Uncharted

Cooper was honestly and truly one of the most amazing human beings I have ever come in contact with. I was confident of that after knowing him for just one week. He was always happy, even after helping me move all of my furniture to the seventh floor. I was blessed to have moved into next to such a good guy. I couldn’t say the same for his roommate though.

Des, I learned while Cooper and I were hauling my mattress down hall, didn’t actually go to work like he said he was going to. He simply hid out next door while Cooper and I moved in. I get it though. Moving isn’t fun so why would you help someone you don’t even know? I was offended, as stupid as that sounds. To me, that was like one big fuck you.

I couldn’t help but feel like this Des character had taken a disliking to me instantly, before even speaking to me. I could see on his face whenever when we passed each other in the hallway. Des would brush past me scowling and averting his eyes quickly. I don’t know what I had done to make him so unhappy but it must have been something terribly, unforgivably horrendous.

If I’m being honest, it hurt my feelings. If someone didn’t like me because I laughed too loudly sometimes or because I found stupid things funny I could understand that. I could understand not liking someone’s personality. The thing was that Des didn’t even give my personality a chance; he just hated me for no reason. I wished that I didn’t care what he thought about me, but I did and it sucked.

“I’m real sorry about Des.” Cooper said, twirling spaghetti around his fork. “He’s been an arse to you all week.”

I ignored his apology because we were enjoying a peaceful dinner when he brought up Des. “Hah, arse.”

“Oh I’m sorry.” Cooper rolled his eyes. “He’s like such an asshole!” he continued in the worst feminine American accent I’ve ever heard.

I probably could have died I was laughing so hard that moment. Cooper joined in a few seconds later. We continued laugh harder and harder until I was no longer able to breath. I had only know Cooper for one short week but I felt like I’d know him all of my life. It was like he was my long lost best friend.

That was the very moment that Des threw the door open and slammed it shut behind him. I felt extremely uncomfortable being around Des, and it only intensified being as I was sitting in his and Cooper’s dining area.

Des didn’t say a word to either of us. He threw his beat up black backpack on the floor near the table, barely missing my feet. I tried to keep my eyes off of Des while he fixed himself a plate of food. I wasn’t expecting Des to actually sit at the table with us so when he dropped himself into a seat at the head of the table I became visibly tense. Nothing good could come from this encounter, I was sure of it.

“So…how was work?” Cooper asked his roommate.

“Good.” Des responded which stunned me. I wasn’t aware that anything positive could come out his constantly frowning mouth.

“Good.” Cooper smiled and pushed a forkful of pasta into his mouth.

I sat at the table feeling extremely awkward as Des and Cooper talked casually about their days. I learned that Cooper was a medical student and spent most of his time at the hospital soaking up as much information and hands experience as he could, he loved helping people. Des, I learned was a tattoo artist which I deemed a fitting occupation for him because all his skin from the neck down was covered in tattoos. At least, what skin was exposed by his t-shirt was covered in tattoos. I probably could have spent hours soaking up every detail of his inked skin he wasn’t such a miserable asshole.

“Ollie, I don’t know how I’ve managed not to ask you before…but where do you work?” Cooper asked drawing me out of thoughts.

“I work for a photographer, her name is Nicole Barnes, she’s pretty much my idol. I worked with her when she was in America and she offered me a full time job here. Eventually, I’ll move to London because that’s where she’s based but she’s setting up a studio here so…that’s why I moved here.”

“Wow, are you a photographer?” Cooper sounded highly intrigued.

“I am.” I grinned proudly.

“Impressive.” Cooper stated. “You should show me some of your work, I’d love to see it.”

Des snorted as if someone had just told a funny joke. “It’s not that impressive. All you do is press a button, it’s a simple task really.”

“This coming from a tattoo artist?” I asked incredulously, rolling my eyes.

“Yes. A profession which requires both talent and skill.” Des growled.

“I’m not getting into this with you.” I said finally.

“Because you know I’m right.”

“No, because I know your type. You think just because I don’t sit down with a pencil and draw that I’m not an artist, that I have no actual talent for a field that requires a lot of knowledge and skill. I’m not about to waste my time trying to prove something to you, I don’t have to prove anything to you…or anyone else for that matter.” I leaned back in my chair and glowered at him.

“You don’t know me, so don’t fucking pretend you do.” Des seethed.

“So…” Cooper interjected before I could say anything else to Des. Believe me, there was a lot I wanted to say to that asshole. A lot. “How’s the boyfriend?”

I smiled at the mention of Dylan. “He’s good. He got a call from a record company today. He’s excited. He promised to call me later and give me all of the details.”

Des dropped his fork and he clattered loudly against his plate. He pushed himself away from the table and leaned back in his chair, earning a glare from me. Cooper looked over at him curiously, almost like he was trying to stop him from saying what he said next.

“Are you fucking stupid?” he squinted his green eyes like he was trying to figure out a complicated math problem.

“Excuse me?” I almost choked.

“You’re dating a man, a musician nonetheless, who lives on an entirely different continent. You must be fucking stupid.”

“I trust him, we’ve been dating for almost two years. This isn’t going to change anything.”

“You are so naive that it’s almost sad, really.” Des spat, his whole face looking disgusted. He stood up and walked over to the sink dropping his plate in it. I sat there with my mouth hanging open in shock. I snapped my mouth shut and looked at Cooper who was apologizing to me with his eyes.

“It’s great that you trust each other enough to not let distance effect your relationship.” Cooper’s opinion, whether it was true or not, was the only thing that kept me from bursting into tears. I had a bad habit of crying when I got mad and dear God did Des make me mad.

“It’s a load of shit and you know it, Cooper.” Des said walking toward what I assumed was his room. Cooper didn’t say anything, he just gave me a sympathetic look which I’m sure he used a million times when he had to tell people that they were terminally ill. Finally when the sound of Des shutting his door echoed through the hall Cooper wiped that look off his face.

“That was an interesting meal.” he said finally.