Love and Conspiracy
I Don't Know You, but I Think I Hate You.
Welcome to Berkeley.
“We’re minutes away,” Mike said as we drove into the city, “We just have to drop Tre off first.”
“He doesn’t live with you guys?” I asked, growing a little bit more uncomfortable.
“Hell, no!” Tre answered, “I have nothing against Mike, but I wouldn’t be able to stand living with Billie!” Mike could sense the worried look on my face.
“He’s not that bad,” he said, trying to comfort me.
“Hah, whatever you say, man,” Tre said as we pulled up to a small house.
“Shut up, Tre!” That caused Tre to burst out laughing.
“Alright, well I’ll see you guys later. Good luck, Lucy!” he said with a snicker before closing the door. Mike sighed.
“He’s not that bad,” Mike repeated. I think he was trying to reassure himself more than me.
~~~
It was only a few more minutes before we arrived at an apartment complex. I remained motionless in the passenger seat once we parked. Mike looked over at me.
“Don’t worry, everything will be fine,” he said.
“I know it will,” I replied with a smile. After taking a deep breath, I stepped out of the car.
Once he got my suitcase, he led me upstairs to his apartment.
“Welcome to your new home,” he said, holding the door open for me. The smell of incense and weed filled my lungs as I stepped inside. It was actually a pretty decent looking place, besides the fact that it was a little messy. However, it wasn’t too bad considering that a couple of guys lived there. I turned around and looked at him.
“It’s perfect,” I said with a smile before wrapping my arms around him. “Thank you so much,” I mumbled against his chest. He pushed the hair away from my face and kissed my forehead.
“It’s my pleasure,” he said. I got on my tip toes and gently kissed him. After I pulled away, a smile spread across his face before he gave me another hug.
“This is kind of random, but… do you think I could take a shower?” I asked awkwardly. He chuckled.
“Of course you can. Let me show you where everything is,” he said, walking towards the bathroom. It took him no time at all to give me a tour of the place. “If you don’t mind, I’m gonna run to the store real quick to get some stuff. I know Billie hasn’t gotten shit since I’ve been gone,” he said as he walked to the front door. I felt a little better knowing that this ‘Billie’ wasn’t home yet.
“Alright, I’ll see you in a bit,” I said before he left. Once the door closed, I rushed to the bathroom. I was in dire need of taking a shower.
My body soaked up the warm water as I stepped underneath the showerhead. It felt so good to finally wash off all the grime of the past day’s events. I must’ve been in there for awhile because by the time I was getting out, the water was turning cold. Minutes after I turned the water off, I heard the front door slam shut. Assuming it was Mike, I didn’t think much of it. However, my heart stopped as the bathroom door opened and a guy walked in. I screamed and quickly grabbed my towel to cover me, causing him to jump in shock.
“Aw, what the fuck!” he said as he stumbled out. My heart raced in my chest. “What the hell are you doing in my bathroom?!” he angrily yelled from outside the door. I remained speechless as I hurried to get my clothes on. To my advantage, Mike just happened to walk in.
“What are you yelling about?” Mike asked.
“There’s some stranger in our bathroom!” he continued to yell.
“She’s not a stranger. Her name is Lucy; I invited her to stay with us,” Mike said calmly. It was silent for a moment.
“You what?” the other guy said in disbelief. Before Mike could say anymore, I could hear the guy’s voice getting farther away, “Come with me, Dirnt.” Seconds later and the front door slammed shut again. Still in the bathroom, I could hear them arguing outside.
“What the hell is this? You know I don’t want girls staying here,” the guy yelled.
“Bill, chill out a moment, would ya? It’s just a girl, she’s not going to do you any harm,” I heard Mike say. There was a loud bang against the door.
“Goddamn it, Mike! Don’t tell me to chill out!” It was quiet for a minute, “I’ll be back later,” was the last thing said before I heard someone running down the stairs.
~~~
There was a small knock at the bathroom door.
“Luce?” Mike asked.
“Yeah?” I said with a shaky voice before opening the door.
“Are you alright? I’m sorry if he freaked you out,” he said, putting an arm around me, “It’s nothing personal, he’s just got some anger problems. Especially when it comes to girls.”
“Are you sure it’s okay if I stay here?” I asked quietly.
“Of course! Don’t even doubt that for a second. You are my guest, so he has no word in whether you stay or not,” he replied, “Come on, you’ll stay in my room.”
“I’m not kicking you out of your room am I?” I asked as we walked to his room.
“Not unless you want to,” he said, smiling. I shook my head.
“Never,” I answered. He lay down on the bed, pulling me along with him. He sighed as I put my head on his chest.
“You know, I could get used to this,” he said. I quietly laughed before I shut my eyes to sleep.
~~~
When I woke up again, the room was much darker. I looked over at the clock on the table and it read 7:43 pm. Mike was still sound asleep next to me. Knowing that I wouldn’t be able to fall asleep again, I carefully got up and tiptoed out of the room. I looked around and there was no sign of Billie being there, causing me to relax a little bit. I walked over to the couch and turned the TV on. Since I couldn’t find the remote anywhere, I was stuck watching Cops.
Once the second episode was about to end, the front door opened. The unnaturally, red-headed guy walk through the door. He quietly groaned to himself as he looked over at me.
“You haven’t left yet?” he said in a not-so-friendly tone.
“No,” I paused, “You’re gonna have to get used to me cause I’m sticking around for awhile,” I said, looking back at the TV.
“Of course you are,” he said to himself as he walked past me.
“Can you at least pretend to be nice to me?” I snapped back at him, causing him to stop in his tracks and turn to look at me.
