‹ Prequel: Wretched and Divine
Status: active

Ohio Is for Lovers

Chapter Seventeen

Taking the Metro had always been Lena's favorite thing to do. She wasn't sure what it was but there was something about the way the subway rail lines looked underground in these big arch ways that stretched on for miles that caught her interest.

She had her ballet shoes tied to her dance bag and let them hang down so everyone could see. She would never openly admit it, but she loved when people recognized her or asked her about her profession when she was on the Metro headed home.

That day, the Metro was crowded enough for her to have to stand; which she didn't mind at all, but so many people confined to one space made her uncomfortable at times--especially in a city like Los Angeles. She felt a tap on her upper thigh and looked down to see a girl who looked to be about nine or ten looking up at her and reaching for her pointe shoes.

"Are you a ballerina?" The girl asked with wide, excited eyes.

Lena smiled down at her. "Yes, I am."

"Whoa." The little girl whispered. "I've never met a real ballerina before... Daddy! Look! A real ballerina!"

Lena giggled at the young girl's reaction. "You know what, I think I might have an old pair of shoes in here that I don't use anymore. Would you want them?"

The girl nodded furiously. "Yes, of course!"

Lena opened her bag and pushed her various dance clothes out of the way to find her old pair sitting at the bottom. She pulled them out and signed the shank of the shoe and gave them to the little girl who couldn't stop smiling.

"Just be careful with them." Lena advised. "I don't want you to hurt yourself."

"Thank you!" The little girl hugged her and then grabbed onto her dad's extended hand so they could get off at their stop.

Lena sat down as the sea of people began to thin out and took a deep sigh. After starting back up with ballet again, her whole body ached. Her toes were bleeding again, and she could feel her muscles begin to cry out in protest with every step she took.

The walk back to her apartment was one of the most challenging parts of her day until she looked across the street to see Jake and Andy sitting outside their apartment building on the couch from their living room.

Lena furrowed her eyebrows in confusion and paused to stare at them from across the street. Andy was looking to the left of him and Jake was looking to the right; both oblivious to the fact that Lena was watching them from across the way.

"What...?" Lena asked herself. She looked both ways and then quickly jogged across the street before the traffic caught up. "What the fuck are you guys doing?" Lena asked throwing her hands up.

"Oh, hey Lena! Nice day out isn't it?" Andy asked, nonchalantly.

"What? No! Why is my fucking couch outside on the sidewalk?" She motioned to the two of them. "And why are you two lounging about out here?"

"Well..." Jake began. "We wanted to sit outside and wait for you to get home but the sidewalk is just so hard on our butts so we figured we would bring the couch outside so we could leisurely sit and wait for you while we enjoyed this lovely weather we're having."

Lena put her hands on her head as she tried to process what Jake was telling her. "You're telling me that you two think your tushies are too sensitive for the fucking sidewalk so you carried our fucking couch down three flights of stairs so you could 'leisurely' sit outside and wait for me to get home?"

"Ah, yep." Jake responded.

"Remind me again why I'm with you..." Lena couldn't even believe the nerve of these two.

"Because you looooove me." Jake cooed.

Lena rolled her eyes at him playfully. "Get my couch back in my living room and then we'll talk."

Andy and Jake stood up. Andy reached into his pocket and pulled out a pack of cigarettes, dropping one into his hand and giving it to Lena. "I have a feeling you're gonna need this."

Lena let the cigarette sit between her lips as she struck her lighter. She lit herself up as she watched dumb and dumber try and maneuver the couch back in through the double glass doors of her apartment complex. As she watched Jake and Andy, she couldn't help but think how similar they were to one another. She blew out smoke between her partially separated lips. Jake was the sweet one and Andy was the adventurous one. Jake made her feel at home, and safe. Andy made her feel alive, wild and rebellious. And she began to think, maybe she didn't actually love Andy. Maybe she only thought that because she was confusing the attention he gave her with who he actually was. It was no secret that Andy was a bit of an arrogant asshole at times, especially to girls. Jake never once disrespected Lena, and they had been together all these years. She began to think that if Jake asked her to marry him tomorrow, she would probably say yes.
♠ ♠ ♠
True story: this chapter is actually based on something that happened at my school. Two guys in the theater program decided it would be a wonderful idea to take the couch from the PAS (performing arts studios) and put it outside so they could wait for Jim (technical supervisor and also my boss for my work study) outside in the nice weather leisurely instead of sitting inside. Only at a Performing Arts college....

Shout outs:

-a.rebel.in.love.97
-Emma-Hart

Thank you guys so much for your kind words. They're very appreciated and I'm looking forward to wrapping this story up and hopefully ending the series. I'm going to see where the demand lies. If you guys call for a second sequel, I'll write it. Lena and Jake are my favorite couple that I've written about so far. I've put so much into each of them and I've put so much into their relationship. I hate to have to put them to rest soon but we'll see. Maybe a third installment isn't all that bad of an idea.