Closer To The Truth

After Roxie went to bed I watched a good hour of the Kardashians before realizing that it was late, late enough to be in bed. I sighed flipping the television off as I passed by it and waited for my eyes to adjust to the dark before venturing anywhere near the coffee table. I learned that lesson the hard way and had the bruise on my leg to prove it.

I woke up the next morning to my phone ringing "Up In Here" by DMX loudly. I shot up and groaned rubbing my forehead and pressing the buttons to shut off my alarm without even looking. I almost went back to sleep before I got a text from Luna telling me to get up, as if she knew. I sighed grabbing my phone before rubbing my eyes and getting dressed in a black, racerback tank top and dark wash skinny jeans and sliding on some brown riding boots before doing my makeup and leaving my hair in the wavy mess it was.

I half-consciously made my way to the kitchen to grab some breakfast before my phone started ringing loudly. Since Roxie wasn't up yet I assumed she was sleeping in, so I answered it quickly not wanting to wake her up.

"Hello?" I asked in a whisper-shout.

"Get ready, I'm coming to pick you up soon!" Luna's disgustingly happy voice chirped on the other line. She was basically sunshine trapped in a person, she was rarely mean and always smiling. She was basically the antithesis of me, but luckily she brought a slightly better side in me.

"Okay, I'm basically ready just text me when you're here," I smiled before we both said our goodbyes. We had been carpooling to work since I had a habit of sleeping in and being late to work and she was basically every boss' dream. I bit my lip wondering if I would rather squeeze in breakfast before she got here or a cigarette. I chose cigarette. I hurried and grabbed my keys and purse before putting on a small necklace my birthmother gave to me and ran towards the door. Then immediately ran back into my room to grab a lighter and a cardigan. I snatched a Nature Valley granola bar, threw it in my bag and was out the door.

"Oh hey," I heard a voice from over my shoulder. I turned and saw John and Kennedy standing outside the door like they were waiting for someone to answer. I turned the lock and smiled politely. "What are you doing up so early?" He asked with a juvenile smile on his face.

"Ah, it's grown-ups go to work day because I haven't gotten fired yet," I grinned looking at my phone wondering where Luna was. Not because I didn't want to spend time with them, just because they were friends with douchy characters. "What about y'all?" I asked giving Kennedy a "hello" smile.

"Checking in on Garrett, but he seems to not be answering the door," John said before knocking again. I thought of Garrett on medication last night and chuckled to myself before remembering there were people. I tilted my head and tried simply opening the door, which was indeed open. Kennedy started busting out laughing.

"Oh my god, we've been knocking on his door for like fifteen minutes!" Kennedy laughed loudly staring at a passed out Garrett, face first in his couch cushions. I laughed lightly along with him before noticing John seeming slightly embarrassed, right as I was about to open my mouth to say something I felt my phone vibrate. Luna always gave me a five block warning, she was odd like that.

"Hey well I have to get going, tell Garrett I say hello. It was nice seeing y'all!" I smiled before turning and rushing down the stairs so I could get a good smoking in. I walked out into the parking lot and lit up an American Spirit menthol and felt the cool smoke rush down my throat.

"Smoking's bad for you, you know," I heard in a smart-alecky tone. I turned and saw John stuffing his hands into the pockets of his black skinny jeans which seemed too big on him.

"So is creeping on young women and yet here you are," I smirked before taking another drag. I let out a tiny laugh to let him know I wasn't being completely serious, but it was slightly creepy. "How's Garrett?" I asked pointing to my nose with my free hand just in case he forgot why I was asking.

"Oh he's still passed out on the couch, Kennedy just made sure he was alive and I came out to get some air," John sighed loudly as if it was too cold or something.

"There's no air upstairs?" I asked looking up at him before finishing my cigarette and putting it out. I smiled expectingly, it was still relatively early in the morning so the temperature wasn't that hot. I looked at a smirk curl up the corners of his lips.

"So where do you work?" He asked changing the subject. He looked down cutting off his pensive, distant stare. I smiled wondering what was going on in his head right now, but my thoughts were interrupted by Luna's white sedan honking at me with her inside waving obnoxiously.

"Watson and Flemming Dental Care, right off McClintock," I said over my shoulder before climbing into Luna's passenger seat with a giant smile on my face. I slammed the door and resisted the urge to look back to see what he was doing instead I was faced with an expecting grin on Luna's face.

"Who's that?! He's cute and he likes you!" Luna spat out in a matter of three seconds. I laughed before unwrapping my granola bar and taking a bite, buying me time. She laughed her soft laugh before turning into the main street.

