Crossroads

Esther was still holding onto John’s hand as they exited the bathrooms. She felt like as if he was her safety line as they entered the bar once again. John chuckled as he slipped out his arm from her loose grip and pressed it against the top of her back as he edged her towards Roberts and his four other anonymous friends.

She sat down in the uncomfortable wooden chair and she found its flaw as soon as she sat down: one of the legs had worn to the point that the chair rocked. It amused John that Esther was fascinated by everything around her but the horrid headache and the never ending urge to throw up was making him grow even more moody.

For an hour Esther plucked up the courage and walked around the bar, checking out things her brain couldn’t even think of being created and her favourite invention in the room because it was something she knew, a concept of life, in this life, that she knew of and could remember from back home. It almost made her cry to think that she was far from home, far from her controlling parents and the wild parties, and most of all, she missed the comfort of her own bed room- her bed and pots of lavender which decorated the room.

When she got back to the table she saw that Robert and the guy were beginning to stand up, getting ready to leave, but John she still half-dead with his eyes closed. She took hold of him but the arm and helped him up to his feet.

“Let’s go,” she said softly.

Once they were all back into the van, Robert turned the vehicle towards the city of Tempe and John was more than relieved to get home and crawl back into his bed and sleep for the rest off the day, though joined by Esther who he feared might set the flat alight for trying to work out the cooker. He tried imagining tying her up until Garret or the other could watch over her.

After an hour of driving through the rising sun, they finally made it to the city. Robert dropped off his friends at his before driving John and his guest to his apartment. Hayley, the neighbour and big admirer of John’s, would have a field day when she saw who sharing John’s apartment- even John couldn’t stop staring at the gorgeous beauty.

Robert pulled the van to a stop outside the large block of flats as sun began to rise high, piercing into their eyes. John hid behind his hand as he stumbled out of the van with Esther following behind him. They waved goodbye and began to walk up the stairs.

“I could give you some clothes you could temporarily wear- they’re mine, bear in mind,” he grumbled, wiping down his face.

Esther found herself pondering. Men’s clothes? Is that even possible? She began to finally suffer with the heat and took off her coat, revealing her slim, straight, bare back. John hadn’t noticed until he put his hand on her back to guide her to the side as one of the tenants passed by, giving a smile as she passed. Esther felt his thumb rung over the line in the centre before he took his hand away, sending shivers down her back.
They walked to the second floor and approached flat eight. He found his keys, amazingly, still in his pocket and unlocked the door, allowing Esther through first. He slammed the door shut and made his way across to the black leather sofa and climbed over the arm to fall asleep, face down, on the seats.

“Can I got take a wash?” she asked.

“Sure... there’s a dial which allows you to… control the temperature.” He mumbled into the sofa. “Shower in my room… over there..

Whilst a little confused, she nod her head and walked through the doorway to her right towards a bedroom door. She walked into the bathroom which was opposite the door and glanced over the shower. This is easy, she thought. She stepped out of her heel and stepped into the shower; she pressed a laminating button and the water suddenly sprayed down on her, causing to screech with shock, stumbling back.

“Sweet, Jesus Christ!” she gasped.

Whilst shaking her short black hair fully loose, she searched for something of John’s she could wear after the shower. She had no bra so she had to find something that would conceal her small breasts. She took a shirt which she assumed would be long enough and left to take a shower.
She was standing there for five minutes trying to get the right temperature but she got to the right warmth she liked.

The front door opened and a member of The Maine, Pat, walked in, followed by Garrett. The two glanced up at each other as they found John asleep on the sofa, his feet up in the air on the arm of the chair.

“John?” called Pat, walking up to John and nudged him in the arm.

John stirred but grumbled curses. Garrett laughed out loud. “The idiot even left the shower on.”

“Go turn it off,” said Pat.

“One step ahead of you,”

He vanished into the other room as Pat sat on top of John’s back. “This is for going out all night and not saying anything and worrying us all to hell!”

John squirmed, trying to push Pat off but he was too tired to conjure the strength, and Pat gripped hold of the sofa like as if it were a human rodeo. There was a scream from both Garrett and Esther, and Pat and John snapped their heads up, watching Garrett run back into the living.

“Hot girl in the bathroom!” He gasped, pointing back.

“Oh, that’s Esther… she thinks she’s from the 1940’s,” John yawned.

Esther stormed in, wearing John’s light blue shirt which was too big for her but her white lace and cotton underwear was just visible. John looked away from found himself glancing, his cheeks burning.

“What kind of man pervert on a lady as she bathes?!” She shouted.