DON'T JUDGE

TWENTY-FIVE

(Scarlet)

Jordie walked up the cobble stone with me toward my apartment. He was still slightly muttering the song under his breath. He paused during his little self concert,

"Now, sweetheart, you know why I was in sports and not choir. "

I laughed and ruffled his hair. I knocked on my own apartment door at two am. I forgot my key at Jordie's but I didn't think my feet  could go anymore. I was so tired. I leaned on Jordie's shoulder almost passing out. My mom swung  the door open and yelled,

"Cathay! Where have you been? I have been so worried. Why didn't you answer your phone. Ugh. What's the point of have a phone if you don't answer me? Wait, did you knock? Did you loose your key again? That's the fifth time this week! You give me stress and you know what stress gives me? Gray hairs! "

I stood there with my mouth gaping open shocked. She called me Cathay. I waited for Jordie to ask something but he didn't. He only tried to stiffle his laughing. She turned to him fury still in her eyes.

" I wouldn't be laughing if I were you young man. You-"

I interrupted her before she could say something we would both regret.

"Mom! It wasn't his fault."

 My mom was still sneering at both of us when she grabbed my ear and yanked me into the house. I waited for his steps to fade away.

"Mom, you just called me Cathay!"

       She grumbled at me,

" It's not like he could notice cause he was laughing so damn hard."

Well, I was wide awake  now.

~

I was grounded for a week. I couldn't leave the apartment. I was forced to interact with my mom and do house chores. I wondered what Jordie does without me. Did he just go hang out with his other friends? Did he have other female friends? Ones that he built forts with, had paper airplane wars with, took to the beach and buried under the sand?

I felt a weird tingle in my chest. Was I jealous? No, I couldn't be. He could have other friends. He could have girl friends. We were friends. Why did it bother me so much?

I folded  clothes and imagined him. I pictured him at the beach behind the car with his body against mine. His lips pressing against my skin. What if I had leaned in? What would we be now? How would his lips feel against mine? How would it feel with he nibbled my bottom lip and I let him in? How would it feel with my legs wrapped around his waist and his hands on my lower back pushing me closer, deeper into the kiss?

No, no, no I told myself. Stop. Don't think like this. A little voice in the back of my head was whispering. You want Kevin. He stayed with you when you told him everything. Jordie knows nothing. What would he do if you told him? Leave you? The only way to know would be to tell him. Everything? All of it? No. Not yet. Not now.

I shook my head trying to clear my thoughts. I continued folding focusing on the clothes until I couldn't stand it anymore I had to see him. I walked out of the apartment. I tried to stay stable on the slippery cobblestone. I hesitated at his door. I heard nothing inside besides a  bunch of pots banging. It was better than the scenarios I had made up in my mind. I knocked. I heard shuffling of feet.

Jordie didn't answer the door. She was taller than me and slimmer than me. She had white to blue ombre hair. Her eyes were hazel. She wore a oversized probably XXL gray shirt with galaxy pajama pants. Was she with Jordie? Did he move on already? She raised a eyebrow then observed my red hair. Her voice had a Britain accent,

"Oh! You must be the new girl. They say she has hair of fire."

I tried to smile,

"Yep that's me. My name is Scarlet. "

I glanced into the apartment. It wasn't filled with video games or posters and there was no sign of Jordie. Wrong apartment. She said,

" My name is Ivy. You can come in if you like. " 

I shook my head,

" Actually, I meant to knock on the door beside your apartment. "

Her smile dropped,

" Oh Jordans apartment? "

I nodded my head. Ivy still grabbed my wrist and pulled me in to her scented apartment.

" I just finished making pancakes. No one can resist pancakes!"

I laughed and followed her into the kitchen. Her pancakes may have looked distorted but they tasted like heaven.