Without even looking at the weather forecast, Tesla O'Dell could already tell that her week would be gray and overcast by shadows.
Her best friend was having his girlfriend move in with them. The extra cash would be nice, but another female in the house was not going to be good.
It didn't help matters that Tesla had a thing for her flat mate.
Since their having met back in college during her second year, over five years ago, there was not a day that went by that she didn't think about Malone. She admitted to herself a long time ago that what she felt towards him was more than lust. She was in love with him. But she'd never said anything to Malone because girls like her didn't get guys like him.
Tesla had never known Malone Reed in high school but surely, a guy like Malone always got the prom queen or the cheerleader or the winner of beauty pageants. And Tesla was far from that. She wasn't some grotesque, foul tempered woman. Nor was she a vain woman. Tesla just didn't seem to measure up to be the type of girl for Malone.
Her height maxing out at six feet tall, her build being heavy set to some, was just plain fat to others. With thick stocky legs and broad shoulders, she couldn't be anything except heavy.
She didn't have any distinguishing qualities to her. She had a milk chocolate skin complexion, dark brown hair and eyes and less than plush lips. Far from being considered ugly, Tesla was just average. There was a certain irony in that as well because what she lacked to attract her interest, she had an abundance of other physical traits that quite possibly repelled him.
Long ago, upon first meeting her best friend she had hoped that he could find something to like in her. Because it was said that opposites attract. Moreover, the man in question had varying taste in women, so she held out a glimmer of hope until they had really gotten to know each other. Though the women were as different as night and day, they all thought they were the hottest things next to the sun and they all had the amazing ability to snare Malone-if only for one night.
Being his roommate hadn't helped her feelings for him, especially when he was in between girl friends or sexual partners. It was during those times that he lavished all his attention on her and she loved every minute of it.
Now, that was all going to end because of that hussy that was moving in with them. Tesla didn't want to prematurely taint the outcome of the living situation for the three of them. She knew that she didn't not like the girl, though she didn't absolutely hate the girl either. It was clear that having the woman in such close quarters wouldn't lessen the feeling of emanate dread. Nevertheless, time would tell.
But the bad blood had started already.
When they first met, Christmas had been a little over six months away, and that apparently didn't stop the girl from giving Tesla a list of items she wanted for Christmas. Had Malone not been in their presence Tesla would have told her to shove the list where even Santa couldn't make deliveries. But, Malone acting as the mediator, had tried to pass the stunt off as a joke but Tesla knew better. The nerve of the broad passing out a gift list! Tesla thought to herself. They barely knew one another, to which Malone countered that she hadn't taken the time to get to know his girlfriend. He was absolutely right because to Tesla his girlfriend had become the enemy.
A knock startled Tesla from her book she had been reading. She looked up then, "Come in." She sat up straighter in her bed as Malone, or just Lone to Tesla, opened the door and stepped into her room. "Hey we just got back. Just wanted to give you a heads up that there are gonna be a lot of boxes everywhere for a little bit. She's got a few things she couldn't live without." Lone said making air quotes. God, he looked so good in his stonewash jeans and tee shirt. He'd decided to wear his contacts instead of his glasses so Tesla could see his clear blue eyes unhindered by the frame of the specks. He had full pouty, kissable lips and he wore his wavy hair long, several shades of brown and blonde mixed in with each other.
"Oh, okay." Tesla said as she went back to her reading.
"Hey, you okay?" he asked moving over to sit on the end of her bed. That was her Lone, always caring of other people more than himself. Except things were going to change, in fact had already begun to change, he was no longer hers, if he ever was.
"Yeah, I'm good. Getting around that time, ya know." Tesla explained. She didn't need to say anything else because Lone knew her story. They had been friends for too many years for her to be able to hide things from him. Yet she still had the one secret that she intended to take to her grave.
Lone came closer to Tesla. "I know, babe. But you gotta snap out of it. No good ever came of you brooding about something that you can't change."
