The GEEKs

18. psychos, tadpoles, and a frat house

"Just go into the living room and distract them?" I suggest while running my fingers up and down the sides of Kat's arms, which she either is, or pretends to be, completely oblivious to.

Out of the blue, without no warning whatsoever, she slaps her own forehead, squirms out of my reach, and starts piling books in the middle of the bed. I should have seen this coming. I should have known. That's why I'm so intrigued by Kat. I'm always attracted to psychos, plain and simple.

"Come on!" She climbs on top of the little book tower and opens the skylight and motions for me to follow before hoisting herself up and out of my sight. "You can tie your shoes later!" She pokes her head back in through the hole in the ceiling so, of course, I obey.

"This seems pretty dangerous." I glance around once I join her on the roof. It's been raining during the night and it's slippery, and even though there's a barrier keeping me from sliding off the edge of the roof, I still stand by my words. "Again, you just know exactly how to turn me on, Kat, don't you?"

"Oh psh, I've been up here a million times and I'm still alive."

This is fucking ridiculous...I love it! I follow her as she makes her way to the other side of the building until we reach another skylight and she opens it, with much more ease than she did the one in her room. I can't remember the last time I enjoyed being awake in the morning this much as I watch Kat stick her upper body in through the window and talk to someone, although I can't hear what she's saying. Then her head comes back out and instead she lowers her legs, then torso, and then disappears inside completely, so again, I follow her.

There is no bed directly under the skylight, but it seems like we're in someone's bedroom. It looks nothing like Kat's though. Not only the shape of it is different, it also looks like...like a dude's bedroom, it has that vibe. And just when I thought this couldn't get any more absurd, I turn around whilst inspecting the room to find Mark Arm standing in the doorway, leaning against the frame.

"I'll explain later." Kat mumbles while walking past him.

"I'm looking forward to it." Mark flashes me a toothy smile and I nod at him, scratch my face, point at Kat whom I can see in the next room, and go out after her.

"Nice place. Smells kinda weird, but excellent use of space," I comment on the two rooms that I just got to see.

"Yeah, I've told Mark to get some incense sticks but he thinks that's gonna make his place smell weird. Okay, you gotta go now," Kat informs me after looking out through the peephole and comes to grab my forearm and escort me to the door.

"Geez, you just can't wait for me to leave, can you?"

"Oh hey, can you hear the church bells ring in Lizzy's head?" Kat cups her ear dramatically.

"Okay, okay, I'm going. Goodbye, Kat." I press a hand to my chest as I back out through the door and end up standing in the hallway.

"Yeah, see ya later, Chris."

"Hopefully sooner rather than later."

A smile springs to her lips and she closes the door swiftly yet soundlessly. I get down on my knee to tie my boots as faint laughter seeps out from the geeks' apartment. Hm. Maybe it would have been even more entertaining in a very bizarre way to let her roommates see me walk out of her bedroom.

"You can tie your shoes later!" Kat reappears in Mark's doorway and whisper-shouts one last thing at me before leaving me alone in the hallway again.

* * *

"So why are you sneaking Chris Cornell out through my apartment on this beautiful Sunday morning?"

"Because I— Wait, it's Sunday?"