Keeping Me Hopeless

A few hours later, I woke up around 9am. I knew Ryan was long gone, crime doesn’t rest and I heard the door open around 6am.

I walked around my house, half asleep. I was going about to walk into my dad’s office, hoping he would be in there, but I knew he wouldn’t be. I was holding tears in again and I knew that someday, I would have to let go.

My dad used to tell me that if I continued to hold my emotions back, that it would later hit me worse. I smiled through my tears, my dad always had comforting words.

I decided to take a shower, I had to be at work by noon. I worked as a student teacher for a French class in Coral Gables High School. Which was fun, I’m fluent in French even though I’m Spanish and Italian. Fluent in both Spanish and English too.

I had to make sure I didn’t dress too old or too young. I did want to set a good example. I pulled out a nice blouse along with a pretty skirt and flat shoes. I straightened my hair and made sure my makeup wasn’t too heavy.

Once I was done getting ready, I made sure I didn’t leave anything behind. I put away any valuables. Soon, I locked up my dad’s room, then mine and lastly, locked up my house.

Then I drove to Coral Gables, being extremely paranoid. I felt like I was being watched, which scared me after everything that happened yesterday. I quickly walked into the building, saying hi to any students or teachers that I knew.

“Miss Vega, please report to my office immediately.” I heard my boss say over the loud speaker.

Why did I suddenly feel like I was in high school again?

I knocked on his door, “Is something wrong?”

He shook his head, “Dear, of course not, you’re great. I saw what happened on the news, are you okay?”

I knew that’s what he wanted to talk about, that’s what I didn’t want to hear. I’ve been through enough deaths in my family to know how this works. The only thing people say is “I’m sorry” or “They’re in a better place.” I know people don’t want to seem rude, so they try and comfort me, but it gets old after a while.

I tried to smile, “I’m fine.”

My boss nodded, “You should take some days off. Relax a little.”

I didn’t want to complain, anybody would be dying for a few days off of work, but this is the only distraction I have. For 4 hours, I don’t think about anything other than any French homework I have to assign. Or about tests that I have to give a review for. The students will help me more than a vacation will.

“Sir, I’m fine, I promise.”

“I insist, take a week off. You need a break.”

I could either argue and get fired, or go along with it.

“Okay, but I’m back here in a week.”

He nodded and smiled, I took that as my cue to leave.

As I walked out of the school, I tried to think of other ways I could keep myself busy.

What the hell am I supposed to do for the next week? I could go shopping, but Horatio said I had to take a friend with me. He said I had to take a friend everywhere.

I turned my car on and messed around with the radio. Suddenly, my phone began to vibrate.

From: Ryan Wolfe:

Hey, just wanted to check up on you. Call me.

I replied.

To: Ryan Wolfe:

Thanks, for everything.

Soon afterwards, I called him.

“Wolfe,”

I smiled, “Vega speaking.”

I heard him chuckle, “I’m glad you’re okay. You really have to stop thanking me.”

“Stop making me thank you.”

“Fair enough, I am quite the gentleman,”

Now it was my turn to chuckle, “Of course, but I’m bored.”

“Aren’t you supposed to be working?”

I rolled my eyes remembering what had just happened, “No, my boss forced me into taking a vacation.”

Ryan laughed, “And you’re mad about that? You do know that people would take a vacation without protesting, right?”

“Ha-ha, Ryan, you’re just too funny. Working is the only distraction I have.”

“Yeah, I am, aren’t I? I see what you mean, well, what are you going to do now?”

I twirled my hair as I sat there, in my car. I realized I wasn’t going to be driving anytime soon. So, I just turned the car off.

“I don’t know, I’m not that much of a shopper. And all my friends are working right now. Wait, aren’t you working?”

“Nope, well, I am, but it’s my lunch break. And since you aren’t working either, you are going to lunch with me. I’ll go pick you up at your house in ten minutes.”

I blushed, which was good that it was over the phone.

“Fine, only because you sound like you really wanna go out to lunch with me. Don’t disappoint me.”

His laugh rang through my ears, “Funny. I’ll see you in ten.”

I hung up and raced out of the parking lot. I was at least 15 minutes away from my house. I made sure I didn’t pass the speed limit though, I have a clean record.

I arrived at my house before Ryan and put my car inside the garage. I sat down on the steps and waited. I read through all the comforting text messages my friends have sent me and replied thanking them.

Ryan arrived a few minutes later in the hummer. I stared as he walked towards me. I couldn’t help it, he’s hot.

He grinned, “Well, what are you doing just sitting there, let’s go.”

He held his hand out and I took it as he helped me to stand up.

