Plans to Make & Hearts to Break
Pick Up The Phone
The next morning came too early. After we both had some coffee, I drove Danny back to the airport so I could say goodbye. Once his suitcase was out of the trunk I pulled him into a tight hug. "I'll miss you so much," I said simply, biting my lip to hold back tears. Usually his departures were more than a day apart. Seeing so little of him made me feel like it was just a dream that he was even home to begin with. "Call me when you land. I love you."
"Of course I will," he smirked, giving me a quick kiss. "I love you too. This week will fly by, I promise. You'll talk to me so much it'll be like I never even left. You'll get annoyed with talking to me."
I rolled my eyes. "I would never," I sighed. "Be safe."
"I always am."
He turned to walk away, but stopped after a few steps. "I love you," He said simply, turning to face me again. I couldn't help but take the few steps over to him and give him a final kiss goodbye.
"I love you too," I replied before we parted ways.
---
"God damn it!" I practically screamed, stomping my foot on my porch in frustration. Again, I'd locked myself out of my damn house. I was too worried about forgetting that the woman at the bookstore called William my boyfriend, and trying to see my actual boyfriend, that somehow I didn't even notice that my house keys hadn't made it into my purse.
Why am I such an idiot? I ran both my hands through my hair, practically pulling some out in the process. The last thing I wanted to do was call Max for the second time in just over a week to come let me into my own damn house, and I knew that with central air that none of the windows had any reason to be open.
Finally, I sat down on the porch, defeated. After a few minutes I found Max's name in my phone and gave the landlord a call. He answered on the third ring.
"Max," I groaned before he finished his professional greeting. "It's Nicole again. Can you do two things for me?"
"Probably! What's up?"
"Well, first, I need a spare key made. And I also need you to come let me into my house. But come with the key so I can give it to my neighbor so this doesn't keep happening. I swear I was never this forgetful."
"I'll get the key made and get there as quick as I can. I'm guessing it'll be around half an hour?"
"You're a life saver," I grinned. "See ya then."
When I ended the call, my attention was caught by the front door of William's house opening. I watched as he fumbled with keeping the screen door open while holding two bowls as well as my book from the day before. Finally, he walked across his yard and into mine.
"I'm sorry," He said simply. "I didn't want to make you mad. You were just so excited about the book, I wanted it to be a gift!"
I looked down at the converse covering my feet. "I wasn't mad," I explained. "I just... I don't like when people spend money on me. It always makes me feel helpless. Or at least makes me think that other people think I'm helpless."
William shook his head. "You're just stubborn, Nicole." He teased, taking a seat on the porch as well. He set my book into my lap before giving me one of the bowls he was holding, which happened to be full of ice cream. "And from what I heard you screaming at your door, locked out. Have some ice cream." He grinned.
I took a bite - strawberry. Looking into the bowl I realized it had to have been from a container of Neapolitan ice cream, as there were traces of chocolate ice cream in the bowl as well. I peeked into William's bowl as well, and while he had mostly chocolate and vanilla, there was enough strawberry ice cream in the boy's bowl to make me believe he hadn't gotten it on accident. "I thought strawberry ice cream was intolerable and doesn't even count as ice cream!" I teased.
"I admit," He said with a teasing smirk, "I am a changed man. But really, I came over to ask a question - I've got some shit to do today, but another show tonight. Care to join me?"
I pursed my lips. William was great, and spending time with him had always proven to put me into a good mood. I wanted to go, but the fact that he might skew the situation into a date made me weary of it. "Maybe?" I smiled weakly. "I've got a lot of writing to do, I've been really slacking. But if I finish what I've gotta work on. I'll meet you there. I mean, are you gonna be at the Three Aces again?"
William shook his head. "The show's actually way further away this time; kind of a drive to get there. If you wanna go, just come over before like, eight and we'll just take my car, yeah?"
"Sounds good," I grinned. I looked away from him when I heard my phone start to ring - Max. "What's up?" I answered the phone, foregoing a greeting.
"I'm gonna be to your house in a minute. Just giving you a heads up," He said simply.
I grinned. "I'll be here. See ya." After ending the call, I looked towards William. "My landlord's almost here to let me into my damn house." I grinned. "He's also bringing me a spare key that is gonna take residence in your house so he doesn't have to drive out here every other day."
"So you're giving me an all-access pass into your house?" William teased.
I sent a weak glare in his direction. "Do not abuse the power of the spare key, Beckett. You would not enjoy the consequences."
"Well, maybe I would," He smirked, and my only response was to hit him in the shoulder.
---
"Fuck," I groaned, finally shutting my laptop. I managed to get a bit of writing done, after I washed a ton of laundry, did dishes, and took a nap. My writer's block was so heavy that I was doing anything to distract myself from the task.
