#I lie down for fifteen minutes after coming home before attempting sanding and she's already doing it and won't let me take over

[david-watts]

should I risk being beaten up if I point out to my m*ther she’s acting exactly like her mother

[outerbonks]

complicated - jj maybank

Thanks for all the love on my last post, I really appreciate it ♡ let me know what you think of this one and if you think I should make more parts :)

Summary: You're a kook and JJ doesn't like you at all. That's what he wants everyone to believe anyway.

Word count: +2K

Warning (s): swearing, drinking

Masterlist ♡

Music pumped through the boneyard as you danced around with your friends, being a kook, you tried to avoid being on the pogue side of the island as much as possible, but keggers in the boneyard were impossible to pass up.

For the past fifteen minutes you'd been lost in the music, dancing and singing, admittedly buzzed from all of the cheap beer you'd drank throughout the night.

"Y/n! You came!" A voice called from behind you and you whipped around to see your friend Kie smiling brightly at you.

Giving her a big hug and returning her smile you nodded, "Yeah, great party!"

Kie was a sweetheart, you'd met her in school after her falling out with Sarah Cameron in the ninth grade, she was a breath of fresh air compared to some of the other snobs that attended the private high school and you both got along like a house on fire.

There was one issue with hanging out with her outside of school though. That issue was that her friends hated you- well, not all of them, only one of them actually, but he really really really didn't like you.

JJ Maybank has been a dick to you ever since he first met you. You don't remember doing anything to have pissed the hotheaded boy off but you never let his hostility fly.

Whenever he had something to quip at you, you had something just as snarky to throw back in his face. He didn't know anything about you yet felt the need to run his mouth about you as if he knew all of your deepest darkest secrets, when in reality the boy probably didn't even know your middle name.

At the beginning of your little rivalry with JJ, you had tried to be the bigger person and show him that you weren't like the other kooks. Of course he was having none of it.

So when Kie grabbed your hand and exclaimed, "Come sit with me and my friends!" Your stomach dropped and even in your tipsy state you knew that it wasn't a good idea.

"I dunno, Kie. I don't wanna fight with anyone tonight…" You trailed off with a pout, you'd had a shitty week at work and tonight was supposed to allow you to unwind and not be stressed out by a boy who hated you for reasons you didn't even know.

"Look, I'll handle JJ if he says anything okay? Just please come on, John B said he missed you." Kie pleaded with you, a triumphant 'yes' exiting her mouth when you sighed in defeat and began walking with her in the direction of her friends.

When you got to the boys who were all sat on logs, John B perked up, the tall boy immediately standing up to greet you with a hug.

"I haven't seen you in forever! Why haven't you been hanging out?" John B asked you with a concerned face, holding you at arms length.

"We've been super swamped at work, lots of new people coming in for the summer so I picked up a few extra shifts to help out." You explained to him but turned your face in the direction where the scoff had just come from.

"As if you need any more money than you already get from mommy and daddy." JJ grumbled sarcastically, looking to get a rise out of you.

You meant what you said to Kie earlier about not wanting to get in a fight, you were too tired.

"It's volunteer work, actually." You muttered bitterly before taking a seat between Kie and John B.

Most of your weekends and now weekdays since school ended for summer were spent volunteering at the old folks home on figure eight. It wasn't too stressful, you get paired up with an old person and you keep them company for the day, play board games and do things for them. It doesn't sound so bad, is exactly what you were thinking when you applied for it, but the hours were long and the nurses that worked there were assholes.

You'd dealt with enough snarky douche bags this week, you didn't want to have to deal with the blond boy too. You'd be using energy you just didn't have.

Luckily the conversation moved on quickly and you were all laughing at something Pope said.

"Do you want another beer?" John B asked you, standing up.

"No thanks. I think I've had enough." You giggled up at him and he nodded his head in agreement with a smile before heading to the keg.

Once he left, JJ wasted no time in stealing his seat and plopping down beside you.

You let out an irritated sigh but didn't say anything, you knew what was about to happen.

"Want a hit?" He asked, showing you the joint he'd rolled. You couldn't help but look at him in confusion, him offering you anything other than a snide remark was uncharacteristic.

"I guess." You responded unsurely, only to get a click of his tongue in return, "Damn sucks you don't have a joint then."

In all fairness you should've seen it coming. Rolling your eyes you turned your face away from him as he lit up the weed.

