hey guys this is a long chapter. hope yall enjoy.
qotc: if you guys started school already, how is it? if you haven't, when's your first day?
"So did you guys sleep together?" Maya asks bluntly on Friday during our dinner date. I stare at her in surprise as I take a bite of my salad. We worked more on our project in the library before stopping at the dining hall for dinner.
"Huh?" I ask in surprise. I heard exactly what she said but I want to know what her reason behind asking is. Did Asa say something to her?
"You and Asa- when I left on Saturday morning, I saw that you were wearing his clothes," she comments with a weak shrug.
"No, no, no," I answer as I wave my hands together dismissively. "Well, I was wearing his clothes but only because the shirt you gave me made him uncomfortable. And he wouldn't make me a grilled cheese if I didn't put a shirt on."
"He made you a grilled cheese?" she inquires with a surprised look.
"Yeah," I reply in short. "And while I was sleeping, he put a blanket on top of me. I think it was his blanket."
"And he's still mean?" she presses with a raised brow.
"No...yes...kind of," I answer as I squint at her in confusion.
"He's never made me a grilled cheese..." she mumbles quietly as she pokes at her pizza, which I've come to learn is her favorite food and all she eats.
"I threatened to burn down your kitchen," I excuse his behavior with a shrug. "But I also made progress with him."
"I can tell," she notes with a slow nod.
"He said we're friends," I reply, which gets two raised brows from her. "And we talked..."
She quirks a brow and I hope she'll let me go in depth later. I don't feel like explaining how I flirted with Zack to her right now. Luckily for me, she scans the crowd of people around us and comes upon someone who grabs her attention. "Look who it is." Asa and a friend of his scour the room for an empty table.
"Wait, Maya!" I hiss as she stands up and waves her arms a little. I still haven't faced him after everything I said in my drunken stupor. I don't think I embarrassed myself too much but I definitely gave him some fuel for his arsenal. Asa spots her and nods at his friend. They advance in our direction and I shoot her a glare. "I hate you."
"No you don't," she remarks as she returns to her seat and pushes in her chair.
"Why is he even here?" I ask as I gaze at his outfit. The boy beside him is dressed just as formally so I'm assuming they work together.
"I told him I wasn't cooking tonight and that I was eating here so I guess he decided he would too," she genuinely answers my question. She turns her attention to Asa and his friend as they get closer and closer. "Hey guys."
Asa nods at her and the boy with him offers a big grin. I glance up and analyze his friend. It's weird to think that Asa has friends. He seems so antisocial. The boy trailing behind him has neat braids that travel to the base of his neck and clear, dark skin. He notices my gaze and nods at me encouragingly. "I haven't seen you around. What's your name?" he surprises me by asking. I thought he'd be shy like Asa.
"Ivy," I answer with a smile as they take the seats across from us. Asa sits right in front of me and his friends takes the spot before Maya.
"Also known as Poison," Asa comments without so much as a glance towards me.
"Actually, I'm not," I correct with a smile at his friend. "He's literally the only one that calls me that."
"I'm Tyson," he introduces himself with an entertained nod.
"Nice to meet you," I reply before taking a bite of my salad.
"You, too," he responds, seeming truthfully happy to meet me. I wonder if that's a skill he acquired at his job. Maybe not because Asa is nowhere near that suave. "How do you know Maya?"
"They're dating," Asa answers for me and I roll my eyes at him. He definitely knows we're not. Tyson looks between the two of us.
"We're actually not. We're friends," I tell him as I motion to Maya, who looks up with a mouthful of pizza and nods approvingly. "We met at a party."
"Cool," he says as he looks between all of us.
I decide to act like Asa. "So how'd you screw yourself into a friendship with him?" I question as I take a large bite of my salad.
Tyson laughs and Asa mocks him, which would get a chuckle out of me if I wasn't trying to prove a point. "We're both finance majors," Tyson explains with a grin. "And we work together, so there's that."
"I'm really sorry," I tell him with a forced frown on my face. What I want to do is laugh at the way Asa rolls his eyes. "I know it must be hard...dealing with him. I struggle with it, too."
"Where's my sympathy? I live with him," Maya joins in on the teasing.
