Beneath the Glass

I end up sitting outside of the apartment and weighing the pros and cons of calling Alex. For one thing, Alex said that he would call. I’d come off as way too clingy and possibly even desperate. Of course, if I didn’t call, he might think I didn’t like him anymore. But on the upside, if I did call, he might like me even more for taking the initiative and calling first. And well there was no upside if I didn’t call him.

I pull my phone out of my pocket and call Alex’s number. It rings twice before he answers.

“Hey Alex. It’s Angie,” I say, faking a cheerful tone.

“Oh hey, what’s up?” he shouts over loud music.

“Well, I was wondering if you were busy, but you sound busy, so I’ll call back,” I mumble, getting ready to hang up.

“No I’m not busy, I’m at this concert,” he yells, but the rest of his words get lost in the music.

“That sounds like busy Alex,” I say and he laughs.

“If you want, I’ll come get you,” he suggests.

“Um, okay, yeah! That’d be great,” I say, running up the stairs to my apartment. I pull my key out of my pocket as Alex tells me to be downstairs in twenty minutes. I push open the door and walk by Nicole without saying anything.

“Angie!” she shouts, but I ignore her and keep walking to my room. I push open the door to my room, to find Sam, slamming my closet door shut.

“What are you doing?” I ask, crossing my arms.

“Nothing,” she says, innocently. Sam sits down on my bed and grabs a magazine but glances at me every time she turns the page.

I sigh, “ I don’t have time for this.”

I walk over to the closet but Sam grabs my arm. “You should go finish the dinner we made you,” she says, attempting to pull me away.

“What is in the closet?” I ask, drawing the words out slowly.

“Nothing.”

“Sam.”

“It’s not important,” she answers. I roll my eyes and pull open the closet door and scream.

“Why was your boyfriend in my closet?!” I shout and Nicole shifts uncomfortably on William’s lap.

“Sam said she was going to show him your music collection, but I told her not to let you catch him...” she trails off, glancing at Sam.

“So I put him in the closet,” Sam chimes in.

“Normally I’d kill William but Alex is picking me up soon, so I’ll do it later,” I say, before standing and shooting William a glare.

“Nicole,” William whines.

“Angie, you can’t kill William,” she says sternly.

“Hiding in my closet is only punishable by death,” I answer, before heading my room. I grab my brush and pull it through my hair a few times, before pulling a beanie over my hair.

“So, is this a date?” Sam asks, from behind me.

“No, he’s taking me to a concert,” I say, turning around and watching Sam carefully. Sam nods slowly and sits down on my bed.

“I’m still mad at you.”

“That’s why I was going to come over tomorrow and we could tell everyone that Jake has herpes,” Sam says and I can’t help but smile.

“Oh my god, we can steal his phone and call everyone in it and tell them that he has gonorrhea!” I exclaim and Sam pulls me into a hug.

“Angie! Alex is here!” Nicole shouts and Sam immediately releases me.

“I’ll see you tomorrow,” she says, before pushing me out of my room.

“Hey Alex,” I say. He turns away from William and smiles at me.

“Okay let’s go,” he says and William starts following him out the door.

“Where are you going?” I ask and William smiles. “I’m going with you guys.”

Shit.