While you were ignoring JJ and enjoying a conversation with Pope and Kie you were interrupted by a Touron who tapped you on the shoulder.

"Hey." You couldn't lie, the boy standing in front of you with a shy smile on his face was gorgeous.

You smiled brightly, looking up at him from your spot, "Hi there."

JJ watched with narrow eyes as the guy rubbed the back of his neck nervously, "I was wondering if maybe you'd want to dance with me for a bit?"

Before you could even respond, JJ threw an arm around your shoulder casually and looked at the poor boy dead in the eyes, "No. She doesn't."

It was your turn to narrow your eyes as the boy scurried away.

"What the fuck?" You seethed at JJ, knocking his hand off your shoulder and turning to face him.

The boy in question shrugged his shoulders innocently, "Didn't think you wanted to dance."

"How the hell would you know what I want? You don't even know me." The words were laced in venom and it was clear that you'd finally had enough, not allowing the blue eyed boy to get a word in as you exploded.

"I get it, ok? You hate me and that's fine. But don't for a second pretend to know what I'm about because you don't know shit about me." Your jaw was clenched and you delivered your words through gritted teeth, poking his chest roughly as you spoke.

JJ scoffed out a laugh, grabbing your wrist to stop your relentless poking, "I know exactly what you're about, princess."

Looking at him with pursed lips you snatched your wrist from his grasp and crossed your arms over chest, "Tell me." The demand came out stone cold and JJ's face was covered in confusion, "What?"

"Tell me what I'm about." The boy stared at you in bewilderment before cocking his head to the side and nodding, "Alright."

JJ cleared his throat before he started rattling off reasons as to why he hated you, "You're just like every other kook on this island, a spoiled brat who gets everything handed to you."

Shaking your head at his answer you leaned closer to him with a glare that made a chill run up his spine.

"No no no. We all know what a kook is JJ, no I want you to tell me what I'm about. C'mon, what's my biggest fear?" You pushed at his chest again, enjoying how he swallowed thickly and stayed quiet.

"What age was I when it all started going wrong? Why can't I wear dresses to parties? Huh?" The boy kept quiet, he didn't have an answer to any of your questions and the point you were making started to dawn on him.

"Come on! Since you know everything about what I'm about you must know the answers." 

JJ let out an aggravated huff and threw his hands up in defeat, "Well I don't, alright?" He shouted defensively.

Giving him a fake smile and nodding you stood up, towering over him now.

"Right. Because you don't fucking know me. So stop acting like you do when you've never even bothered to get to know me." You spat at him before storming away.

Kie and Pope watched with dissatisfied looks on their faces, "Man, you suck do you know that?" Kie sighed out as she watched you get smaller and smaller.

"Also you do know Y/n is like the sweetest person on the planet right?" John B chimed in, returning from the keg.

"Why do you hate her?" Pope asked, tilting his head in confusion, JJ not liking you had just been something they all accepted and never questioned.

JJ shrugged, chugging his drink and tossing the cup to the side, "She's a kook." 

Kie scoffed this time, "Yeah and? Everyone else loves her. I don't get why you always have to make her feel bad, she tried really hard to get along with you." 

JJ's feeling towards you were complicated, the rudeness between the two of you had admittedly started off as just banter and when he realized he'd been enjoying the back and forth a little too much he needed to regain his distance. No way in hell could he fall for a kook princess, even if you were one of the nicest people he'd ever met.

He's never felt bad about the remarks he threw you or arguments he caused because you always gave as good as you got. It pissed him off because it only made him admire you more. He didn't notice it was taking a lasting effect on you until your little outburst.

To top things off, Kie, Pope and John B were always gushing about how much fun you were to hang out with and how they wanted to hang out with you more often, truth be told he'd love to see you hanging around more but his pride just would not allow him to get close to you.

"Look, if it would make you all chill out I will go and I will propose a truce so you can all go back to macking on Y/n in peace." The boy offered and was met with a chorus of thank yous from his friends.

He had to jog up the beach until he eventually found you sitting on the sand, close to the shore line with a bottle of water, attempting to sober up before you went home.

"Hey, princess." JJ said, voice flat as he sat down beside you on the cold sand.

You glanced at him briefly and sighed, "I'm not up for a round two."

The boy shook his head, staring out at the ocean thoughtfully, "That's not why I'm here."

Furrowing your brows you turned your face toward his, "Then why are you here?"