"My condolences," I say as I lightly rest my hand on hers.
"So, so funny," Asa says with a flat look as he sits back with crossed arms. I take a minute to assess the way his light blue button down hugs his arms. I quickly look away when I feel his gaze on me.
"You know, Asa, she kind of reminds me of you," Tyson comments and Asa lets out a loud groan.
"That's exactly what I said!" Maya agrees excitedly as she slaps the table a few times.
"I'm nowhere near that annoying," Asa defends himself with a strong shake of his head.
"I'm nowhere near that annoying," I mock him and he looks to Tyson as if saying 'see what I mean?' Only, Tyson laughs at my impersonation of Asa, which I continue for the next five minutes. He eventually stops talking and only shoots ocasional glares at me, so I lean in and give him an angsty glance.
"Shut up, Zack," he insists and the look immediately drops from my face. I stare at him with slightly wide eyes as Maya lets out a loud guffaw. She wouldn't be laughing if she didn't know. I definitely didn't tell her, which means Asa did. "That's what I thought."
He shuts me up for the majority of the conversation as I sit and analyze everything I said to him the other night. Soon enough, we're all splitting up and I'm heading to hang out with Aaliyah, and Maya is going back to her apartment for 'the best nap anyone has ever taken.'
An hour into my hangout with Aaliyah, I get a text from an unknown number. I stare at the screen for a couple seconds in slight confusion. I haven't given my number out to anyone recently. The only unsaved numbers in my phone are from group project members that I've had to work with within the last year. I read the text and am filled with even more confusion.
Unsaved Number: I need a favor.
Ivy: Who is this?
I stare at the screen, watching as the typing bubbles appear.
Unsaved Number: Asa. I got your number from Maya. That's enough small talk.
I stare in a state of shock at my phone. I never pegged Asa as the type to text first...or text at all, if we're being honest.
Ivy: Why would I do you a favor?
I know plenty of reasons why I'd do him a favor, but let's see what he has to say.
Asa: I made you a grilled cheese when you were too drunk to work the stove.
I shrug and figure that it's fair enough.
Ivy: What is this favor?
Asa: What are you doing on Monday between 4:30PM and 7PM?
Ivy: Well that depends on what you need me for.
Asa: I have an appointment. I need someone to drop me off and pick me up.
Ivy: Something wrong with your car?
Asa: No.
Ivy: Okay?
Asa: So you'll do it?
Ivy: Yeah, I don't have much of a choice, do I?
Asa: Nope. Be here tomorrow at 4:30.
Ivy: You're welcome.
He leaves my message on read and I slowly nod. Great. I contemplate saving his number but decide against it. I'll never use it again so there's no point. Instead, I put my phone away and get back to my homework, shaking my head as I do. I guess my job is now Asa's chauffeur.
+++
On Monday, I spend most of my free time in the library studying. I don't leave until 4:15 and it's to go to Asa's apartment, like I promised. I reach the front of the building and text him that I'm outside. He strolls down the steps and looks around for my car. I watch for a few seconds before rolling down the window and snapping at him. His gaze finds mine and he sighs noisily before approaching my vehicle.
"I'd ask to drive my car so we can arrive in style if I trusted you enough," he mutters as he buckles his seatbelt.
"Hey! Don't dis Q," I snap as I wait for him to finish buckling up.
"Q?" he asks with narrowed eyes. I tap the dashboard of the car and nod.
"Q," I confirm as I pull onto the road again. "So where are we going?"
"Do you know where the plaza is?" he inquires and I offer him a nod. "There."
I sigh loudly. "That's in the opposite direction of the way I'm going," I remark and he offers me a weak shrug.
"I wasn't going to let you hook an illegal u-turn and potentially kill us," he responds as he locks his attention out the window.
"For someone who talks about death so much, you don't seem too excited about the prospect of dying," I comment as I mentally reroute.
"I just started a new show. At least let me finish it first," he comments back. I offer him a chuckle and shake my head.
"So why can't you drive yourself to this appointment?" I ask with furrowed brows. "Unless, of course, this is all a ploy to hang out with me."
"Yeah, no. I can drive myself there. It's the getting back part that proves to be difficult," he explains, completely disregarding my previous statement.
