I'm jolted awake by the sound of my phone before I can relive the horrors of my usual nightmare. Still recovering from the chilly dream my eyes stay transfixed on the fan hanging from the white conventional ceiling as my heart-rate goes back to normal and the thrumming in my ears slowly fade. I turn to look out my open window and notice it's bright outside.
F*ck. How long did I sleep for?
My phone rings again and I lazily snatch it from the nightstand and answer. "Yes?" My voice is hoarse from sleeping which is f*cking weird since I just got into bed and haven't slept for long. Coach is making us work on our stamina since midnight madness is approaching which means we have to hit the gym at least three times a week. I try to fit gym in as early as possible on weekends because it gives time to get shit like school work done during the day.
"Hi, good morning." the feminine voice on the other end replies too chirpily for my liking "This is Holly speaking, I'm calling from Dr Schumacher's office to remind you of your 2 O'clock appointment today."
"Shit." I groan, remembering that I promised to make it in after missing two weeks in a row. Schumacher wasn't pleased with me missing out on appointments especially when he could be fitting in people who would actually pay. But then again, it was his personal choice, I didn't force him. "that's today?"
"Yes sir. It's the 3rd." She replies.
The 3rd. F*ck. Today's Mila's doctor appointment. She's been complaining to Bronte about her belly and Bronte booked her an appointment with the ultimatum that I have to take her. I put my phone on speaker and click on Bronte's message to see what time the appointment is. I'm surprised to see that despite the fact that our last three conversations were about me not missing the appointment, she has taken the liberty to message me again this morning to remind me. It's at 1.45 PM.
"What time did you say again?"
"2 O'clock."
F*ck. I sigh tiredly feeling pretty shitty for what I'm about to ask her. "Can you move me up to tomorrow?" I wince slightly as I sit up on my bed "something really important just came up and I really can't miss it-"
"No, unfortunately we're all booked up for the month."
I frown "that many people need therapy?"
"You'd be surprised." The woman laughs.
"How about give me a ring after you call your other patients. Maybe something's come up for someone too."
"We don't call people to remind them of their appointment, they usually remember themselves. I was left instructions by Dr Schumacher to contact you."
I roll my eyes at that. Of course. That's just like Doc.
"Consider me reminded."
After saying goodbye, she hangs up and I sigh tiredly. I can't miss Mila's appointment and I also can't miss Schumacher's because I'm sure he'd report back to coach. I sit there and think about the most responsible person I know that isn't Bronte because Bronte hates going to hospitals since my accident. Asides Dante I can't come up with anybody else but he has some modelling gig for the weekend and although Ryan and Sawyer are good with Mila I can't trust them to take her to the doctor's. Those two shitheads will definitely f*ck something up.
My phone rings again, cutting me out of my thoughts. I stare at the unknown number displayed on the screen. But it doesn't take more than a second for me to piece together who it could be.
"I knew you were an asshole but I didn't think you were this much of an asshole." Hearing the sophomore's voice brings me some sort of satisfaction and I rest against my pillow, a small smile making it's way to my face.
"Good morning to you too miss we-don't-have-a-deal, I had a lovely night, thanks for asking. How about you?"
"There is nothing good about the morning and I certainly do not care how your night was." She bites back. I can picture her angry face and that makes her words hold less weight than it should.
Before I can reply, the door to my room opens revealing a particular 5 year old dressed in a pink Doc Mcstuffin PJs walks in with Stuffy, a blue stuffed dinosaur from the cartoon she's obsessed with. She sleepily walks towards my bed and climbs on it, her eyes drooping. I had to carry her to Sawyer's room before leaving for the gym because I didn't want her waking up alone and crying like she did the last time. I smile when she wraps her little hands around my neck in a hug before settling on my lap and resting her head on my chest. "Morning baby." I kiss the top of her head loving the open display of affection. Mila's really affectionate in the morning compared to the rest of the day. I'm willing to enjoy every second of it until she switches to annoying mode.
"Ew, gross." Lorraine comments and I roll my eyes. "Wait, are you with a girl?"
"Yes." my answer isn't entirely a lie. I am with the best girl in the world to me but Lorraine doesn't have to know that, she can think whatever she wants. "Okay--since we've established the fact that you're not interested in exchanging pleasantries, what do you want sophomore?"
"You know what I want." She replies immediately.
"I'm assuming you got my message." I took the liberty to find the sophomore's Instagram last night. It wasn't that hard. Dante has a huge crush on one of her friends who just happens to be Alexia's sister. Her name's Elle Sparrows. All I had to do was follow Elle, wait for her to accept my follow request, click on her following and put in Lorraine's name in the search engine and voila, the girl with a big smile on her profile picture. "You didn't follow me back though, rude."
