Status: Active - Updated when possible
Love in All the Wrong Places
Chapter 5
When I woke up, I was laying on my side on the couch, covered up in a blanket. I looked around me and noticed I was alone. I sat up in alarm, trying to gather where I was at and remember the festivities that led up to me sleeping on the couch. I looked down at the carpet and noticed a few feathers from the down pillow were on the floor and began to laugh at the memory of the epic pillow fight that took place in the flat last night. I sighed in contentment, and raised my arms above my head to stretch. I lazily got up from the couch and made my way to the kitchen behind me to make some breakfast. I noticed the coffee pot hadn’t been turned on, so I knew I was the only one awake. I groggily got the coffee grounds from the cabinet and started the coffee maker. I then proceeded to grab a bowl and some cereal when I heard a raspy voice behind me.
“Good morning sleeping beauty! Sleep well?”
After jumping out of my skin for the second time in less than 24 hours, I turn around to face an amused, but sleepy Dave. Clad in some pajama pants and a white tee, he joined me in the kitchen. His brown hair was disheveled from the night before, and his voice was thick with sleep. I gave him a playful, yet nervous, hit on his shoulder while he grabbed a bowl and some cereal to join me at our small kitchen table. He sat across from me, and rubbed his eyes trying to wake himself up. I studied him as he sat there, and noticed the dark circles that rimmed his lower eyes. He hadn’t slept well last night. Quite frankly neither did I.
He caught my staring and looked at me with a puzzled look on his face, his grizzled voice asking what I was looking at. I nervously chuckled at his morning voice, one I’d heard way too often over the years from the countless road trips we’d been on with friends, and the many late night talks and study sessions we had in college. Though Dave was a year older than me, we always had the same classes.
When I didn’t answer his question and averted his stare, he shook his head and smiled, and stared down at his bowl of cereal. He sighed, and began to say something when we heard Jessie come out of her room. She was never a morning person, and today was no exception. She usually doesn’t talk in the mornings until she wakes up, but I could tell something was wrong. She looked much crankier than usual and wouldn’t even make eye contact with either of us as she shuffled into the kitchen to get her coffee. Dave had stayed over enough nights to know that she wasn’t a morning person, but even he could tell something was off. She poured herself a cup of coffee and went back to her room and shut the door. There was no way Dave told her what he told me last night. Furthermore, there was no way she heard what he said last night, at least I hoped not.
Dave and I exchanged glances before he finished up what was left of his cereal. He rinsed out his bowl and put it in the sink before going to my room to change. Something I always admired about them, they refused to sleep together despite how long they’d been together, and the many times they’d stay at each other’s place. Typically when Dave stayed here, he would take the couch, but I assume since I woke up on the couch, he just slept in my bed instead. Jerk. Left me on the couch after confessing to being in love with me. I rolled my eyes and went to wash his and my bowls in the sink while waiting for Dave to get out of my room so I could prepare for my date with Jake. I looked at the clock above the TV and noticed that it was 3:00. That couldn’t be right. There was no way I had slept for almost 12 hours last night. It felt like only 2 hours due to the constant nightmares of what Dave confessed to me replaying in my head all night.
As if on cue, Dave came out of my room, dressed in his clothes from yesterday, clearly not expecting to have spent the night. He looked at me sitting on the couch with a pained expression. I wondered if it had anything to do with Jessie’s mood this morning or the fact that I was refusing to talk to him at the moment. He started to head over to the couch to sit next to me when Jessie walked out of her room, still wearing her pajamas, and almost glared at Dave. She shoved past him to put her cup in the sink and make herself some cereal. He looked longingly at her, then back to me. He gave me a sheepish half smile, dropped his head in defeat, and left the flat.
When the door closed behind him, Jessie peaked her head out of the kitchen and asked if he was gone. When I told her he was, she came in and sighed in relief.
“Whew! Good! I thought he’d never leave!” She sat in the chair adjacent to the couch and ate her bowl of cereal.
What the hell happened last night? Did I miss something between the time she went to bed and I crashed on the couch to watch 90s sitcoms with Dave? I looked at her quizzically, and she looked back at me confused as to why I was staring so strangely at her.
