"Your black cherry infusion, milady," I said placing the mug of dark red liquid on the side table next to the couch. She smiled and touched her chin in thanks.
"Do you take sugar?" I asked and she shook her head saying, "Not in fruit teas." A girl after my own heart. I sat down on the couch next to her and sipped at my peach tea. I glanced at the computer and asked, "Find anything?" She sighed and leaned back against the couch.
"Nothing within walking distance and only like two that have positions open for nights and weekends," she signed. She shrugged and offhandedly signaled, "I guess I could take the train or something." I looked at her and after a moment said, "If you can get a shift that starts after 5pm on weekdays I could drive you. Or if you just work weekends I can drive you whenever." She smiled and then hugged me from the side.
I froze at the feeling of her skin against mine and my face grew warm. I was used to affection from Sissy, but from Octavia it was still new and I didn't exactly know how to react so my default was embarrassment. She pulled away from me and continued searching the internet and sipping at her tea.
I took a gulp of peach tea and stood up suddenly feeling awkward.
"Um, didn't you say you had geometry homework or something?" I asked. She looked up from the computer and grudgingly signed, "Don't remind me."
"Shouldn't you do that?" I asked clutching my mug of tea to my chest. She looked up at me with raised eyebrows. She didn't look offended, she looked surprised. No one had really cared whether or not she did her homework...not since her mother died.
"I'll do it tomorrow," she signed slowly almost as if she were testing me.
"Well do you have any other school work you need to get done?" I asked. She pursed her lips and replied, "I have an AP Lang essay I should probably work on but it isn't due until Tuesday."
"Well finish the geometry today and then start on the essay tomorrow so you won't have to do everything last minute," I said and I blinked. Where did that come from? I had no right to tell this girl what to do. She was our new roommate, not my child.
There was a moment of silence before I shook my head and said, "Or do what you want...or something." I cringed at my own awkwardness and drank down the rest of my tea, burning my throat.
She closed down her laptop and stood up. She was staring directly at me with her grey eyes that seemed older than the rest of her and I thought she was going to yell at me...or whatever the equivalent of yelling in sign language would be.
"You're right. I'll get started on the geometry. Can I use the counter?" she asked and I let out a breath I didn't know I had been holding.
I nodded and she grabbed her book bag, taking that and her tea mug into the kitchen.