At the same time, I couldn't stop looking at my phone. Danny swore he'd call as soon as he made it back to California; as promised, I made sure to stay near my phone to answer the call. It was going on seven o'clock now, and at almost ten hours since he left, he had to be in California. He could have made it there and back by now and my phone was completely silent.
For some reason, this really annoyed me. We had an actual fight because I didn't pick up the phone - and now that I'm totally prepared to and have nothing on my mind but him, he can't even call to tell me he made it back safely.
Whatever. I wasn't going to waste my night staring at the phone's black screen, so I shoved it into my purse, ran a brush through my hair, and walked next door. William opened the door after I pounded on it a few times. "How did I know you'd be here?" He grinned.
---
"I couldn't keep it a secret any longer
I'm tired of playing cool
If it's a sentimental season girl
Then I'm c-c-crazy about you
Well you never come around,
You're never coming home
I'd give you the skin off my bones, to get you alone!
Pick up the phone, pick up the phone,
Cause when you don't
Girl, I can't handle it.
Pick up the phone, pick up the phone tonight
Cause I need someone,
Someone to surrender
To let me inside, to let me inside
I'm all alone
Oh, don't be so cold
Pick up the phone
I couldn't stay in a cage any longer
I'm a lion, hear me roar!
You've got me tied up so tight, tight, tight
But it ain't right
Girl, it's just not right!
If I knew the words to say to you
To melt your heart
Or to get you alone...
Pick up the phone, pick up the phone,
Cause when you don't
Girl, I can't handle it
Pick up the phone, pick up the phone tonight
Cause I need someone,
Someone to surrender
To let me inside, let me inside
I'm all alone
Oh, don't be so cold
Pick up the phone
Cause I'm here dying of a broken Friday night
I wanna know why you're not talking
Girl, you bury me alive
Cause I'm the one you want
When all the boys are cruel to you
Pick up the phone
I couldn't keep it a secret any longer
I won't be kept in a cage any longer
You can't keep me away no longer
To get you alone...
Pick up the phone, pick up the phone,
Cause when you don't
Girl, I can't handle it
Pick up the phone, pick up the phone tonight
Cause I need someone,
Someone to surrender
To let me inside, to let me inside
I'm all alone
Oh, don't be so cold
Pick up the phone!"
---
After William's set, he ran into a few old friends and we decided to hang around the club for a while. We were a few drinks into the night when William not-so sneakily slung his skinny arm over my shoulders. "I'm glad you came," He grinned, kissing me on the cheek.
I couldn't help but smile. "Me too," I smiled, leaning into him slightly. "Tonight was fun."
"Of course I will," he smirked, giving me a quick kiss. "I love you too. This week will fly by, I promise. You'll talk to me so much it'll be like I never even left. You'll get annoyed with talking to me."
I rolled my eyes. "I would never," I sighed. "Be safe."
"I always am."
He turned to walk away, but stopped after a few steps. "I love you," He said simply, turning to face me again. I couldn't help but take the few steps over to him and give him a final kiss goodbye.
"I love you too," I replied before we parted ways.
---
"God damn it!" I practically screamed, stomping my foot on my porch in frustration. Again, I'd locked myself out of my damn house. I was too worried about forgetting that the woman at the bookstore called William my boyfriend, and trying to see my actual boyfriend, that somehow I didn't even notice that my house keys hadn't made it into my purse.
Why am I such an idiot? I ran both my hands through my hair, practically pulling some out in the process. The last thing I wanted to do was call Max for the second time in just over a week to come let me into my own damn house, and I knew that with central air that none of the windows had any reason to be open.
Finally, I sat down on the porch, defeated. After a few minutes I found Max's name in my phone and gave the landlord a call. He answered on the third ring.
"Max," I groaned before he finished his professional greeting. "It's Nicole again. Can you do two things for me?"
"Probably! What's up?"
"Well, first, I need a spare key made. And I also need you to come let me into my house. But come with the key so I can give it to my neighbor so this doesn't keep happening. I swear I was never this forgetful."
"I'll get the key made and get there as quick as I can. I'm guessing it'll be around half an hour?"
"You're a life saver," I grinned. "See ya then."
When I ended the call, my attention was caught by the front door of William's house opening. I watched as he fumbled with keeping the screen door open while holding two bowls as well as my book from the day before. Finally, he walked across his yard and into mine.
"I'm sorry," He said simply. "I didn't want to make you mad. You were just so excited about the book, I wanted it to be a gift!"
I looked down at the converse covering my feet. "I wasn't mad," I explained. "I just... I don't like when people spend money on me. It always makes me feel helpless. Or at least makes me think that other people think I'm helpless."
