“You’re cute when you’re trying to be angry.”
I turned and stormed toward my place.
“Hey,” he called out. “Hold on.”
Despite my hesitations, I stopped.
“What?” I asked, not turning around.
He jogged up and put his hand on my shoulder.
“I didn’t mean to be an asshole.”
“It seems to come naturally for you”
“We’ve gotten off on the wrong foot.”
“Tell me about it,” I said as I walked up my steps. “Goodnight, Austin.””
As I walked away, part of me hoped he would run up to me again, but he didn’t.
I reached the porch to my apartment. The bottom half of an old house. I peered down the street, hoping I saw him. Had I been too rough on him? Asshole or not, I still couldn’t get the thought of the way he saved me back there out of my head. Being enveloped in those muscles wouldn’t be the worst thing that ever happened...
The front door opened, shaking me out of my thoughts. Jocelyn stepped out on the porch wearing red and green pajama pants with a pink tee-shirt two sizes too small. She was never one to hide her assets.
“Oh, it’s you,” she said.
“I got jumped on the way home.”
“Are you okay?” she asked rushing toward me. Suddenly our argument from earlier melted away.
“Yeah,” I said. “Let’s go inside and I’ll tell you about it.”
We walked into the living room. Her clothes, dirty dishes, a pizza box and other junk were spread about. Surprise surprise.
“I cleaned up in here today,” I said. “What the hell happened?”
She smiled innocently like it was all a joke.
I didn’t have the energy or desire to pick another fight so I let it go.
After dropping my backpack on the floor, I crossed the room and sat down on my green recliner. It had seen better days. I’d found it in the alley last semester and fell in love with it because it reminded me of my grandfather. He’d been gone for over two years now.
She wouldn’t leave me alone until I told her the entire story, so I took a deep breath and told her everything. While I spoke, she sat on the edge of the couch, her hands covering her mouth as if I were telling a ghost story around a campfire.
When I got to the part about Austin saving me, she asked, “Where did he go? Did he just leave you there?”
“No, he was walking me home, but we kind of got into an argument.”
She laughed.
“Kind of? What did he do?”
“Just your typical hot guy bullshit. I don’t have time for a man like that right now.”
“You don’t need any kind of man. You’ve always been the independent type.” She stood up off of the couch and walked toward me. “But all work and no play makes Brooke a dull woman.”
“Yeah, but I’ll be able to afford my school loan debts when I graduate and land a good job. I’m too far down the path to turn back now.”