3.5. Calling...

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Chapter 3 part 2

All I knew this morning when I woke, is I know something now, know something now that I didn't before...

Two night later...

Bruno's P.O.V.

"So what's the verdict?" I call to Jessica from the bedroom as I continue flipping through the never ending list of movies on Netflix.

"What were the choices again?" I hear the water stop running the bathroom. 

"Anchorman, Zoolander or Just Go With It?" Jessica enters the room, her air up in a messy bun; she's wearing a pair of sweatpants with a white tank top and one of my flannel shirts. She settles into the bed beside me adjusting the pillows behind her. 

"Definitely Just Go With It." She smiles, her cheeks rising as her big brown eyes light up. I move it to kiss her when the bedroom door opens. I hear the jingling of metal on metal coupled with the sound of claws against the wood floor. Geronimo trots in and jumps up onto the bed. He walks up to me blinking his dark eyes. I give him a good rub and Jessica does. Once he settles I kiss her

."Guess G wanted to watch too." 

"He has good taste in movies I'd say," Jessica says as she turns off her bedside lamp. I start the movie. Right after the dinner scene ends Jessica drifts off to sleep. Geronimo, leaves after pushing the door open with his nose. For a moment I debate between watching the rest of the movie and sleeping but sleep wins causing me to turn off the TV. I lay down beside her and she turns on her side resting her arm on my shoulder. I close my eyes sleep coming naturally to my tired mind and body.

______

I slip my hand out from under my head and slide out from under Jessica putting one of the pillows where I was. She shifts making me freeze for a few minutes until she settles back down. Sitting up in bed I swing my legs over the side and walk over to the balcony, pushing the glass doors open. The chilly breeze sends me back inside for a hoodie but before I reach the doors I glance back in at Jessica. She sleeps peacefully almost soundlessly pulling the covers around her as the wind blows. An uneasy feeling settles in my stomach. As I step back out on the balcony, pull my hood over my head and look over the city lights below. The wind blows once more almost sending a chill up my spine but then a salty breeze joins the cold taking me way back. A smile stretches across my face.

Before school everyday without fail, Laylani and I would sneak out of our houses with our bathing suits on under our clothes and run to the beach. She really was an incredible swimmer, like the girl was made for water. She was so fast. Half the times we raced, I turned back early so that I could beat her; she was just too fast. That one time I beat her, she got mad and shoved me back in the water. I laugh lightly. When she was mad at me, the way her green eyes shone fiercely above her tiny freckles just made me smile. I hear a noise looking back. Geronimo trots into my bedroom, his collar jingling as I hear his claws on the floor. He walks right to me, laying down beside me. I give him a good pat and ruffle his ears before I glance over at my phone. I head over for it searching though my contacts as Laylani's name appears.

I can't believe how long it's been since I've hung out with her, so much as happened between now and then but the friendship feels the same. Reconnecting with her these past weeks has really brought me back, she's just the way I remember her. I tapping her name I put my phone to my ear. The dial tone only lasts for half a minute.

"Hello?" Her voice comes through clearly, she seems to be fully awake. 

"I knew you'd be up," I smile. 

"Hello to you too Bruno," She pauses. "Why are you up?"

"Can't sleep." I walk to the railing resting my arm on it as I look at the cars flying by below. 

"Me neither," 

"Well duh, I can tell." 

"Shut up." I can almost hear her smile.  "I'm trying to draft up some new designs."

"Cool cool, any mens wear?"

"Yeah actually, winter attire," Following the words comes a smooth melody, one that I know but I can't put my finger on. Her voice, soothes my mind; the sound crystal clear. I head back in to the room, heading down the stairs as quietly as I can. In the kitchen and open the fridge pulling out the milk jug a filled with my mom's signature Pineapple-mango-coconut smoothie. Setting my phone down I shake it and pour myself a glass. "Hello?"

"Yeah, I'm here," I say holding my phone between my shoulder and my cheek I return the jug to the fridge.

"You're in the kitchen aren't you." 

"No, what makes you think that?" I say downing a gulp of smoothie. 

"Because I know you."

"That doesn't mean I'm in the kitchen."

"Yes it does, don't lie to me," She says putting on that fake serious voice; I remember. 

"Ok maybe I'm in the kitchen,"

"That's what I thought," She laughs. 

"Bet you don't know what I'm in the kitchen for though."

"One of your mom's signature smoothies, of course."

"Damn, you remember those?" 

"How could I forget? They were the best. We would have them almost every morning. Speaking of smoothies," she says quickly. I hear the sound of bare feet against hard wood flooring. " I have a smoothie too." 

"Bet you it's not as good as mine," I tease heading back upstairs and out on the balcony, closing the glass doors behind me. 

"You're right it's better than yours." 

"Lies, I got this recipe from mom directly." 

"But I know the secret ingredient."

"What are you talking about , there's not secret ingredient." We debate about smoothies for about an half an hour before we begin talking about our high school days. Laylani laughs, specks of her childish voice smoothed over with maturity and a sort of sassy elegance. 

"You nearly busted your behind climbing down the side of your house when we got tickets to go to that concert on the beach, you limped for the rest of the night!"

"Hey, whoa there, if I didn't rush I wouldn't have gotten in and neither would you."

"Point taken, I'll give you that." She pauses, the sound of a bone dry smoothie glass comes through. 

"Finished?"

"Yeah."

"That song you we're singing earlier, it was " Hey Little Rich Girl" By Amy Winehouse right?"

"Yeah, off of "Back To Black." 

"My favorite song off that album goes something like this: They tried to make me go to rehab and I said," I sing, enunciating each syllable.

"No, no no," Laylani chimes in her own inflections evident the earthiness of her Amy impression.

"Yes I've been black but then I come back you'll know, know, know," our voices blend together as they used to.  

"It's been so long since we've done that and we still sound good." Her voice comes light, she yawns.

"Yeah. We both have work in the morning, so I won't keep you up any longer. Go to sleep ok?" I say detecting the fatigue in her voice.

I will, I will," She yawns again. "Night Bruno." I tell her goodnight and slip my phone in my hoodie pocket. She still can't sleep when two AM comes around but it's good to know she's made the time productive. The uneasy feeling, subsides and I get back in bed. Even after all these years David still has an affect on her. She really never forgets. 

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