"You need to delete that video Charlie, I'm serious."
I may have or may have not sent her a video of us kissing. Ryan took a video unbeknownst to me but I'm glad he did because now I have leverage.
"Why would I do that? That's my leverage."
Lorraine huffs loudly into the phone. "This isn't a game asshole." Her voice goes down as she continues "I told you, I'm not interested in being your girlfriend. I'd rather choke."
An image of my hand wrapping around her neck pops into my head and I groan. "We can-"
"Uncle Charlie?" Mila calls meekly and I reply with a hnm, glad that she cut me off before I can say something to scare Lorraine away. "My belly hurts bad."
"How bad?" I ask worriedly.
"It's very bad." Lorraine answers "Very very very bad," she chuckles in a way that sound like she doesn't find the situation funny at all "it needs to GO!"
I ignore the sophomore ranting on the other end and focus on the little girl in front of me. "On a scale of 1 to 10?"
"Are you even listening to me right now-"
"Hold on." I put the sophomore on hold to keep her from speaking or hearing my conversation.
"8."
"An 8? That's a pretty high number." I check my phone for the time. We still have a few hours to kill. Carrying Mila in my arms like a newborn, I wedge my phone between my phone and my shoulder. "How about we have a nice shower, have some breakfast and then go see the doctor?"
"Is grandma going to be there?" She asks. I close my eyes for a second hating every second of this. My mum hasn't answered any calls or text messages for the past weeks and it's f*cking killing me. I don't know how if she's fine, especially since I know she doesn't have a lithium with her and theres's Mila who misses her crazily. I really just want her to come home. If anything, for Mila's sake. "I want grandma." Mila sniffles and I can tell that she's crying.
"Booper I-" Mila breaks down, her body shaking as she sobs and I feel my chest hurt. F*ck. I can't stand when she cries. I f*cking hate that shit. But for some reason, I think it'll make her feel better if she cries because my Mum isn't coming back anytime soon and the sooner Mila gets that, the better. As I sit there, rocking her back and forth and just promising her everything possible in the world, she finally stops crying and a thought pops in my head. I pick up my phone that has now dropped on my bed and sure the sophomore is still on hold.
"Hey sophomore, I'll see you in an hour."
"What-"
I hang up and throw my phone on my bed.
***
Exactly an hour later, I park my car in front of Lorraine's complex building. After getting Mila out of her car seat, we walk up to the apartment. Mila is extremely ignorant of the looks I'm getting from the few people around as her nose is buried deep in the cartoon she's watching on her iPad. But I do and I hate it.
"Hey Charlie." a random girl eyes me as I enter the elevator. I fake a smile back, thanking God she doesn't come in with me. When her iPad starts reconnecting, Mila realises her surroundings and looks up at me in confusion as I press the button to the 5th floor. Let's hope Ryan actually remembers their apartment number and floor because that guy was drunk when he came here.
"Where are we?"
"I'm taking you to see a friend of mine." A friend? Yeah right. No one hates my guts more than that friend. Actually I could name a couple of girls on this campus that hate my guts. But Lorraine definitely tops the chart. Hopefully she agrees to help me because then I'm not screwed.
"Is she a girl or a boy?"
"The first one I think."
"So is she your girlfriend?"
I roll my eyes, not surprised that she would ask that. This girl is more interested in my love life than anything. I think little kids gets a kick out of this whole boyfriend girlfriend thing until they grow up and realise that girlfriends actually sleep with boyfriend's best friends. "No she's not."
"Is she going to be your girlfriend?"
"No."
"But you want her to be your girlfriend."
"Hey look, Doc Mcstuffins." I point to her iPad that has started up again thankful for the distraction. I walk through the long corridor with Mila a step behind me. She's so focused on that cartoon it's like she doesn't care about anything else. Not even her hurting belly. "Does your belly still hurt?" I ask when we get to the door.
"No." She answers absentmindedly. "Yes." She looks away from the iPad to me, her face contouring "yes. It still hurts bad." I eye her suspiciously "are you going to ring the doorbell?" She asks before I can question her.
I haven't spoken to the sophomore in almost two weeks and it's shocking how much I've craved this interaction. I'm almost giddy as I push the doorbell. The door opens not a second after, revealing Shadé. She's wearing a pair of pastel brown joggers and a darker shade of brown tank top, her hair in a black headnet. Shade is Bronte's current nemesis who I can't be friends with no matter what. She eyes me unbelievably. Her eyes travelling from me to Mila then back up to me again.