“What? Why are you looking at me like that, C?” she said through bites of her breakfast.
I shook my head and got up to get ready for meeting Jake in a few hours. That would be a welcome distraction from all the drama. I had no idea what kind of show we were going to, so I didn’t want to over, or under-dress. I settled with a pair of my dark skinny jeans, and a black halter top. I pulled the sides and top of my hair up into a retro-styled bump, styled my bangs, and lightly curled my hair that wasn’t pulled back. I did a dramatically classic smoky eye with winged eyeliner, and put on some clear gloss. I stepped out of the bathroom and went back into my room to put my silver hoop earrings in, and I grabbed my black flats from my closet. I stepped out into the living room to sit for a few minutes before I left to meet Jake outside the bar. When I sat on the couch, I heard Jessie cat call from the kitchen.
“Damn girl! You’re looking hot! Where are you going so spiffed up?”
I smiled widely, and was about to answer when I stopped myself, remembering yesterday how much Jessie disapproved of my date with Jake. I was trying to think of something to reply with when her cell phone rang. Saved by the bell! She quickly ran from the kitchen on a mad search to find her phone. She kept yelling at whoever was calling her to not hang up because she was looking for her phone. As if they could hear her. She finally found it wedged between the chair cushions and pulled it out to talk right before it went to voicemail. She answered the phone out of breath, and once she heard who was calling her, a huge smile spread across her face and she skipped off to her room and shut the door. Whoever it was, I need to thank them because they saved me from having to explain myself to Jessie. Not to mention it took her out of whatever sour mood she’s been in all day. I looked at the clock and noticed it was 5:00, so I got up and grabbed my purse and started to leave. Since I didn’t tell Jessie where I was going and I didn’t get to see her before I left, I decided to leave a note:
Heading out on the town tonight. Don’t know how long I’ll be gone. Don’t wait up. -C
I put the bright orange post-it note on her doorframe where I was sure she would see it at some point. I then locked the door behind me and made my way downstairs, but not before putting in my headphones and choosing music for my walk over to the bar. Getting all excited for the night, I decided the best music to listen to, of course, was The Postelles. However I chose to just shuffle their entire discography, including their new album that just came out, which I had been listening to religiously over the last few days since its release. I mean afterall, listening to The Postelles was the reason I even had a date tonight. I started with “Sweet Water” which I deemed an appropriate song for the occasion, and proceeded to walk to the bar.
“Good morning sleeping beauty! Sleep well?”
After jumping out of my skin for the second time in less than 24 hours, I turn around to face an amused, but sleepy Dave. Clad in some pajama pants and a white tee, he joined me in the kitchen. His brown hair was disheveled from the night before, and his voice was thick with sleep. I gave him a playful, yet nervous, hit on his shoulder while he grabbed a bowl and some cereal to join me at our small kitchen table. He sat across from me, and rubbed his eyes trying to wake himself up. I studied him as he sat there, and noticed the dark circles that rimmed his lower eyes. He hadn’t slept well last night. Quite frankly neither did I.
He caught my staring and looked at me with a puzzled look on his face, his grizzled voice asking what I was looking at. I nervously chuckled at his morning voice, one I’d heard way too often over the years from the countless road trips we’d been on with friends, and the many late night talks and study sessions we had in college. Though Dave was a year older than me, we always had the same classes.
When I didn’t answer his question and averted his stare, he shook his head and smiled, and stared down at his bowl of cereal. He sighed, and began to say something when we heard Jessie come out of her room. She was never a morning person, and today was no exception. She usually doesn’t talk in the mornings until she wakes up, but I could tell something was wrong. She looked much crankier than usual and wouldn’t even make eye contact with either of us as she shuffled into the kitchen to get her coffee. Dave had stayed over enough nights to know that she wasn’t a morning person, but even he could tell something was off. She poured herself a cup of coffee and went back to her room and shut the door. There was no way Dave told her what he told me last night. Furthermore, there was no way she heard what he said last night, at least I hoped not.