Tesla knew he was right. That she couldn't change her past or the people that were in it. All she could do was hope and pray that history didn't repeat itself. "I know, you're right. It's just some times it all gets to me."
He got up and hugged her, "I know, but you know it's going to be okay right?"
Tesla shook her head.
"Okay so I'm off. I'll be back in a jiff and if anyone calls tell them I'm busy."
She smiled, "Okay. Be careful."
"Always." Lone said as he stepped from her bedroom.
A little over four hours later, three more trips back and forward from Madison's old place had left the apartment looking like a storage unit from the t.v. show Storage Wars. Any minute Tesla was expecting for a loud "yuuuuuupp!" to come clear from the back of the apartment. She was finally able to stop Lone from going back to the elevator, "Lone, how the hell is all this gonna fit?"
He wiped his brow with the back of his arm, panting from exertion, clearly worn out from the move, "Don't worry, babe, it'll all fit."
When in fact it all didn't.
Most of the boxes ended up taking over the storage area in the basement that Tesla and Lone shared. Their small crates of items had thus been shoved and stacked so far in the farthest corner that it would have taken Indiana Jones to get through the densely pack space.
Just when Tesla was about to really lay into Lone about the state of the apartment, his girlfriend, Madison, finally made an appearance with an extra box in her hand. "Malone, honey you forgot this box. Not to worry I managed to snatch it up before some thug tried to walk off with it."
Setting the box down on another stack of boxes Madison moved to wrap her arms around Lone and pulled him down for one of the wettest looking kisses Tesla had ever seen. Considering the online videos she watched, that was saying something.
Only after the remnants of that kiss were wiped away from the pair's lips did Madison acknowledge Tesla. "Oh hi Tesla, I didn't even see you there. I am so sorry about the mess. I didn't realize how much stuff I had until it was all boxed up," she said in her country accent while scrunching up her nose, a habit Tesla had deemed as 'aren't-I-oh-so-cute-and-incapable-of-any-falsehoods-or-deception-move.' How she hated it.
Tesla smiled at the woman, "Hi Madison. Well it certainly looks like you're all moved in."
"Yeah, isn't it great? I could hardly contain myself the other night. We'll we better get started unpacking, Malone, honey." Madison said as she turned and left.
"Okay, be right there." He turned watching her walk away, smiling. "Tesla, everything is going to be fine, it'll all work out. You'll see." He said before he bent and picked up three boxes of Madison's thing's and carried them their new bedroom.
Part 2
But it didn't work out for the three of them.
Two weeks into what Tesla initially called the 'Madison-Integration phase' of her life quickly turned to the 'Madison-Take Over.' It had started with the placement of the dishes and cookware. Because Malone was just over six feet tall and Tesla only one inch shorter than he was, everything was placed at a height that only they could reach. Which was a problem for Madison's five-foot stature, and Tesla came to learn that if Madison had a problem with something then so did Lone and Tesla was just left out of the equation. On this particular issue, Tesla had no problem, because Madison couldn't help that she wasn't tall like they were. So she let the rearrangement of the kitchen ware pass without thinking about it.
Then the organization of foodstuff in and out of the refrigerator became an issue, so that changed. Moreover, because Madison had much nicer bathroom sets, the ones Tesla picked out were washed and stowed away whilst Tesla was at work. Over a mere four-day period everything that used to resemble Tesla and Malone's unit became Lone and Madison's unit. The only thing Tesla held her ground on, without the backing of Lone of course, was the living/dining room furniture. Her momma had always told her that when it came to living spaces, the heavier person should look for suitable furniture, because it just wouldn't do for the occupants of a space to go around breaking their own furniture all the time.
Since Tesla was by far the biggest occupant of the apartment she would not permit Malone or Madison to do away with the sofa and chairs. Madison begrudgingly backed down, but not without poking her lip out at Lone and stiffly walking away from them in a huff.
Of all the changes that went on, the biggest was Tesla's and Malone's relationship. Of the years they had known each other Lone had dated, a lot. Tesla knew where she stood with him whenever he was involved with a woman, but Madison wasn't just some chick he could call for a sex at three a.m., she lived with them. Essentially Madison had then become something like a wife, which was something Tesla failed to realize.
