Sequel: Bloom ›
Status: For a contest
Flourish
Phone Calls
It is Friday night and Bambi has just finished dinner with her family, with shaking hands she reaches for her mobile desperate to hear a kind voice, she curls up in bed the covers to her neck and presses the call button. Across town Ryan is staring at his reflection trying to convince himself this double date is a good idea, on his bedside table his phone buzzes he grabs it and stares at the unfamiliar number, his heart skips a beat as he realizes who it might be.
“Hello?” He asks quietly, the other line is silent and Ryan is about to hang up when Bambi speaks,
“I got scared” Ryan smiles and sits down on his bed, hearing her voice calms his racing heart and he relaxes a little,
“What about?”
“He’s coming” Bambi says quietly, Ryan frowns,
“It’s a book Alice” Bambi pauses, she realizes how insane she must sound, as scared of Dracula as Bambi is her heart rate is racing for a very different reason,a few minutes ago her mother told her that two weeks today her uncle will be visiting, in two short weeks he will be here breathing the same air as Bambi and that is enough to scare her silly.
“You’re right” She says quietly, she wants for some inexplicable reason to confide in Ryan but she does not because a single thought scares her, what if he sees her differently? Bambi keeps her mouth closed about her uncle, it has only been a day since she has seen Ryan but she has missed his voice hearing it now is so soothing, like a sweet massage on her tense body.
“Are you enjoying the book?”
“Very much so, I’ve only read the first few chapters but I am enjoying, it’s not as scary as I expected”
“I knew you’d like it” Bambi can practically hear the smile in Ryan’s voice and she can’t help but smile herself, there is a loud bang on Ryan’s door and it startles Bambi even though she is so far away.
“One sec” He says, Ryan places the phone on his bed and answers his door, Tony stands there with a smile,
“Ready?” Ryan hesitates for a moment, he is already for this double date and he has kinda been looking forward to it but hearing Bambi’s voice makes him pause, he does not want to flirt with another girl not when Bambi is starting to trust him,
“I’m sorry Tony” Ryan says holding his stomach, “I don’t feel well” Ryan feels terrible lying to his friend but Bambi is waiting for him, a conversation with Bambi beats meaningless sex any day,
“Are you serious?” Tony says, Ryan nods, “Damn well I guess I’ll have to take both ladies out, feel better man” Tony says walking away, Ryan sighs and takes off his pants getting comfortable and lying in bed,
“Back”
“What was that about?”
“My roommate”
“You live with someone?”
“Yeah” Ryan says, “He’s my best friend, we met in college” Bambi smiles,
“Do you like the book?” Ryan stares at the children’s book next to him,
“I do, I like the caterpillar the most I think”
“Then you haven’t met the Queen yet” Bambi says, Ryan laughs, “How old are you Ryan?” Bambi is curious, she knows so little about her teacher yet somehow she feels so close to him, even lying in different beds miles apart she has never felt closer to a person in her life.
“I’m 25 what about you?”
“I’m 16 and three quarters” Ryan laughs at how childish Bambi sounds, “I wanted to sound older” She says quietly feeling embarrassed that Ryan finds her answer comical, she can’t help but compare the age difference, it may not be a large gap but it is a significant gap because she is 16.
“Why?” Ryan asks, he also compares their ages and feels guilty as he talks to this sweet little 16 and three quarters year old girl,
“In case it freaked you out”
“Does it freak you out?” Ryan asks, he is not sure what is happening between him and Bambi but he likes it, and he is willing to go as slow as she needs.
“No” Bambi answers truthfully,
“It doesn’t freak me out either” Ryan whispers, he hears the front door shut and smiles to himself knowing he made the right choice to stay home and talk to Bambi.
“I’m sorry if I’ve kept you from something” Bambi says,
“There’s nothing I’d rather be doing” Ryan says simply, Bambi smiles and pulls her knees to her chest, “Meet me at the coffee shop tomorrow?” He asks suddenly desperate to see Bambi,
“Okay” Bambi says swallowing loudly, her mouth dries up at the thought of seeing Ryan; she bites her lip and smiles. Even though Bambi and Ryan are wrong nothing has ever felt quite so right.