"Why? Are you going to be out of it or something?" I inquire in a slightly hopeful manner. Maybe he'll reveal some interesting things that I can hold over his head.
"Blind," he responds and my head jerks backwards in shock.
"What?" I ask quickly and he sighs dramatically and shakes his head.
"I've decided to take action. Maya won't bar you from coming over so I am going to get my eyes removed so I don't have to look at you," he says quietly and I let out a loud gasp.
"Gee, thanks," I mumble, feeling stupid for having worried so much. He takes a second to laugh at his own joke.
"I'm getting my eyes dilated," he explains briefly. "Everytime that happens, I can't see for a few hours. They always say that I'll be fine but everything is blurry and I'd prefer not to crash and die. You know, because of my new show."
"Oh, yeah, I totally understand," I proclaim.
"I don't feel like talking anymore so I'm putting on the radio," he says as he reaches for the dial. I don't complain and let him control the stations. We arrive to the eye doctor's office and he turns to me. "I don't know if you're going to stay here or run errands but I probably won't be able to text you when I'm done so stay close."
"Okay," I respond and he gets out of my car.
"See you in an hour or so," he says and I giggle quietly.
"No you won't," I remark and it takes him a second to register my joke. When he does, he lets out a quiet chuckle before transforming it to a glare.
"That's not funny," he decides. He turns and heads in the direction of the office so I grab my bag from the backseat. This parking lot is now my personal study space. I wait an hour before making my way inside the office, where I sit for a half hour until Asa comes out. The doctor guides him to the waiting room and I stand up, prepared to take over.
"Over here," I say and Asa's face immediately falls slack.
"Oh yeah, I'm on my way over there right now," he responds sarcastically and the secretary lets out an amused chortle.
"You should be able to see regularly within four to six hours," the doctor tells Asa, who nods.
"Thank you," he tells the doctor and I stare in confusion. I've never heard those words leave his mouth. I wasn't even aware he knew they existed. The doctor ducks back into the hallway and Asa turns his head in a couple different directions. "Poison?"
"Coming," I mumble as I walk over and lightly grab his arm.
"Why are you touching me?" he asks and I narrow my eyes at him. It's not like he can see it but it makes me feel a little better. His eyes are shut and concealed by a pair of sunglasses, despite the dull lighting of the office.
"Fine. This way," I comment and he stands there with his hands on his hips.
"Oh yeah, I can see, you know? Matter of fact, give me the keys. I'll drive us back," he says sarcastically as he extends his hands. I suck my teeth noisily and open the door for us.
"Go straight," I instruct harshly.
He attempts to confidently walk straight but in a hesitant fashion. I cross my arms over my chest as he bumps right into the other door. He groans and uses his hands to feel for the door my foot has propped open. He walks out of the office and right into the parking lot. "Fuck!" he calls as he quickly covers his sunglasses. "It's so bright out here."
I check for cars and continue to give him instructions. "Right...left."
He bumps into a tree and I chuckle as he regains his balance. He continues walking and I'm grateful I parked so far away. There are more obstacles in his way and I hope each one bumps his ego down a notch. He brushes up against a bush and grunts angrilly.
"I can't see anything, Ivy," he reminds me bitterly as I continue to verbally guide him to my car.
"Yeah, well, you made it clear before that you don't want me touching you so you're going to have to deal with my voice," I remark.
"I didn't say that. I just asked why you were touching me," he retorts as he continues to use his hands as feelers.
"Why else would I be touching you?" I ask as we get closer to my car. "Stop."
He halts in his spot and shifts nervously. "Is there a car?" he asks in a slightly fearful tone.
"Yeah, my car," I remark as I unlock it.
"Where?" he asks.
"Feel around for it," I insist in an entertained tone.
He drops his hands to his sides and wears a flat look on his face. "Really, Ivy?" he snaps.
"You want to be a jerk," I remark. He doesn't complain and instead, extends his hands in an attempt to find my vehicle. Meanwhile, I lean against it and watch him go in circles in search. I gaze in amusement as he inches closer and closer to a pole, using his palms to sense where he's going. The pole, however, is much lower than his hands. Eventually, he walks straight into it and his hands immediately fall to his crotch. I let out a loud laugh as he grips the pole for support.
