What's a Little Vertigo

A porch light positioned to the left of a large, familiar door flickered on; illuminating a decorative wreath that hung about twenty feet away. I clutched the straps of my bag tightly and tapped my foot nervously agains the hard pavement beneath my shoes. Why was I here? What if Josh didn't want to see me? Would I even be allowed in his home?
On a whim, I had made the journey to my home in Vancouver, hoping I could surprise my brother and friends. However, I was starting to regret my decision. Hopefully this wasn't about to blow up in my face.
In attempt to swallow my fears, I paced up and down the street, weaving in between a few of the dozens of cars lined up Josh's driveway and down the curb, taking note of my brother's car parked in front of the next house over. I knew I couldn't stay outside much longer. Pretty soon, suburban passerby's would become suspicious of my intentions… and I really didm not have the time to get arrested.
The breeze shifted slightly, pulling me from my thoughts and urging me forward. Making my way up the drive, I could see movement from behind a sizable curtained window.
Bounding up the stairs towards the Ramsay household, I knocked on the door, hoping I wouldn't draw much attention. The wooden door swung open, revealing a man wearing a navy blue suit. He was bulky and had a scruffy gray beard that ran across his jawline. Was I at the right house? I peered up at the numbers carved into the nearby brick. Yep, I was definitely at the right house.
"I didn't think we were expecting anymore guests," the man huffed in a rough tone. He reeked of cigar smoke and alcohol. I could feel my hands become clammy as I looked up at the man, the warmth of his breath hitting my face.
"i'm one of Josh's friends." I choked out, squinting my eyes to see if I noticed anyone recognizable. The man nodded his head and slowly turned around, slamming the door in my face. Taken aback, I stumbled backwards, nearly tumbling down the stairs that lie behind me. What the hell had just happened?
Biting my chapped lip and wiping my sweaty palms together, I spun around and slipped off of the porch. Josh never mentioned moving when we partook in our almost daily conversations…maybe it had just slipped his mind? Dropping my shoulders, I began walking down the driveway towards the dark road. I guess it wasn't Matt's car I saw parked down the street.
"Wait!" a tender voice called, making me stop dead in my tracks. I could recognize that voice anywhere. Corlynn. Revolving on my heel, I watched as the woman nearly ran down the drive to meet me. When she recognized my face, her demeanor brightened.
"Oh. Megan. Josh never mentioned that you would be coming over." she told me, the smile on her face reaching up to her eyes.
"I'm sorry Corlynn. I was actually planning on surprising him. I didn't know you were having guests over." I explained, feeling heat rise into my cheeks. The woman's smile never faded as she held her hand out and pulled me into a welcoming hug. She smelled of cinnamon and honey.
"Don't worry about a thing, dear." she responded with a chuckle. "Miles and I were just having a small get-together for Ange's wedding this Saturday; but you know you're always welcome in our home…and I'm sure Josh would be happy to see you." I followed closely behind Josh's mother as we made our way back up the driveway. "I'm sorry if Randy frightened you. He tends to get a bit feisty when alcohol enters his system." she laughed out, opening the door to her home. The heat from the room wrapped around my body, warming my ears and nose. "Josh is in his room with Matthew, Ian and Michael." Corlynn said pointedly as she kicked off her slippers, waiting for me to follow suit, and remove my shoes.
"Thank you." I told her with an appreciative smile. She nodded her head and dismissed herself, walking into the next room, laughter filling the air.
Standing alone for a few minutes, I gazed around the familiar entryway. Baby pictures of Josh and his sisters lined a nearby wall. I remembered when Josh had first introduced me to his mother…now I could almost call her family.
Pulling myself from my thoughts, I shook my head and shuffled my feet against the polished wooden, heading towards Josh's room. From the top of the stairs, I couldn't hear music being played, rather I heard the sounds of a hockey game. Typical Matt. My brother had probably convinced Josh to take a break from practicing their music, just to he could watch the Canucks play.
Silently giggling, I set my bag on the floor and crept down the satirist leading towards Josh's bedroom. Hopefully the boys wouldn't be able to hear my footsteps.
Luck was on my side. As I rounded a small corner, I noticed my brother, Mike, and Ian hurled around Josh's television, their eyes nearly glued to the screen. Another boy lay on Josh's bed. His hair was jet-black with vibrant blue streaks, causing his pale skin to stand out. He wore a black t-shirt that lifted up just enough to see a pair of baggy blue boxers, while his jeans were held onto his body with the help of a white belt. Dumbfounded, I stared at the boy…it was Josh. In the three months I had been gone, he had changed unexpectedly and dramatically; however, a large part of me was attracted to these changes.
With a smirk, I crouched down onto my knees and crawled across the carpeted floor towards Josh's bed, hiding amongst the shadows. When my knee cracked under my weight, I held completely still. Mike looked over his shoulder in my direction, but didn't seem to notice me skulking my way around the room, and quickly returned his attention to the hockey game. In a matter of seconds, I had reached the bed. Josh's long legs hung over the side of the mattress, his feet resting on the floor.
Scarin…surprising him wouldn't be a challenge. In one swift movement, I climbed up his legs and straddled his lap, a playful growl erupting from my chest. Josh's hips jolted upwards and his gorgeous blue eyes shot open, shock apparent on his face. Looking down upon him, warmth spread through my chest as a toothy grin appeared on his face.
"Miss me?" I asked, playfully flicking his nose and rolling off of his legs to face the other in the room. Matt stated at me, his face holding the same shocked expression as everyone else in the room.
"Wha…what are you doing here?" he stuttered out, a huge smile spreading across his face. I leaned back on my elbows and raised an eyebrow.
"Hi, Megan. How are you?" I said mockingly, before answering my own question. "I'm fine, thanks for asking." Josh wrapped his long arms around my waist and pulled me into a tight hug, his warm breath hitting the back of my neck. Matt approached slowly, almost as though he thought I was unreal.
"How?" he questioned, standing before me. Mike and Ian soon joined him.
"American Thanksgiving." I explained shortly. "I'm on break."
"Why didn't you call?" My brother asked, bouncing on the bed beside me.
'I wanted to surprise everyone. I did a pretty good job, huh?" I teased, leaning against Josh, a smirk playing my lips.
"Yeah, you definitely surprised me. I almost shit my pants." he muttered, the muscles in his chest tightening. I frowned when I felt his ribs protruding. Was Josh losing weight?
Shaking the thought from my head, I continued catching up with the boys, managing to share quite a few stories of my own. I would be able to talk to Josh later…and hopefully my suspicions weren't correct.