Uncharted

Since my arrival in Ireland a few things had changed. I woke up early in Ireland; at home I would sleep all day if my family let me. In Ireland, I actually ate breakfast. After breakfast I would sit on my balcony and drink my coffee every morning.

I was doing just that, sitting on my balcony with my favorite green mug. I enjoyed the peace and quiet of the early morning. I could sit and get lost in my thoughts. I could think about Dylan and what he was doing. My best friend, Taylor, and how grad school was going for her. I could think about my family, wondering whose life they were controlling when I was out of their grasp. I could think about anything and everything that early in the morning because there were barely any people on the streets causing a commotion.

“What’re you thinking about?” I nearly jumped out of my own skin, not expecting anyone to be awake this early.

“Jesus Christ! You scared the shit out of me.” I held my hand over my frantically beating heart, giving Cooper a quick glance.

“Sorry.” Cooper held his hands up in surrender, his ever present smile not faltering.

Cooper was dressed in light blue scrubs, his hair sand colored hair was sticking up in every thinkable direction. I couldn’t tell if he was getting ready to go to the hospital or if he had just returned home. It was a guessing game trying to figure out when Cooper would be home.

“You know, smoking kills.” I commented looking at the cigarette that was dangling between Cooper’s lips.

Cooper chuckled, flicking ash off to his side. The doors on Cooper’s balcony rattled loudly signally that Des was about to emerge. Des walked out squinting into the early morning light. He had an extreme case of bed head going on and pair of baggy sweat pants were hanging dangerously low on his hips. He wasn’t wearing a shirt which confirmed my suspicious that his entire upper body was covered in tattoos. Des yawned, rubbing on of his tattooed hands over his eyes and then using the same hand to tousle his hair. He dropped his body onto the bench just outside their balcony doors and lit a cigarette.

Two thoughts ran through my head at that very moment: Dear Lord, he is beautiful. I have a boyfriend, what is wrong with me?

“You know, being at the hospital all the time I’m sure something else will kill me first.” Cooper joked, pulling me away from gawking at Des. I laughed but I couldn’t help but think that that was depressing way of looking at his life.

“That’s terrible.” I told him but his smile was so contagious that I was smiling too.

Cooper just shrugged, inhaling and then exhaling. “Why are you up so early?”

“I always wake up this early.” I shrugged taking another sip of my coffee.

“That’s unnatural.” Des growled, his voice deep from sleep. Obviously, he still wasn’t fully awake.

“Well why are you awake so early?”

“Just got back from the hospital.” Cooper answered, stomping out his cigarette.

Des stumbled his way over to Cooper which in turn meant closer to me. He eyed me curiously; the early morning sun got caught in his eyes making then turn the most brilliant green I’ve ever seen. I started to get uncomfortable under his gaze, I hugged my grey hoodie closer to my body.

“I hadta piss.” Des finally said. He threw the last of his cigarette down and walked back into his and Cooper’s apartment, scratching his ass and yawning the whole way. Reminding me why he was the least appealing man on the planet.

“What’re doing tonight?” Cooper asked suddenly, catching me off guard.

“Um, I don’t know. All I have planned is to watch some movies.”

“How about you and I have a movie a night? We can order some food and be lazy and watch movies because if Desmond forces me to go out with him and the guys tonight I might go crazy. I need some time to just do nothing.”

“I don’t know.” I trailed off, wondering if that would be okay. Would Dylan be mad if I hung out with Cooper, alone, all night.

“I swear to Jesus I’m not trying to get in your pants. I’m just trying to hide from my friends.”

“Go gee, thanks.”

“And spend some quality time with my favorite American ever!” Cooper added quickly.

“Better.” I praised him. “Sounds like a plan. Call me later.” I said as I stood up, and made my inside.

“Will do.”

&&

I had been sitting on my couch for hours waiting for Cooper to call me. Finaly my phone rang, and I reached for and saw Dylan’s name flashing across the screen. Happily, I answered the phone smiling so wide it made my face hurt. A call from Dylan was by far so much better than a call from Cooper.

“Hello.” I said into the phone.

“I miss you.” Dylan said quietly, obviously having just woken up.

“I miss you too.” My smile failed and my heart ached for my boyfriend.

“I’m going to come see you as soon as I can. I promise.” Dylan’s voice was raspy, like it always is in the morning. Only it wasn’t morning back home so I figured he must have been working the night shift.

“I’ll be waiting.” I said, trying to shake off the depressing conversation we were having. I wanted us to have a happy conversation for once, without all the gloom and doom of missing each other. I thought it should just be understood that we missed each other, and I hated talking about it. Generally, I hate talking about my feelings at all.

“We have a meeting with a record company tomorrow.” Dylan must have sensed my displeasure when talking about missing each other because he quickly changed the subject to his band.

“You’ll do great. You’ll make that record company your bitch.” I grinned when I heard his booming laugh through the phone. Dear God, did I miss that laugh.

“I hope so.” Dylan groaned “I have to get ready to go to work.”

“Quit.” I said selfishly, I didn’t want him to get off the phone. I missed his voice. I guess I just missed him in whole.

He chuckled “Babe, I have to go to work so I can make money to come see you. You know I would stay on the phone with you all day if I could.”

“I know.” I sighed and ran my hand through my hair, keeping my eyes trained on the wall in front of me.

“I love you.” Dylan said after a long pause in which we said nothing to each other, mostly because we didn’t want to hang up.

“I love you too.” I said trying not to cry. Every time I talked to him I got extremely homesick. “Bye.”

“Bye.” And with that he hung up.

I knock bounced off of my door, making me jump. I was not expecting anyone to knock on my door ever, especially this late at night. I unlocked my door slowly and pulled it open to reveal Des looking dumbstruck with a girl on his arm.

“This isn’t where I live.” He slurred and the girl giggled. “Next door over.” And with that he pulled his equally as intoxicated friend to the correct door and started to knock.

"Asshole." I muttered to myself and then closed the door.