"Come on, you idiot," I remark as I roughly grab his forearm. I note how warm his skin is under my tight grip. I lead him to my car and open the passenger door. "Sit."
He nervously takes a seat and ducks his head lower than normal to avoid a collision. Just to be mean, I shove his head down a bit as he gets into the car. "My hair," he bites as his fingers raise to his head. I shut the door once I make sure all of his body parts are safely in the car. Satisfied with myself, I go around the side and get into the driver's seat.
"The doctor said about four hours, right?" I ask him as I put on my seatbelt.
"You were literally right there when he said it," he retorts.
"So I'm going to have to babysit you for the rest of the night?" I ask, feigning annoyance. This should be very fun. "Great."
"No one said you had to," he responds with a scowl.
"What are you going to do the entire time? Sit on the couch and watch TV?" I ask with raised brows. His lips quiver slightly as a laugh escapes. I glance at him in surprise. A laugh? From him? Over something I said?
"That was kind of funny," he responds before quickly returning to his dry personality.
"It was really funny," I clarify without skipping a beat.
"I wouldn't say that," he reacts, which gets an eye roll out of me. "Perhaps it'd have been funnier if it was someone else saying it."
"Oh shut up," I retort dismissively. "Are you hungry?"
"I'm always hungry," he replies as he rests back in his seat.
"Do you want McDonalds or-?" I question but he cuts me off.
"There's food at the apartment," he responds like a parent.
"And you're going to cook it, Gordon Ramsay?" I question as I turn to him for a second.
"No, you are," he insists with a point in my general direction. I look at him with raised brows. I don't know why I bother acting out gestures knowing good and well he can't see me.
"Oh really?" I ask in disbelief
"Yeah," he responds. "You might as well make yourself of some use. You're always sleeping in my apartment."
"It's Maya's apartment, too," I remind him as I slow to a stop at a light.
"Whose couch is it though?" he bites back.
"Where would you prefer I sleep? On the floor?" I respond, growing a little irritated now.
"Here's an idea: your perfectly good bed...back at your dorm," he answers dryly.
"Bite me," I grumble as I wait for the light to change.
"You'd probably like it so I'll pass," he says as he turns his head towards the window.
"Shut the hell up," I retort as my face reddens. I'm grateful his vision is impaired. He takes my advice and remains silent for the rest of the ride. It isn't until we're a minute away from the apartment that he starts talking.
"What's taking so long?" he complains with a loud huff.
"I'm driving you to a cliff so I can kick you off it," I lie as I reach the familiar city street.
"You wouldn't need to kick me. I'd willingly jump," he mumbles quietly.
"What about your TV show?" I ask as I slow down when I see kids playing with a basketball near the street.
"They probably have Netflix in hell," he mutters with a hopeful shrugs.
I let out a quiet chuckle at that as I park my car and tell him to wait for me to come around. I assist him out of the vehicle, stopping traffic for a short second as I guide him to the sidewalk. "Am I allowed to touch you or would you prefer to fall up the steps?" I ask him as I wait at the base of the stairs.
"Whatever," he remarks as he extends his arm for me to grip. "Just don't get too handsy over there, Poison."
I grab his forearm once again and lead the way up the steps, announcing when we reach the last one. He stumbles a little but is fine for the most part. We board the elevator and he stands at the opposite side, nervously tapping his foot. I watch as he anxiously exhales every few seconds and I contemplate grabbing his arm to comfort him. I decide against it and instead, remain silent for the rest of the ride. I guide him to his apartment by his forearm and halt outside of the door.
"Keys?" I ask after trying the knob to find that it's not opening.
"It's locked?" he replies as he reaches into his pocket.
"No, I just want to jingle the keys a bit," I reply before noisily wiggling the knob. He hands me a key ring and I shift through them in search of the one for the door. "Which one is it?"
"It's silver," he describes. I stare at the ten keys on the ring and feel my face contort to one of annoyance.
"They're all silver," I remark as I search through them curiously. "Why do you have so many keys?"
"Apartment, mailbox, my family's house, the backdoor to the family's house, the garage, the cellar, the shed-," he continues to list but I cut him off.
