Bad Taste (Part I) // Colby Brock

15 - Rebecca

          I felt fuzzy inside. Disgustingly fuzzy. It was the kind off fuzzy that made me cringe and want to curl into a ball. And it was because I was kind of happy with my new friends. Yes, I accepted them all as friends — officially by getting all of their numbers. Tara sent me a huge list before I'd even gotten in my car, and when I got home, she added Colby's number telling me to prank call him because it'd be funny. I didn't even save the number, though. I didn't want it. It was late at night and because of my happiness, I had a buzz that wouldn't let me sleep. In just a large t-shirt barely covering my hips, I curled on the living room couch under a blanket with the lasagna equivalent of a pot noodle, and the TV show I still hadn't caught up on. I didn't know how long I would be there, but I planned on sleeping here, since the TV could at least attempt to lull me to sleep. A few times, my eyes shifted to the balcony uneasily. Something about the darkness and the feeling of being watched just didn't settle right with me, though it was a relief that the hole in my chest was almost completely gone. I wasn't sure how or why.

About halfway through the second-to-last episode of the second-to-last season, I felt my eyes drifting. I managed to read the episode number before I let the welcome darkness consume me. Of course, the moment I started dreaming, all I could see were blue eyes with silver rings, purple eyes with the silver replacing the white, real metal rings, that sinister expression. It was like my mind couldn't get enough of him. And it was so frustrating that I wished I could escape this dream world and forget about all of it. My wish was answered, though not completely. I heard something on the balcony and it jolted me awake. I'd been out long enough to the point where Netflix had stopped my TV show, leaving the whole apartment in silence. It was eerie.

I was a fiend for a bit of adrenaline and this seemed perfect to fuel my veins, so I got up from the couch and walked to my front door, slipping on a jacket. It was longer than my shirt, so I knew that any peeping toms wouldn't get flashed today. Stepping outside my balcony made me freeze, because it was cold, especially for LA. I moved up to the edge of my railing, placed my hand on the metal, and looked out at the apartment buildings around me. All lights were off, no signs of life anywhere. Feeling a little stupid, I looked up at the balcony above mine, though nothing was there, then I peeked down at the balcony below, and nothing was there either. I frowned to myself, biting down on my lip.

And then I heard an exhale. Behind me. I felt like every dumb bitch in the movies as I spun as fast as I could, but nothing was there except my open apartment door. My whole body froze in place, searching for something. What was I searching for? Why did I feel so incredibly scared? It was the first time I'd been genuinely scared for a while. I wasn't sure how long I stared at nothing before my phone started to ring. It was like a jolt back to reality as I rushed inside, slammed my balcony door shut, and ran to my device. I needed a distraction. It was Tara.

To keep the fright out of my voice, I used as much anger as I could instead. "What do you want?" I growled, like I had just woken up.

Tara blew out a breath. "You're okay," she said.

"What?"

"Um, I mean. Are you okay? Are you at home?" Her stutter had my full attention. Her conversation with Colby earlier flickered through my head, and I found myself staring at the balcony. How much of his threat was real?

"Yeah I was fucking sleeping," I snarled this time, making a shuffling sound with my jacket.

Tara sighed in relief again. "You've had no visitors?"

I was silent.

"Beck?"

"No, I've had no visitors. I want to sleep. Leave me alone." I hung up on her, but my eyes never left the balcony. How stupid would it be to walk out there and call for Colby? It couldn't have possibly been him... I was just insane... it was wishful thinking after my dream. Although, that didn't make sense...

Nothing did. Next thing I knew, I was standing on my balcony, arms wrapped around myself, glaring at the nighttime air. I knew that if anybody ever found out about what I was about to do, I'd be made fun of forever. But I still did it.

"Colby?" I breathed, searching the darkness. It felt right to say his name. However, moments passed and nothing happened. No response, no movement. I felt stupid. I was stupid. Cursing myself for being an idiot, I stomped back inside, locked my balcony door, and gathered the blanket from the couch. Throwing it into a closet, I went to my bedroom. I turned off all the lights, curled up under my covers, and wished I had never seen those beautiful blue eyes. Because now they haunted my dreams, yet again.