Dave and I exchanged glances before he finished up what was left of his cereal. He rinsed out his bowl and put it in the sink before going to my room to change. Something I always admired about them, they refused to sleep together despite how long they’d been together, and the many times they’d stay at each other’s place. Typically when Dave stayed here, he would take the couch, but I assume since I woke up on the couch, he just slept in my bed instead. Jerk. Left me on the couch after confessing to being in love with me. I rolled my eyes and went to wash his and my bowls in the sink while waiting for Dave to get out of my room so I could prepare for my date with Jake. I looked at the clock above the TV and noticed that it was 3:00. That couldn’t be right. There was no way I had slept for almost 12 hours last night. It felt like only 2 hours due to the constant nightmares of what Dave confessed to me replaying in my head all night.
As if on cue, Dave came out of my room, dressed in his clothes from yesterday, clearly not expecting to have spent the night. He looked at me sitting on the couch with a pained expression. I wondered if it had anything to do with Jessie’s mood this morning or the fact that I was refusing to talk to him at the moment. He started to head over to the couch to sit next to me when Jessie walked out of her room, still wearing her pajamas, and almost glared at Dave. She shoved past him to put her cup in the sink and make herself some cereal. He looked longingly at her, then back to me. He gave me a sheepish half smile, dropped his head in defeat, and left the flat.
When the door closed behind him, Jessie peaked her head out of the kitchen and asked if he was gone. When I told her he was, she came in and sighed in relief.
“Whew! Good! I thought he’d never leave!” She sat in the chair adjacent to the couch and ate her bowl of cereal.
What the hell happened last night? Did I miss something between the time she went to bed and I crashed on the couch to watch 90s sitcoms with Dave? I looked at her quizzically, and she looked back at me confused as to why I was staring so strangely at her.
“What? Why are you looking at me like that, C?” she said through bites of her breakfast.
I shook my head and got up to get ready for meeting Jake in a few hours. That would be a welcome distraction from all the drama. I had no idea what kind of show we were going to, so I didn’t want to over, or under-dress. I settled with a pair of my dark skinny jeans, and a black halter top. I pulled the sides and top of my hair up into a retro-styled bump, styled my bangs, and lightly curled my hair that wasn’t pulled back. I did a dramatically classic smoky eye with winged eyeliner, and put on some clear gloss. I stepped out of the bathroom and went back into my room to put my silver hoop earrings in, and I grabbed my black flats from my closet. I stepped out into the living room to sit for a few minutes before I left to meet Jake outside the bar. When I sat on the couch, I heard Jessie cat call from the kitchen.
“Damn girl! You’re looking hot! Where are you going so spiffed up?”
I smiled widely, and was about to answer when I stopped myself, remembering yesterday how much Jessie disapproved of my date with Jake. I was trying to think of something to reply with when her cell phone rang. Saved by the bell! She quickly ran from the kitchen on a mad search to find her phone. She kept yelling at whoever was calling her to not hang up because she was looking for her phone. As if they could hear her. She finally found it wedged between the chair cushions and pulled it out to talk right before it went to voicemail. She answered the phone out of breath, and once she heard who was calling her, a huge smile spread across her face and she skipped off to her room and shut the door. Whoever it was, I need to thank them because they saved me from having to explain myself to Jessie. Not to mention it took her out of whatever sour mood she’s been in all day. I looked at the clock and noticed it was 5:00, so I got up and grabbed my purse and started to leave. Since I didn’t tell Jessie where I was going and I didn’t get to see her before I left, I decided to leave a note:
Heading out on the town tonight. Don’t know how long I’ll be gone. Don’t wait up. -C
I put the bright orange post-it note on her doorframe where I was sure she would see it at some point. I then locked the door behind me and made my way downstairs, but not before putting in my headphones and choosing music for my walk over to the bar. Getting all excited for the night, I decided the best music to listen to, of course, was The Postelles. However I chose to just shuffle their entire discography, including their new album that just came out, which I had been listening to religiously over the last few days since its release. I mean afterall, listening to The Postelles was the reason I even had a date tonight. I started with “Sweet Water” which I deemed an appropriate song for the occasion, and proceeded to walk to the bar.
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I know this is a bit of a filler...I promise all of this stuff is just adding into the foundation of future events...it's all relevant. I plan on updating possibly again at the end of the week to make up for my lack of updating the last couple weeks, and to make up for this filler chapter. Thoughts??? Predictions???