After the apartment had been sorted out to Madison's liking she had begun work on unraveling the close-knit relationship Tesla and Malone had. It started slowly with Madison speaking for Lone in every conversation. Madison was everywhere Lone was, like interest rates on a bank loan. Tesla never had a moment of Malone's time where Madison wasn't in eyesight. She would even go so far as to pretend to be interested in things she clearly wasn't. It finally built to the breaking point exactly two weeks after Madison's move into the apartment.
Part 3
Tesla had just gotten her first break for the day, so she decided to check her personal e-mail. What greeted her when she got to her inbox was a message from Madison herself, and it set off alarms in Tesla's head. She had never given out her personal e-mail to Madison and she knew that she had never used that e-mail when registering for anything online, the only person that she knew personally that had the e-mail address was Malone. Tesla could only imagine how she had gotten it.
To cut to the quick of the message, it stated that she wanted Tesla to stop flirting and coming on to Malone. That line alone stopped Tesla from reading the message for an hour or more. Her upbeat mood dissipated completely and her lunchtime came all too soon. She read the letter more times than she could count. It all read as a warning for Tesla to back off of Malone. Even in the still warm, humid days of the late spring, Tesla's insides became like ice. She got through the workday on autopilot and headed home, where, it came as no surprise that Madison had waited for her.
Tesla didn't think she would ever forget the little chat they had early that evening, as Madison had termed it.
"Tesla, you are such a smart girl. Which is why I don't know why you would do something so dumb as to ever think Lone and you would have something."
Tesla opened her mouth to speak, but Madison's upraised palm made her stop.
"Sweetie I know it's hard, he is a fine piece of man. But Tesla, c'mon be real with yourself."
She thought she had been for the entirety of her and Malone's friendship. She had only fantasized about the idea of the two of them getting together and living happily ever after.
"I don't know if you two had something going on before me. I mean I'd find that hard to believe in the first place and I really, really don't care to know if its true."
"I'm not saying you can't be friends with him, as he's obviously attached to you for whatever reasons," she said as she looked Tesla up and down, disapprovingly, if not disgustingly. "All I'm saying is that the relationship you have with my man cannot continue the way that it has been," Madison said with a smile.
Throughout the conversation, Tesla said nothing at all, could barely find the will to allow herself to blink. At the end of Madison's dialogue Tesla nodded her head once, stood and left the apartment. She got in her car and drove a few miles until she came to a no-tell motel where she paid for the cheapest room for the night. Upon entering, the room she sank to the floor with her back braced against a wall and just let everything pour out of her.
It felt like she was ending things with Malone, even though they had never started to begin with. Even hours after the chat with Madison, she could feel the loneliness and the hurt embracing her. She would never really be lonely because she had loneliness and emptiness always by her side, she thought to herself.
Tesla had never nurtured a relationship quite like the one she had with Malone, so he was all she had outside of her family, but even then he had become like family to her. And that made the hurt start all over again. As she sat on the carpeted floor of the motel she begin to think about all that she had lost with Malone and how it was all her fault and that made the tears keep coming. The way she felt about Malone just wasn't healthy and she knew it yet she did nothing to right the wrong then. Now she was paying for it.
Sticking around the couple from then on would only make things harder for her. She really didn't have the money to move out on her own and she didn't want to move back in with in her mother, she already had enough problems. But what else would she do? Nothing short of tolerating their relationship would make the living situation work. She couldn't tell Malone what she really thought about his girlfriend- the one chick he actually had taken to meet his mother.
When Tesla was finally able to calm down she drove back home and crept into her room with Madison and Malone none the wiser.