William shook his head. "You're just stubborn, Nicole." He teased, taking a seat on the porch as well. He set my book into my lap before giving me one of the bowls he was holding, which happened to be full of ice cream. "And from what I heard you screaming at your door, locked out. Have some ice cream." He grinned.
I took a bite - strawberry. Looking into the bowl I realized it had to have been from a container of Neapolitan ice cream, as there were traces of chocolate ice cream in the bowl as well. I peeked into William's bowl as well, and while he had mostly chocolate and vanilla, there was enough strawberry ice cream in the boy's bowl to make me believe he hadn't gotten it on accident. "I thought strawberry ice cream was intolerable and doesn't even count as ice cream!" I teased.
"I admit," He said with a teasing smirk, "I am a changed man. But really, I came over to ask a question - I've got some shit to do today, but another show tonight. Care to join me?"
I pursed my lips. William was great, and spending time with him had always proven to put me into a good mood. I wanted to go, but the fact that he might skew the situation into a date made me weary of it. "Maybe?" I smiled weakly. "I've got a lot of writing to do, I've been really slacking. But if I finish what I've gotta work on. I'll meet you there. I mean, are you gonna be at the Three Aces again?"
William shook his head. "The show's actually way further away this time; kind of a drive to get there. If you wanna go, just come over before like, eight and we'll just take my car, yeah?"
"Sounds good," I grinned. I looked away from him when I heard my phone start to ring - Max. "What's up?" I answered the phone, foregoing a greeting.
"I'm gonna be to your house in a minute. Just giving you a heads up," He said simply.
I grinned. "I'll be here. See ya." After ending the call, I looked towards William. "My landlord's almost here to let me into my damn house." I grinned. "He's also bringing me a spare key that is gonna take residence in your house so he doesn't have to drive out here every other day."
"So you're giving me an all-access pass into your house?" William teased.
I sent a weak glare in his direction. "Do not abuse the power of the spare key, Beckett. You would not enjoy the consequences."
"Well, maybe I would," He smirked, and my only response was to hit him in the shoulder.
---
"Fuck," I groaned, finally shutting my laptop. I managed to get a bit of writing done, after I washed a ton of laundry, did dishes, and took a nap. My writer's block was so heavy that I was doing anything to distract myself from the task.
At the same time, I couldn't stop looking at my phone. Danny swore he'd call as soon as he made it back to California; as promised, I made sure to stay near my phone to answer the call. It was going on seven o'clock now, and at almost ten hours since he left, he had to be in California. He could have made it there and back by now and my phone was completely silent.
For some reason, this really annoyed me. We had an actual fight because I didn't pick up the phone - and now that I'm totally prepared to and have nothing on my mind but him, he can't even call to tell me he made it back safely.
Whatever. I wasn't going to waste my night staring at the phone's black screen, so I shoved it into my purse, ran a brush through my hair, and walked next door. William opened the door after I pounded on it a few times. "How did I know you'd be here?" He grinned.
---
"I couldn't keep it a secret any longer
I'm tired of playing cool
If it's a sentimental season girl
Then I'm c-c-crazy about you
Well you never come around,
You're never coming home
I'd give you the skin off my bones, to get you alone!
Pick up the phone, pick up the phone,
Cause when you don't
Girl, I can't handle it.
Pick up the phone, pick up the phone tonight
Cause I need someone,
Someone to surrender
To let me inside, to let me inside
I'm all alone
Oh, don't be so cold
Pick up the phone
I couldn't stay in a cage any longer
I'm a lion, hear me roar!
You've got me tied up so tight, tight, tight
But it ain't right
Girl, it's just not right!
If I knew the words to say to you
To melt your heart
Or to get you alone...
Pick up the phone, pick up the phone,
Cause when you don't
Girl, I can't handle it
Pick up the phone, pick up the phone tonight
Cause I need someone,
Someone to surrender
To let me inside, let me inside
I'm all alone
Oh, don't be so cold
Pick up the phone
Cause I'm here dying of a broken Friday night
I wanna know why you're not talking
Girl, you bury me alive
Cause I'm the one you want
When all the boys are cruel to you
Pick up the phone
I couldn't keep it a secret any longer
I won't be kept in a cage any longer
You can't keep me away no longer
To get you alone...
Pick up the phone, pick up the phone,
Cause when you don't
Girl, I can't handle it
Pick up the phone, pick up the phone tonight
Cause I need someone,
Someone to surrender
To let me inside, to let me inside
I'm all alone
Oh, don't be so cold
Pick up the phone!"
---
After William's set, he ran into a few old friends and we decided to hang around the club for a while. We were a few drinks into the night when William not-so sneakily slung his skinny arm over my shoulders. "I'm glad you came," He grinned, kissing me on the cheek.
I couldn't help but smile. "Me too," I smiled, leaning into him slightly. "Tonight was fun."