"How can you tell which one is which?" I question him as I rule out the obvious ones, like the car key and two small mailbox keys.
"Why do you think I never lock the door when I leave? Trust me, if I knew which key it was, you'd never be able to get in," he scoffs. "Try them all."
I grumble quietly as I attempt each key. I finally get the one that unlocks the door and I hold it in my hands. He trails in after me as I walk to the kitchen. I grab a permanent marker and draw a red heart on the apartment key. I stare at it, wondering if I should make a dot instead. I shrug and return to find Asa slowly walking down the hall, reaching his hands out in front of him. I repress a laugh and approach him, grabbing his wrist once more and leading him to the couch. Once he's in front it, I push him down and he lands with a slight jolt.
"Wish I was in front of that cliff," he mumbles as he settles down further into the couch. "So what are you making me?"
I glare at him and wish he could see it. "I'll cook but only because I'm hungry, too," I retort. "I'm choosing what it is, though."
"Fine by me. I do a lot of the grocery shopping so I like almost everything that's in there," he replies.
"What don't you like?" I question and he laughs.
"I'm not falling for that one," he remarks. "I am allergic to peanut butter though so make sure whatever meal you make, you put a lot of it in there. Fill me up on anaphylactic shock, please."
I laugh at his stupidity before walking to the kitchen. I peer through the cabinets in search of an easy meal to throw together. I open the fridge and look at the produce, checking the dates. They're going to go bad soon so might as well get some use out of them. I also see uncooked bacon waiting to be made. I search the cabinets for a pan and eventually find one. About twenty five minutes later, I enter the living room with two plates.
"I smell bacon," he comments as I sit the plates on the table. I drag it forward and he immediately perks up. "How am I supposed to eat this food without my drink?" he inquires. I groan loudly as I return to the kitchen. "I want Sprite!"
I glare into the fridge as I grab a can of Pepsi. I take a bottle of water for myself and join him on the couch. Spitefully, I put his drink in front of him and watch as he struggles to open it. He takes a sip and purses his lips. "Woooow," he comments as he places it on the table slowly. "You went out of your way to reach all the way behind the Sprite for this? That's how mad you are?"
"Eat," I insist, ignoring his comments.
"What is it?" he asks.
"A BLT," I respond. I watch as he lowers his hands to the plate and taps around a bit before landing on the bread. He grabs it and slowly brings it to his mouth. I watch as he takes a bite and nods. "Is it good?"
"Surprisingly," he replies. I join him and take a bite of the salad I made myself. He finishes before me and nods approvingly. "Wednesdays."
"What?" I ask in confusion.
"That's your day to make dinner now," he assigns me.
"Excuse me?" I respond as I stab more pieces of lettuce onto my fork.
"Usually Maya and I order out or have cereal for dinner on Wednesdays but now you can cook," he replies.
"What makes you think I want to cook for you?" I ask.
"I cook for you," he replies with a raised brow. "I make breakfast all the time. I could easily pretend I don't know you're here on Sunday mornings and just cook for me and Maya. But I make extra for you and then I put it away so you can eat it when you wake up at noon."
"I always thought you made it in case you got hungry again," I admit as I blink in surprise. "And Maya would tell me to just eat it and that if you got hungry, you'd make yourself more food."
"No," he denies.
"That's actually kind of...nice," I mumble.
"I'll stop and let you starve," he quickly threatens.
"What's so bad about being nice?" I ask as I twist around a bit in my seat.
"Nothing," he replies dismissively. "Just don't get used to it."
"Trust me, I won't. That's one nice thing. It doesn't compare to all the mean stuff you do," I retort pointedly and he scoffs immediately following my words.
"I do a lot of nice things," he informs me.
"Oh yeah, like what?" I inquire with a dubious look on my face.
"Well for one, I let you sleep here," he acknowledges.
"It's Maya's apartment, too," I remind him once more.
"If I really wanted to, I could talk to her and tell her I don't want you sleeping here," he replies. I glare at him as he continues. "Also, I could always just lock the door from the inside."
"Then tell her you don't want me here. And lock the door," I retort as I tie my arms across my chest.
"No," he replies with a shrug. "Then where would you sleep when your roommate brings guys over?" When I don't reply, he does. "Exactly."
