And Now the Tables Do Turn

Your boyfriend is calling you, so answer your fucking phone, dammit!

Groaning, I ignored the repeating ringtone, my face pressed into the mattress. Just as I was about to throw my phone across the room, the ringing stopped. String blankly at the wall, my eyelids slid shut slowly, but snapped open again when my phone rang again five minutes later. I sighed, rolling onto my back as I grabbed the phone.

"Why do you always call me so early in the morning?" I groaned into the phone.

John laughed on the other end of the line. "Spence, you have to wake up at some point," he teased.

"Did you call just to wake me up?" I asked with a sigh, running a hand through my sleep-matted hair.

"That's just cruel, why would I do that?"

"You did it last week," I said bluntly as I pushed myself into a sitting position, leaning back against my pillows.

"You can't prove that," he said defensively. I laughed quietly. "There was actually a reason I called."

"And what is your reason?" I asked, yawning as I spoke. I tugged down the hem of my t-shirt which had ridden up in my sleep.

"Do you work today?"

"Unfortunately. I got stuck with the graveyard shift tonight, ten to four," I told him, frowning to myself.

"Oh," John said, sounding disappointed. "I miss you, Spencer."

"It's only been two days," I informed him, smiling nonetheless.

"I don't care, I still miss you," he said laughing quietly. "Are you doing anything today?"

"School work. I have an essay due tomorrow, a test to study for, plus finals are coming up," I explained.

"Oh," he said again, sounding even more depressed.

"Want to stay over tonight?" I asked after a moment's thought.

"But you have to work."

"Only until four. It'll be nice to come home and have someone to cuddle with."

"Sounds good to me. What time should I come over?"

"Five thirty, maybe?" I suggested. "I'll cook us dinner and we can watch a movie or something."

"I like the 'or something' part of that," he comment. Just from his tone, I could tell he was smirking.

"John!" I said, laughing after I spoke.

"Come on, you know you want me," he teased. I felt a blush rise up my neck and I remained silent. "Your silence speaks louder than words."

"Okay, fine."

"Fine what?" he persisted, knowing what i meant.

"Fine, I want you. Happy now?"

"Yes, Spencer, I'm happy now."

"Good, because I'm going back to bed," I said, pulling the phone away from my ear to hang up.

"Hey, wait!" he said loudly.

"Yes?" I asked, dragging the word out.

"Are you really going to go back to bed?"

"I'm thinking about it. I mean, some asshole decided to call me and wake me up," I said with a nonchalant shrug.

"Yeah, what an asshole," John said, laughing as he agreed with me.

I laughed quietly. "Asshole or not, I'm glad you called. I missed your voice," I told, toying with a piece of my hair absentmindedly.

"I missed your voice too, hence why I called. But, I'll see you later tonight," he said sweetly. "I love you, Spencer."

"I love you too, John. I'll talk to you later," I said with a sigh before hanging up. I put my phone back down on the table beside my bed and closed my eyes, smiling softly.

After laying there for fifteen minutes, I sighed, running a hand through my hair before leaving the bed. I checked the time on my phone and cursed when I saw that it was barely nine. I went into the bathroom and brushed my teeth before tying my hair up. Washing my face, I didn't even bother changing out of my sweats.

I grabbed a granola bar and my laptop and sank into my arm chair. Waiting for my laptop to start up, I turned on the news, catching up on my current events. I opened my assignment page and read the criteria for my essay, crinkling my nose as I did before getting to work.

I finished the essay around noon and sent it to my professor, having BSed most of it. I set the laptop on the coffee table and turned the television off as I relocated myself to the soda, thinking it might be a good time for a nap.

I slept for two hours, which surprised me. John had texted me while I was asleep, asking how my essay was going. I told him that I'd finished it earlier and had taken a nap and was in bad need of a shower.

I had been with John for eighteen months and we were happy. When he wasn't on tour, he stayed at my apartment with me usually four or five nights a week. It was hard when he was only home for weeks at a time before leaving again for two and a half months.

I showered quickly before texting John and telling him that he could come over whenever, rather than wait another two hours. He said he'd leave in ten minutes, making his EYA around four.

Nodding to myself, I sighed. I towel dried my hair and pulled on my jeans before brushing my teeth and putting on a bit of eyeliner. I pulled on a grey off the shoulder top, the back strap of my bra poking out. Pushing my caramel colored hair out of my face, I reached for my favorite tube of lotion and rubbed it into the skin of my neck and shoulders, checking the time. With plenty of time before John's arrival, I pulled out my laptop and worked on some miscellaneous school work.

A while later, I heard a car door shut and I smiled, biting my lip as I closed my laptop, leaving it sit on the counter. John knocked like he always did and I opened the door, pulling him into the apartment and wrapping my arms around him tightly.

"Hi," I said, pulling away just enough to look up at him.

"Hello gorgeous," he said with a smile, pushing my bangs out of my eyes. He kissed me quickly three times before releasing me. "How'd your essay go?"

I groaned in response. "Most of it was BS, but what else is now?" I joked.

John laughed, sitting down at the table. He patted his thigh, motioning for me to sit in his lap. Rolling my eyes, I obliged and sat down. He latched his arms around my waist and pressed his lips to my shoulder.

