My Sanity in This Insane World

I woke up the next morning feeling weird. I turned on my phone, one text message, and four voicemails. The text was from Sam, asking if I was still awake. I'm sure he got that answer. Two of the voice mails were from my mum, telling me that we were having dinner tomorrow, and to bring Oliver, one from my older sister, saying her and her husband, Jude, found out the gender of their baby, and again, we were having dinner at mum's - and to bring Oliver, 'he would want to know too!' The last was from Heidi, saying that she had an appointment for her hair, but if I still needed to come over today and get the paperwork from her, a key was under the mat, and that Oliver and I could help ourselves to the banana bread she made last night.

To say the least, everyone loved the thought of Oliver and Lennox getting married, dating for the matter. If we ever did start dating, I'm pretty sure they'd throw a party, and celebrate until dawn. That's how much they loved Oliver.

I tip toed out into the living room, picking up a dirty shirt of Oliver's on the way. I crouched by the couch, before spring up, and smack the empty couch. I looked over it; he wasn't there. The bathroom door was opened, and he wasn't in there, and not even the kitchen.

He wasn't anywhere in the whole flat.

I ran into my room one more time, checking my phone, and making sure I didn't miss anything from him. No call, voice mail, or text.

He really didn't come back.

I texted Sam back, saying that we should go out to lunch today. I almost got an instant reply, saying meet him a little pizza place downtown about one thirty. It left me almost two hours to take a shower, and get ready.

It was weird, getting ready. I was so used to going out with Oliver. Pulling a hoodie of his on, or a big sweatshirt. But I actually had to look nice today. I still wore Oliver's thick black zip up jacket, as the air was chilly, and a colorful v-neck sweater. The jacket just completely smelled of him. It made me miss him, and it hadn't even been twenty-four hours.

I added curls to my already curly hair, and even did a nice smokey eye. I looked hot, to say the least. Even Oliver would have told me I looked particularly nice to go out with him, and that I should have just ditched the boob, and go out with him.

It made me smile, thinking of him, as I slipped on my black boots. I would call him that night, if he didn't call me sometime today. Besides, he wanted to know Marley's baby's gender as much as I did.

Sam met me at the door, smiling at me, his gray eyes still twinkling. They were about as bright as the stars.

Once we sat, he only took his eyes off of me for barely a second.

"So, where's the one guy? Oscar?"

"Oliver. And he's home." I already knew what I was getting. Oliver took me here quite a few times. The veggie pizza with added mushrooms.

"Oh... So are you two, like..."

"A thing?" I asked. He nodded. "No, oh no, no, no, no." I smiled at him, gently placing my hand over his. "I'm quite open for business. We're just best friends."

He winked, as the waiter came over. Tall, slim boy. Almost too slim. We told him what we wanted, and he said it'd be right out.

Sam and I talk about many things. Random things. We just really wanted to get to know each other.

I learned that he was finishing up his masters degree, getting it in psychology, and was even about to go into medical school to become a psychiatrist. We laughed when I told him my job. He even said in the future, we could make great a business. He played the piano, and had a cat named Tora.

"So, do you think maybe we could do this again sometime?" he asked, as I picked up my purse, getting ready to leave. I smiled at him.

"Sure." He smiled down at me, and walked me to my car. "It was really nice meeting you, Sam."

"As it was for you, Lennox." I smiled, gave him a smile, and drove home.

I knew he was there, the moment I walked into the house. It smelled of him, the lights were on, and his vegan lunch could be smelled. The sound of Halo came from my living room, and his little grunts he made when he was playing a video game was heard.

I went over to the little table by the kitchen opening, looking through the mail Oliver had so sweetly gotten for me. I walked into the kitchen, throwing away the kool-aid package he had left out. My eyes met up with a beautiful rainbow of roses. From red, to yellow, to purple and blue. I smiled, walking over and picking up the card. A simple one, his chicken scratch writing, a silly little apology. I loved it none the least.

I walked into the living room, giving his a simple kiss on the cheek. My way of saying sorry.

"Dinner tonight," I said.

"'Kay."

"And we need to go pick up some paper work from Heidi's house."

"Tonight?"

"Yes."

He grunted, flinging his controller onto the couch. "Why?"

"Because, it's what we gotta do if we want me to keep my job."

"You wont need to work. I can take care of us, dollface."

"I'm a stable sort of girl. You know this," I said, getting up.

