Fighting Fate

Her face was so pure looking. It wasn't caked with all that crap, maybe that's why she looked so young. I honestly have no idea what she's talking about but I didn't want to admit that. I couldn't stop staring, hopefully she doesn't realize it. She wasn't try to impress me, which was different for me.

“Sorry, I'm boring you. I'll just eat my pancakes and shut up,” she laughed stuffing her face with a bite bigger than her mouth. It was kind of repulsive but I liked that she was being real.

“It's all good,” I grinned back finally taking my eyes off of her lips, and onto my cup of coffee.

“So when do you go back to Florida?” She asked trying to keep the conversation going. At first I didn't know what she was talking about, but I had to catch my sober self up with my drunk self about my secret alias.

“Oh in about a week, we have two more meetings and then home sweet home for a couple months. Crazy schedule,” It wasn't all a lie, I really do go home in about a week.

“I bet,” She was looking into her cup. I wish I knew what she was thinking about, she seemed like she dreamed in rainbows. Her hair was pulled up, so perfectly golden from the sunrise hitting it from the window behind her.

“Have you always lived here?” Don't get me wrong, New Orleans was awesome but she just seemed like she was trapped here.

“Yeah, born and raised. But my heart isn't here,” she sighed, “I'm a California dreamer, just stuck here in the swamps of the south.” California, my real home.

“I've been there nothing special,” I was trying to keep my cover.

“Don't ruin my dreams,” She scolded while scrunching her nose with a smile.



It was seven in the morning, and we finally decided to leave. We had talked about everything, of course most of what I talked about was made up, but I couldn't risk giving up my alias. She told me that she played fifty-eight different instruments, how she only listened to classical music like Beethoven and Mozart. She even had a bachelor’s degree in musical arts, which intrigued me. She even brought up her family how she was an only child and how her single dad was a big time jazz player down here in New Orleans, that's why she can't make her self move to Cali. I still caught myself time to time staring at her beauty.

Now I catch myself trying to forget what she looked like as we pulled out of the hotel parking lot, heading for Texas for our second to last stop.

“Dude?” Brian snapped in front of my face, “are you high?” I laughed and looked up at him as he sat across from me on the bus.

“Sorry, was just thinking about something. What's up?” He raised his eyes brows.

“I'm going to have to change my number, that chick from the bar won't stop calling,” Zack came in interrupting from the back rubbing his forehead, looking down at his phone, “I don't even know how she got my number. I knew I should have tried to hook up with that other girl. Has she tried calling you?” Zack asked looking over at me. I looked where my phone sat and pressed the home button.

“Nope, I don't think we exchanged numbers. She was really cool,” I smiled rubbing it in for Zack, who always ended up with the crazies.

“You bone?” Brian asked raising his eyebrows. At times I feel really weird telling my brother-in-law about my affairs, but he was my best friend before he was family.

“Yeah,” I said it nonchalant, but really I wanted to describe every detail because it had been the best sex since we've been on this year long tour, “we went out to eat afterward, just hung out.”

Zack sighed and threw his head back, “She's calling me again.”

“Let me answer it,” Brian putting his hand out for Zack to give him the phone.

Zack handed him his phone, “Hello?”

“Hey, is this Tim?” Brian smiled and nodded at Zack.

“Yeah, this is him. Who is this?”

“This is Emily, I just wanted to tell you that I had such a good- Stop it Hannah. I am not needy. Shut up-” All of us were listening closely now. I know I was for sure, just so I could hear her raspy voice one more time.

There was a lot of commotion on the other end of the line.

“I'm so sorry, my friend is crazy desperate. Y'all have a safe trip home, tell Allen I said 'hi'.” Then she hung up. Last time I'd ever hear or talk to her.

My heart felt like it was being attacked and my stomach had so many butterflies I felt like I was going to puke. What was wrong with me? She was just random city fling. Then her face popped into my thoughts, her smile and her scrunched nose when she didn't agree. Then her golden hair everywhere while she was on top of me. Stop it, Matt.

“Who's name was Allen?” Johnny asked looking around. I raised my head up trying to get the sexual thoughts out of my head.

“I was,” I answered, “told you she was cool.” Cool was an definitely an understatement.