He ran his fingers through his hair then met your eyes, "I'm sorry that I'm an asshole."

He never usually apologized, but then again, you never usually snapped either so you were both full of surprises tonight.

"I'm not sorry for snapping at you. You deserved it." You replied softly, returning your gaze to the water in front of you.

JJ let out an airy laugh, nodding in agreement. 

"I don't hate you by the way." He confessed quietly.

"Then why are you so mean all the time?" You asked in return.

Instead of answering your question he posed a new one to you, "Do you wanna know what I'm about?"

You nodded, determined to get to the bottom of the boy beside you.

"I'm about keeping people at a distance. I do that by being an asshole. I'm about caring too much about my reputation to let myself be nice to you." To let myself fall for you. He wanted to say, but he couldn't put all of his cards on the table like that.

Nodding in understanding you let out a weak, "Pogues vs kooks… right." You knew for a fact that if you were considered one of the pogues JJ would've never had an issue with you.

"Right." The boy confirmed with yet another nod of his head. 

A silence settled over you both before JJ stood up, dusting himself off, "Come hang out with us this weekend. The others want you to be there."

Giving him a weak smile and a nod you watched as he walked away. That boy would never fail to confuse you.

You just hoped that now that he told you he didn't hate you, that maybe he'd start acting like it.

Part 2

[heistboundbabes-blog]

the kids are all right

(because I can’t help myself and decided to write a little something for the IG AUs by @louxdebbie & @casliyn that gave us Dani & Darcy. I also stole the girls’ middle names from Cate & Sandra just because I could.)

Pairing: Lou/Debbie Rating: T trigger warning for mentions of sexual harassment /attempted assault

Lou winces sympathetically as she watches their daughter hiss in pain on a bar stool in front of her. Dani places a bag of ice over her swelling eye and Lou notices the bruising hasn’t quite made it to the blue and purple stages, but it’s already darkening from the initial pinkish hue. She’d asked what had happened as soon as Dani walked through the doors of the empty club they’ve made their home since before the children were even a thought in anyone’s mind, but their stubborn girl takes after Debbie in the way she’d waved it off and dismissed the whole thing with a slightly gritted out, “I’m fine.” 

“What the hell happened?”

Speaking of the HBIC herself, Debbie throws open the front door. Lou’s almost certain some of the varnished wood splinters from the amount of force with which it slams into the wall. 

“Nothing, it’s fine. Everything’s fine,” Dani grumbles like this is the most embarrassing overreaction to happen since her school talent show when she was ten and several students booed her performance just before the Original Eight all loudly came to her defense and got themselves kicked out of the auditorium. 

“Danielle Elise Ocean, do not lie to me,” Debbie growls as she hastily struts across the main floor in her four inch heels that wobble with each hurried and unsteady step toward them. “What. Happened.”

Debbie settles at Dani’s side and leans on the hand she sets on the edge of the counter beside the spot the seventeen year old’s back rests against. Debbie’s eyes alternate between fire and steel as she stares down their girl, trying to coerce a confession Lou thinks only she’d ever manage to get out of their first born. 

Dani sighs and rolls her uninjured eye, but it seems to affect the other regardless because the teen sharply inhales less than a second later. “I got into a little scrape,” Dani answers.

Lou lets out a burst of laughter on her next exhale and shakes her head. “You’ve done it now, baby,” she quietly warns just before Debbie proves her right.

“A little scrape?” And, oh, Debbie is glorious when she’s furious. Lou’s embarrassed that she’s slightly turned on at such an unfortunate moment and tries to control her libido before it makes her uncomfortably aroused, which successfully hinders when Debbie suddenly yanks the ice off Dani’s eye. Pointing to the girl’s now half-lidded iris, Debbie argues, “Either you fell down a flight of stairs or someone punched you. All I want is a name.”

“Mom, it’s really no big deal. I handled it,” Dani calmly insists.

Lou frowns. “Handled it? What did you have to handle?” She looks around the club and realizes Darcy, who’d guided her sister inside, didn’t seem to stick around for the explanation. Or backlash. With more curiosity than anger in her tone, she calls out, “Darce?”

She glances at Dani at just the right moment and sees the older girl close her good eye as if she’s been caught red-handed. It wouldn’t be the first time.

“Darcy!” Lou calls out for the younger girl again, still not upset yet, but there will be hell to pay if she goes unanswered. 

