me,” I say . “I have roommates.” And a date with a really hot girl, I’m tempted to add . Who wears clean clothes . And
showers regularly .
Dylan turns and frowns at me . “I never expected to stay with you,” she says as she tugs her jeans on . “ I was just taking a power nap. ” She stumbles as her foot catches in the jeans and I grab her elbow to steady her . My fingers bristle from the contact of her skin and I drop her arm .
I give her the same intense stare I give my catcher when I’m reading the plays .
“Well , my life’s a little busy right now , ” I say . “ Some people actually have a routine . I have baseball and classes. Y ou can’t just expect me to drop everything and entertain you .”
She ignores me and digs around in her duffle bag . I glare down at her . Shouldn’t she be apologizing ? Begging me to forgive her for so easily crossing me out of her life ? She stands up and her face is too close to mine. I take a step back . She doesn’t say anything for a few seconds, like she’s trying to calculate something in my expression .
“ I’m sorry . I just wanted to surprise you,” she says .
This makes me laugh , but it sounds forced, rubbed with bitterness .
“ What really surprises me Dylan, is that I haven’t heard from you in four months , ” I say as s he throws my bedroom door open and drags the duffel bag behind her . She marches down the stairs and shakes her head . Her bag thumps loudly behind her and she shouts over it .
“ You could have tried to contact me , ” she argues.
“Says the gi rl with no telephone or permanent address, ” I yell back . “Is it that hard for you to use the phone once in a while ?”
She turns to me when she reaches the bottom of the staircase . “I don’t understand international calling cards . Too many numbers . It freaks me out.”
“ What about emailing ?” I say and walk down the stairs . “Or do they not have computers in Europe ?”
“ You never emailed me . At least I sent you postcards,” she points out.
“Oh, wow, two postcards, one from Germany telling me ‘ how many great wieners they have. ’ Very considerate .”
She blinks up at me . “They have amazing hot dogs ,” she says . “I thought you’d appreciate that.”
“That’s you r idea of keeping in touch?” I ask and lean closer to her.
“I wanted to surprise you,” she says again, leaning back at me so her face is inches from mine . “But I didn’t know your events calendar is completely booked this spring .”
I hear a chuc kle and wince to see all my roommates sitting in the li ving room watching us like we’re a new reality show, The Ex-Files . They all stare at Dylan and she has the nerve to smile and start introducing herself . They ’re all plenty eager to mee t her but I cut them off .
“Don’t bother making introductions,” I tell Dylan . “You’re not staying.”
“Do you mind ? I’d like to make a good first i mpression.”
“It’s a little late,” I point out . “ They already met you on the front porch when you
looked like you were strung out on heroin.”
“Y ou say that like it’s such a bad thing. ”
I hear a nother chuckle and turn to glare but I can’t tell who laughed . Dylan’s feet stomp along the hardwood floors.
“What about your shoes?”
“I told you . T heir names are Heidi and Klaus — ”
“I’m not calling them by their names — ”
She’s out the front door before I can finish . I quick ly glance at Bubba as he shakes his head.
“This completely redefines the term sexual tension,” he says.
“Stay out of this,” I yell back . I slam the front door behind me and follow Dylan onto the grass in the front yard . S he unzips a side pocket of her bag and pulls out some silver flip-flops . She kicks her feet into them .
“Where are you going?” I ask.
“ I’ll figure something out. ”
I cross my arms over my chest . “Do you have any money?”
“I have seventy-five Euros,” she informs me like
showers regularly .
Dylan turns and frowns at me . “I never expected to stay with you,” she says as she tugs her jeans on . “ I was just taking a power nap. ” She stumbles as her foot catches in the jeans and I grab her elbow to steady her . My fingers bristle from the contact of her skin and I drop her arm .
I give her the same intense stare I give my catcher when I’m reading the plays .
“Well , my life’s a little busy right now , ” I say . “ Some people actually have a routine . I have baseball and classes. Y ou can’t just expect me to drop everything and entertain you .”
She ignores me and digs around in her duffle bag . I glare down at her . Shouldn’t she be apologizing ? Begging me to forgive her for so easily crossing me out of her life ? She stands up and her face is too close to mine. I take a step back . She doesn’t say anything for a few seconds, like she’s trying to calculate something in my expression .
“ I’m sorry . I just wanted to surprise you,” she says .
This makes me laugh , but it sounds forced, rubbed with bitterness .
“ What really surprises me Dylan, is that I haven’t heard from you in four months , ” I say as s he throws my bedroom door open and drags the duffel bag behind her . She marches down the stairs and shakes her head . Her bag thumps loudly behind her and she shouts over it .
“ You could have tried to contact me , ” she argues.
“Says the gi rl with no telephone or permanent address, ” I yell back . “Is it that hard for you to use the phone once in a while ?”
She turns to me when she reaches the bottom of the staircase . “I don’t understand international calling cards . Too many numbers . It freaks me out.”
“ What about emailing ?” I say and walk down the stairs . “Or do they not have computers in Europe ?”
“ You never emailed me . At least I sent you postcards,” she points out.
“Oh, wow, two postcards, one from Germany telling me ‘ how many great wieners they have. ’ Very considerate .”
She blinks up at me . “They have amazing hot dogs ,” she says . “I thought you’d appreciate that.”
“That’s you r idea of keeping in touch?” I ask and lean closer to her.
“I wanted to surprise you,” she says again, leaning back at me so her face is inches from mine . “But I didn’t know your events calendar is completely booked this spring .”
I hear a chuc kle and wince to see all my roommates sitting in the li ving room watching us like we’re a new reality show, The Ex-Files . They all stare at Dylan and she has the nerve to smile and start introducing herself . They ’re all plenty eager to mee t her but I cut them off .
“Don’t bother making introductions,” I tell Dylan . “You’re not staying.”
“Do you mind ? I’d like to make a good first i mpression.”
“It’s a little late,” I point out . “ They already met you on the front porch when you
looked like you were strung out on heroin.”
“Y ou say that like it’s such a bad thing. ”
I hear a nother chuckle and turn to glare but I can’t tell who laughed . Dylan’s feet stomp along the hardwood floors.
“What about your shoes?”
“I told you . T heir names are Heidi and Klaus — ”
“I’m not calling them by their names — ”
She’s out the front door before I can finish . I quick ly glance at Bubba as he shakes his head.
“This completely redefines the term sexual tension,” he says.
“Stay out of this,” I yell back . I slam the front door behind me and follow Dylan onto the grass in the front yard . S he unzips a side pocket of her bag and pulls out some silver flip-flops . She kicks her feet into them .
“Where are you going?” I ask.
“ I’ll figure something out. ”
I cross my arms over my chest . “Do you have any money?”
“I have seventy-five Euros,” she informs me like
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