I woke up early in the morning. Chase was still sleeping. I got up and brushed my hair, straightened it and got dressed in jean shorts and a Red Hot Chili Peppers shirt. I walked through the bedroom—checked momentarily on Chase—to the living room, the early morning sun had just started to shine through the window.
I started a pot of coffee and set aside creamer and sugar. I took out a pan—our only pan—and a spatula. I grabbed two eggs from the fridge and started to stove. I put the pan on the stove and cracked the two eggs in the pan. Stirring the eggs with my spatula, I hummed a tune.
I heard the sound of bare feet slap against bare wood. I turned to see Chase, leaning against the bar, shirtless. "Good morning Scar," He had a big smile slapped on his face.
"What are you so happy about?" I asked, moving around the eggs.
"I'm happy that you're alive."
"Alive?" I couldn't tell whether he was joking or not.
"Alive. That's all. I'm just happy that you're alive and well and perfectly sane." He gave a wry smile.
I decided to dismiss it. "Okay." I moved the eggs around one more, making sure they were done. After I saw that they all were cooked, I divided the eggs onto two plates. I handed one plate and fork to Chase. "Breakfast?"
He flashed a smile. "Thank you." Chase sat down at the bar and dug into his eggs. I just stood, leaning on the counter, holding my plate in my hands, watching Chase. He looked up. "What's wrong?"
I tried to dismiss the thought but I couldn't get over his answer. "Why are you so happy I'm alive? It's not like you think about this every morning."
Chase looked down at his food, pushing the eggs around his plate. "Um..." He looked increasingly nervous and worried. "I just had this dream last night..."
I leaned on the bar across from him. "What happened?"
"You jumped off of a bridge into water. I tried to save you... but... I..." Chase looked mad. He slammed his fist on the counter. "I got really scared. I thought that you were as good as dead. When I woke up and you were alive... it was a relief."
I swallowed hard. "I didn't..." I couldn't find words to describe how I felt. Sad? Worried? Scared? How do you tell someone you love how you feel without finding words to describe your own emotions?
You don't.
I walked around the bar to Chase's side and hugged him. Small. Light.
"I just don't want to see anything like that happen to you. It's one thing if you die from natural causes or—hell, even murder, but suicide? I don't think I could handle that." Chase said after I let go of him.
"Well..." I began. "I would like to say that I'm perfectly sane but with these crazy nightmares... I don't know." I gave a shrug and began eating my food.
"How reassuring."
I shrugged. "I'm sorry. What are we going to do today? Anything?"
Chase shrugged. "I really want to get out of this town."
"Agreed." I sighed, setting my plate in the sink. "But seriously, what do you want to do today?"
"I don't know. What do you want to do?"
I sighed. "I don't know either. I guess we could just laze around the house all day. Isn't that what Saturdays are meant for?" I smiled.
Chase put his plate in the sink and grabbed my hands, gazing into my white eyes. "We should go out. But, I won't go near any bridges."
"Fair enough."
Chase flashed a smile that quickly faded. "I love you. I really love your white eyes. Are they contacts?"
I shook my head. "When I was born, they were almost black and they just got lighter and lighter. The doctors didn't even know it was possible."
"I'm almost mesmerized by them." Chase held my chin.
I closed my eyes. "I like your eyes too."
"They're brown. What's so spectacular about brown?"
"The fact that they're... I don't know, they're different." I kept my eyes closed as Chase leaned in to kiss me.
Chase and I had been sitting on the couch watching Saturday morning news-turn-talk shows. My phone buzzed on the end table around ten.
"Hello?"
"OH, MY GOSH ARE YOU INSANE?! VEGAS? WITHOUT ME!" I pulled the phone away from my ear as Stella screamed through the phone a dozen other words that came too jumbled to understand.
"Stella! Calm down. I assume you got my letter?" I put my cell back to my ear.
"YES! Vegas? Seriously? Plus you'll be going with CHASE! Do you know what happens to couples who go to Vegas?"
I rolled my eyes. "What?"
"Gambling. Sex. Marriage. Sex. Repeat."
I covered the mic. "Hey, Chase, it's Stella. I'll be on the balcony." I put the phone back to my ear and stepped out on the small balcony. "Okay. Gambling? Marriage? Isn't that a little extreme?"
"You didn't say anything about sex being extreme."
I bit my lip. "That's because it's not. Anyway, sex can happen anywhere, not just Vegas."
"But it's more common in Vegas. Besides, you two are still a newer couple. Have you even gotten laid yet? You're eighteen for Christ's sake."
