Oh Love

I unlocked my apartment and just as quickly shut the door again. What I had just witnessed should have been illegal and I should have predicted it. I sighed and bit my lip. What on Earth was I going to do? I bit my lip again before I pulled out my phone and dialed his number.

“Miss me already?” I could hear the smirk on his face and it made me smile.

“No. I just kind of need to do something for a few more hours.”

“Why?”

“Camilla and Gabe are having sex in the apartment we share.”

“So?”

“It’s in the hallway. And I’m guessing they will move to the kitchen and the living room before they make it to her bed.” Alex laughed while I paced. “This isn’t funny, Alex.”

“It kind of is. You wanna come hang out with me? I’ve actually got nothing to do anymore. I thought about going to bed but it feels too early in the night.”

I rolled my eyes. “It’s getting close to one in the morning, Alex.”

“So? Way too early to end the night.” He was grinning and even though he couldn’t see me, I tried not to roll my eyes. “So, want me to come pick you up? I kind of want to show you something really cool.”

I sighed. “Alright.” I gave him my address and headed to the lobby floor.

I paced along the entrance door and glanced at my reflection in the glass a few times. My strapless black dress flowed nicely as I walked and my patent leather red heels made me feel more confident. I sighed at the sight of my hair. I still couldn’t believe I had just put it into a loose braid. Pieces were falling out all over the place but I didn’t really care.

I did a make up check just to make sure my eyeliner wasn’t smeared or my matching red lipstick wasn’t running down my chin. I had to admit, I had unique features. For one, my white hair (which refused to take hair dye, so I was stuck with it). And then my green eyes. Which were probably my favorite feature. They were a nice color. And then my tiny frame. I was proportioned like Camilla but I was much smaller. I could barely find clothes that fit right. I smiled as I saw a car pull up and roll down the window for me to see the grinning face in the car.

“Checking yourself out in the glass?” He asked as I entered the warm car. I had regretted not bringing a jacket earlier in the evening. Camilla promised I wouldn’t need it.

“Of course.” I grinned and shivered.

He smiled before reaching back and hanging me a big purple and gold hoodie with a giant Raven on the front. “Here.” He sat down and started to drive away.

I took a good look at it. “Ravens? Really?” I raised my eyebrow at him.

“Fuck yes. They are my team. Got a problem with it?”

I giggled. “Nope.” I slipped the hoodie on and smiled. It was warmer and it smelled pretty good.

“Who do you support?” He asked skeptically.

“No one. I don’t do football. I’d rather watch soccer or hockey.”

He scoffed. “Hockey?”

“Hell yes! They literally beat the shit out of each other.” I defended.

He thought a minute. “Fine. I’ll give you that. But seriously? No football?”

I shrugged. “I’ve never really watched it. I don’t really watch all that much sports. At least, I don’t keep up on it.”

“Fair enough. I’ll let it slide for now. But I will make you watch a Ravens game with me.” He looked at me and smiled.

I rolled my eyes. “Alright. Where are we going?” I asked suddenly.

“Surprise.” He grinned.

“Oh great. I guess I’ll be getting raped tonight.” I said under my breath.

Alex started to laugh so hard I wasn’t sure he was going to make it. His eyes even started to water and when he finally calmed down I just sat there and played with my fingers.

“That has to be one of the funniest things I’ve ever heard.”

“How so?”

“Well, just the way you said it. Almost like you accepted it would happen. Which is concerning by the way.”

“Well, I just met you-”

“And this is crazy, but here’s my number, so call me maybe?” He sang lightly. I shook my head and he just laughed.

“Not what I was going to say.”

“I know. I just thought it was funny.”

“Of course you did. No, what I was going to say, is that I don’t exactly know you and I don’t know what you want from me. And I pretty much willingly got in your car so you could show me some ‘surprise.’ I’m actually surprised you’re not wearing a trench coat.”

He laughed again. “I see. Well, one, I don’t wear trench coats. Not unless I plan on streaking with Jack. Two, I have no intentions of raping you. And the surprise place is just somewhere I go to think and hang out when I want to be alone.”

“Jack?”

“Really? That’s all you heard from what I just said? Wow. You must be crazy.” He grinned and I stuck my tongue out at him for the second time that night. “And Jack is my best friend. But I have two other best friends. We don’t get into as much trouble as Jack and I.”

“Oh wonderful.”

He laughed again but was silent for the rest of the car ride. I messed with the radio until I found something I liked. Alex sang along quietly and I would never admit to him how much I loved his singing voice. He stopped behind some buildings and I gave him a questioning look. He ignored it and went to the trunk to get a blanket. I got more and more confused until he pointed to an old and apparently abandoned warehouse.

“This whole ‘not raping’ thing is not looking promising.” I said.

He laughed and held out his hand for me to take. Which I did. He led me up the rotting wooden stairs making sure I didn’t slip on anything since I was still in heels. We reached the warehouse and I saw a torn up couch up against one of the four crumbling walls. I raised my eyebrow at him again and he just gave me a genuine smile while leading me to the couch.

Alex laid the blanket over the couch then laid down, opening his arm for me to join. I kicked off my heels and crawled into his arms. I was immediately glad that I had such a small frame. I had a feeling it wouldn’t have worked if Alex had invited Camilla to join him. He pulled the blanket over us and I snuggled closer. He kept his arm right at my waist and I rested on his chest.

“Better?”

“Not really. Still feel like I might get raped.”

I felt his body shudder a little and heard him laugh. “I swear, I won’t. I’ll give you my car if I do.”

I snorted. “Yeah, okay. What are we even doing here?”

With the hand that wasn’t wrapped around me he pointed to a spot above us. I gasped. You could see nearly every star in sight. The roof had been torn off and it was just the open sky. It was probably one of the few places in the city where you couldn’t see the city lights. I could tell he was grinning at my reaction.

“Now how do you feel?”

“Alex, this is beautiful.”

“I know.”

“How did you even find this place?”

“I got really mad at Jack one time. And I just needed a break. I’ve been coming here for years. Especially when I need a little inspiration to write. I come here and just spend a night or two staring at the stars. It unblocks all the bullshit in my head.”

“Wow. I love it.”

He chuckled. “Good. Feeling better about being here?”

“Sorta. But most cause you’re really warm and it’s absolutely gorgeous above me. Otherwise, this warehouse is kind of creepy and fairly dirty.”

He laughed again. “Still feel like you’re going to be raped?”

“I don’t know.” I sighed. “But there is a part of me that doesn’t think so.”

“Why?”

“You promised me your car. And rapists don’t just promise people cars if they rape them. Neither do guys in general.”

He laughed. “Good point. So, Odette, what’s the meaning behind your name?”

I smiled a little. “My dad’s German and my mom’s French. She figured if I had to get his last name then she got to pick my first name. Doesn’t make much sense but whatever.”

“If I asked would you tell me your last name?”

“Fischer. Spelled the German way.”

“Huh.”

“And your’s?”

“Gaskarth.”

I held in my giggle. “Interesting.”

“Do you have a middle name?”

“Nope. Neither one of parents could agree. So they just didn’t give me one.”

“Really?”

“Mhmm. You?”

“William.”

“So, Alexander William Gaskarth is your full name?” I giggled a little. It may have sounded a little odd but it worked.

“Bingo! And you’re just Odette Fischer, spelled the German way.”

I giggled. “Yep.”

We stayed wrapped around each other and talked until I could barely hold my eyes open. He offered to take me home but the alcohol and sleep were effecting my judgement and I really didn’t want to go anywhere. He laughed and just pulled me closer, humming an unrecognizable tune until I fell asleep on his chest.