Thereafter, Tesla began distancing herself from the couple. She decided that moving out was the best course of action and had gone to see a few apartments in her price range, but had yet to find any of them suitable. She had even contacted her uncle about hiring a few guys to move her things. She did all this in secret, careful not to let on to what she was doing. She most definitely didn't tell Malone anything about her plans, not because of his reaction but Madison's. She was afraid that she'd come home to find all her stuff neatly packed and waiting for her at the door. As far as Tesla knew, Malone hadn't even known that she was slipping from his life until he had come home early one day and heard Tesla crying.
"Go away," she yelled into her pillow when he had knocked on her door, asking if she were okay.
"I will not. Now you open up or I'm coming in."
Tesla opened her room door enough for her to step out into the hallway, closing it behind her.
"Got something in there you don't want me to see?"
"What does it matter?"
"Tesla, babe, what's wrong?" Malone asked.
"Nothing," she said.
He clenching his jaw Lone said, "You know I hate it when you lie to me."
"I'm not lying."
"You just did it again," he said gritting his teeth.
"Lone, just leave it alone."
Malone blew out a pinned up breath, "I can't believe Madison was right. You are jealous of us."
"Uh, excuse me? Where the hell did that come from?"
"I had been wondering why you were in a funk and Madison hinted that maybe you were jealous of our relationship."
Tesla stood wide-eyed at the bullshit that was coming from his mouth.
"Lone, I am not jealous of you two. And if you wanted to know what was wrong with me why the hell hadn't you come to me and ask me for your damn self?"
"I just did and you lied to me. Besides Madison didn't think it would be a good idea if I did that considering how you feel about her."
Tesla, once again, shocked but more so angry said the first words that came to her then, not even caring about what she might have been implying, "I can't believe this, Lone. You are gonna let this... this... wannabe Georgia Peach come between us?"
"Tesla what do you want me to do? My hands are tied here. Besides it's not like her attitude is unfounded."
"Whoa, what is that supposed to mean?" Tesla asked.
"C'mon Tesla. I think you and I both know what I mean."
Tesla paused, unsure of what Malone was insinuating.
When she still didn't respond to him Malone spoke once again, "Tesla I know about your feelings for me. I have known about them for some time now. And the reason I didn't say anything is that I kinda liked not knowing how you felt about me. Cause to tell you the truth I... I just see you as a friend. I always have and I never wanted to tell you cause I didn't want to hurt your feelings.
Tesla's heart stopped beating for a minute. She was sure she were dead at that moment cause no way could her best friend, the man she was in love with could have just ruined her entire life like that. If he- the one man she would have done anything for if only he'd asked-had so severely hurt her there was no way she could have still been standing. No way could the only man that knew her so totally, could have just admitted to knowing about her infatuation and say that he held no feelings of the like towards her. Tesla's vision began to blur and her breaths began coming out in quick gasps. This wasn't happening to her. This wasn't supposed to happen to her.
"Tesla, I'm sorry. Okay? I'm really very sorry about all this. I just..."
Tesla never heard him finish the rest of his sentence as she dropped to the floor in a faint.
Part 4
When she came to she was in a white walled room, the scent of sterilized packaging and hand sanitizer hung heavily in the air. Tesla groaned groggily as she blinked her eyes several times. She heard the distinct steady beep of the heart monitor next to her and only really awakened when she heard the swish of cloth come from her immediate left.
"Hi there, my name is Kelly, I'm your evening nurse," a fiftyish aged woman said.
"Hi," Tesla croaked. Her voice sounded as if she had been asleep for a long time.
"Tesla, is it? That's a pretty name."
"What time is it?"
The nurse smiled, "Oh about a quarter after seven."
"Is it still Thursday?"
The nurse smiled, "Of course." Tesla closed her eyes, thanking God for small favors.
"I'm sorry I know you're busy but do you know who brought me here?"
"Ambulance, hon."
"But why?"
"Let's see here," the woman, Nurse Kelly said, picking up her chart. "Looks like you fainted. When you weren't able to be revived the ambulance was called and you were admitted here. Congratulations, you were in a coma for ten hours."
A coma for ten hours? That was simply unheard of to Tesla. She leaned her head back against the pillows then sat up quickly. "Did anyone come here with me?"
