You Had Me at "I Hate You"
07
The next day, I arrived to work with my mind buzzing.
I know it was wrong... But, could this be my ticket to the front page?
And, as if they were guided by an unknown force... My fingers began tapping away.
About an hour later, I had it.
An article that would make my career!
And ruin the lives of two boys...
I saved it to my computer, vowing not to show it to anyone. I couldn't actually believe I'd typed it... I would never stab my roommates in the back like that.
I was so lost in thought, that I didn't even realize when Aiden asked me something.
"Huh?" I asked, snapping out of the hazy fog I'd entered.
"I said... You look really pretty today..." he repeated.
My heart froze.
Okay, you've got to let him know that you're interested... And yet, somehow, not seem too eager. Respond with a casual, witty comment. Maybe add something in about how you might have to check your schedule... Yeah, that's it... Make him chase after you a bit. Just be calm and cool and-
"Oh, really! Um... Wow! You look pretty too! I... I mean... Uh..."
Brilliant. You did a great job, Violet. Now, quick! Accidentally staple your finger to show how nervous you are! Nice, aced that one!
"Oh!" Aiden cried out.
A trickle of blood seeped out onto the papers I'd been trying to staple. It soaked into the bright red font, making the headline go from:
Baby Born With The Head Of A Goat!
to
Baby Born Wi ea Goat!
"Shit!" I muttered, more to myself than to anyone else. I really screwed this one over!
Aiden took my hand in his and applied even pressure with a tissue to help stop the bleeding. I smiled sheepishly, my cheeks flushed in embarrassment.
He smiled that charming smile of his, and continued to hold my hand... the tissue slowly turning red.
Romantic?
Yes.
Slightly icky?
Yes.
But cute?
Oh, yes... Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes.
-_-_-_-_-_-
AFTER WORK...
Sometimes, when you live with boys, it's good to get a day off to go do whatever. Me? I prefer shopping.
I walked briskly down the streets, gazing into the "Way-Too-Expensive-For-You" stores hungrily. I stopped at a swanky little shop, and went inside. A bell twinkled.
Signs were posted everywhere:
Holiday Sale! Everything 40% off!
Hell, I'm broke as it is... I might as well indulge myself, right?
I bought a dress, a few tops, some really amazing skinny jeans, and random hair accessories that I didn't need.
Jesse was still in class when I got home, and I heard the shower running, so I figured Linc wouldn't be out for a while. I tried on the new clothes, and started to model them a bit in the mirror in my room.
Let me tell you... Retail therapy works wonders!
I began to feel much bouncier and happier!
I had on the new dress over the new skinny jeans. Hmm... Nah, it didn't look good. I scrunched up my nose, and tugged off the dress. I was digging through the colossal bag to find a black lacy blouse when I heard,
"Woah!"
I turned around to see Linc standing in the doorway, with a towel wrapped around his waist. I guess I'd been so preoccupied with my new clothes, that I hadn't heard the shower stop running.
"Hey Linc," I greeted him casually, and continued searching for the top.
"Hey... Violet..." he choked out, staring at my... at my...
That's when I realized that I was wearing my new jeans... and my bra. Only my bra.
I screeched, trying to cover myself as best as I could.
Linc just stood there.
"Well, don't look!" I protested.
"Oh! Right! Yeah, sorry!" he snapped out of his daze. "Sorry! S-Sorry, did I say that already? Yeah. Sorry-"
He whorled around and tried to exit the room. Unfortunately, Lincoln Fletcher is not a ghost. Therefore, he can not pass through solid doors.
CLUNK
"Ow! Shit... Right, sorry. I forgot to open it... Shit... Sorry..." he blurted, rubbing his head. He flung the door open and nearly tripped over himself in his haste to get out.
I tugged on a shirt, just in time to hear Jesse call, "I'm home! Woah, Linc, why are you in a towel?"
"I... I... I..."
I sighed in embarrassment.
I guess Jesse made a move to come into my room, because Linc shouted,
"NO! Don't go in there!"
"Why the hell not?"
"She doesn't have a top on!"
"And you saw her?"
"Yeah, but I didn't know she was half naked!"
"And so you just barged in to her room?!"
"It's my room, too!"
"But you did knock... Didn't you?"
"No..."
"Lincoln, you idiot! You've got to knock before going into a girl's room!"
"Sorry! Sorry! I didn't know that!"
I heard Jesse sigh.
"No go put on some clothes before I lock you out of the apartment in that towel."
"Like you did last Easter!" Linc remembered. "And it got caught in the door, and the landlady came up to collect the rent, and I was naked, and she thought that I-"
"Put on some clothes!" Jesse interrupted the trip down memory lane.
Linc huffed in annoyance and trudged towards the door. He knocked a few times before entering though.
"You can come in, Linc," I told him. "I'm decent."
He entered, clutching the towel to his waist, and peeking at me, just to make sure that I'd been telling the truth.
"Okay, turn around," he ordered.
I did so, and heard a drawer open.
"Hey, can you toss me those jeans?" he asked.
I grabbed a pair of red, straight legged pants off the mirror on my side of the room.
I turned around to throw them to him... And paused.
Linc was only wearing his boxers... And he had nice abs...
"Earth to Violet? The pants please?"
"Oh! Right..." I tossed them over to him, and he tugged them on.
He then pulled on a dark t-shirt, and winked at me before exiting the room.