Sure enough, Debbie joins in a moment later when they’ve yet to hear from their other daughter. “Darcy Annette Ocean, you get your ass out here right now! You’ll both be grounded if I don’t get answers!”

From the kitchen, Darcy’s gently and slowly led out by Tammy. Tammy’s eyes are wide and sad and Darcy’s are filled with tears. Her mascara runs along the glistening tear tracks on her cheeks and one of the straps of the camisole under her unbuttoned flannel shirt is torn.

Lou gasps immediately. She hadn’t noticed anything troubling about Darcy’s appearance when she’d brought Dani in and now she’s upset at herself for missing it. “Oh my god,” she breathes out before her feet finally start moving and she rushes to her little girl. She just barely manages to stop herself from tackling Darcy into a tight, protective embrace when she’s almost toe-to-toe with her. 

Darcy looks up at her with those big, brown eyes and Lou closes her own because that expression is enough confirmation for her. Lou can guess what happened.

“You’re okay?” Lou’s voice cracks as she asks the question through tears of her own. “He didn’t- You’re...you’re okay?”

Darcy nods and it’s like the motion itself jostles more tears loose. Their fifteen year old curls in on herself and cries, her sobs as heartbreaking as her distressed appearance. She sways a step forward, into Lou, and Lou doesn’t hesitate that time. She wraps her little girl up in a hug and rubs a hand up and down Darcy’s back soothingly while her other hand cups the back of Darcy’s head. 

“He?” Lou mostly hears Darcy’s cries in her ear, but she doesn’t exactly have to strain to hear Debbie questioning their other daughter less than fifteen steps away. 

“I skipped class,” Darcy bellows into Lou’s shoulder as salt and snot seep into her expensive suit-jacket. Lou doesn’t care about the jacket or the truancy, just continues to hold her daughter close and offer whatever comfort she can. “I went to hang out with Jason. We were in his car and...and it was okay. We were just talking. But then we were kissing. And then, he...he wanted more.”

“Didn’t that little shit know he was messing with an Ocean,” Lou hears Debbie rhetorically ask. “He’s about to find out what that means.”

“Da-Dani was coming to meet me and, when she-she saw...she stopped him.”

“No one messes with an Ocean,” Dani confidently states. 

Lou looks over the shoulder not being cried on and looks between Dani and Debbie with pride. “Damn right,” she agrees before she holds Debbie’s gaze with fondness. They both knew Lou had learned that from experience herself throughout all their history, and it’s part of the reason the girls have Debbie’s last name instead of hers.

Dani picks at the ripped knee of her jeans--a style choice Lou respects but will never understand--and then meets Lou’s eyes with a fierceness the blonde admires and encourages at every chance. “You think my eye looks bad? You should see the other guy. He only got one good hit in.”

“That’s my girl,” Debbie says with her full support and a hint of a smirk. She brushes back Dani’s long hair so that it sits behind her shoulder and tucks a few strands behind the teen’s ear. 

“Oh, I’m also suspended for three days,” Dani informs them. She’s so casual about it that Lou, as well as Debbie, know that it’s not just because Dani’s not a stranger to detentions or suspensions but that she also hopes to receive little to no punishment at home by tossing the information out like it’s nothing compared to anything else they’ve heard thus far.

This time, Dani’s right about that.

“That future-offender better be suspended too,” Debbie says, “or we’ll be having words with the principal.”

“He is,” Dani replies. “And his parents were pissed. I think I heard them threatening counseling on top of his life long grounding, too.”

“Good,” Debbie nods. “Now, maybe Aunt Tammy will get all our favorite ice creams and we’ll have a movie night with the girls. How’s that sound?”

“I’m in,” Dani immediately agrees before she and Debbie look to Lou and Darcy. 

Darcy sniffles and finally lifts her head. Lou shifts so they both face Debbie and Dani and keeps an arm firmly around their youngest for endless comfort. Lou needs it as much as she thinks Darcy does.

“Can we watch ‘Grease’?”

Lou smirks and looks at Debbie, who’s expression is similar to hers. 

“Favorite ice cream and your favorite movie,” Debbie says to Darcy. “Looks like we’re having ourselves a night of karaoke.” She turns to Lou then and asks, “What do you say, Rizzo?”

“There are worse things I could do,” she teases before adding, “Zuko.”

