-Jordan-
My alarm went off at 6:28 like it always did, but this time, I had trouble at getting out of bed. I had slept only a few hours during the night and I was tired. But I had to get up or my day would be ruined.
I did my morning chores as usual, but I kept glancing out of my glass walls whenever I passed them. I wanted to go see if Blake had returned yet to answer me. I was quite sure he hadn't, but I couldn't stop wondering.
When it was finally time to go water my plants, I rushed out, ignoring the watering can in the corner. I knelt down next to the flowerpot that held the note pinned against the floor. I grabbed the note, only to feel disappointment. Blake hadn't left me a new message.
He's a criminal for crying out loud... I thought to myself, and put the note back under the pot.
Criminal or not, I didn't mention him to my mother. God knows I had plenty of opportunities to do so since she called me three times during that day. I just couldn't tell her. My instincts told me not to.
I followed my daily plan obediently like always until the evening finally came. I grabbed my paintbrush and tried to concentrate on my painting, but my whole body was tingling from nervousness. It was already dark outside. I had seen Blake on my balcony around that same time yesterday. I wasn't expecting him or anything. Not at all.
I turned my painting the way I could keep an eye on my balcony while I painted. It was almost ready and soon, I could give it to my mother. After the painting was done I would start with another clay figurine. I hadn't decided yet what to make. Maybe an animal?
I tried to concentrate on my work, but I kept looking out so often my eyes started to hurt. I started to think that Blake wouldn't return anymore, but then, a couple of minutes later, I saw movement outside. I stopped painting and watched Blake pulling himself over the railings and gracefully landing behind the flowerpots.
It was obvious he saw me. He gave me a short salute, looking at me straight in my eyes while doing so before he knelt down. When he stood up again, he had my note in his hands. He walked to the wall and leaned back against it, flashing a smile at me. I turned my attention back to my painting without giving him any reaction. I still had no idea if I was doing the biggest mistake of my life by allowing the man to come back, so I was not obligated to say hello or even try to be friendly to him, to a trespassing criminal. I only wanted answers from him and then I would decide whether to call the cops on him or not.
My heart was racing, and my hands shivered lightly, but I didn't freak out. The feeling I had was pretty much the same I had whenever I talked with Mr. Xavier on Skype. I was feeling a little out of breath, but my mind was clear. I stole another look of Blake, who was still smiling at me while biting the tip of the pen I had left for him. He looked somehow intimidating and irresistible at the same time. Where did that thought come from?
I gathered my composure and turned my attention to the painting. I made sure Blake understood I was completely ignoring him. I could see from the corner of my eye that he was laughing at me cheerily while opening the note.
I turned my eyes at him when he wasn't looking at me, pretending to be painting. He took his time reading the paper I had left for him. After he read it, he searched his pockets for a moment and found a lighter. Before I even noticed what he was doing, he lit the paper on fire.
"No!" I gasped, stepping closer to the wall.
Blake turned to look at me and he dropped the paper on the ground. It turned into ashes and I stared at the remains of it. Blake stomped over it before turning to look at me.
He gave me a sign to wait for a moment while he pulled a notebook from his pocket. He grabbed the pen again and wrote something on the first page of the thick notebook and pressed it against the wall when he was done.
In case you want to call the cops after all.
I tilted my head. I hadn't even thought about it. I could've used that paper as evidence against Blake. The man was pretty clever for a thief, who hadn't been clever enough to stay hidden.
I squinted my eyes at him and returned to my painting. I did have a schedule after all, and I didn't want to miss it on the second night in a row. I saw Blake writing something on his notebook and pressed it against the wall again.
So, were you planning on calling the cops?
I ignored his question and turned my eyes back on the painting for a short moment until he wasn't watching me anymore. He sighed and took a step back from the wall, tapping the notebook against his hand. He looked like he was trying to think what to say next, but soon he started to write again.
I like your paintings.
I scoffed and took a firmer grip of my brush.
Can I see that one?
It was really hard to concentrate on my painting. I tried my hardest not to read the things Blake wrote, but my curiosity always seemed to win. I sighed and looked at him. He seemed to have mastered the puppy eyes. He was pouting and looking ridiculous, but I couldn't resist it.
I chuckled lightly and turned my painting so that Blake could see it. I studied his expression while he admired my work.
She's pretty, but not as pretty as you.
I blushed lightly and turned the painting around. So, I had a gay thief stalking on me. Was he hitting on me? I was feeling shy all of a sudden when I turned to look at Blake, who had now moved on to admire my behind.
"Stop that!" I snapped at him and hid behind the painting.
