Chance Encounters

God must have been happy with me that night because by the time we got inside, aunt Mary was fast asleep on the couch with the television blasting on some old music channel. I rushed Luke upstairs as quietly as we could go. Thank God the stairs were carpeted. I grabbed a pair of green pajama pants and a sweatshirt that I had stolen from my dad a few years ago. They were my 'not leaving the house today' weekend pajamas. They were so warm and comfortable. Sure, the pants were huge on me, but I just tied the drawstrings super tight whenever I wore them. They fit almost perfectly on Luke though. They almost fell off of him because he was so skinny.

“I can't stay here.” He said. I held my finger up to my lips saying QUIET.

“You don’t have anywhere else to go.” I whispered. “And I’m not letting you sleep on the street.” I said shoving him in my bedroom so he could get out of his wet clothes. He was in there for 30 seconds before I realized that I should probably go grab the groceries out of my car. I rushed downstairs, again quietly, and grabbed the five bags of groceries out of the car at once. Putting things where they needed to go only took a few seconds. My aunt gave me a whole shelf in the fridge. She didn’t want my animal products touching her veggies and tofu.

I got back up stairs just as Luke opened the door of my room holding out his clothes. I took them and noticed his boxers on the top of the pile. I wasn’t exactly sure what my face looked like when I noticed them but I’m sure it wasn’t pleasant. I guess I didn’t expect him to wear his wet boxers under dry clothes. I don’t know maybe I was hoping that he had a magical pair of dry underwear hidden on him. But I knew that wasn’t true.

I went into my bedroom and grabbed my nightgown and a dry pair of underwear and a bra. I hid the bra and underwear in the fabric of the nightgown so he wouldn’t see them as I walked out. I half thought about wearing a different set of pajamas since my nightgown only went to my knees, but Luke was wearing the only other ones I actually owned. I pushed Luke into my room and whispered for him to keep the door closed until I came back. Then with my dry and Luke’s wet clothes in my hand I went to the laundry room and closed the door.

I finished loading the washer and had pulled on my dry clothes. I grabbed two towels out of linen closet and went back to my room. I opened the door and slipped inside. Luke was sitting on the wheelie chair that belonged to my desk. It was probably the farthest point from the door in the room. I leaned against the door being a block, and tossed Luke the smaller of the two towels I was holding.

“For your hair” I said as I patted my hair dry with the other one. I knew the only hope my hair had was a hairdryer at this point but I couldn’t risk waking Mary up. The damp strands were waving and dripping and my hair was going to look like hell in the morning. “So um, since Mary is occupying the couch, you are going to have to sleep in here tonight.” I muttered while pretending to be REALLLY interested in my hair. Yup that was hair alright. I was still leaning against the door and it felt like there was a spark of friction between the two of us as soon as I said it. I know it sounds weird but I think I FELT his shocked gaze stabbing into me.

“What?!” Luke asked shocked. And I flinched the expletive was a bit too loud.

“It’s only until sometime tomorrow.” I said holding up my hands “I just need to take down my darkroom… and we need to get a bed back in that room. But we can get that done. And I need to find a way to tell Mary.” I was rambling and I think he could tell I was completely at a loss for what I was going to do. To be honest I didn’t think much about it before I decided to bring Luke home. I just knew there was no way I was going to let I’m stay out on the street. He seemed to be hurting enough without being homeless as well.

“And um… Do you want to take the bed? You’re sort of a guest…” I said rubbing my forearms. I was uncomfortable with letting someone sleep in my room let alone my bed… But polite is polite right?

“No. I won’t make a lady sleep on the floor.” He said “It’s your bed anyway; I’ll just sleep on the floor.” I looked at him and though I probably should have said No no I insist! I‘ll sleep on the floor! I didn’t want to sleep on the floor. Biting my tongue, I tried to prepare myself mentally for what I was going to say next.

* * *

I lay in my bed wide awake in the middle of the night, Luke lying right next to me. I didn’t want him sleeping on the floor… so I told him we could both sleep on my bed. DON’T GET ANY FUNNY IDEAS! We slept opposite of each other. He slept with his head at the foot of my bed on top of the covers with one of my other blankets and two of my pillow. I was lying down normally under my comforter. I was as comfortable as I always was in my bed, well physically. Mentally I felt exposed, uncomfortable, and I’m sorry for being paranoid but I felt like he would reach over and like… smother me or something.

He was as quiet I was hoping he was asleep but I didn’t know and I didn’t want to pull that whole hey you awake? Deal. So I was just lying there, not being able to sleep, for a few hours. My clocks readout was taunting me. At one point I know I fell asleep because I was staring at the alarm clock at 2:38 and then the readout said 6:52. It was almost 7 so I figured as tired as I was I had better get up. Before Mary did. So I climbed out of bed, Luke was still sleeping, and decided to take my shower. I grabbed a pair of shorts, change in underwear and a tank top from my drawer it wasn’t like I really had the luxury to go through my closet and pick a good outfit with a boy sleeping in my bed. My hair decided while I was trying to sleep last night to model itself after the bride of Frankenstein, you know minus the white strip. I could almost feel the static running through my curls. Minor exaggeration aside, my hair was terrible and only a really good anti frizz conditioner was going to do any good.