Darcy slips out of Lou’s embrace just as Dani stands and the girls make their way to the space they’ve long since converted into a living room with a large screen and projector creating a drive-in theater feel when watching movies instead of planning heists.

“Do you two need a minute,” Tammy asks upon finally injecting herself into the conversation. “Because if I’m supposed to get the ice cream and call up the others, I can wait until you bang out this proud and relieved parent moment.”

“Oh, shut up, Sandra Dee,” Debbie responds jokingly. 

“Sand- Sandra- Oh, I know you didn’t just call me that,” Tammy argues with an accusing finger pointed at Debbie.

Lou chuckles and defends her partner, her wife, her everything. “If you don’t like being Sandy, stop singing all her parts with the most conviction I’ve ever seen out of you.”

“And really, no one’s favorite song is Hopelessly Devoted,” Debbie says before she turns and follows after the kids.

Lou refrains from laughing that time, but she doesn’t dare hide how badly she wants to, or how she one hundred percent agrees with the woman with whom she’s made an incredible life.

“You with me, Lou?” Debbie’s looking at her over her shoulder where she waits halfway between the bar and the living room.

With her warmest smile, Lou replies, “I wouldn’t be anywhere else, honey.”

[ghostconch]

Story 1/31: October Stories

Home Series

BATHROOM

Bright lights give an illusion of persistent daylight, so one can never be too sure what time it actually is in the world. This serves well to keep the crowds roaming, drinking, spending money. Losing.

The walls are mostly lined with mirrors; this gives a forced perception of far larger spaces than are actually inhabited. Doorways seem to bleed into each other, all the same while maintaining movement throughout the entire floor.

Machines sparkle and chime, constructed to entice and suck patrons of small amounts of money over extended periods of time. Cartoons or long dead film stars plaster transparent plastic sheets lit by LED flashbulbs, drawing on familiarity to separate and fade bank accounts.

The draw here is vast and powerful, if you’re so inclined. It is a strange and unspoken magic: Casinos.

We arrived unceremoniously at around three in the afternoon, but could not find parking, free parking, for the better part of the next hour and a half. Typical for the over-crowded, sand swept ocean town at the height of a particularly quick summer season.

This place is a funeral. The lighting, the glaring bright lighting, flashy colors, the faint smell of chemicals-perfumes and otherwise; cigars and alcohol filling the spaces between. Floating busy activity with a simultaneous dead-stillness; so many endless murmuring days I felt in my bones, something so straight and sudden I nearly suggested we go home.

Nature had intervened.

No longer are there any coins. Paper money changes into white strips, numbers and barcodes. All the romance is removed from the eternal hum of this place, one disconnection too far.

We’ve been together almost a year just around this time, it’s been dream-like, you know, one of those long, deep and serene. This delightful disorientation, lasting seemingly so long, end over end.

Heather stands next to me, also in awe of the over-stimulation. Her mid-length reddish brown hair tossed left, a slight tan just above the slender cheeks and pointed nose; pale green eyes flashing like mints flecked with silver. Her sleight frame standing at 5’8, just a full inch taller than me. I loved her in an instant.

“I have to pee.” Off we were to find a restroom at once then, Heather determined to make haste. Without making another movement, I attempted to find a sign or other indication that would direct us to the restrooms. With no success, we headed to the crowded bad the end of the short main hallway.

Sure enough, just beyond the left end of the over-crowded marble counter, a brightly lit green sign indicating the bathrooms with traditional featureless caricatures of a man and woman; I follow close behind as to not lose Heather on her way to relief. She disappeared into the open black wooden door and into a line of equally agitated women patiently waiting. As I hovered around the hallway without specific purpose, I decided I too would venture the bathroom. Suffering no line, I had no trouble entering the large shining black-tiled room. Five urinals lining the wall to the left, three stalls to the right, two small sinks directly in front of me. Having succeeded in my relief, I quickly washed my hands, exiting with haste as to not miss Heather.

Back in the hallway again, aimless and holding up the wall, I felt more at ease. Calmer.

Another five minutes passed. Ten. Fifteen. My calm grew to mounting concern, had Heather fallen ill? Fallen in? I might have missed her entirely. After having a panicked inner dialogue with myself, I remembered my phone. I pulled it from my pocket, nearly dropping it. I punched in a short message, quick response. Oh thank Heather.

“Calm yourself. Out soon. J”

Winking from the bathroom, I thought, how grotesque and chuckled; I was beginning to calm down. Phone back in my pocket, I decided on getting a drink and returning to my waiting post.

