Incite Me

Chapter 2

The next morning, I frayed out of a dreamless sleep. Squinting at a clock at a far end of my room, I barely made out the arrows - I think it was a little past ten. Yawning and rubbing my blurry eyes, I dragged myself out of bed, threw a robe around the shoulders and presuming Ian came back in the early hours of the morning and is peacefully regaining his energy in his sleep, I went downstairs to the kitchen. The house was quiet and a bleak sunshine came in long rays through closed curtains in the living room. I heard a noise in the kitchen and not thinking anything, ran expecting my roommate up so early.

"Oh hey, Callum."

A tall lithe figure turned around and rewarded me with the widest, warmest smile anyone could deserve right before their first cup of morning coffee.

"Morning, sunshine!" Callum greeted cheerfully.

Wearing a white vest jersey and dark pajama pants, he looked gorgeous; however, too skinny and pale. Both Ian and Callum didn't bulge up in the gym, nor did they eat anything that resembled a living stock - including eggs for breakfast or tuna sandwiches for lunch. Although Ian wasn't a hardcore vegan, Callum was. Their lifestyle wasn't my cup of tea - I loved meat more than anything, but if it's something that makes them happy, so be it. I couldn't judge anyone above my own reasoning.

Bringing his long arms around my shoulders, Callum pressed a warm hug.

"How have you been, beautiful?"

Squeezing him back, I realized it's been quite some time since Ian brought him back home. And although they've been dating for over a year, both of them respected their own privacy.

"I've been good, thanks." I sneered and with a thought of yesterday's rendezvous in bed, my cheeks tinted in a warm glow. "What time did you get back last night?"

"You mean this morning?" He chuckled and went back to the frying pan.

Stirring something that resembled a mountain of green and red leaves, he wiggled his bum to his own humming, "some time past four. Ian couldn't stop dancing. I bet he won't be able to walk today."

A quiet giggle escaped my lips as I stood waiting for a kettle to boil for my first caffeine kick of the day. "You're up early." I noticed.

"I'm not much of a sleeper. I'll have a nap in the day if I'm lucky. We're still young, right? We'll sleep when we're dead or in a retirement home."

"Right..." I exhaled and looked up at his freckled face standing next to me.

Callum was a year younger than Ian and me, making him twenty-three. He worked in a local grocery superstore and was an ordinary, everyday kind of bloke. With short spiky auburn hair and light brown eyes, he shared a fare amount of Scottish DNA with his family. With his quirky attitude and a wide ear-to-ear smile, he made it impossible for anyone not to love him.

"Ian wants to go to L.A. today. An audition to a shampoo ad is being held at one in the afternoon, so we better hurry." He stirred the pan once again and turned off the hob.

As soon as the kettle boiled, I brewed myself a strong mug of espresso and left it to cool off.

"Ian in a shampoo commercial?" I snorted grinning, "He needs to grow some hair first."

Callum and Ian both sported a spiky, short crop so I honestly couldn't imagine Ian being in an ad of such sort.

Shrugging his pointy bare shoulders, Callum laid some of the green paste-like leaves onto a round plate, poured freshly pressed orange juice in a tall glass and went up to wake Ian. I sighed dreamily - I never had anyone bring breakfast to bed. But that would involve a man, who would probably expect something more as a price for meals in bed and with that, I shook my head to wipe the image out of my mind and went to sit in the front porch. Wrapping a hot mug in my fingers, I made myself comfortable on a swinging bench and watched a tranquil street come to live with two passing cars and a dog walker walking by.