"I—" I bit back an answer. "That's none of your business. I'm sorry if I like to take my time slow and not go out the night I find my Match and go crazy."
"Okay. Travis—although a dork—was amazing. At least I'm not a prude."
"Slut."
"And to think that we're best friends,"
"Even the best of friends call each other names. So, back to the main reason you called me. Vegas. I'll be going there to start another protest."
"Why Vegas? You know how many people go to Vegas to get a start on their career as entertainers? You know how many people get chewed up and spit back out? I don't think people in Vegas will be quiet as accepting to Unscripted rights as the people of Palm Springs."
I sighed. "It's a chance worth taking. I just need money. And lots of it."
"Gamble."
"I'm not gambling."
"So how are you getting the money? I mean, other than you know, work."
"That's for me to know and for you to not find out. Seriously. Don't ask me about it." I sat down on the only chair on the balcony. "Really Stella, I find the money. If I get a check from you in the mail, I'll rip it. I'm accepting money from you."
"Who are you accepting money from?"
"Good-bye Stella." I hung up and walked back in the apartment. I sighed, plopping down on the couch.
"What did Stella want?" Chase asked, muting the TV.
"Oh, nothing really. She just got a letter I sent her in the mail and she was surprised by it. That's all."
"If you don't mind me asking, what was in the letter?"
"Just our plans to go to Vegas and spread the word."
"What's wrong with that? Don't tell me, she's not... Against Unscripted?" Chase looked startled, sitting up in the couch.
I shook my head. "No. No, she's... worried about us going to Vegas." Still the truth... almost.
"What's she so worried about?"
No taking the easy way. Thanks Chase. "Uh... violence." I gave a smile. "She's just worried about all the violence that could be brought on because of a protest." I tried to give off a more convincing smile.
"Oh." Chase returned to the TV, unmuting it and leaving me at "oh."
I stood up and walked into the bedroom. I couldn't relax after what Stella had said on the phone. Why was she so worried about me? It's not like it's really any of her business of what goes on between Chase and I...
I have to call her.
Still top on my speed-dial. As she always will be.
"Hi Stella," I tried to sound perky, but there was still an unhappy edge to my voice. I hoped it wouldn't show through on the phone.
"Hey. We just talked. Couldn't get enough of me?" The lightness in her voice was almost overwhelming.
"Yeah... something like that... Look, Stella, what you said earlier? Why were you so worried about Chase and I?" I locked the door and sat on the edge on the bed.
A big sigh came from Stella. "Because... I, I, um..." Her voice started to shake and I could picture her, sitting in her basement, her cell phone shaking in her hand. "Look, Scarlett, there's something about—God I can't believe I'm telling you this over the phone—you know in all those health classes we had to sit through since middle school? They're all right. And that's all I'm saying."
A long length of silence followed.
"You mean..." I tried to stay serious. "My life long best friend Stella Doe, regrets losing her—"
"Don't say another word or I will come to Palm Springs and murder you."
I rolled my eyes. "It's alright. I'll be careful." I stood up and unlocked the door, walking back in the living room. "Good-bye Stella." I hung up and plopped on the couch.
Chase looked at me for a second before I said, "What?"
"Nothing." He looked back at the TV.
But it wasn't nothing. Because with Chase, nothing means everything.
I leaned on Chase, curling into his body. "Why don't you just say what's on your mind? I mean, it doesn't take a mind reader to know that what you meant by "nothing" is "everything."
Chase smiled. "How do you know that I meant "everything?" I mean, really, how do you know what I meant?"
I couldn't help but roll my eyes. "Quit trying to be mystery man. Really. I can see right through you."
"I thought girls liked a little mystery in their lives." Chase wiggled his eyebrows, trying to be charming.
I again rolled my eyes. "I'm not like most girls. If I was like most girls, I'd still be in school in San Bernardino, spending the evening with Stella and Travis and my Match, Levi. But, since I'm not like most girls, I'm here in Palm Springs, a high school drop-out, dating you, planning an uprising."
"An uprising? I like it."
I shook my head. "What am I going to do with you?"
"Well, there's many things you can do with me. You can eat with me, we can watch movies together, we can plan an uprising together... Couple stuff like that."
I kissed Chase and he kissed back. Soft. Gentle. Like I was a fragile flower, delicate petals.
"Why are you so gentle with me?" I asked, breaking the kiss.
Chase shrugged. "I don't know. I think because to me, you'll always be fragile. Then I have to remember how strong willed you are and that you aren't that fragile."
I smiled and kissed Chase again, this time taking control and putting more force in to the kiss. To my surprise, Chase returned the force.