"Hhmm I don't know. I just got here an hour ago. But you just missed your mother about half an hour ago. She sat here for a while. She said she'd come back after she got off work."
Tesla drew in a breath and let it out slowly. Some part of her had hoped that the woman would have mentioned Malone. And the fact that she didn't, told Tesla something just then. She had thought the relationship between she and Malone could have been salvageable but Tesla now knew better. The memory of what had triggered the black out made Tesla's eyes tear-up.
"Hey. Now it's okay. She said she'd be back," the nurse said in an attempt to comfort Tesla.
Tesla coughed, clearing her throat, trying to dispel the water works. "I'm okay. I just need a moment, please. Is there some way for me to go to the restroom?"
The nurse looked at Tesla empathetically, "Sure. Hold on here a second." Nurse Kelly began moving the IV tubes from around the hospital bed, then moved to help Tesla onto her feet. She asked if she needed assistance to the bathroom, Tesla said no. She watched the nurse move from the room closing the door behind her slightly and Tesla moved to the bathroom closing the door shut behind her. She had no more than engaged the lock before she broke out in sobs.
After what seemed like an eternity before she could even begin to convince herself that everything was indeed okay Tesla moved back to the bed where she placed her first of many phone calls. The line rang and rang until Minnie O'Dell answered the phone.
"Hello, McCray's Taxi Service. How can I help you this evening?"
"Momma?"
"Tessie, baby you're awake? Do you need me to come get you?"
"No momma. I'm fine. I wanted to ask you if it'd be alright if I moved back in with you for a little bit." Tesla asked struggling to let the words come while managing to hold the tears in check.
"Of course, baby."
"Thank you, momma."
"Tessie, what happened? I tried to ask Lone but he only said that you fainted."
"I'll explain when we see each other, now I'll let you get back to work. I don't wanna get you into any trouble."
"Okay baby. I love you."
"I love you too momma."
Tesla hung up the phone then proceeded to make her next phone call. After she had made all the arrangements she could she rang the nurse.
"Yes, did you need something?" Nurse Kelly asked.
"Yes. Um... is there a doctor on call tonight. I'd like to get outta here."
"We'll there is one, but I don't think he'd release you until your CAT scan results come back."
"I had a CAT scan?"
"Yes. They couldn't figure out why you weren't conscious."
Tesla nodded her head, "I understand and I can assure you that everything is alright now. I have never had that happen to me and I can promise you that it won't ever happen again."
Nurse Kelly stared at Tesla for a while, whatever she saw must have convinced her. "I'll be right back," she said leaving the room. A minute or so later Nurse Kelly returned with a doctor in tow. Had Tesla been feeling better she would have smiled at the man who entered the room behind her. Danny DeVito came to mind upon meeting the doctor for the first time, simply because of the height they shared. He didn't even look to be five feet tall. He had a generous head of hair and handsome but hard-edged features; with deep set serious eyes, and a goatee that all came together in what Tesla's rambunctious co-workers would have called a 'yes, daddy' package.
"So I hear you wanna leave." The man said without preamble.
"Yes."
"So anxious to get outta here without even knowing the cause of this trip to the ER."
"Yes."
"You think you feel better?"
"Yes."
"Do you say anything else other than 'yes'?"
Tesla smiled weakly, "Yes. I do."
The doctor returned the smile, "I'm doctor Shortt, two T's. And yes I realize the irony of my last name being Shortt and me actually being short. No my mother did not plan this. And no you are not being Punk'd."
Tesla shied away from his stare, her eyes meeting Nurse Kelly's from behind the doctor. The woman smiling, giving her confidence.
"Dr. Shortt I realize this may not be up to you, but I really would like to go home this evening."
"Well Tesla, I'm afraid that it is up to me."
"Would I be able to go home?"
"Not until I figure out why you were brought here in the first place."
Tesla looked down at her hands, then back over to the doctor. "I can tell you that. I just fainted."
"I realize that. But why did you faint?"