“Hmm, let me think… No.” With that, he went into his room and slammed the door behind him.
“We’re minutes away,” Mike said as we drove into the city, “We just have to drop Tre off first.”
“He doesn’t live with you guys?” I asked, growing a little bit more uncomfortable.
“Hell, no!” Tre answered, “I have nothing against Mike, but I wouldn’t be able to stand living with Billie!” Mike could sense the worried look on my face.
“He’s not that bad,” he said, trying to comfort me.
“Hah, whatever you say, man,” Tre said as we pulled up to a small house.
“Shut up, Tre!” That caused Tre to burst out laughing.
“Alright, well I’ll see you guys later. Good luck, Lucy!” he said with a snicker before closing the door. Mike sighed.
“He’s not that bad,” Mike repeated. I think he was trying to reassure himself more than me.
~~~
It was only a few more minutes before we arrived at an apartment complex. I remained motionless in the passenger seat once we parked. Mike looked over at me.
“Don’t worry, everything will be fine,” he said.
“I know it will,” I replied with a smile. After taking a deep breath, I stepped out of the car.
Once he got my suitcase, he led me upstairs to his apartment.
“Welcome to your new home,” he said, holding the door open for me. The smell of incense and weed filled my lungs as I stepped inside. It was actually a pretty decent looking place, besides the fact that it was a little messy. However, it wasn’t too bad considering that a couple of guys lived there. I turned around and looked at him.
“It’s perfect,” I said with a smile before wrapping my arms around him. “Thank you so much,” I mumbled against his chest. He pushed the hair away from my face and kissed my forehead.
“It’s my pleasure,” he said. I got on my tip toes and gently kissed him. After I pulled away, a smile spread across his face before he gave me another hug.
“This is kind of random, but… do you think I could take a shower?” I asked awkwardly. He chuckled.
“Of course you can. Let me show you where everything is,” he said, walking towards the bathroom. It took him no time at all to give me a tour of the place. “If you don’t mind, I’m gonna run to the store real quick to get some stuff. I know Billie hasn’t gotten shit since I’ve been gone,” he said as he walked to the front door. I felt a little better knowing that this ‘Billie’ wasn’t home yet.
“Alright, I’ll see you in a bit,” I said before he left. Once the door closed, I rushed to the bathroom. I was in dire need of taking a shower.
My body soaked up the warm water as I stepped underneath the showerhead. It felt so good to finally wash off all the grime of the past day’s events. I must’ve been in there for awhile because by the time I was getting out, the water was turning cold. Minutes after I turned the water off, I heard the front door slam shut. Assuming it was Mike, I didn’t think much of it. However, my heart stopped as the bathroom door opened and a guy walked in. I screamed and quickly grabbed my towel to cover me, causing him to jump in shock.
“Aw, what the fuck!” he said as he stumbled out. My heart raced in my chest. “What the hell are you doing in my bathroom?!” he angrily yelled from outside the door. I remained speechless as I hurried to get my clothes on. To my advantage, Mike just happened to walk in.
“What are you yelling about?” Mike asked.
“There’s some stranger in our bathroom!” he continued to yell.
“She’s not a stranger. Her name is Lucy; I invited her to stay with us,” Mike said calmly. It was silent for a moment.
“You what?” the other guy said in disbelief. Before Mike could say anymore, I could hear the guy’s voice getting farther away, “Come with me, Dirnt.” Seconds later and the front door slammed shut again. Still in the bathroom, I could hear them arguing outside.
“What the hell is this? You know I don’t want girls staying here,” the guy yelled.
“Bill, chill out a moment, would ya? It’s just a girl, she’s not going to do you any harm,” I heard Mike say. There was a loud bang against the door.
“Goddamn it, Mike! Don’t tell me to chill out!” It was quiet for a minute, “I’ll be back later,” was the last thing said before I heard someone running down the stairs.
~~~
There was a small knock at the bathroom door.
“Luce?” Mike asked.
“Yeah?” I said with a shaky voice before opening the door.
“Are you alright? I’m sorry if he freaked you out,” he said, putting an arm around me, “It’s nothing personal, he’s just got some anger problems. Especially when it comes to girls.”
“Are you sure it’s okay if I stay here?” I asked quietly.
“Of course! Don’t even doubt that for a second. You are my guest, so he has no word in whether you stay or not,” he replied, “Come on, you’ll stay in my room.”
“I’m not kicking you out of your room am I?” I asked as we walked to his room.
“Not unless you want to,” he said, smiling. I shook my head.
“Never,” I answered. He lay down on the bed, pulling me along with him. He sighed as I put my head on his chest.
“You know, I could get used to this,” he said. I quietly laughed before I shut my eyes to sleep.
~~~
When I woke up again, the room was much darker. I looked over at the clock on the table and it read 7:43 pm. Mike was still sound asleep next to me. Knowing that I wouldn’t be able to fall asleep again, I carefully got up and tiptoed out of the room. I looked around and there was no sign of Billie being there, causing me to relax a little bit. I walked over to the couch and turned the TV on. Since I couldn’t find the remote anywhere, I was stuck watching Cops.
Once the second episode was about to end, the front door opened. The unnaturally, red-headed guy walk through the door. He quietly groaned to himself as he looked over at me.
“You haven’t left yet?” he said in a not-so-friendly tone.
“No,” I paused, “You’re gonna have to get used to me cause I’m sticking around for awhile,” I said, looking back at the TV.
“Of course you are,” he said to himself as he walked past me.
“Can you at least pretend to be nice to me?” I snapped back at him, causing him to stop in his tracks and turn to look at me.
“Hmm, let me think… No.” With that, he went into his room and slammed the door behind him.