Anna Et Romy

The number burned in my pocket for a week. It was when I saw Mia and her boyfriend at school on Friday that I realized that he probably gave me his number for a reason. She sidled up to me in the lunch line and asked me if I saw him again after that night in my loft. I had called her immediately after it happened, and I was already regretting it.

"No." I said meekly sliding a plate of slimy diced peaches onto my lunch tray. Mia stopped, holding up the line.

"No fucking way. NO FUCKING WAY!" She verbally assaulted at my ear. I tucked a strand up hair that managed to wrangle itself from my tight bun. The nerd from my geosystems class was in line behind me and cleared his throat loudly signaling that he wanted Mia to move. But she was horrible at taking hints.

"Anna. You are the most difficult, introverted, impossible, little wretch I have ever met. The boy's fucking DEAF and you're STILL scared to talk to him???" I waved my hands over her mouth so everyone wouldn't hear our conversation.

"NO! I WILL NOT BE SILENCED!" She cried setting her tray down on the serving belt with a slam. Everyone in the line behind her groaned. I covered my face. I really didn't need this.

"Fine Mia...I will text him. When I'm ready." I admonished. She shook a finger in my face.

"No, you WILL text him TONIGHT." I shook my head.

"I can't." I wailed. A girl two spots behind us who recently won some kind of scholarship sighed heavily.

"Just text him. Okay? I'm trying to eat like...this century if possible." Mia gave her a scalding look, but switched her gaze to me.

"Okay!" I gave in, nudging her tray with mine. "Now move."

* * *

Mia followed me home after school to make sure that I would text Romy. I should've gave him my number...I thought miserably as I listened to her ranting about how her boyfriend forgot their anniversary...again. I let us into the apartment, smelling spaghetti. 

"So I says to him, 'listen you twat, just because we got back together a week ago, doesn't mean the cycle starts all over again. We pick up where we left off.'" She stated sliding out of her Ugg slippers. My sister came from the kitchen, smiling a plasticky smile at Mia. She wasn't a big fan of being surprised when she didn't have make up on.

"Hi?" She said to Mia. Mia pulled her in for a hug.

"Juliet, you don't know how good it is to see you. I was just telling Annie over here that it was about time I visit you all again. Isn't that right Annie." I nodded hanging up my coat and going to my room for my phone so I could get this texting shit over with.

Juliet followed, Mia in tow.

"Ahh, Anna... is your friend staying for dinner?" I chewed at a hangnail getting my phone from my bedside table and flipping it open.

"Sure." I said looking through my contacts for the number I had already saved. Juliet ran a hand over her hair and smoothed her pencil skirt. If her newest costume required her to dress like Martha Stewart, then it was very becoming of her.

"Well, I leave for work in an hour, so we'll have to eat now." She said pointedly. I exhaled.

"Can you give us a moment Julie? We'll be out in a second." Mia popped a bubble with her gum and stared around my room. Juliet nodded and left, closing the door hesitantly. Mia scampered over to my bed, hopped on it and ruined what I had so neatly fixed this morning.

"What do I say?" I wondered aloud biting my lip. Mia snatched my phone and typed quickly and handed it back to me. She read it as I read it.

"Hey, wanted to know if we could meet up again." I gaped at the phone.

"WHAT?!?? aren't guys supposed to ask these things??" I didn't really know how things worked, but I'm pretty sure it wasn't supposed to be like this. Mia checked her nails,

"That's how I got my boyfriend." my eye twitched just thinking about the awful fights her and her man would get into in the hallways. I shuddered clicking the clear button. No thanks. I typed up something else.

"Thanks for walking me home, I had a great time the other night." Mia slapped a hand on her forehead.

"Whatever. Send it." So I did. We waited...and waited and finally gave up just going to eat dinner. I picked at my spaghetti, pushing it around my plate. All of a sudden, I heard a beeping from my room. Mia and I both snapped our heads up from our plates. My sister looked at us strangely.

"Uh. Are you two okay?" I slapped my napkin on the table and stood up.

"May I be excused?" I asked breathlessly. 

"Yeah me too." Mia said shoving her chair back with a loud scraping of the wood. Juliet raised her eyebrows and nodded.

"Sure." Mia and I flew from the room, entering my bedroom and diving for my bed. I flipped my phone open.

One new message from: Romy Mitchell. My heart thrummed as I opened the message. My room was dark and the only light came from the small square of my screen.

"I had a great time too. Do you think we could meet again? I have extra tickets to our next concert and I'd love for you to be there." We read aloud. Mia squealed.

"He likes you he likes you! He really really LIIIIIKES you!" She sang jumping on my bed in her sock feet. I stared incredulously at my phone.

Was this like a date?

"Answer him already!" Mia said. My hand hovered over the smooth keys.

'Where do I pick them up?' I anxiously awaited an answer. It pinged.

'I have an appointment tomorrow, but if you wouldn't mind, I could have my sister drop them off.' I breathed a sigh of relief, I was too nervous to see him so soon again. 

Or was I just nervous that he actually liked me?
* * *

The next morning, I got ready to go meet Lux at the coffeeshop Earl worked at. Jetting over there since I had overslept and didn't want to miss her, I felt my phone in my pocket persistantly buzzing. But I didn't answer it. It was probably Julie freaking out about where I was.

