When flames blossom from embers
Ch. 6
She went home that evening knowing that Chad was upset with her. She could tell when they left work, the way his smile didn’t reach his eyes. The way when she said goodbye he just shrugged and walked away. She didn’t mean to hurt his feelings, she just didn’t want to get hurt herself. If she wasn’t someone’s girlfriend she could never be someone’s x-girlfriend. Wasn’t just being friends better than labeling it? And in six months or nine finding out you were better off being friends.
She sighed, starting the car she would begin her long drive home. Her phone rang, another text message from an old friend, Skyler. She chuckled as she read and then saw herself in the mirror. She threw the phone in the passengers seat. Why was she still talking to him? Everyone thought she was weird talking to Skyler. But couldn’t x’s be friends? They were so important to each other for so long, couldn’t they at least be civil. Her phone rang and she saw it was her woman. She smiled and answered the phone. Yups, No ways! How’s Austin? WOW! You are so cool and I love you too’s would follow for the next twenty minutes on the drive home. Her inbox would receive four text messages, one missed phone call and the battery on her phone would blink saying low.
She looked at her now silent phone, watching the phone warn her it was on its last leg. “ I know how you feel, drained. Everyone wants a piece of you. Everyone wants to talk. Everyone hears something else.” She mumbled to her inmate phone. She walked into her house, fixed super and glanced at the phone.
Chad had left a message but she didn’t feel like calling him back. She didn’t feel like doing much of anything really. Skyler and her kept texting back and forth but they called it a night early. She drove to her grandmothers to eat soup and talk. She just wanted someone to care for her, without making her sink in questions. She looked at her grandparents, married for 58 years. They no longer loved each other the way they use too but secretly when one was sick or sad the other was there. Love was from a different era and our generation has lost it, she silently thought.
It was eleven when she dropped into her bed exhausted. Her mind racing, wondering what if. Her eyes glanced to her wall, a picture of chicken, of Ashley and her smiling, of her sister making a stupid face and of a painting she had yet to take down. She groaned and pulled the pillow over her head and drifted off to sleep not wanting to think.
Six am would come with a loud screech. An alarm clock, the messenger of death and exhaustion. The realization that you should have gone to sleep earlier. She punched the stupid thing and rolled out of bed. It was a Wednesday which meant she was obligated by her own word to go run three miles. She groaned as she laced up her tennis shoes.
She grabbed her ipod and played her angry, wake up, fuck you running music. All she could hear for three miles was the pounding beat of the music, the thump thump thump of her heart in her ears, the staggering breath she had in the end. And then she heard the roar of a bike. She glanced over her shoulder and let out a “ Shit.”
Trailing behind her was a green motorcycle with an all too familiar rider. She kept running trying to focus on the last block a head of her, she stopped in the drive way with her hands on her knees breathing hard starring at the man getting off his bike at seven fifteen in her drive way walking towards her.
“ Are you out of your fucking mind?!” She hissed, she walked ( because her thighs screamed at her every step she took) towards Chad livid. “ You’re going to wake up my family! And what the hell! What are you doing here?” She stopped in front of him, their faces almost touching. She did not like him invading her private life and showing up unannounced.
He gave her a wicked smile, “ I thought I’d offer you a ride to work, possibly get breakfast together.” He wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her close. “ now do I at least get a good morning kiss?”
She kissed him, because she couldn’t stop herself from wanting him. She had a this desire to place her hands on him, to trace every line on him, to …she shook her head trying to focus. Mad remember? “ I have to take a shower and get ready. “ she apologized . She stepped back from him taking him in entirely. “ Aren’t those the same clothes you wore yesterday?” It was she thought, the same blue shirt with the dress pants, the same soda stain on the pants from where she spilled it on him.
“ Umm.. yeah, I worked a double. Midnight till just now. I’m done for the day, I was just going to take you in and pick you up after work.” He smiled at her. That way he thought I get breakfast and dinner with you.
She was sad to hear he wouldn’t be at work with her. She’d be all alone in the back, no one to email or to chat with. But she wouldn’t let him see that. “ Sure you can take me to and from, I wouldn’t mind a bike ride. Just let me get ready real quick. Give me twenty.” She said as she ran for the door.