“Where are we going?”

“Just for a small lunch, hope you don’t mind me kidnapping you like this.”

I chuckled, “No, you have saved me from boredom.”

He opened the car door for me, something only a few guys do nowadays. Most of them have ditched the whole gentleman act.

We ended up going to a small restaurant - not as fancy as a restaurant though. Which I liked, a lot. I didn’t enjoy the whole rich scene. Soon, Ryan had to go back to the lab. He dropped me off at my house and I decided to just watch TV.

I ended up falling asleep on the couch, I think I was watching Boomerang - The Flintstones? I think. Either way, I woke up to the theme song of The Jetsons.

I looked at my phone and saw that it was 7pm. I rubbed my eyes, but soon regretted it since I had makeup on. I groaned and went to the bathroom. Washed off all the makeup, or whatever was left. Then went into my room and grabbed a pair of sweatpants and a Beatles shirt. Grabbed one of my favorite beanies and put it on as I walked back to the living room.

I wondered if Ryan was going to stay the night again, being that he didn’t mention anything about it when we had lunch.

I shrugged and decided to eat some junk food. It had been a while since I ate junk food, I was trying to keep a certain figure. But I could start going for a run every morning. It will be as if I never ate the junk food to begin with.

Not wanting to watch The Jetsons, I grabbed the control and changed the channel. Flipping through the channels, I noticed there wasn’t anything good on TV. So, I pulled out my Xbox 360 and decided to play Grand Theft Auto 4. I was a tomboy growing up, so this was pretty normal.

I had the only case of road rage, I laughed to myself. Dad always did say he didn’t like me driving.

“Aww come on!! I totally killed your ass!” I yelled at the video game and heard the front door open.

Smiling, I continued to play and acted as if I didn’t know Ryan was here.

“Duuuude! Why are you arresting me?! It was my partner! I’m just driving the getaway car! Ugh, I hate this police system you got goin’ here.”

I heard Ryan laugh, “Find something funny, Wolfe?”

“Yeah, I leave you for a couple of hours and come home to this.”

I stayed quiet, he said home. He called my house home. I didn’t know what to say.

“I actually fell asleep, I woke up a few minutes ago and got bored of the television.”

“I see,” he sat next to me. “If you let me, I’ve got a little trick to show you.”

I passed him the control and saw as he stole a helicopter from the airport.

“If you get me killed-”

Ryan chuckled, “-Don’t worry. Just watch.”

Watching what he did, he had taken the helicopter and jumped off near the Statue Of Liberty. I always tried that but ended up missing the target and dying.

“You’re quite the video game nerd,” I giggled and took back the control.

“Yeah, I guess.”

We looked at each other and he smiled, which brought a smirk to my lips.

“You called this place home.”

He grinned sheepishly, “I’m sorry, I have that bad habit-”

“-I’m not saying anything bad about it. I just felt like pointing it out.”

Ryan’s green eyes were too much for me to handle and I went back to playing video games. I ended up quitting that game and putting a racing game so that both Ryan and me could play. He only won because he cheated almost every single time.

“You lose! Again!”

“Yeah, because you cheat.”

Ryan put his arm around me as I quit the game, “Don’t be a sore loser, Sam, it’s not pretty.”

I stuck my tongue out at him and put everything away.

“Samantha, you are too mature.”

He stretched himself out on the couch and once I was done, I jumped on him. Putting each one of my legs on his sides.

“I am mature.”

Ryan rested his hands on my waist, “Now what?”

I shrugged, “Aren’t you tired? That CSI stuff is hard work. When I took the class in college, we had to act out and solve crimes too.”

He grinned, “What were you in charge of?”

“I was the EMT. And sometimes I also had to do trace.”

“Smart, funny, cute. I think I’ll keep you.”

I looked away, knowing I was going to blush again.

“You never answered my question.”

Ryan stayed quiet, but then remembered, “A little tired. It’s just my back, having to get evidence from the floor becomes a pain.”

I smirked, “Well then, let’s get you to my room.”

He held a puzzled expression, but followed me anyway. I made sure he laid down on his stomach and once again, sat on him. Soon, I began to give him a back massage. At first he was tense, but then he relaxed all his muscles and let me get rid of his back pains.

After about a half hour, I noticed he fell asleep. Which was a good sign, it meant that he did relax and maybe now his back wouldn’t hurt as much.

I kissed his cheek and whispered, “Goodnight Ryan.”

I went to my dad’s room and plugged my iPod into the speakers, lowering the volume. It wasn’t too loud.

I fell asleep with Ryan’s scent on my clothes and a smile on my face as I listened to Oh! Darling by The Beatles.