Blake laughed, but I couldn't hear it. I wondered what he sounded like. I was still blushing when I continued to paint. His laugh died away and he turned to look at my apartment for a moment.
Why can't you go out?
I stopped painting. His question brought back memories I didn't want to remember. Suddenly, I wasn't in my living room anymore. In my mind, I was back at that parking lot at the huge stadium. I took a deep breath, forced that memory out of my head and dipped my paintbrush in blue color.
I'm sorry, I didn't mean to intrude.
Blake had an apologetic and slightly sad look on his face. I shrugged lightly and gave him a small smile, but I knew it was sad too.
"I wish I could go out," I muttered, knowing that Blake couldn't hear me.
Do you have some sort of illness?
"I'm a freak, that's my illness," I spoke.
Don't say that. You are not a freak.
I looked up from the notepad and frowned at him. How did he hear what I said?
I'm really good at reading from lips
"Oh..." I muttered. "Of course you are. Thief."
I saw Blake starting to laugh. For some reason, it made me feel better.
I'm not that bad when you get to know me
"Who says I want to get to know you?" I asked, checking the time from my watch.
I had only five more minutes before I had to go make something to eat. I felt sad about it without even knowing why. I hated my daily plan and sometimes I had a strong urge to just ignore it, but I never could.
Yesterday had been different, but I couldn't do it again.
You need to go eat, am I right?
"How long have you been watching me?" I asked with a frown, and Blake gave me an apologetic grin.
For a week now. I was supposed to be long gone, but...
"But you decided to stay and stalk me," I guessed, and looked at Blake straight into his eyes.
He gave me a shy smile and leaned against the wall. The way he was looking at me gave me goosebumps and I didn't know if it was a good or a bad thing.
"I have to go now," I said, and put my paintbrush away.
He nodded and started to write again.
What time do you start painting?
I looked at him for a moment, before I answered hesitantly.
"At seven."
I'll see you tomorrow at seven then?
Blake looked hopeful while waiting for my answer.
"If I'd say no, would you stop coming here?" I asked.
Probably not.
Blake had a wide grin on his face and I laughed lightly. I decided not to answer him. I only waved at him before walking into my kitchen, hiding behind the wall so Blake couldn't see me.
I had to take a few deep breaths, and I leaned my head against the wall.
"What the hell am I doing?" I asked myself. This was not going the way I planned at all. I just wanted some answers, but this? I wasn't supposed to have a conversation with him! I wasn't supposed to let my guard down!
I waited for a few minutes before I looked behind the wall. The balcony was empty again and I felt... sad for some reason. I couldn't stop myself when I walked to the door and stepped out. I saw a piece of paper under the flowerpot, but my pen wasn't there anymore. I went to get the paper and opened it.
Goodnight.
I stared at it for a moment, before I folded it and put it in my pocket. I returned back inside and walked slowly into my kitchen.
I had a faint smile on my face when I started to make my evening snack.
-Blake-
Jordan was truly amazing! When he smiled, his eyes lit up, and when he blushed he looked absolutely adorable! I was falling hard for him and I didn't even want to stop myself.
I was lying on my sleeping bag, staring at the stars above me. I wanted to go see Jordan again, but he was probably asleep already. It was almost ten, which meant Jordan had gone to bed almost half an hour ago.
I need new beddings...
I needed to find a better place to settle in. I would probably have to go look for a place outside the neighborhood since there were too many dog walkers around and the hill had gravel pathways going around it. I couldn't make a camp there where I had been staying at since it was too close to the house and I would get eventually noticed.
"Listen to yourself," I laughed.
I was planning on staying there! What if it started snowing? Then what? My footprints would give me away sooner or later and it would get too cold to sleep outside. It would be wise if I just left, but how could I? How could I possibly just leave that beautiful man, especially now when he was talking to me! He hadn't even called the cops!
"I can stay for a few weeks. It's no big deal," I told myself. "No big deal at all."
When the morning came, I left my hiding place to get more cash, food, water, and thicker beddings. When I had enough money, I headed to a store that sold camping equipment. I got a waterproof canvas to shield my tent with and some thick blankets. After that, I went to refill my other supplies.
"Toilet paper..." I muttered while reading through my shopping list.
There was a downside in sleeping on the streets or woods. It was hard to find a toilet.
I got some food and warmer clothes too and when I was finally ready to return my hiding place, I was carrying a whole lot of stuff with me. I tried not to look suspicious while dragging all my new stuff back to the hill, and I was quite sure no one had noticed me.