“Couldn’t bother to grab me something, I see. Just because I had to pee doesn’t mean I am not also fiercely thirsty. I have every-mind to, to just drop you right here…” a soft, yet icy voice bled through the din of the crowd. A voice unfamiliar.

A woman stood before me, roughly five foot five, short black hair with sweeping bangs over the left eye, which I now noticed was a deep stone-like blue-gray, small frame, donning a black track jacket over an unfamiliar brown logo on a yellow t-shirt over glittering green tights and a shock of white boots.

“Excuse me, do I know you?” I inquired, a little more than simply annoyed.

“Do you know me?” Jesus, you are dense aren’t you? Get me a drink!” another thump on my chest, playful, but not without malice.

“I’m sorry, you really must be mistaken…” I began to turn and walk back to continue waiting for Heather just as the odd woman, quite possibly drunk, grabbed my shoulder, nearly knocking me over.

“We already did thank, creep!” she laughed at me.

“Heather?” The question left my mouth without much thought or intention. My mind felt as if it was dropping inward. I needed to sit down soon.

“Yes, asshole, Heather. Let’s get out of here, are you as hungry as I am?” she smiled, with an air of urgency.

I could not bring myself to speak, I needed to sit down.

I found the edge of an ornate fountain and sat, breathing deep.

“Heather” stood, arms folded, closer to me, genuinely concerned.

“Are you feeling alright? You’re looking a little green…”

My mind swirling, I couldn’t help but laugh. It was the bright bulbs, green bulbs; flashing on and off advertising some new stage show that was premiering soon. I was green indeed.

Looking back at whoever was the operator in this bizarre grand joke, I almost felt better.

“Heather,” I began, playing along. “I need to use the bathroom. Would you wait here for me please?”

A quizzical look, slow sarcastic nod “Yes, of course, stranger…” a smile.

A chill up my spine at “stranger”, I jump up, making my way back to the bathroom.

Thankfully it was nearly closing time and I could investigate without seeming too odd or out of place. I first entered the men’s room.

Clean, save for the scuffed floor and some stray coupons crumpled and strewn about, empty too. Not knowing what I was looking for, I entered and locked each of the five stalls, one by one. Nothing out of the ordinary, two of the five startled me with the auto-flush feature.

I approached the row of golden sinks, turning each faucet, watching the water, on and off, hot and cold. Feverish and feeling crazy, I washed my face, giving myself a look in the shimmering, mostly clean mirror. Making my way for the door, I exited and re-entered the bathroom several times.

Nothing happened.

I could not stop my mind from spinning.

The women’s room was much harder as I was alone, but not completely alone. I managed to make myself scarce until was sure the bathroom was deserted and did a similar, albeit much faster scan of the women’s room. Thorough, but fast and efficient, I found nothing but a much cleaner restroom.

The phone again.

“Are you O.K.?”

Heather was waiting. Heather was asking after me as she always does when I take too long away. Heather is also missing, and now without her phone, stolen by the woman I left to find the exact nature of whatever it was that has happened here. To me, but more importantly to Heather, my Heather.

“I am okay. Coming back now.” I press send and hide the phone away before I start to feel sick again.

Standing in the archway of the main entrance, I see the one claiming to be Heather standing, arms and legs stretched into a star formation of a weary stretch.

“I think we should probably get going now. I am so tiiiired.” I hear across the hall directed at me. Another chill up my spine and into the back of my throat.

“I don’t know you, I’m very sorry. I just, I need to find Heather.”

“You need to lie down, I think. You can too, I’ll drive us home.”

I swear to you I didn’t know what else to do.

I collected myself, and calmly walked to this other woman with Heather’s phone, keys and general demeanor.

We did indeed drive home, and I have gotten all the rest I need. What happened to this day I cannot pinpoint. I sometimes consider if my initial impression of who I thought to be my girlfriend, perhaps someday my wife, at least in appearance could have been completely wrong the entirety of our whole relationship up until now.

It was not until months later when I had settled myself into a reassuring and soothing routine that I was shaken from my slumber.

A text on my phone lighting the darkness as I lay next to Heather,  weary and falling away to sleep.

I grab for my phone, the clock reads 3:03 AM; one unread message.

Heather:

“Are you OK? I’m in the front lobby; I figured you had gotten tired of waiting for me and gone for drinks. Where are you?”