I woke up curled on the floor. Early-morning sunlight slanted through the window. I rolled over to look at the couch, and there she was. Jade was curled up on her side as well, her back to me, hidden in the shade provided by the couch. I smiled. It wasn't likely that I'd forget last night. We had sipped hot chocolate and talked about our pasts, so we could get to know more about each other. Hers was sad. I told her about how my parents had divorced, and how I had been completely abandoned by my father after my mother had died of cancer. He hadn't much cared for me, and my mother had been the only one who cared. She had given me the rest of her money upon her death, and her elder sister, my aunt, gave me money each month as well. As much as she could spare, at least. I still appreciated it, despite not having her here with me. I kept the house my mother bought, just like Jade had.
Rolling my sleeve up and away from my wrist, I looked at the time. It was noon. Thank God it was a Saturday. Hopefully, Jade didn't have anything to do today.
Just then, Jade sat up and yawned, stretching her arms over her head. She blinked sleepily, rubbing her eyes before peering at me. "Morning, Connor." She smiled a little. "What time is it?"
"Noon," I told her. She blinked.
"Are we late for school?"
"Today's Saturday." She lunged off of the couch, letting out a loud curse. I stared at her.
"I'm late for work!" She swore again. Panicking, she glanced at me. "Are there any buses right now?"
I shook my head. "The next one's not for another 20 minutes. I can--"
Jade sank to the ground. "Oh, God, they're going to fire me."
I leant closer to her. "You know, in case you've forgotten, I have a car." She turned slowly to look me in the eye, and then a radiant smile spread across her face.
"You're a lifesaver, Connor. Thanks!" She stood up, and I followed suit. "Do you mind if I go home and freshen up first?"
I shook my head. "It's not really necessary." I hurried into the bathroom, where I pulled a clean toothbrush from a drawer. I got a smaller T-shirt of mine and a pair of sweats and offered them to her. "You can use my shower and stuff. Anything you need."
She tilted her head a little before looking at me. "Wow, Connor. This is really nice of you. Thank you. I don't think I did anything to deserve this, though."
I shifted my weight awkwardly. "You did. You've stopped running from me." She laughed while shaking her head, then walked into the bathroom. Embarrassed, I slowly hurried away from the bathroom door. There was no need for her to think I was trying to peep at her while she was showering.
Instead, I sat on the couch, holding the book Jade was reading yesterday. I continued from where I left off, the sound of the running water in Jade's shower as background music. I briefly thought of what she said yesterday about the book, which gave me an idea. Maybe she'd like to borrow the book.
When Jade came out ten minutes later, her hair was damp, water dripping onto the towel draped over her shoulders. Her cheeks were flushed. "Sorry I used your hot water," she apologized. I laughed.
"Nah, it's fine. A hot shower is better used on you than me anyways." She smiled and sat down next to me. I hesitated for a second before asking her. "Hey, about this book...Did you want to borrow it?"
She looked taken aback. "Borrow your book? What if I damage it?"
I chanced a quick look at the boxes full of books. "Most of mine are in worse condition. I don't think you can treat it any more badly. Plus, I trust you." She blinked in surprise, then looked at me, a genuine smile on her lips, happiness shining in her eyes.
"Thanks. That means a lot." She stared down at the open book in my hands. "Do you want to finish it first? I mean, it's your book after all..."
After making a mental note of the page, I closed the book and handed it to her. "It's fine. I do own the book after all, as you just pointed out. I can read it whenever I want to." She smiled slightly and clutched the book to her stomach. "Anyways, ready to go?"
She nodded and stood up. "Thanks for everything."
"It was my pleasure," I assured her, holding the front door open for her. She stepped outside, then glanced skeptically at my car. "Have you been inside these?" I looked at her, amused. She shot me a weak glare.
"Yes, but it has been...9 years." My eyes widened, but I said nothing. She slid in and buckled her own seatbelt, shifting a little until she found a comfortable position.
I got in and slid the key into the ignition, turning it until the engine rumbled, a familiar noise. "So where do you work?"
"Today, I work at Mario's." I thought of the Italian restaurant, and nodded a little to myself. Typical student job, besides retail, and I could not imagine Jade working a job in retail.
"Gotcha. But what do you mean by 'today'?"
Jade glanced out the window as I pulled away from the curb, her fingers fiddling with the strap of her seatbelt. "I work three jobs, and my shifts vary. I'm always busy with either school, homework, or work."
I shot her a quick glance. Her ebony hair formed dark streaks on the long-sleeved navy blue shirt I gave her. Between her hair, I could see the peachy colour of her skin. Her hands were covered by the sleeves, and the grey sweatpants concealed the shape of her legs. Through her baggy clothes, she--as usual--seemed to have no shape.
"Do you ever feel stressed?"
"No. I just take it into stride."
"Seems like something you would do. You do it very well."
"Thank you."
I couldn't say anything else. What had happened to the closeness we had yesterday and just a couple minutes ago? Did it all dissipate because she was shifting to the mindset she always had when she was outside amongst others?
"When does your shift end?"
"5."
"I'll come pick you up after your shift ends, okay?"
She looked at me, her eyes unreadable. "Are you sure?"
"Completely. Would you be willing to come over again tonight?"
She bit her lip. "I do have my own house, you know."