Tesla sighed. She didn't want to reveal her troubles to the doctors or the nurse, not only because it was none of their business but because she didn't want anymore people than necessary to know about her mistake. However, she knew that she wouldn't be able to leave the hospital until she told them a version of the truth that sounded like the only version of the truth. So, she went on to explain about her friend, whom she had strong feelings for and whom was also her flat mate rebuffing her. When she was done spinning her tale of hurt and pain, so much pain that she began hyperventilating, she half began believing her own tale, she saw the same empathy and pity in Nurse Kelly's eyes. The doctor's face remained a mask she couldn't read.
"Hhhmm sounds plausible enough. And because you have no history of medical disease on record here or other hospitalization to note I would say that there is nothing I can do for you and let you go. But I haven't yet received your test results back and it would be against my own policy to let you go without at least taking a look at those."
Tesla frowned and felt the tears threatening to break loose of their confines. "Isn't there something you could do to speed them along?"
The doctored nodded slowly then, sensing her distress, "I'll see if I can't hurry things up."
Tesla breathed a small sigh of relief, "I would very much appreciate it."
The doctor nodded again, leaving the room. Nurse Kelly came over to Tesla as the doctor left, "I'll make sure it gets done."
"Thank you."
An hour and a half later, Dr. Shortt came back accompanied by Nurse Kelly. He, still with his stoic mask and Nurse Kelly with a demure smile on her face stood before Tesla as she sat on the side of the bed.
"Tesla, I don't like doing this. In fact, I wouldn't be doing this if not for Nurse Kelly here."
Tesla turned her confused face towards the nurse. Nurse Kelly said nothing, only held her left hand up, then began wiggling her adorned ring fingered.
"You're married?" Tesla asked.
"Either that or Nurse Kelly spent a fortune on a female replica to pose as my wife."
"Doctor!" Nurse Kelly exclaimed.
The way Doctor Shortt straightened himself right and adjusted his tie told the truth in their confession to being man and wife.
"As I was saying. Nurse Kelly seems to think that it would be in my best interest -err the interest of the hospital to release you on the grounds that we can't find anything wrong with you. I would suggest staying the night but..."
"No. That's not necessary, Doctor. I am better."
The doctor nodded his head silently as Nurse Kelly turned away from them saying, "I'll go get the discharge papers."
When his wife left the room, Doctor Shortt came closer to Tesla's bedside. "Tesla, if anything like this happens again I want you to come immediately back here, do you understand me?"
"Yes, of course."
He nodded his head again just as Nurse Kelly came back into the room with the release forms. Fifteen minutes later, after much assurance to Nurse Kelly that she didn't need a ride home or a cab, Tesla left the hospital on her way to the nearest bus stop. If she had one, Tesla gave thanks to her guardian angel that Malone had remembered to send her off to the hospital with her purse.
She sent up a silent prayer to that same angel, hoping that it would remain with her during the time of her heartbreak as the wound cracked open a little more the next morning while she prepared herself in her mother's guest bedroom.
Nothing short of a miracle, Tesla was completely relieved that her call from the hospital to her father's brother about helping her move the next day came to fruition. Someone must have been really looking out for her, because on an impossibly short notice her uncle was able to round up a few of his co-workers to assist her in moving her things the next day.
They went into the apartment like an elite task force getting rid of any evidence that Tesla had ever lived there, dumping the contents of her closet and bureau dresser into as many as eight thirty-two gallon totes; even taking the sofa and chairs that Madison had been itching to get rid of just a few weeks before. This all being done with both Malone and Madison at work made Tesla feel like a coward. However, after the faint and trip to the hospital she didn't think there was any pride left in trying to hold her head up high while Madison and Lone stood by watching her pack her things. Madison had gotten her way in the end, she was leaving, and that was nothing to be proud of in Tesla's book.
Before driving away from the apartment, she contacted the owner of the building saying that she was leaving and would drop the keys off at his office before the day was done. The entire task of moving her out of the apartment and into her mother's small house took no more than three and a half hours, but it all seemed to slip by her. There after she went to work and pretended that nothing happened.