STRESSED: a status short

Stressed

            Once Smokey had done his thing, he was more than happy to lay by the bench as I sat back, my laptop perched on my knees.

            BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

            I looked up, looking to see where the beat was coming from.  “Do you see anyone, Smokers?”  My dog looked up at me then lay his head back down, looking slightly irritated that I’d interrupted whatever deep thought it was he’d been submerged in.

            “Sorry,” I mumbled.  I set my hands on my keyboard and took a deep breath.

            Tyler nodded and pulled her around so that her back was to his chest and he could rest his chin on her head.  When she didn’t object, he hung his arms loosely over her shoulders.

            “Heidi…”

            “Hmmm?”  She glanced back at him and caught her breath at the look in his dark eyes.

            “I…”  He smiled and turned her head so she was looking at the ocean once again.  “Just look straight ahead until I’m done.”

            She nodded and put her hands on his arms.

            “I need to tell you something…

            I reread the last thing I had written in hopes of getting back into my story.

            BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

            “For cryin’ out loud!”  I stood and tried to find the person responsible for ruining the perfect quiet of the park.  Smokey look at me, his head tilted to the side.

            “Don’t you hear that?” I asked him.  I grabbed his leash and started stalking back to the house.  My pocket vibrated and I pulled my blackberry to my ear.  “Allo?”

            “Are you up for a drink?”

            I grinned at the sound of Taneesha’s voice.  “Definitely.  You’d think I was on bad drugs today.  I keep hearing music when there’s no one around.”

            She laughed.  “Then you’d better have two.  Meet me at Peter’s.”

            BOOM! BOOM!

            The sound of Allie’s music made its way to my ears as I neared the house.  I smiled and waved at my two roommates who were sitting on the deck.  I gave Allie a teasing grin.

            “Can’t you turn it down when you leave the room?”

            She frowned.  “I did.”

            I looked up to her bedroom window

            BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

            I raised an eyebrow at her.  “No, really, hun.  The neighbors are going to start to complain.  We’ll never find another place like this again.”

            Sammie was looking at me like I’d gone crazy.  “Mireille, she shut it off.”

            “But…”  I walked past them into the house and made my way to Allie’s room.  Everything was quiet.  “What the fuck is going on?” I mumbled to myself.  I dropped my backpack onto my bed, made sure Smokey had water and grabbed my wallet off of the coffee table.