july 1st, 2020
11:47 pm
THE MARSHMALLOWS HAD been Joshua's idea after finding out that Ayoluwa had never had one.
The two roasted them over the stove using a pair of chopsticks Ayoluwa had found in one of the kitchen.
"I still can't believe you've never had one of these!" Joshua exclaimed in disbelief.
"My grandma doesn't fuck with pork and I don't either really." Ayoluwa replied.
"You made sausage this morning!"
"Turkey sausage." Ayoluwa chuckled, "No jello, no marshmallows, no bacon, no pig feet... Ew."
"But eating a goat is okay?" Joshua furrowed his brows.
He looks cute when he makes that face.
Ayoluwa coughed into her bare arm in an attempt to shake away the intrusive thought, "Yes! Curry goat is one of my favorite foods."
"Ew."
"What do you get when you come to Oasis then?"
"Jerk chicken, like a sane person. You gotta turn it. See," Joshua was rotating his chopstick so that the marshmallow would cook evenly.
"Oh," Ayoluwa followed his example, "I'm only doing this because they're sweet."
Joshua chuckled at her statement, "Aight, Palmer."
Ayoluwa took off the marshmallow when it was a crispy dark brown color and placed it on her tongue.
"Well?"
Ayoluwa swallowed then shrugged, "It's okay. I guess."
Joshua rolled his eyes as he took his marshmallow off of the fire and then turned the oven off.
Ayoluwa poured herself a cup of fruit punch then started to make her way over.
Except she had forgotten that she had left her sandals in the middle of the hall.
Ayoluwa stumbled over them and the purplish red drink went flying onto the leather, staining it.
When she turned around, Joshua was giving her an expression that she couldn't read.
"I can fix it!" Ayoluwa put soap and water on a sponge and was about to scrub it out when Joshua put his arm straight out in front of her.
"It's fine. This place is getting sold anyway."
"What? Why?"
"My brother, Patrick. It's fine, don't worry about it."
Ayoluwa glanced at him, "Then where are you sleeping tonight?"
The boy stopped the s'more halfway to his mouth at the question.
Thirty minutes later, the two were in pajamas, standing on either side of the bed, passing it and each other apprehensive looks.
"As... As long as we stay on our own sides of the bed, it'll be fine right?" Ayoluwa said, lightly scratching her scalp over her head scarf.
"Right." But none of them moved.
After a few seconds, Joshua laid on his side and turned his back on her.
Ayoluwa let out a silent breath before tucking back the covers and doing the same.
Ayoluwa woke up a few hours later, her head on something new.
Where is my pillow?
Only when she tried to roll over did she realize that a hand was on her midsection, holding her in place and that the material replacing her pillow, wasn't a pillow at all, in fact it was a hard bare chest.
Her and Joshua's legs were intertwined, her fingers were stretched comfortingly on the side of his neck and his other arm was laid out on the side she was supposed to be sleeping on.
He stirred with a sigh and Ayoluwa immediately closed her eyes again as there was no excuse as to why she was sleeping on top of him.
He's definitely gonna shove me off this bed.
Or worse.
But surprise came when Joshua slid her up slightly so her head was in the crook of his neck, put his other hand on her back then tightened his grip in both places.
"I hope she doesn't wake up." Joshua muttered, his hands rubbing up and down her hip, one slipping under her t-shirt to trace the tattoo on her spine slowly with his pointer finger.
Ayoluwa squeezed her eyelids shut, trying to get her breathing under control.
The combination of his shallow breathing and his warm hands stroking her back and shoulders had the blanket of sleep envelop her once again.
july 2nd, 2020
10:48 am
Like always, Ayoluwa was the first to wake up.
She headed straight to the basement, not even bothering to change her pajamas.
She needed to play.
Ayoluwa sat at the piano bench, her eyes and fingers on an old page in her songbook, titled 'Who Knew?'
It was a half written song from sophomore year of high school, something she never had inspiration to finish.
The door to the basement audibly opened making Ayoluwa pause.
"Hey, I'm uh, I'm gonna check out kayaking or something." Joshua called out to her.
"Okay!" Ayoluwa called back softly.
That night, Ayoluwa pressed her back into the headboard of the bed, casually strumming an acoustic guitar she had borrowed from the basement, while Joshua sat at the foot of it, his phone blasting an old basketball game.
Ever so often, they would glance up at each other, both wondering if last night should just be a one time thing.
They both wanted last night to be more than an one time thing but...
Pride is a bitch.
And their history is problematic.
Ayoluwa put the guitar down, lifted up the covers and scooted into the bed.
She laid on her side, focusing on the sounds of the audience cheers from Joshua's phone.
The sounds switched off and the other side of the bed dipped with Joshua's weight.
His back was turned, his front facing the window on the right side of the room.
"Fuck it." He groaned quietly, turning and pulling Ayoluwa into him by her waist. He wrapped both arms around her hips and rested his chin on her shoulder.
Tentatively, she put one hand on top of where he was holding her, just to see how he would respond.
Joshua immediately laced their fingers together, and Ayoluwa relaxed her torso to sink into the bed.
Joshua lightly pulled her a tad closer and Ayoluwa closed her eyes to pretend that she was asleep.
If she was asleep, Ayoluwa couldn't address the electric feeling she got at feeling his hands on hers.
Or feeling how ironic the whole thing was.
Here she was starting to like the boy she had disliked for so long, a boy who was only looking for a fling.
Is this what Stockholm syndrome feels like?
It shouldn't feel like butterflies.
It almost wasn't fair.
NOTE FROM KY
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