“Hello?” He asks quietly, the other line is silent and Ryan is about to hang up when Bambi speaks,
“I got scared” Ryan smiles and sits down on his bed, hearing her voice calms his racing heart and he relaxes a little,
“What about?”
“He’s coming” Bambi says quietly, Ryan frowns,
“It’s a book Alice” Bambi pauses, she realizes how insane she must sound, as scared of Dracula as Bambi is her heart rate is racing for a very different reason,a few minutes ago her mother told her that two weeks today her uncle will be visiting, in two short weeks he will be here breathing the same air as Bambi and that is enough to scare her silly.
“You’re right” She says quietly, she wants for some inexplicable reason to confide in Ryan but she does not because a single thought scares her, what if he sees her differently? Bambi keeps her mouth closed about her uncle, it has only been a day since she has seen Ryan but she has missed his voice hearing it now is so soothing, like a sweet massage on her tense body.
“Are you enjoying the book?”
“Very much so, I’ve only read the first few chapters but I am enjoying, it’s not as scary as I expected”
“I knew you’d like it” Bambi can practically hear the smile in Ryan’s voice and she can’t help but smile herself, there is a loud bang on Ryan’s door and it startles Bambi even though she is so far away.
“One sec” He says, Ryan places the phone on his bed and answers his door, Tony stands there with a smile,
“Ready?” Ryan hesitates for a moment, he is already for this double date and he has kinda been looking forward to it but hearing Bambi’s voice makes him pause, he does not want to flirt with another girl not when Bambi is starting to trust him,
“I’m sorry Tony” Ryan says holding his stomach, “I don’t feel well” Ryan feels terrible lying to his friend but Bambi is waiting for him, a conversation with Bambi beats meaningless sex any day,
“Are you serious?” Tony says, Ryan nods, “Damn well I guess I’ll have to take both ladies out, feel better man” Tony says walking away, Ryan sighs and takes off his pants getting comfortable and lying in bed,
“Back”
“What was that about?”
“My roommate”
“You live with someone?”
“Yeah” Ryan says, “He’s my best friend, we met in college” Bambi smiles,
“Do you like the book?” Ryan stares at the children’s book next to him,
“I do, I like the caterpillar the most I think”
“Then you haven’t met the Queen yet” Bambi says, Ryan laughs, “How old are you Ryan?” Bambi is curious, she knows so little about her teacher yet somehow she feels so close to him, even lying in different beds miles apart she has never felt closer to a person in her life.
“I’m 25 what about you?”
“I’m 16 and three quarters” Ryan laughs at how childish Bambi sounds, “I wanted to sound older” She says quietly feeling embarrassed that Ryan finds her answer comical, she can’t help but compare the age difference, it may not be a large gap but it is a significant gap because she is 16.
“Why?” Ryan asks, he also compares their ages and feels guilty as he talks to this sweet little 16 and three quarters year old girl,
“In case it freaked you out”
“Does it freak you out?” Ryan asks, he is not sure what is happening between him and Bambi but he likes it, and he is willing to go as slow as she needs.
“No” Bambi answers truthfully,
“It doesn’t freak me out either” Ryan whispers, he hears the front door shut and smiles to himself knowing he made the right choice to stay home and talk to Bambi.
“I’m sorry if I’ve kept you from something” Bambi says,
“There’s nothing I’d rather be doing” Ryan says simply, Bambi smiles and pulls her knees to her chest, “Meet me at the coffee shop tomorrow?” He asks suddenly desperate to see Bambi,
“Okay” Bambi says swallowing loudly, her mouth dries up at the thought of seeing Ryan; she bites her lip and smiles. Even though Bambi and Ryan are wrong nothing has ever felt quite so right.
♠ ♠ ♠
Fly away little bird, fly away.