Complete Me

Chapter 8

                                                        ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 

                                                                                    Copyright © 2021 Cassey9

RAIN

Was I obsessed? I’m aware nothing will come out of it. That didn’t stop me from thinking about those two. Or listening and singing along to nursery rhymes.

Killan and Nillan Lakewood.

My mind reels back to a few days ago. Meeting and spending time with them had clearly left a long lasting effect on me. My offer to help Prof. Lakewood was out or courtesy. I didn’t expect to I’d be so smitten to the point of hanging around the offices to maybe accidentally ‘bump’ into them.

A shattering noise from the kitchen draws my attention away from the television. The ear bleeding curses coming from the kitchen jerk me from my seat. I hurriedly cross the space entering the kitchen. Vanessa was kneeling near the sink cabinet brushing broken glass together with her bare hands.

“Vanessa! What the hell? You’ll cut yourself,” I sigh pulling her away and out of the kitchen.

“It’s this stupid glass…it…it just slipped. I was picking it up…”

“With your hands? Are you crazy? You aren’t made of metal or plastic Van?” Moving across the kitchen I take a sweeper and dustpan and get to clearing the broken pieces off of the floor myself. Once I’ve cleared the entire kitchen making sure no shards remain I carry the snacks out.

Bella, Sam and Leon were dropping by after their classes. Our get together every once in a while to hang out and distress. We usually had them in my condo since all of them resided in the university dorms which were really cramped.

I lived ten minutes from the university on my own. My brother had bought me the two bedroom condo once I enrolled. He took a day off from the company and helped me move in. That had to be the best three days, my eyes glance at the wall color remembering how late we’d stayed up to paint it all. Each item and furniture carefully chosen to match the tone.

Vanessa has already switched the channel judging from the upbeat tempo filling the living room. I grab a handful of crisps and fall besides her. Van had hidden the dip fearing I’d finish it before our friends arrived. Resting my head on her shoulder lazily, “Hey why did you change it? I was watching that!”

“Watching what? That content is meant for children and I don’t see one around here,” she replies rudely.

“Still…” I say reaching for the remote control.

“Ugh please. Rain, I’d rather switch off the television if you are gonna force me watch that. Since when are you into kid’s songs…”

“It’s an acquired taste. One I’m growing to like.”

“Well lose it. It’s unlike you… Unless you want toddlers hitting on you from left and right.”

I laugh at her remark, “Actually I wouldn’t mind it. Not at all Van,” if it were to be those two cuties.  “I like them Vanessa,” I say trying my second attempt to get hold of the remote from her.

Vanessa gives out a short dry life pulling away from me, “You don’t seriously except me to sit and watch those tunes with you,” she mocks, “Since when have been into such…”

“Recently.”

“Well recently you’ve off your marbles,” she mutters under her breathe increasing the volume. The remote smacks my bare thigh twice, “Woo! Woo! Come on get up let’s dance…” The speakers blast louder filling the space with a booming sound. Vanessa gets off the couch and starts dancing around the space. I groan and fall backwards on the couch, they goes my peace and quiet.

~~~~~~~~

Our friends arrived an hour late to a sweating Vanessa and almost passed out me. With the talks of our day and discussing the lecturers. After a while we all sit on the carpet floor re-watching some of Sam’s recent YouTube videos while passing the weed around us he’d brought over.

The foodstuff Vanessa had prepared, all gone, yet I was still feeling incredibly hungry. Bella, who is the less buzzed than the rest of us managed to order some take out for us. Feeling all light-headed and elated I rest my head against the seat drawing patterns on the ceiling.

“I wish Red was here, I’d be passing from kissing him,” Vanessa comments laughing lightly.

Sam and Leon laugh too but I the hardest, Red Quincy, star quarter back and an on and off fling for Vanessa.

Vanessa slaps my bare arm, “What’s so funny Rain?”

“Nada Van,” I say a midst giggles, my hands withdraw from tracing the ceiling and touch my wet cheeks. I’d laughed so hard I was tearing up.

“You are the one who finds anything funny,” she insists.

“A relationship that doesn’t work won’t work Vanessa,” Sam hands the remainder of the blunt over to Bella who passes it to me, I puff the air and smile, a warm hazy feeling settling over me ,“Van, If he doesn’t come along he isn’t worth it…probably always stinks of piss and poop.”

We all break into a hard laughter with the exception of Vanessa. She always got over emotional whenever drank or high. They heightened her sensitivity, “If my relationship with Red falls apart I don’t know what I’ll do.”

“You’ll be fine Vanessa. Red is a jerk…besides who calls their child red…”

“Rain…what a d**k!”

“No matter what happens I’ll be here for you Van,” I reply tapping her arm lightly, “We’ll all be here. Right guys.”

“Yeah right…says you. Why do you keep denying Dante?”

“Yeah Rain,” Sam asks.

“We don’t click guys. Dante and I are better off as friends…than in the boyfriend girlfriend ‘thing’”

“Come on that guy would build you a monument at the drop of a hat,” Bella adds earning nods from all around, “Dante’s so smitten I don’t think he can see straight anymore. All for you Rain.”

“Well…too bad. I can’t date a person I barely connect with in any level… like Nillan and Killan. God there are so adorable. Thinking of them makes me happy. I want to see them soon.”

“Oh Kinky…twins. Can I have one…please?”

“No Bella! Stop being gross,” I reply agitated. The doorbell rings and I take a huge leap upwards, stretching my hands out the guys place bills on it.

By the third ring I’m pulling the door open, “Delivery,” the guy says handing me that bags as I shove the bills. I knew it too much but it didn’t matter. If I started counting the bills the guy and I would be stuck at the door till end of time. He leaves with an excited goodbye and I walk back inside.

The delivered food is gobbled down in a matter of minutes. We all sprawled on the floor, Leon passed out already.

“As much as I love your company…I’m calling it a night,” I announce staggering to my feet.

“Me too. Dibs on the spare bedroom,” Bella says getting up.

“Dibs on Rain’s bed,” Sam calls out before Vanessa and this earns him a string of curses, Sam shrugs at Van, “What…it’s a waterbed after all.”

“Hope it bursts…” Van utters following Bella to the guest room. Ensuring the front and balcony doors are securely locked as well as the window. Sam and I haul Leon on the sofa. We leave him all snuggled and covered as we go to my room.

Sam strips to his boxers and t-shirt and slips in the bed. I change to and get in on the other end switching the lights off. The alarm clock besides the bed read 1AM. We’d stretched it till the next day having the best evening, the headache and severe hunger would be worth it.

“Hey Rain?”

“Yeah…Whose Killan and Nillan?”

“Uh…they are cute…you’d love them,” I mumble incoherently falling into the darkness. Welcoming the sleep and the tranquility it gives me. This time I dream of them. How happy we were, William chasing after me in the open field. The laughter filling the air. The brush of the wind against my skin. Their figures approaching my brother and I. The warm affectionate hugs the murmurs of love. Assurance of protection. But their faces are blurry. I try so hard to focus on them but nothing. The man picks me up flinging me up, “I love you mia cara.”

“I love you to daddy…” I wake up startled. Everything so vivid. Sweat was dripping down my forehead. Sam was dead like a log besides. I move back down and curling besides him. His hands moves and pull me close. Strong, grounding me. With that I rest my eyes, mind, heart and body.