I stood outside of the coffeeshop for 10 freezing minutes before I checked my phone. Shit. I had gotten a text from Lux.

'Cant meet you, parents are driving me nuts. Can you come pick them up?' I groaned kicking the ground with the tip of my boot. Did I really want these tickets? Then again Mia would murder me if I didn't go. 

'Address?' was what I found myself answering back.

Surprisingly, the rocker Romy lived in the really ritzy part of town. It was all tree lined streets and brownstone mansions. I looked around in awe, embarassed about how low class I mustve looked in my red knit sweater and riding boots.

I wandered around trying to find house number 15111 when I stumbled upon the biggest property of all. It had a beautifully landscaped front, complete with rose bushes and a fountain.

"No Shit." I said incredulously stopping to gape. The number on the artistically crafted mailbox next to me read '15111'. I swallowed, suddenly nervous. My stomach knotted as I made myself down the long driveway to the front door. 

As if going to meet the wizard, I had to plan what I was to say. Then again, that movie scared me...it was creepy. I raised my hand to the gold doorbell, sticking a finger out and pressing it unsurely. I heard the rich sounds of an unknown classical song fill the house...maybe Beethoven? Satie? No one answered at first, about to ring again, the door flew open and I was startled to see very prim woman answer. She had ash blonde hair and a pristine nose. She smoothed out her probably Ralph Lauren top and smiled tightly at me.

"Yes? May I help you?" my mouth went dry as I nodded tucking a frizzy curl behind my ear.

"I'm a friend of Romy's..." then I doubted the validity of the address, maybe I had the wrong house? "Mitchell...is this the Mitchell household?" I asked unsurely. Her eyes flicked to my muddy thrift store boots and looked at me nodding mechanically.

"yes...Romy is my son." fortunately, I saw Lux emerge from down a rounded staircase.

"Ma, can you NOT scare away the tourists?" she said jokingly kissing her mother's sallow cheeks. Her mother looked disapprovingly at her daughter's uncalled appearance. 

"This is me and Romy's pal Anna." my face turned red as I waved awkwardly. 

"Hi..." I trailed off. Lux's mother got pushed aside as she tried to usher me in.

"I don't want to just hand you the tickets and kick you out, come in!" she said. Her mother tried to protest, but Lux had me out of my boots and coatless in seconds. I looked around the house, dumbfounded. Romy came from...HERE? There were marble statues and wine cellars. Gold threaded couches and glass cabinets full of trinkets. Lux pulled me to the kitchen having me sit at the long counter with her. An old woman who looked round and sweet came over from stirring a pot at the master stove.

"This is Ella." Lux said quaintly. Ella's blue eyes twinkled as she patted my hand.

"At your service miss." she responded to the introduction. A maid? Or servant lady..? They had on of those?!? Lux put up two fingers,

"Two hot chocolates please." she stated. I opened my mouth to decline, but she put up a hand. "Her hot chocolates are to die for." Lux's mother came in holding a tennis racket. Her eyes flitted to me but looked away.

"I'm going with some of the ladies from the country club to play tennis." She said. My stomach twisted as she came over to me putting a manicured hand out.

"Charmed Ally." she said sweetly. I shook her hand, too nervous to correct her. Sure...my name could be Ally, just don't murder me with the handle of your rackett. Lux snorted behind me.

"Bye mom." with one more glance behind her, her mom disappeared out of the room.

"Don't mind my mom. She's really overprotective is all." Lux said taking the hot chocolates from Ella's wrinkled old hands. I tried to smile, but felt out of place in this gorgeous mansion. Taking a sip of the heavenly hot chocolate, I nodded wanting to go home to my lame life again.

After giving me a grand tour of the house, Lux and I stood at the foot of the stairs, now laughing and joking. She was so easy to talk to. A little ball of energy in an elegant surrounding. It was amazing.

In between her telling me a story about how Romy and her started a food fight at a banquet as kids, she slapped her head.

"I completely forgot to give you your tickets!" she hooted running back up the stairs. Ella who was nearby dusting furniture chuckled to herself.

"Always on the move, that girl." I liked Ella, she was nice.

"Have they always lived here?" I asked Ella. She nodded.

"Yes, their father owns most of the buildings In the meatpacking district. But since Romy became sick they never wanted to leave out of fear." I was confused.

Not only was Rory deaf...but he was sick? Not wanting to pry, I left my questions unasked. 

The front door opened and I was afraid it was Mrs. Mitchell, but it was Romy. My heart flip flopped in my chest as he smiled at me, confused. He waved genuinely happy to see me. He signed.

'What doing here?' was what I got. I shrugged pointing upstairs.

"Your sister couldn't leave so I came here to get the tickets." His grin widened.

'Could not stay away? Could you?' I laughed, hoping Ella didn't see that. But she was already gone. I rocked on my heels.

"Lux showed me the house." I said nodding. Romy's eyebrows furrowed.

'Hope not my room. Room is messy.' I shook my head laughing as he hung up his coat. His eyes never left my face.

"She didn't, I wouldn't want to intrude." Romy looked out the window as if he were looking out for something, then he turned back to me.

'Want to see?' I almost said no, but was so sure that I could trust him, I found myself saying yes.