Quietly going into the bathroom I stood in front of the mirror, I hadn’t turned the light on but the tiny little window above the shower was providing me with enough light to see by. I don’t know why I felt I had to sneak around so much, I mean if my aunt walked in on me in the bathroom getting ready to take a shower it would be something normal, well aside from the walking in part. I examined myself in the mirror. I was in semi denial and was chocking the huge bags under my eyes up to the crappy lighting in the room. I looked tired. I was tired. But showers woke me up. I turned to water on and began, the only reason I was comfortable enough to even take the shower was because the shower ran quietly. I began to get undressed. It wasn’t a very long process considering I was wearing a nightgown.

I had just stripped off my nightgown and threw it onto the sink; I was going to undo my bra when the door opened. And Luke slipped inside the bathroom and turned on the light. His back was to me and I wanted to scream GET OUT! But I heard another door open down the hall. Mary was awake. Mary came to the door and knocked.

“Ellie, You gunna be long in there?” She asked through the door. I think Luke was about to try and fake my voice, yeah that would have gone over well, when I answered Mary,

“Yeah, I’m just getting in.” I called out past the door. Luke’s body stiffened and I was frozen in place. There was no possible explanation I could give my aunt that would explain this situation

“Crap.” I heard Mary mutter. “Well, do you want me to make you some breakfast? I won’t touch your shelf but I could get you some dairy free yogurt with some of the blueberries I got the other day.” The thing about my aunt was she was really proud to be whatever she was, Vegan I think, and she would always tell you if something was organic, or dairy free, or cruelty free, blah blah blah blah blah. I’m all for her right to choice but I didn’t care at the moment! The time it took for her to say DARIY FREE and ORGANIC was 2 more seconds I was in the bathroom half naked with a boy!

“Yeah sure sounds great!” I lied. Sooner I could get her to leave the sooner I could get Luke out of my bathroom.

“Alright.” She said and I heard her padding down the stairs she was pretty heavy footed when she woke up in the morning. She needed her morning Cruelty free coffee. Mary was in the kitchen now and Luke looked behind his back.

“JESUS!” I gasped quietly trying to yank a towel off of the shower.

“Oh god! I’ sorry!” He said quickly blocking his eyes with his hand. “The light was off I didn’t think anyone was in here! Then I heard your aunt and I didn’t want to let her see me.” He tried to explain. I didn’t care WHY I just wanted him back in my room, away from me right now!

“Out!” I yelped. And he opened the door and slipped out of the bathroom Oh god…. Oh God Oh God OH GOD! A boy had just seen me in m underwear! A boy who I had let spend the night at my house saw me in my underwear! A BOY WHO I HAD LET SLEEP IN MY BED SAW ME IN MY UNDERWEAR! The door shut quickly and I could hear him rush off towards my room. I felt my face burning. I wonder if it had been burning when he saw me too. That would be really embarrassing… Well it was embarrassing anyway. I didn’t really want to take my shower now. I looked to the door. I definitely didn’t want to go into my bedroom yet. But I couldn’t go down to the kitchen now without Mary wondering why I hadn’t taken a shower.

I climbed in the shower, avoiding the water and closed the door before I took the rest of my clothes off. I highly doubted that he would walk in on me again but better safe then sorry I imagine. I turned my back to the spray of the faucet and leaned my head against the shower tile. Trying to combat the hot blush still staining my cheeks.

* * *

I was toweled off, fully dressed, hair dried but not straightened, when I walked out of the bathroom. I still felt like I could feel his eyes on me and I was really uncomfortable. I thought it was bad last night! I went downstairs and grabbed my yogurt, knowing I couldn’t ask for another one without being blatantly obvious I grabbed an apple, banana, and one of the muffins off of my shelf. It was a balancing act up the stairs but Mary hadn’t questioned it. I ate in my room a lot, especially when I hadn’t straightened my hair before breakfast. .

I went into my room and saw Luke sitting on my wheelie chair again with his head on his arms. I didn’t know what I could say to try to make what happened in the bathroom seem like it wasn’t a big deal. It was a huge deal for me. I have never showed anyone that. I didn’t even wear bathing suits! My brain was groaning as I tried to come up with something but the best it could come up with was to pretend it hadn’t happened. REPRESS IT.

“I brought breakfast.” I said trying to sound normal. Placing the food on the desk I waited for him to choose something, But he looked at the food like it was alien. “What, you don’t eat?” I asked grabbing the banana. Peeling it I broke off a piece and handed the rest to him. “Not poisoned see.” I said taking a bite of the piece I had.

“I haven’t eaten much lately.” He muttered and I could see in his eyes it was one of those, don’t ask or he gets scary kind of deals. I grabbed my laundry basket and flipped it over using it on a chair. I sat at he desk near him.

“I’m not letting you get up until you eat some of this food.” I said looking at the desk, He was skinny. It wasn’t exactly hard to notice. He picked up the apple and took a bite. I was sated for a moment.

“Hey Ellie.” My aunt called, “Could you come here for a moment.”

“Yeah one second!” I called back. Looking to Luke I lowered my voice. “You stay here and eat. I’ll be bac here in a bit.” I went out into the hallway, “Where are you?” I called.

“Laundry room.” She answered back and I went to the laundry room. I walked in on her pullling clothes out of the dryer.

“Yeah?”

“Do you mind telling my why you have boys clothing in your laundry?”