey, Sebastien?"

He peeks his head around the corner. "Yes, Jaq?"

I push my hair out of my face, "Why are you being so nice to me?"

There's a look on his face that I can't decipher, but it's gone as fast as it appeared. "Because you've only ever been nice to me."

I think about yesterday when I thought about punching him. "I really wouldn't say that. I'm not always nice."

"Well, maybe not nice, but kind. And I know you'd do the same for me if I was in your position."

Actually I probably wouldn't have.

I realize how awful I sound. "Well uh, thank you. For everything."

Sebastien walks back out with a plate and sets it on my lap.

"Peanut butter and Jelly?"

"I've heard it cures anything."

The words throw me back to the week I first met him.

"Uh, hey I know this is weird, but can I sit here? I don't really know anyone else, and you look like you could use someone." It's the new kid. Sebastien, I think his name is. He's decently cute.

"Sure. nobody's sitting there."

For a long, while neither of us says anything, we just sit there. I glance over at him and watch him as he's writing something in a journal. He looks kinda sad.

"Hey, are you alright?" Should I really be asking a stranger that?

He looks at me. "Yeah, no, I'm okay." There is something in his tone that says otherwise.

I take my peanut butter and jelly and tear it in half and offer him a piece. "Here. This can cure anything. Even when it's nothing."

"Thank you. "He takes it from me and gives me a small smile.

"Hey, Jaq are you okay?" Sebastien is waving his hand in front of my face. "I didn't mean to upset you, I was just trying to."

"Yeah, I'm okay, thanks." I bite into the sandwich before he can ask anything else.

As I eat, I can feel Sebastien looking at me. Trying to ignore him I focus on my sandwich.

bite

chew

swallow

repeat.

When I finish I hand the plate to him and make brief eye contact. Quickly looking away I clear my throat.

"Thanks, again, for everything, but I should head home. I got some packing to do." This makes him smile.

"You sure do. And I've got some cleaning to do. Let me grab my keys, and we can go."

"Oh no, I can walk, I'll be alright."

He's already putting his shows on. "Jaq just let me drive you home okay." I could tell he wasn't going to take no as an answer, so I pull on my shoes as well.

On the way home, we sit in comfortable silence as if neither of us knows what to say. the way he acted yesterday is so different than now, and it's genuinely confusing me. Why would he go through all this trouble of letting me stay and taking me home, but then be blackmailing me at the same time?

When he stops in front of my complex, I don't get out immediately. "Uh thank you. Again. It was nice of you to do all this."
Sebastien just nods his head. His face is stoic, and the mood has changed. Unsettled I get out of the car and head inside.

I wonder what made his mood change so fast.

The elevator is out of order so I have to take the stairs, and I can feel my legs growing weary with every step. When I finally reach the top I'm out of breath, and out to cry. My body needed more sleep even though I had just slept for god knows how many hours.

That's what you get for drinking so much.

The door to my apartment is actually locked this time and I let out a sigh of relief, knowing I don't have to deal with confrontation for Derreck.

I decide to take a shower, and the hot water helps ease the pain in my muscles. Afterward I throw on the biggest shirt I can and crawl into bed.

the last thing I remember seeing is the sunlight reflecting onto my wall.