"You smell good," he told me, fiddling with my bra strap.

"You always say that," I teased, smiling to myself. I leaned back into his chest, putting my hands on top of his.

"Are you comfortable?" he asked with a chuckle.

"I am. You're very comfy," I informed him. "I missed you."

"I missed you too." He kissed my hair. "So, what's for dinner?"

I laughed, looking back at him. "You sure know how to kill the mood, don't you," I said, pursing my lips.

"Well, you said you'd cook tonight, so I haven't eaten," he said, shrugging.

"I don't even have any food in this place."

"Then how are you supposed to cook for me?"

I laughed, nudging him with my elbow. "I can order a veggie pizza, how's that sound?"

"Works for me," he said indifferently.

I nodded once before standing up. I rolled my neck as I scrolled through my contacts for the number of a local pizza shop with the most wonderful veggie pizza. I placed the order and the teenage working the phone promised our order would arrive in thirty minutes.

While we waited for the pizza, we arranged ourselves on the sofa while watching an old episode of House on USA Network. We started at opposite ends of the couch, but slowly, John kept scooting towards me until he was close enough to put his arm around my waist and pull me to him. I was toying with the hem of his shirt absentmindedly when my phone, still in the kitchen, started to ring.

Sighing, I stood up and walked into the kitchen where my phone sat beside my laptop. The contact photo simply showed a middle finger. Rolling my eyes, I answered the phone.

"What do you want, Melanie?" I asked, anchoring the phone between my shoulder and my ear. I opened the cabinets and pulled out two plates.

"I hate when you answer the phone without saying hello," my sister grumbled on the other end of the line.

"I know, I just do it to annoy you. But answer my question."

"Are you busy tonight?" he asked, getting down to business.

"Yeah, I'm with John now and I work at ten. Why?"

"Fuck," she groaned. "I made a date with this guy the other night when I was slightly tipsy and I need an excuse to cancel," she explained. I couldn't help but laugh. "It's not funny!"

"I'm sorry, but it is. You should have learned by now not to talk to guys when you're 'slightly tipsy,' " I told her, leaning back against the counter.

"Whatever. What's a good excuse to use to get out of a date?"

"Tell him you're a lesbian," I joked, laughing to myself.

"...Do you think that'd work?" she asked after a pause, like she was actually considering it.

"It wouldn't hurt to try." I started walking around the kitchen. I grabbed two water bottles out of the refrigerator and set them on the counter with a sigh. "Where did you meet this guy?"

"The Parrot's Head on East Market Street," Melanie answered.

"Isn't where that girl got raped in the bathroom last year?"

"Yeah, I think so." She paused. "I'm going to try the lesbian thing. I'll call you later."

"Just a warning, I probably won't answer," I told her.

"Eww, but hey, do you want to grab lunch with me tomorrow?"

"Uhmm, I should be able to, I'll let you know tonight, when I check my schedule tonight."

"Got it."

"Have fun with the lesbian thing," I teased with a quiet laugh.

"Oh, you know I will," she joked before hanging up.

I place my phone back on the counter, grabbing the plates and the water bottles before heading back into the living room.

"Was that Melanie?" John asked, taking the water bottle that I handed him.

I nodded. "How'd you guess?"

"The lesbian thing," he said with a laugh.

"Be nice to my sister," I told him, hitting him with a pillow gently. He only shrugged, taking a drink of water.

It was only a few minutes before the pizza arrived and we dug in. As always, there was no conversation. Shortly after we ate, we found our way to the bedroom and a few hours later, I was kissing John goodbye before heading out the door for work.

Working at the ER registration desk wasn't the most glamorous job. The hours were shit and I saw some pretty grizzly things come through the ER doors. It paid decently though, which I needed to get through school and live on my own.

At midnight, after working for two hours, John walked through the front doors with a Taco Bell bag in hand. My face lit up when I saw him. I stood up from my seat at the registration desk and met him halfway between the desk and the doors and kissed him on the cheek.

"Why thank you," I told him with a smile, taking the bag from him.

"Just thought you could use a midnight snack," he said with a shrug.

"You know me too well."

"How's work?" he asked, locking his arms around my waist and holding me to him.

"Slow," I responded with a look of distaste. "We've had a minor car accident, a guy who sliced his fingertip off, and a woman who went into labor at McDonald's. Really uneventful stuff."

"Hmm, sounds like a party," he said, looking around the nearly empty waiting room. "Hey, before I forget, Brian's having a party tomorrow night. I thought you'd like to know."

"Okay, what time do you want to get there?"

"Stephen and I have an over night family thing tomorrow, so we won't be able to make it."

"I have to go to a party alone?" I pouted jokingly.

"Jess will be there, Josh is pretty sure Dree is going, so you'll have a drinking buddy. It's Brian's party, so he'll obviously be there too," John explained with a shrug.

"I'm getting lunch with Melanie tomorrow, then I work until eight, so I suppose I could make an appearance at some point," I said, pulling my hair back.

"Alright," he said with a slow sigh. "I think I'm going to go back to your place and curl up and go to sleep."

"I'm very jealous," I told him with a smile. "I'll be home in a few hours."

"I'll be there." He leaned forward and kissed me. "I love you."

"I love you," I repeated back to him.