Uncaged
Patrick
He knew he was playing a dangerous game.
There was no denying he was a terrible person, but he was coming to accept that fact about himself. The two recent interactions Patrick had had with Corinna had added fuel to the dying embers, which were now a blazing fire, completely out of his control.
All he could think about was her. Her eyes, her hair, her smile, her hands.
He almost could have wondered if she actually existed, almost believed he may have dreamed her into existence in a drunken haze.
But she was as real as the pounding of his hangover headache. Sunlight beat it’s way past his nearly closed curtains to land unceremoniously across his face, contributing to the morning’s reminders that he had drunk a little too much the night before.
He was just trying to decide if he should pull himself out of his bed or lay there in misery in hopes that at some point the headache would go away on it’s own when his doorbell rang. Patrick groaned audibly, rubbing a clammy hand over his forehead.
He supposed he better get up, try and be a productive member of society. He was at least thankful it was a Saturday and that he didn’t have to go to work till Monday. So he didn’t have to be too productive today.
The doorbell rang again and Patrick slowly sat up, hoping that by the time he made it downstairs, whoever was there would have given up. But by the time he’d left his bedroom, heading for the stairs whoever was there was knocking on the door now.
“I’m coming!” he yelled, hoping that at least the noise would subside.
He felt a little less miserable when he opened the door and saw that it was Corinna standing on his doorstep.
“Did I wake you?” she asked, smiling slightly at what he was sure was some atrocious bed head. He ran a hand through his hair self-consciously, knowing full well that it was longer than he normally wore it and therefore much harder to tame, especially when you didn’t really care that much about your appearance anymore.
“No,” he answered, leaning against the entryway of his house and folding his arms across his chest. “Just got back from a quick jog around the block.”
She laughed and he gave her a cheeky grin.
“Well, either way I’m sorry to bother you,” she said. She held up her hand in which she was holding a white envelope. “It’s just that after talking to my mom last night, I told her how you’d helped me and brought me to class yesterday and she insisted that I pass along an invitation to my parents anniversary party.”
She held out the envelope and he took it, glancing down at it before looking back up at Corinna.
“It’s next Saturday and you totally don’t have to come,” she said quickly. “My mom was just very insistent that I invite you and it’s going to be totally cheesy. Probably not your scene at all.”
“Is there an open bar?” Patrick asked and Corinna looked at him in surprise, before smiling hesitantly.
“I think so?” she answered.
“Then I’ll be there,” he answered and she let out another laugh. “It’s definitely my scene if there’s an open bar.”
“Then I guess I’ll see you there!”
“I guess so,” he said. They smiled at each other and Corinna stepped back from the door. “Thanks Corinna.”
“No problem, Patrick.”
With a wave she turned and walked away, heading back next door. He looked back down at the envelope holding the invitation and went inside his house, closing the door. He was certain this was dangerous territory.
There was no denying he was a terrible person, but he was coming to accept that fact about himself. The two recent interactions Patrick had had with Corinna had added fuel to the dying embers, which were now a blazing fire, completely out of his control.
All he could think about was her. Her eyes, her hair, her smile, her hands.
He almost could have wondered if she actually existed, almost believed he may have dreamed her into existence in a drunken haze.
But she was as real as the pounding of his hangover headache. Sunlight beat it’s way past his nearly closed curtains to land unceremoniously across his face, contributing to the morning’s reminders that he had drunk a little too much the night before.
He was just trying to decide if he should pull himself out of his bed or lay there in misery in hopes that at some point the headache would go away on it’s own when his doorbell rang. Patrick groaned audibly, rubbing a clammy hand over his forehead.
He supposed he better get up, try and be a productive member of society. He was at least thankful it was a Saturday and that he didn’t have to go to work till Monday. So he didn’t have to be too productive today.
The doorbell rang again and Patrick slowly sat up, hoping that by the time he made it downstairs, whoever was there would have given up. But by the time he’d left his bedroom, heading for the stairs whoever was there was knocking on the door now.
“I’m coming!” he yelled, hoping that at least the noise would subside.
He felt a little less miserable when he opened the door and saw that it was Corinna standing on his doorstep.
“Did I wake you?” she asked, smiling slightly at what he was sure was some atrocious bed head. He ran a hand through his hair self-consciously, knowing full well that it was longer than he normally wore it and therefore much harder to tame, especially when you didn’t really care that much about your appearance anymore.
“No,” he answered, leaning against the entryway of his house and folding his arms across his chest. “Just got back from a quick jog around the block.”
She laughed and he gave her a cheeky grin.
“Well, either way I’m sorry to bother you,” she said. She held up her hand in which she was holding a white envelope. “It’s just that after talking to my mom last night, I told her how you’d helped me and brought me to class yesterday and she insisted that I pass along an invitation to my parents anniversary party.”
She held out the envelope and he took it, glancing down at it before looking back up at Corinna.
“It’s next Saturday and you totally don’t have to come,” she said quickly. “My mom was just very insistent that I invite you and it’s going to be totally cheesy. Probably not your scene at all.”
“Is there an open bar?” Patrick asked and Corinna looked at him in surprise, before smiling hesitantly.
“I think so?” she answered.
“Then I’ll be there,” he answered and she let out another laugh. “It’s definitely my scene if there’s an open bar.”
“Then I guess I’ll see you there!”
“I guess so,” he said. They smiled at each other and Corinna stepped back from the door. “Thanks Corinna.”
“No problem, Patrick.”
With a wave she turned and walked away, heading back next door. He looked back down at the envelope holding the invitation and went inside his house, closing the door. He was certain this was dangerous territory.