No One Like Us

Strangers Maybe

I reached my hand out across the bed for an arm or waist but felt nothing. I turned my head to look and the world swam around me, both from hungover nausea, and the gut-wrenching pain of remembering. The world crashed down around my ears once again and my face screwed up in an attempt to keep from crying out. I curled around the grief in my chest and tried to keep from vomiting. Thank you, ladies, now I had grief AND a hangover. I opened my eyes slightly and could see sunlight peeking through the curtains. I didn't want to move. I didn't want to get up and face another meaningless day. Jared usually brought me coffee in the morning. He was much more of a morning person than I and couldn't manage to stay in bed for long, so it was no trouble. It was one of the few services he performed for me.

I would have to make my own coffee today.

I dragged myself out of bed, threw on a bathrobe, and almost made it to my door before having to rush back into the bathroom to expel the poisons from my stomach. I was never good at drinking. It didn't seem to ever get better. I never got headaches, but my hangovers left me drained and empty. I sometimes wondered if I would have been better if Jared had let me start drinking sooner.

The kitchen was overly bright and cheery. I dumped yesterday morning's coffee that was left in the pot down the sink and went about making another while trying to keep my head from spinning. We were nearly out of cereal. I would need to go shopping again soon. I downed four aspirin with my first gulp of coffee and sighed into the dark mana.

I heard a groan in the living room. Someone was in my house. Had Jared come back in the night? Did he regret leaving so suddenly and come back to sleep on the couch? But then, why wasn't he awake yet? Maybe he'd also been out drinking. The lump in the back of my throat and pain behind my eyes told me that wasn't true. If it wasn't him, though, who? Fear started to replace the ache. I crept around the edge of my kitchen counter to peer into the living room.

A ball of red fur peeked out from under the edge of Jared's favorite throw. Memories of the previous night came flooding back. Evan. This was Lacy's brother. My dear friends had saddled me with the useless baby brother freeloader. I touched my lips absently as I looked at the orange fluff.

He moved and pulled the covers down from his face in his sleep.

His skin was so pale that the freckles across his nose stood out like an inverted starfield. His lips were full and pink, with that perfect bow shape everyone tries to achieve with lipstick. The bastard had it naturally. His lips were parted slightly, and I could hear a slight hiss on each exhale. I walked over and stood above him, watching him sleep, unconscious of how creepy it might seem. Long reddish lashes framed the edge of his round eyes. His face was boyish and soft, but his jaw bone was still sharp up into his hairline. I saw, for a moment, Jared's face superimposed in the same space in my memory; his hard jaw and thick blond brow, the roughness of his cheek despite his attempts to maintain a clean shave. Jared was a Man in all of the traditional senses of the word. This was a boy asleep on my couch.

I returned to the kitchen and prepared a second cup of coffee, a tall glass of water, and four more aspirin. He was certainly going to need it even more than me, if my memories from last night were correct.

I heard him stir again and brought it over.

"Oh... Jeez... my head..." he almost rolled off the couch but caught himself. "Did anyone get the plate number of that truck?"

He blinked his eyes blearily as I set the hangover medkit down on the coffee table in front of him. His eyes landed on me, and he smiled clumsily. The flush in his cheeks dulled the luster of his freckles but accentuated the pink of his lips.

"Good morning, beautiful," he drawled.

I blushed in spite of myself. My makeup from the night before was smeared, my hair was a mass of matted curls, and I was in a T-shirt and sweats. I felt pretty far from beautiful at the moment. "I brought you some coffee, and painkillers," I said, averting my eyes from his stare.

He pushed himself up onto an elbow so he could drink the coffee. "Is this your house?" His voice was rough and deep from overuse and dehydration.

"Yeah," I answered.

"What happened to Lacy?" he asked, taking a sip.

"She went home with some guy from O'Malley's."

"Psh. She left me? That's just like her," he scoffed. "And you opted to take a strange guy home? That's bold."

"It was the only option. You were wasted," I chided.

"I must have been. I don't remember anything after The Compound."

So he didn't remember the kiss. Of course, he didn't remember the kiss. Did I want him to remember? No, it was better if it was just forgotten anyway. Annoyance still itched under my skin, though.

"Are you sure you didn't take me home just because I was so dang charming?" The boyish grin he flashed at me gave me goosebumps.

"Don't flatter yourself, freeloader," I said as I got up to return to the kitchen and find something for breakfast. I wanted to hear more sweet words - I did - but he didn't know what he was getting himself into. I didn't want him to think he was getting anywhere.

"I have a name you know," he called to my back.

I giggled in spite of myself. "Evan. I remember."

"And you're Jackie, right?"

I hesitated, cream cheese knife poised above bagel, "Yeah." He didn't need to know, yet, and if he hadn't guessed already who was I to dispel his fantasy. 

"This is a nice place you've got here," he said, looking around at the room, "doesn't quite seem your style though." 

"And what would you know about my style?" I placed the bagels on the coffee table and sat down in the easy chair across from Evan, coffee in hand. 

"Well... I dunno, I mean, it just seems a bit sterile... stuffy. You seem like a lot more fun."