"Is the sophomore here?" I ask.
"We're all sophomores." She replies, the disbelief she was blatantly expressing seconds ago disappearing, morphing into something more distasteful. Guess she doesn't like me either. She folds her hands under her chest aggressively "next time you kidnap my friend or do anything to hurt a single hair on her head I swear I will kick your ass so hard-" she stops when she realises that I've got a kid with me. She smiles widely at Mila before throwing a glare at me "so hard."
I stare at her 5'5 body and almost laugh. Yeah right. Like that's ever f*cking going to happen.
"Can I come in?" I ask impatiently but she simply raises her eyebrows. Time's not on my side today, I really do not have time for scary best friend threats "Lorraine invited me." I lie because it looks like little miss not so scary here doesn't want to let me in.
"I-wha-Lorraine!" She yells, stepping aside. "Did you kidnap someone's child?" She asks as Mila and I walk into the apartment. My eyes scan the bright living room that looks like it was vomited straight from a f*cking home decor Pinterest board. Everything in here screams girls. From the white sofa chaise to the neutral coloured throws to the different sized houseplants, wall frames, book shelves and coffee table sitting on top of a woollen rug, I feel like I've walked into a magazine. I eye the figure sleeping on the couch weirdly.
"Wow. Your house is really pretty." Mila compliments as she walks further into the house. She whips around to face me "can I live here?"
"Thanks." Shadé smiles eating up the compliment as she looks around. She squats to Mila's height "what's your name?"
"Mila. It means Dear one."
"I'm Shadé, it means crown."
"Does that mean you're a princess?"
"Sort of... I'm not actually a princess but I'm royalty." She shrugs. Royalty my ass. Shadé motions towards me "What are you doing with this man? Did he kidnap you?"
Mila shakes her head and giggles excitedly as I roll my eyes. "No, he wouldn't do that. Do you live here?"
"Can you get the sophomore." I ask.
"Yes, I live here." Shade ignores me and reaches to touch Mila's hair "I like your ponytail." she says which I take as a compliment. That bloody ponytail took some time because Mila kept on complaining about how it has to be swingy. "I'm not your slave, her room's that way, last door on the right." She points towards the door opposite the large ass full length mirror leaning on the wall in the little dining room space separating the living room from the kitchen. She's got serious attitude.
"Can I see your room?" Mila asks as I walk towards the door which leads to a small corridor of 5 doors, one of them with a STORAGE sign on it. When I get to the end of the corridor, I notice that the sophomore's door is opened a tiny crack. Without thinking, I push the door open.
"Sophomore-" Lorraine's wearing nothing but a black lace underwear. "Oops--."
"Christ, don't you know how to knock?!" She covers her chest with her hand as she snatches one of her pillows off the bed to cover herself. But I already caught the tiny ink just below her left tit. "Oh my God, get the hell out!" She yells, her eyes throwing daggers at me. Still dazed, I turn around and shut the door behind me and stand there for a few minutes until I made a sense of what happened and what I saw.
"She's got a tattoo." I mutter to no one in particular.
f*ck me.
Not to mention, her tits are f*cking gorgeous. My goodness. She has freckles. It's all over her f*cking tits just all over. I feel all the blood rush down to my dick and I mentally chide myself to calm down. My niece is just a door away, I can't be getting a f*cking hard on.
A few seconds later, the door is yanked open, revealing a fully dressed Lorraine. She looks really pissed off which is understandable. This time she has the right to punch me in the face. Not that she will.
"I didn't know you had a tattoo." Is the first thing I say like a douche. I should just apologise but I like riling her up.
"I didn't know you had no manners." She shoots back "seriously, what the hell is wrong with you? Weren't you taught to knock?"
"That was pretty f*cking stupid of me..I should have knocked. I'm sorry." Our eyes meet for a brief second and I can see how taken aback she is by my apology. "I don't regret it." I purposely add, my eyes not leaving her face. Her throat bobs slightly as my words register and her face warms. I know she's thinking it. Her being naked in front of me.
"Why are you here Charlie?" She asks, looking away like she's afraid something will happen "I already said what I needed to say over the phone."
"I need a favour." I say pushing any straying thought to the back of my head. "In return, I'll delete the video and-"
"And?"
I'm beginning to think this is a mistake. Whatever the fuck I've been thinking I' going to get from the f^cked up fake relationship I'm proposing is not going to work if I'm sexually attracted to this chick. There's too much going on and I can't handle all of that right now. She's right there is no deal. It's better that way.
"And you never have to deal with me again."