She jumped into the shower, washing as fast as she could, brushing her teeth while rinsing the soap from her body. She dried her hair in a towel and brushed it through once, twice and finally three times to give it the curly volume. She applied only eye liner and a touch of brown eye shadow. She threw on pants and a nice blouse and the other trimmings. She walked outside to see him leaning against his bike smiling at her. She felt her heart give a flutter.
The world blurred around her as she held onto him. She could still smell his after shave and he smelt of fresh rain and earth. She inhaled deeply wondering why she was so opposed to dating him.
They arrived too soon to work. There wasn’t enough time to eat but he gave her a parting gift. A CD. “ Listen to it, ALL of it.” He kissed her check as she promised too.
She watched him ride off and then she went into the building to start her day. She placed the CD in her drive and added a headphone to the computer… just in case.
She brusted out laughing when she heard the first track, it was her! He had recorder her singing in the shower. Oh my god what an asshole she laughed. She turned so red. She switched the track to the next, it was Queen Somebody to Love. She listened all day to the CD. The tracks were as followed
Somebody to Love-Queen
Hooked on A feeling
Let’s get it on – Marvin Gaye
She has a girlfriend now- Reel Big Fish
Kiss the girl- Disney
Breakfast in America- Supertramp
I’ll follow you into the night- Death Cab for Cutie
Lips of an Angel- Hinder
Brown Eyed Girl- Van Morrsion
It ended with a voice recording of Chad saying that he would wait until she’d open up. She couldn’t help but give that love smile, that goofy look that one gets when they realize they’ve been struck with cupids arrow no matter how much armor they wore.
Chad picked her up at 5. She kissed him ten seconds after 5, in front of the entire office. She jumped on the back of his bike and hugged him around the waist tighter than ever. They had dinner at his house, he cooked of course. She watched him, stirring the rice, listening to bag pipes ( she had just found out that he is half Scots) thinking I’m a sucker for nice eyes and a man that sings.
She left his house with a full stomach, kisses , and in his shirt because he gave her something that she could sleep with ( she tried not to remember when her and Skyler did this because it ended with postage) and still be holding him. Since she refused to spend the night, she had a date with her girl.
The girl with honey brown eyes, soft curls and a goofy smile drove home smelling of earth, rain and fresh kisses. She drove looking at herself in the mirror thinking that maybe just maybe she could have it all. The friend ( Skyler ), the new Scot ( Chad ) , the sexiest girl ( her woman ) and a career. She looked at the calendar on her wall and frowned, she marked another x. Still no sign of it, she sighed. Well her life wasn’t her life unless she was stressing about something
She sighed, starting the car she would begin her long drive home. Her phone rang, another text message from an old friend, Skyler. She chuckled as she read and then saw herself in the mirror. She threw the phone in the passengers seat. Why was she still talking to him? Everyone thought she was weird talking to Skyler. But couldn’t x’s be friends? They were so important to each other for so long, couldn’t they at least be civil. Her phone rang and she saw it was her woman. She smiled and answered the phone. Yups, No ways! How’s Austin? WOW! You are so cool and I love you too’s would follow for the next twenty minutes on the drive home. Her inbox would receive four text messages, one missed phone call and the battery on her phone would blink saying low.
She looked at her now silent phone, watching the phone warn her it was on its last leg. “ I know how you feel, drained. Everyone wants a piece of you. Everyone wants to talk. Everyone hears something else.” She mumbled to her inmate phone. She walked into her house, fixed super and glanced at the phone.
Chad had left a message but she didn’t feel like calling him back. She didn’t feel like doing much of anything really. Skyler and her kept texting back and forth but they called it a night early. She drove to her grandmothers to eat soup and talk. She just wanted someone to care for her, without making her sink in questions. She looked at her grandparents, married for 58 years. They no longer loved each other the way they use too but secretly when one was sick or sad the other was there. Love was from a different era and our generation has lost it, she silently thought.
It was eleven when she dropped into her bed exhausted. Her mind racing, wondering what if. Her eyes glanced to her wall, a picture of chicken, of Ashley and her smiling, of her sister making a stupid face and of a painting she had yet to take down. She groaned and pulled the pillow over her head and drifted off to sleep not wanting to think.
Six am would come with a loud screech. An alarm clock, the messenger of death and exhaustion. The realization that you should have gone to sleep earlier. She punched the stupid thing and rolled out of bed. It was a Wednesday which meant she was obligated by her own word to go run three miles. She groaned as she laced up her tennis shoes.