Once I had returned to my hiding place, I left my stuff there and started to look for a better place to stay. I returned to the stone fence and from there I started walking deeper into the forest, staying close to the wall but still avoiding all the cameras.
It took me almost an hour to climb up and down the hill while trying to stay hidden. Eventually, I found a perfect hiding place inside the neighborhood. It was close to the Simmons' house but hidden from the view. I was concerned about dogs, but the closest pathway was two hundred yards away. I was going to stay only for a few weeks anyway, so what could go wrong?
A lot, but I refused to think about it. I just wanted to stay a little longer close to Jordan.
I returned to get my stuff from my old hiding place and started to build my camp. The place I had found had a flat ground up on the hill, which was surrounded by old trees and thick bushes. I had to clear a narrow pathway for myself to reach that place and I wished it meant no one had been there before.
I set up the tent under the trees, and gathered a lot of branches, using them to hide it from the view, if someone did get close enough to see it. Then I placed my new blankets inside it and made a bed for myself on the hard ground. I would go buy more blankets if the ones I already had weren't enough, but for now, they were better than nothing.
I spent my time building my new home, eagerly waiting for Jordan to start painting. I couldn't go see him sooner, not in a broad daylight, so I had plenty of time to kill in the meantime. It was around four when I was finally done with my small camp and I lay down on my new bed inside the tent. It was surprisingly cozy and I was pretty sure it would be enough for me.
To pass the time, I wrote down some questions for me to ask Jordan. I tried to read too, but my concentration was nonexistent. I couldn't wait to see him again. After a while, I had to put my book away and let myself slip into the world of daydreams.
*****
I had fallen asleep, but I woke up just in time before I needed to leave. I brushed my hair and changed into my new clothes so I would look cleaner. I hadn't showered in a few days and I was smelling bad already, but it didn't matter since there would be glass walls between me and Jordan.
I usually showered in public bathrooms and tried to freshen up in toilets around the city, but sometimes, I had gone for weeks without cleaning up. I didn't care much; I had gotten used to it. It was just another downside of being homeless.
I grabbed a piece of bread and took a few bites of it. I did miss warm, home-cooked meals too. I ate mostly bread and other things that didn't need to be kept in cool or didn't need to be cooked. I ate a lot of fast food even though I had grown tired of it years ago. To me, food was just fuel for my body and I never really cared about it anyway.
The sun was finally starting to set, so I took my notepad and put it in my pocket before I left my camp. I had to be careful climbing down the steep hill. I needed to find a better way to get down since it was dangerous trying to climb down when it was dark, but now I was too eager to see Jordan to care.
I managed to get down without breaking my neck. I saw the Simmons' house right in front of me, but Mr. Simmons was outside, speaking on his phone with a hushed, but angry voice.
"I know! I understand, but... No! You can't do that! No!" he spoke.
I felt almost sorry for him. He looked really stressed while he rubbed the back of his neck, looking like he would've enjoyed throwing his phone on the wall.
Come on! Move!
I checked the time. It was already a few minutes past seven. Every lost second meant less time for me to spend with Jordan.
"You know I can't sell the house as long as my stubborn wife doesn't let me take Jordan away! She wants to keep him at home... I know it would be best for him to be in the psych ward! But my wife... I know... I know... I'll try to talk to her, but... I said I will! All right?" Mr. Simmons hissed.
I tilted my head. I didn't like that man. What did he mean with a psych ward? Was Jordan mentally ill? He didn't seem that crazy, but then again, he hadn't called the cops or told anyone about me. He was also obsessed about time, but he wasn't a crazy person! Not in a bad way anyway.
A few minutes later, Mr. Simmons hung up, looking frustrated and tired. I waited a few more minutes after he left the backyard before I hurried to the vine. I was worried about Jordan, but I wasn't sure if I should ask him about what I had just heard.
Once I had climbed up to Jordan's balcony, I took a deep breath and turned to look at him. I knew I had a big smile on my face when I stepped to the glass wall and waved at him. Jordan gave me a shy smile and continued his painting.
I wasn't sure, but he looked like he was relieved. Maybe I had imagined it. I stared at Jordan for a long time, admiring his beauty. He had tight jeans and a black tank top on him and the clothes hugged his slim body perfectly.
"God... I wish I could touch you," I muttered, and Jordan frowned.
I shook my head to tell him to forget about what I said. I took the notebook from my pocket and started writing.
How are you today?
Jordan gave me a smile, and my heart skipped a beat. I didn't know what else to ask. I was too mesmerized to think of anything to say to him. I just watched him, wondering how it would feel like to have him in my arms.