"Then why complain?" I hiss with crossed arms.
"I'm not complaining. You just call me mean and an asshole so often that you overlook the nice things I do," he continues with his list. "Also, I vacuum the couch and I regularly wash the spare blankets. And when I don't wash the spare blankets, I let you use mine."
"Thanks," I mumble.
"Don't thank me. I'm just being nice," he emphasizes the word.
"I do nice things, too," I retort.
"Like what?" he asks, but less accusatory than me.
"Well, I brought you to your appointment for one. And I'm staying to make sure you don't die," I reply.
"Oh please if I died, you'd move in immediately," he scoffs.
"No, I'd be too sad," I inform him. I don't even want to imagine him dying. I'm not close to him but it'd still be really depressing.
"Sad?" he repeats as if the word is completely unfamiliar to him.
"Yeah," I respond. "We're friends, remember?"
"I guess," he shrugs glumly. "If you died, I would do a lot less laundry."
"Gee, thanks," I mutter and he shifts uncomfortably.
"I have to pee," he blurts and my face immediately reddens as I envision myself assisting him with the task.
"I am not helping you with that," I respond quickly.
"Just take me to the bathroom," he retorts in a snarky voice. "I can do it on my own."
I get up and he follows suit. I stand behind him, press my hands against his hard back, and push him to the bathroom. He enters and turns around in a couple of circles. "Ivy?" he says.
"Yes?" I trail as I stop in my spot.
"Can you open the shower curtain?" he asks in a slightly ashamed voice.
"Oh no you're not..." I trail in slight disgust.
"Would you prefer I piss all over the floor? Or in the sink?" he retorts. I sigh in disappointment as I pull back the shower curtain and adjust him so that he's standing in front of it. I leave the bathroom and stand outside, listening to him pee on the shower floor. He washes his hands and I usher him back to the couch, where he drops and stares straight ahead. In a bad attempt at providing some kind of entertainment, I grab the remote and turn on the television. A rerun of Spongebob comes on and barely two minutes in, he comments. "I love this episode."
I let out a laugh as he gazes in the direction of the television. We continue to 'watch' the show and he does a breathy laugh whenever something funny happens. I glance at him every few seconds for the sake of doing so. He can't shoot me glares or flip me off when he can't see me. I assess his face, admiring his plump, pink lips and his clear, tan skin. I narrow my eyes at his mouth as he slowly nibbles his lower lip. I wonder what it'd feel like to touch them with my fingers...or my mouth. He surprises me by turning in my general direction.
"I can feel you staring at me," he comments, which causes my face to heat up.
"I wasn't even looking at you," I lie and he shakes his head a bit. He extends his legs on the table as he nuzzles into the corner of the couch. Ten minutes later, I hear a quiet snoring. I glance at him and tilt my head. How cute. He can't be an asshole when he's asleep. I avert my gaze once I start to feel creepy and instead, turn my attention back to the television.
Asa wakes up an hour and a half later, groaning quietly. I turn my attention to him, waiting to see if his vision has returned. His eyes lock with mine and he blinks a few times. "Ew," he mumbles.
"You, too," I retort, which gets a small grin out of him as he stretches. He stands up and continues to extend his limbs before he turns to me and exhales.
"You can go now. There's no need for you to be here anymore," he says, which gets an eye roll from me.
"You're an asshole," I grumble as I get up.
"You really should be used to it by now," he comments.
"You're not wrong." I mumble as I shove my feet into my shoes.
"I mean, you can stay if you want. Maya will be back soon anyway," he replies.
"No I should go. I have homework to do and then laundry," I explain.
"Sayonara," he retorts.
I stand with my hands on my hips. "No 'thank you?'" I ask.
"You can't say 'no, thank you' to me saying bye," he responds with a knowing smirk.
"You're just not going to thank me for keeping you alive today?" I ask.
"Sure," he replies with a shrug.
"Sure?" I retort.
"Yeah, sure," he says. "I don't need to say it if you already know."
I shoot him a glare as I zip up my hoodie. "You're ridiculous," I complain as I head down the hallway towards the front door.
"I'll probably see you tomorrow," he calls and I shake my head as I let myself out.