"That is John, he's one of Craig's friend and I'm sure he doesn't," I said matter-of-factly, raising my eyebrows as if it would be more convincing, instead she laughed again. The problem was Luna could easily tell when you were lying and guilt trip you for it.

"We're here, Dr. Watson will be so shocked you're actually here on time for the fourth day in a row," Luna joked before I put on my cardigan and followed her into the cold office. We made our way behind the reception guest and started our day. "How odd, it's also the fourth day we've carpooled," She joked sarcastically.

"Luna Flemming," I said after an over-dramatic gasp, "Did you just use sarcasm in a joke?!" I enunciated jokingly. Luna usually wasn't sarcastic and didn't get it. Even I was less sarcastic around here.

"Ha-ha, yes I did. I've been hanging out with you way too much," She laughed before she noticed me getting my computer and seeing my family in the background smiling brightly. "So how many siblings do you have?" She asked noting the three younger people next to me.

"Three, my sister Roxie and I are super close. My younger brother Steven and her older brother Kent," I pointed to each one individually. I could see Luna was confused but too polite to ask. "Kent and Roxie are my step siblings, but I mean we're blood even if we're not literally," I smiled looking into her bright green eyes. It felt weird sharing something so personal that meant so much to me like my family with someone. I hadn't made that many close friends down here.

"I get it, my adopted sister Serena is Chinese, we get looks all the time," She grinned tightly. "But she's my sister just the same. What's your sister like?" She asked, we usually ended up gossiping or googling things since they were usually slow until school got out later.

"She's awesome, she always looks out for me and bless her she's not nearly as bitchy as I am, but puts up with me. You'd like her, she's a really good person," I smiled gushing about her remembering all the times she saved my ass and took care of me. "Like this one time, she was older and knew about cooler parties, so she took me to my first real big party so of course unaware of jungle juice I get fucked up, she took care of me the whole night even though it was her party and her friends, and that's how I learned about being a party foul," I laughed, partially in nostalgia and partially because Luna's face was priceless.

"Aw, she sounds like fun. I wanna meet her," She smiled laughing a little bit. We kept talking about random things, her telling me about her younger sister and how she was going through these crazy phases. We would stop to check people in, make appointments for people and occasionally answer phone calls. We spent the remainder playing battleship and scrabble online.

"Fuck you sank my long one!" I cursed in a whisper-shout right as the doorbell rang, indicating someone had walked in. I raised an eyebrow upon seeing a tall, skinny boy with his hands shoved in his pockets coming up to the desk, Luna winked at me before I put on a professional face and put on an expecting face. "Whoa, stalker boy back for more?" I laughed jokingly.

"Uh, rude. I just came to get my teeth cleaned," He looked at me and Luna with a dead panned face. Luna and I made eye contact trying not to give away anything. "But this place does have lovely receptionists," He smirked at me with a charming crooked smile.

"Are you sure you came here for your teeth?" I asked raising my eyebrows hoping he would look around and see the toys and little chairs, cartoons lining the walls and catch the hint.

"Yup, just to clean my teeth," He nodded. Luna let out a big laugh before walking off to regain her composure.

"Because this is a pediatric dentist office," I grinned, "and we rarely have patients over the age of twelve here, but if you can fit in the chairs I'm sure either Dr. Watson or Dr. Flemming would see you," I grinned.

"So this totally failed, huh?" John asked a blush coloring his cheeks brightly. I sat there laughing and nodding, feeling my stomach burning from laughing so hard. "So before I lose my cool, what are you doing tonight?" He asked shaking his hair to get his long bangs out of his face.

"It's my turn for making dinner tonight," I said being 100 percent truthful, I felt bad for this embarrassment. "You're welcome to come if you want. I get off work at four and dinner will probably be ready around six, six-thirty-ish if you want," I shrugged trying to remain nonchalant as my heart began racing with anticipation.

"I'm on babysitting duty for Garrett tonight, just to make sure he's okay- you know," He shrugged. I smiled, it was nice of him to even take time out of his day to care for him.

"Bring him with you," I nodded, wondering why I wanted him to come over in the first place. Before I could say anything John agreed and said something about bringing dessert before leaving with his hands shoved in his pockets of course. Luna came back in wiping tears from her eyes still chuckling to herself.

"He doesn't like you my rear-end, so I guess you have a date tonight?" She nudged at me, I rolled my eyes and answered a ringing phone that seemed to have perfect timing and felt the butterflies in my stomach fly, just waiting for tonight. I hope Roxie would be alright with the change of plans.