She grabbed her ipod and played her angry, wake up, fuck you running music. All she could hear for three miles was the pounding beat of the music, the thump thump thump of her heart in her ears, the staggering breath she had in the end. And then she heard the roar of a bike. She glanced over her shoulder and let out a “ Shit.”
Trailing behind her was a green motorcycle with an all too familiar rider. She kept running trying to focus on the last block a head of her, she stopped in the drive way with her hands on her knees breathing hard starring at the man getting off his bike at seven fifteen in her drive way walking towards her.
“ Are you out of your fucking mind?!” She hissed, she walked ( because her thighs screamed at her every step she took) towards Chad livid. “ You’re going to wake up my family! And what the hell! What are you doing here?” She stopped in front of him, their faces almost touching. She did not like him invading her private life and showing up unannounced.
He gave her a wicked smile, “ I thought I’d offer you a ride to work, possibly get breakfast together.” He wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her close. “ now do I at least get a good morning kiss?”
She kissed him, because she couldn’t stop herself from wanting him. She had a this desire to place her hands on him, to trace every line on him, to …she shook her head trying to focus. Mad remember? “ I have to take a shower and get ready. “ she apologized . She stepped back from him taking him in entirely. “ Aren’t those the same clothes you wore yesterday?” It was she thought, the same blue shirt with the dress pants, the same soda stain on the pants from where she spilled it on him.
“ Umm.. yeah, I worked a double. Midnight till just now. I’m done for the day, I was just going to take you in and pick you up after work.” He smiled at her. That way he thought I get breakfast and dinner with you.
She was sad to hear he wouldn’t be at work with her. She’d be all alone in the back, no one to email or to chat with. But she wouldn’t let him see that. “ Sure you can take me to and from, I wouldn’t mind a bike ride. Just let me get ready real quick. Give me twenty.” She said as she ran for the door.
She jumped into the shower, washing as fast as she could, brushing her teeth while rinsing the soap from her body. She dried her hair in a towel and brushed it through once, twice and finally three times to give it the curly volume. She applied only eye liner and a touch of brown eye shadow. She threw on pants and a nice blouse and the other trimmings. She walked outside to see him leaning against his bike smiling at her. She felt her heart give a flutter.
The world blurred around her as she held onto him. She could still smell his after shave and he smelt of fresh rain and earth. She inhaled deeply wondering why she was so opposed to dating him.
They arrived too soon to work. There wasn’t enough time to eat but he gave her a parting gift. A CD. “ Listen to it, ALL of it.” He kissed her check as she promised too.
She watched him ride off and then she went into the building to start her day. She placed the CD in her drive and added a headphone to the computer… just in case.
She brusted out laughing when she heard the first track, it was her! He had recorder her singing in the shower. Oh my god what an asshole she laughed. She turned so red. She switched the track to the next, it was Queen Somebody to Love. She listened all day to the CD. The tracks were as followed
Somebody to Love-Queen
Hooked on A feeling
Let’s get it on – Marvin Gaye
She has a girlfriend now- Reel Big Fish
Kiss the girl- Disney
Breakfast in America- Supertramp
I’ll follow you into the night- Death Cab for Cutie
Lips of an Angel- Hinder
Brown Eyed Girl- Van Morrsion
It ended with a voice recording of Chad saying that he would wait until she’d open up. She couldn’t help but give that love smile, that goofy look that one gets when they realize they’ve been struck with cupids arrow no matter how much armor they wore.
Chad picked her up at 5. She kissed him ten seconds after 5, in front of the entire office. She jumped on the back of his bike and hugged him around the waist tighter than ever. They had dinner at his house, he cooked of course. She watched him, stirring the rice, listening to bag pipes ( she had just found out that he is half Scots) thinking I’m a sucker for nice eyes and a man that sings.
She left his house with a full stomach, kisses , and in his shirt because he gave her something that she could sleep with ( she tried not to remember when her and Skyler did this because it ended with postage) and still be holding him. Since she refused to spend the night, she had a date with her girl.
The girl with honey brown eyes, soft curls and a goofy smile drove home smelling of earth, rain and fresh kisses. She drove looking at herself in the mirror thinking that maybe just maybe she could have it all. The friend ( Skyler ), the new Scot ( Chad ) , the sexiest girl ( her woman ) and a career. She looked at the calendar on her wall and frowned, she marked another x. Still no sign of it, she sighed. Well her life wasn’t her life unless she was stressing about something