"You clearly don't know me," I said, smirking. 

"You see! It's looks like that you flash that make me think there's a lot more to you than you let on." 

"Thanks for that, I suppose, but this place suits me just fine." 

I said it, but I didn't quite believe it. There really wasn't anything of me here. Everything of mine was squirreled away in the walk-in closet in the bedroom. Jared had a very particular aesthetic.  I was surrounded by Jared. Jared suited me, and that seemed like enough before. 

"Hell, a place like this would suit me too if I could afford it..." Evan reached for one of the bagels. 

I can't afford it either, I thought. The weight of it sat heavy in my gut. Rent would be due in a couple of weeks, but the likelihood of finding anywhere else I could afford on short notice was slim. The city wasn't the most expensive place to live, but it certainly wasn't cheap either. I didn't have a car, so living anywhere else would be too far from the studio to be able to work. I was stuck. 

"This couch sure is comfy though," he continued, patting the pillow beside him with affection, while he munched on his bagel.

I could see wheels turning in his head. 

"I do not take in strays," I said, half to myself.

He looked up at me a little startled. "I wouldn't be a stray. I'd pay!"

"Psh, and how much can you afford? Hmm?" 

I couldn't live with him, that would be crazy! How long could I keep my identity a secret? he'd have to know the truth. If he did, would he still want to live here?

"I know I can handle at least 6, maybe 700 a month... but it's impossible to find a place in town that cheap."

My rent was just over $1200. If he paid $700, that would cover more than half and I could probably... what was I thinking?! It would never work. It was a ludicrous idea. It would cause nothing but trouble. 

But it didn't have to be for very long. I could let him stay for a couple of months until I got myself sorted and was able to find a place for myself. I would be able to afford rent this month, and the next while I picked myself back up. It wasn't that ludicrous an idea, was it? 

I shook my head to bring me back to my senses, but when I looked at him again, he looked almost like a pleading puppy dog. Okay, maybe I did take in strays...

"Can you commit to $700 this month?" The hangover was clearly clouding my judgment. 

"What?" He looked completely bewildered. "Yes. Yes! Hah!" 

"Hold it," I put my hand up to slow him down, "I have a few requirements." I got myself into this, now I was going to have to figure out how to make it work.

He looked at me expectantly, once again reminding me of a puppy dog.

"Rule number 1: You can't ever go in my room. It's my personal space, and I don't want to risk crossing any boundaries. Rule number 2: No crossing boundaries.  None of your flirting is allowed," especially not in Jared's house, I thought. "Rule number 3: you keep this place tidy. I will not clean up after you. I will not cook for you. I will not take care of you. This isn't your parents' house. "

I could have slapped that silly grin right off his face.

"My house, my rules. Got it? And I can change the rules if I want. You have to do what I say, stray." 

"Woof!" He responded instead. 

That was too much. I got up from my chair and went to busy myself in the kitchen cleaning off the bagel plate. 

What the hell was I doing?! This was going to be a disaster. Was it too late to back out? 

I heard a muffled ringing behind me, and then Evan's voice answered.

"Lacy? Yeah, I'm fine. You'll never believe where I am! What? How'd you guess? Ugh... Jessica. Yeah, Jackie's really nice. She made me coffee and everything. Uh huh? Well, yeah. But wait... Yeah, no, you'll really never guess this part. No, I'm serious. She offered me her couch to live on... I'll pay rent of course. Oh my god, stop screaming in my ear."

I could hear the shrill screeching from the kitchen. I didn't want to have to explain to Lacy...

"Hey, Jackie, my sister wants to talk to you," Evan said, holding the fold-out towards me. 

I dried my hands off and took the phone from Evan.

"Oh my god, Zack, what the hell are you thinking? He doesn't know yet? Are you going to tell him before he moves in? Should I tell him? f**k, how am I supposed to NOT tell him-"

"Lacy, please calm down. It's not that big of a deal."

"Not that- Not that big a deal?! For f***s sake Zack?"

"I need the rent help. You know the photography has been slow."

"You're going to be living together Jackie," Lacy's voice had taken on a more serious, less hysterical tone, "he's going to find out at some point."

"It'll be fine. This will save me big time. Jared paid for everything; I couldn't possibly have gotten by on my own. I had no idea how I was going to manage. This will at least give me some time to figure things out. Just... please don't say anything, for now. I'll take care of it."

Lacy heaved a sigh on the other end of the phone. "Fine. Just... be careful, okay? For both of your sakes." 

I handed the phone back to Evan, who eyed me incredulously. 

"Yeah. Yeah, Lace, I know. I know. I promise okay? Okay? What? Don't you trust your baby brother? Okay, I swear on my future success as a developer, I'll be a perfect gentleman. Really. Okay. I love you too. Bye."

"We're really doing this then, huh?" I said, not quite believing it all just happened. 

"Yeah."

"You're able to pay this month?"

"Yeah."

"You're going to bring your stuff over?"

"Yeah."

I was trying to convince myself it hadn't just happened. Evan wasn't helping. I think I was in shock.

"Hey, Jackie, who's Jared?"