I took one hand off the steering wheel and rested it on hers, only for her to flinch away. I tried not to feel discouraged as I put my hand back on the steering wheel. "I know. I like having you around. Remember what I said. I want to be your friend."
Her expression became a little bit sad. "You're not forcing yourself, are you?"
"Nope. I genuinely like you."
She seemed to relax. "Okay, then. If you don't mind. It almost seems like I'm taking up permanent residence with you."
My smile faltered a little. "No one's stopping you," I murmured quietly. She stared wordlessly down at her lap.
"We shouldn't. I have my own house. But thank you anyways." I felt like kicking myself. I ended up making her distance herself from me again.
Eventually, we pulled up to the little red brick building. A cracked cement sidewalk snaked around it. I dropped Jade off at the front. The neon open side was missing a letter, since the O had died, so all it said was "pen". Inside, the lights were on, the ceiling fans spinning lazily from the low ceiling. I could smell the food from here.
"Thanks, Connor. See you later." Jade slid out of the car, shutting the door before quickly running into the restaurant. Leaning against my seat, I sighed, tilting my head back. I screwed up. Then again, I couldn't rush things, especially with a girl who didn't have much experience with other people.
I slowly put the gear back into drive, pulling out of the parking lot and onto the road, my mind turning. Jade was such an intriguing girl. I now knew her story, but I wanted to hear more. I wanted her to share her memories, and I wanted her to be just as eager to hear mine. I had friends of my own, but none of them were like Jade. No one could ever be like Jade. It seemed a bit of a stretch, though, to hope for her to want to learn more about me.
I slammed my hand down without thinking, accidentally honking the horn angrily. The driver in front of me rolled down their window and stuck their hand out, flipping me the bird. I sighed, abruptly wishing I could apologize. They could call me a loony. As far as I was concerned, they weren't wrong.
All of a sudden, I had a craving for ice cream. Don't blame me. It's a girl's thing, I know, but guys like ice cream, too. Don't judge me.
I pulled into the parking lot of a frozen yogurt place ten minutes later. There weren't many cars, but then again, it didn't take a long time to walk to this place. I opened the door, listening to the familiar tinkle of the bell strung above my head. The little store was filled with the chatter of customers. I passed by them without looking, to the young college student behind the counter. She smiled sunnily at me, her brown hair streaked with gold pulled back into a ponytail. Her emerald green eyes shone as she looked at me.
"Hey, Connor!"
"Hey, Tori. The usual please."
Tori's smile faltered, her pretty face lined with concern. "What's wrong? You seem down, Connor." Tori was 21, a good 4 years older than me. She treated me like a younger brother, which was fine by me. She was nice, but I wouldn't exactly consider her a friend. Like I said, she was like a sister.
I leaned against the counter, shuffling slightly to the side to let the next person order. After they left, Tori leaned closer to me, her elbows on the counter. "Have a seat, and then let's talk!" I hopped up onto the bar stool as Tori brought me my order. Through a spoon of cookies 'n cream with chocolate syrup and rainbow sprinkles, I told her about Jade. She nodded, her expression understanding. Calmness radiated from her like a cool wind, and her presence instantly soothed me. She was a good listener, and I trusted her with everything.
"Seems like a pickle. Do you like her?"
"I don't want a relationship with her, but I do want to be her friend. I don't want to scare the crap out of her and make her hate me."
Tori paused to think, biting her lip as she took another order. "I don't think you're scaring her right now. You seem to be doing well. You should stop trying to rush things, though."
I stared glumly at the counter, swirling my spoon around inside my cup, watching everything melt into unappetizing-looking goo. "Yeah, but what do I do, then?"
Tori propped her chin up on her elbow as she spoke, looking directly at me. "Seems to me you're almost as inexperienced as she is. Just talk to her. Say whatever comes to mind. Don't force anything. Just do what feels natural to you. Try to slowly get to know what she likes."
I rubbed my temples, slightly annoyed. "Yeah, but it seems like she doesn't have likes."
Tori threw her head back, laughing throatily. "Sure thing, Connor. She's human. Of course she has likes and dislikes. Who doesn't?"
"She's definitely not normal."
"Even so." Tori became abruptly serious. "You know that she has feelings, even if she doesn't understand them. We all have things we don't understand. We just all have varying opinions."
I nodded. "So, uh...just act natural?"
"It's all I can say." Tori ruffled my hair. "Good luck, bud." As she turned away, the sun glinted off of her multiple ear piercings. "I gotta work now. Take care. I'll see you around."
I had no doubt about that. "Thanks. You too, Tori."
She nodded and kissed me on the cheek before getting back to work. I swear, girls are confusing.
......
I stayed at home, staring at the ceiling, my mind blank. Well, no, that's a lie. I was thinking of Jade, though I probably should have gotten started on my homework.
I briefly wondered if she liked music. My mind drifted to the creaky old radio on my bedside table in my room. I loved music, and would sometimes sing along, though I was pretty convinced that I was tone-deaf and had a terrible voice. Plus, the thought of singing out loud for anyone else embarrassed me so much I felt like jumping off of a bridge.
I decided to get my mind off Jade. There would be time enough for impressing her later. Instead, I got started on my homework.
By the time 5 rolled around, I was halfway through my Macbeth essay. I shoved my papers off of me and stumbled to my car. In no time at all, I got to Mario's, and Jade was coming out the door.
Seeing her again, I finally decided on my next step. I would show her music.