"Eh, you shouldn't be! Then you could travel the world with my band," he yelled as I walked out of the room.

&&

I picked up the key, placing it in the lock, and turned it. I opened the door to smell that wonderful banana bread smell. I smiled, as Oliver and I walked in. I went into the kitchen, and told Oliver to get a knife, and cut me off a piece.

"There you go, m'dead," he said, passing me over a piece as I looked over her paperwork, making sure she did everything.

"Thanks," I mumbled. It was silent for a second, as Oliver ate his bread.

"So, how was your date?"

"It was hardly a date, Oliver. We just talked."

"A date," he grumbled, tossing his trash away.

"Someones jealous. It's okay, love. He's not taking your place." I walked over, kissed his forehead before saying, "You'll always be my best friend." I leaned on the counter, looking at him, as he cut and munched on another piece of bread.

"But what comes first? Best friend, or boyfriend?"

"Best friend, duh. Now lets go, dinners about to start." I said, smiling up at him. I leaned over, ruffling his hair, getting a little peek at his smile, his eyes closed.

The car ride was just a soft hum of some rap Oliver had put on. His thumbs hit the wheel every so often, going along right with the beat. Every other stop light, Oliver's horrible rapping skills would come out. I smiled, looking out the window.

He tickled my side, giving me a fit of giggles.

"Don't laugh, at me, you sod. You know that you love me." He look his eyes off the road for a second, meeting my eyes.

"I love you, Mr. Sykes, not your rapping."

"Well, my rapping loves you, and is depressed you hate it," he said very seriously.

"I'm sure," I said with a laugh. "Maybe if you took rapping lessons from like, Snoop Dog or something, maybe then I'd love your rapping."

"It wants to marry you, Noxy dear. What do you say?" he asked, turning into my parent's neighborhood.

"I say, get those lessons, and it's a yes."

He laughed. "You know that means you can't be seeing Sam."

"Oh, shoot. Well, I guess I have to pick Sam in this case then." I winked at Oliver, his car now parked in front of my parent's.

"Oh, not cool, Lennox."

"Sorry," I said with a shrug.

I walked into the house, getting met with the strong smell of chicken. Marley and my mother's voice could be heard. I walked into the kitchen, kissing my sister on the cheek, before rubbing her big belly.

"Sure it's not twins?" Oliver asked, as he came over, putting his own hand on her stomach.

"Oliver!" I yelled.

"Oh, Len, shut up. The doctor said boys tend to be bigger, and seeing as Jude is a bloody giant, he's going to be huge!" Marley said.

"Wait, a boy?" I asked with a smile.

"Yeah, and apparently, he loves Oliver. He hasn't stopped kicking since his hand was on me."

"Or he hates me, and telling me to get the fuck off his mum," Oliver said, earning a laugh from Mum.

"No, Oliver," she said, looking up at him.

"Aye, wouldn't be the first time someone told me to get off of someone."

"So," Marley said, pulling me away from Oliver and my mum's bicker, "I hear you got a boy hooked."

"Yeah, I guess," I said with a slight blush. Her eyebrow raised at me. "His names Sam. Sweet boy. I'll make you come out to eat with us one day."

"Anything but Thia. Jude got me some the other night. I was puking all - "

"I don't need to hear about your vomiting, Mar!" I yelled, covering my ears.

"Oh, shush," she said with a laugh. I smiled at my sister.

We were all so close. Even with Oliver. Ben - my brother - and him were always close. I only really became close with Oliver when Ben got his girlfriend, Monica. Sweet girl, from the southern part of America. Got a voice an angel would want. Oliver and Ben just drifted apart. Ben married Monica, and started having kids. That was the weird thing about my age difference.

I'm not so much younger than my siblings. However, it's enough to make it feel different enough. They have their families, and I'm still in love with a band boy who's always on tour, and trying to make me love someone new. I was the baby. I still am to face the truth. But they're so prepared for when I get married and start my own family soon.

"Let's eat," Mum said, handing Oliver a bowl of pasta salad. "You guys ready?"

"Starving," Marley said, waddling to the kitchen. Even with her just coming up on five months, she was big. Waddling everywhere like a penguin.

I looked over my family. I wasn't sure I wanted to bring Sam into this. I loved eating next to Oliver, and getting him drive me home, letting us dance in the car at eleven at night. I was so used to this. I knew though, after time, I was going to have to bring him into this perfect little picture I had.