I sighed. Boys will be boys I suppose...
I know it was wrong... But, could this be my ticket to the front page?
And, as if they were guided by an unknown force... My fingers began tapping away.
About an hour later, I had it.
An article that would make my career!
And ruin the lives of two boys...
I saved it to my computer, vowing not to show it to anyone. I couldn't actually believe I'd typed it... I would never stab my roommates in the back like that.
I was so lost in thought, that I didn't even realize when Aiden asked me something.
"Huh?" I asked, snapping out of the hazy fog I'd entered.
"I said... You look really pretty today..." he repeated.
My heart froze.
Okay, you've got to let him know that you're interested... And yet, somehow, not seem too eager. Respond with a casual, witty comment. Maybe add something in about how you might have to check your schedule... Yeah, that's it... Make him chase after you a bit. Just be calm and cool and-
"Oh, really! Um... Wow! You look pretty too! I... I mean... Uh..."
Brilliant. You did a great job, Violet. Now, quick! Accidentally staple your finger to show how nervous you are! Nice, aced that one!
"Oh!" Aiden cried out.
A trickle of blood seeped out onto the papers I'd been trying to staple. It soaked into the bright red font, making the headline go from:
Baby Born With The Head Of A Goat!
to
Baby Born Wi ea Goat!
"Shit!" I muttered, more to myself than to anyone else. I really screwed this one over!
Aiden took my hand in his and applied even pressure with a tissue to help stop the bleeding. I smiled sheepishly, my cheeks flushed in embarrassment.
He smiled that charming smile of his, and continued to hold my hand... the tissue slowly turning red.
Romantic?
Yes.
Slightly icky?
Yes.
But cute?
Oh, yes... Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes.
-_-_-_-_-_-
AFTER WORK...
Sometimes, when you live with boys, it's good to get a day off to go do whatever. Me? I prefer shopping.
I walked briskly down the streets, gazing into the "Way-Too-Expensive-For-You" stores hungrily. I stopped at a swanky little shop, and went inside. A bell twinkled.
Signs were posted everywhere:
Holiday Sale! Everything 40% off!
Hell, I'm broke as it is... I might as well indulge myself, right?
I bought a dress, a few tops, some really amazing skinny jeans, and random hair accessories that I didn't need.
Jesse was still in class when I got home, and I heard the shower running, so I figured Linc wouldn't be out for a while. I tried on the new clothes, and started to model them a bit in the mirror in my room.
Let me tell you... Retail therapy works wonders!
I began to feel much bouncier and happier!
I had on the new dress over the new skinny jeans. Hmm... Nah, it didn't look good. I scrunched up my nose, and tugged off the dress. I was digging through the colossal bag to find a black lacy blouse when I heard,
"Woah!"
I turned around to see Linc standing in the doorway, with a towel wrapped around his waist. I guess I'd been so preoccupied with my new clothes, that I hadn't heard the shower stop running.
"Hey Linc," I greeted him casually, and continued searching for the top.
"Hey... Violet..." he choked out, staring at my... at my...
That's when I realized that I was wearing my new jeans... and my bra. Only my bra.
I screeched, trying to cover myself as best as I could.
Linc just stood there.
"Well, don't look!" I protested.
"Oh! Right! Yeah, sorry!" he snapped out of his daze. "Sorry! S-Sorry, did I say that already? Yeah. Sorry-"
He whorled around and tried to exit the room. Unfortunately, Lincoln Fletcher is not a ghost. Therefore, he can not pass through solid doors.
CLUNK
"Ow! Shit... Right, sorry. I forgot to open it... Shit... Sorry..." he blurted, rubbing his head. He flung the door open and nearly tripped over himself in his haste to get out.
I tugged on a shirt, just in time to hear Jesse call, "I'm home! Woah, Linc, why are you in a towel?"
"I... I... I..."
I sighed in embarrassment.
I guess Jesse made a move to come into my room, because Linc shouted,
"NO! Don't go in there!"
"Why the hell not?"
"She doesn't have a top on!"
"And you saw her?"
"Yeah, but I didn't know she was half naked!"
"And so you just barged in to her room?!"
"It's my room, too!"
"But you did knock... Didn't you?"
"No..."
"Lincoln, you idiot! You've got to knock before going into a girl's room!"
"Sorry! Sorry! I didn't know that!"
I heard Jesse sigh.
"No go put on some clothes before I lock you out of the apartment in that towel."
"Like you did last Easter!" Linc remembered. "And it got caught in the door, and the landlady came up to collect the rent, and I was naked, and she thought that I-"
"Put on some clothes!" Jesse interrupted the trip down memory lane.
Linc huffed in annoyance and trudged towards the door. He knocked a few times before entering though.
"You can come in, Linc," I told him. "I'm decent."
He entered, clutching the towel to his waist, and peeking at me, just to make sure that I'd been telling the truth.
"Okay, turn around," he ordered.
I did so, and heard a drawer open.
"Hey, can you toss me those jeans?" he asked.
I grabbed a pair of red, straight legged pants off the mirror on my side of the room.
I turned around to throw them to him... And paused.
Linc was only wearing his boxers... And he had nice abs...
"Earth to Violet? The pants please?"
"Oh! Right..." I tossed them over to him, and he tugged them on.
He then pulled on a dark t-shirt, and winked at me before exiting the room.
I sighed. Boys will be boys I suppose...