Compulsive

The next morning, I had two text messages.

'Sweet dreams, see you tomorrow', and 'goodmorning lacey'

I yawned, thrummed, and typed back, 'Goodmorning :)', and got up to wash my sheets and pillowcase. I showered, washing my hair twice.
I got dressed, just a pair of clean jeans and a loose white blouse (I hate that word. I don't know why, i just really don't like it. It sounds prissy.) with a cute necklace. Black flats with those socks that don't show, my purse, and I was ready to go. And then I noticed it was only eleven a.m., so I decided to wash my hands, and then put on a little bit of makeup. A teensy bit of purple eyeshadow, brown eyeliner, and some cover up.
And it was only eleven thirty. So I read a book and hung out for a while, trying not to get nervous about the movie.

When I stepped out of the car, the smell of popcorn and lemon cleaning supplies hit my nose instantaneously. I flipped my hair over my shoulder, and walked to the glass doors. Aidan was already there, buying a ticket. I walked in and pulled out a ten dollar bill, when he turned around and grinned with two tickets already in his hands.

"Thanks. What movie?" I asked.

"The Roommate." He grinned. I tensed up and clutched my purse to my side. "Are you okay?" he asked, looking at my white knuckles. I smiled tightly.
"I'm fine," I lied, and thrummed my fingers on my thigh. My hand went to my hair, where I nervously began plucking out individual strands.

"Hey, we can see something different if you want."

"No. I'm okay. Let's see it." He smiled and nodded at me, pulling a strand of hair out of my mouth with his finger. I blushed a little.

"Do you want anything to eat?" He asked. I shook my head. He took my hand from my hair, where I was still anxiously pulling at it, and twined his fingers through mine. I smiled, comforted, though I didn't really know him. He lead me to the theater. My fingers tried to thrum in his hand, I couldn't stop them. Aiden looked at me questioningly. I blushed and ducked my head.

"Sorry," I murmured.

"It's okay," he said, smiling warmly at me, and opening the door for me. The previews were just starting. He lead me to some seats in the very back, and sat down beside me, not letting go of my hand. I sat back and tried to relax. I tried my hardest not to pull my hair, but I couldn't help it. Tug. Tug. Tug. Three strands fall out. The move started twenty hairs later, and my hand was thrumming insistantly in Aidan's.
It was so embarrassing. How could I stop this? I couldn't help it.
The story got increasingly creepy, and I got increasingly nervous. Aidan noticed, pushed up the arm rest, and pulled me into him.

"We can leave," He said. This was just a stupid movie! Don't let it get to you, Lacey. Nothing like this can happen to you.

"No, I can stay." I said quietly. The thrumming and hair tugging didn't let up. This was terrible. It was just a movie! Any normal teenage girl could get through it, maybe jumping once or twice, but not seriously considering it happening to her. Any normal teenage girl would take the opportunity to cuddle with her date, but I was genuinely scared.
Ten minutes later, Aidan got up, pulling me with him, and started walking to the exit. I was nervously feeling the small bald spot on my head, just above my right ear, and hoping he wouldn't notice.

"Are you okay?" He asked me, looking intently at me, pulling my hand out of my hair. I nodded and smiled sheepishly, a million thoughts running through my mind. "Are you obsessive compulsive?"

"Yes." I said, turning red and looking at my feet.

"Hey, look up. It's cool. We've all got our stuff. I knew there would be something. People don't just go to therapists because they feel like it." I laughed, and felt my little bald spot again. And then I was comfortable again, trying to forget about the movie.

"Wait," I said suddenly, "Why do you see Diana?" I asked curiously. "I mean, you don't have to tell me, I completely understand if that's too private." He laughed, and squeezed my hand.

"That wouldn't be fair, since you can't hide yours really. I have a minor personality disorder." He said quietly, and rubbed the back of his neck and looked down. I thrummed my fingers in his hand involuntarily and blushed.

"I'm sorry. It's one of my things. Thrumming my fingers in a certain order, pulling out hair, counting a certain way." I expected him to do the expected, 'It's okay, I understand'. Instead, he leaned toward me and kissed my cheek.

"You want to go get an early dinner?" He asked.

"Sure," I smiled. We walked out into the chilly March air together. It was windy, my hair blew around my face and rose goosebumps on my skin. I pulled my jacket tighter around me, ducking my head down out of the wind.
In Illinois, it's cold and windy usually from October through mid April. It gets more bearable in mid-March, when the temperatures get up to about 35, as apposed to the 15 we have in December and January. Nonetheless, I was freezing as we walked to Moe's (a little burrito place). I started shivering, my teeth were chattering, and my pinkie fingers had begun to lose feeling.
Aidan noticed, and put his arm around me. He was warm, but walking with someone's arm around you is really uncomfortable, because you have to take the same length strides, with the same foot, otherwise you bump against each other and jostle the whole way, and end up with bruises on your shoulders and sides.
But, he was warm, and I liked him... So I let myself be jumbled and jostled as I walked with him.

After we finished our burritos (I didn't finish mine, way too big), and sipped our drinks dry, we sat and talked. People kept straying in, windblown with rosy cheeks. It was a rather gray day, and the people were too. No one looked happy besides me and Aidan, they just ate, paid, and left.
But I was having a good time. Every once in a while, he would stop talking and just look at me. And it was weird, at those moments I wanted nothing more than to kiss him.