give the shower stiff competition.
I felt my shoulders heave in a silent sob, my breathing coming in quiet shudders. I was alone, but still, I couldn’t release. I wouldn’t allow myself to let it out. It was a wall I had built up for the last five years. A wall I needed to protect myself from others.
I focused on the good things in my life. The house, my success at work, Drake…Drake. I really cared about him. I knew that. I knew that every day, I was starting to care more and more.
As the water scorched my face, my neck, and my shoulders, I felt some of the tension melt away, leaving behind a numbness, a separation from my body.
Turning around, I lowered the water temperature. I cleared my head, focusing on breathing in the steam, on the heavy relaxing feeling it left in my chest. It helped cut through the numbness.
After a few more minutes of standing there, I leaned my head against the shower wall. I let my eyelids droop lazily, only a sliver of light slipping through the gap at the bottom. The light flickered. A moment later I was on the shower floor, well, almost on the shower floor. Between it and me, was Drake.
I realized my elbow was jammed into his stomach as he let out an “oompf” and I released an undignified squeak.
“Hey, Drake?” I said.
“Uh-huh?”
“I was in the shower first.” I snickered, unable to hold it in.
“Sorry. It seems like you’re always landing on me.”
“Hey, you caused it this time.”
“Ugh, my head is killing me.”
“Ooh. I’m sorry. Let me see the damage,” I said, turning slightly to get a look at his head.
“Doesn’t look bad. No blood, but a little bump. You’ll live. I’ve seen you get worse.” I laughed lightly. “Remember that time when you were after that mutant and he led you into that trap? And you split your skull open on your own gun? Yeah, that was worse.”
As I pulled his head down to get a look, I inevitably drew his face right into my breasts. I didn’t realize it at first, then felt his breath tickle my nipple. I felt it harden unexpectedly, accompanied by a fluttering in my stomach.
“Ahh!” we both cried in unison, scrambling to get out of the shower.
“You’re naked!” I yelled as my foot slipped out from under me in my haste, and I fell right back down on my butt.
“Of course I’m naked! I was ready to take a shower!”
“What? You didn’t notice the steam-filled bathroom?” I demanded, my voice pitchy in my sudden discomfort.
“Well, uh…I didn’t really think about it. I was preoccupied. It’s not that big a deal, Kelsie. We had to shower together back in the day when they rationed our water.”
“That was like twice! And we were twelve! Kinda way different now!”
“Okay, well, maybe. Can you at least stop yelling? My head is pounding, and you’re not helping with your shrill voice,” Drake asked.
By now I’d gotten out and hurriedly wrapped myself in a towel since I’d been on top. On top of a naked Drake. God, this was awkward.
“My shrill voice?!” I exclaimed. I felt a little bad for yelling when his head hurt, but calling my voice shrill was rude.
“How’s this for a shrill voice?” I screamed, increasing my volume as I stormed out of the bathroom and slammed the door.
I got dressed in a tizzy in my room, throwing on whatever was nearest. Wait, not that shirt from last night. It stunk.
I slid into a pair of my favorite dark khaki shorts and a fluorescent tank top that had the main purpose of nearly blinding anyone that looked at me. It was fun to see them blink and, if I was really lucky, see their eyes water a little. You’d think they would look away from it, but for some reason, they couldn’t ever seem to.
Normally, wearing it made me feel good, optimistic and ornery. But my heart was still pounding from lying naked on top of a naked Drake. So weird. So not cool.
I started to feel worse for yelling. I wasn’t going to apologize for it, though. He had lost that possibility
I felt my shoulders heave in a silent sob, my breathing coming in quiet shudders. I was alone, but still, I couldn’t release. I wouldn’t allow myself to let it out. It was a wall I had built up for the last five years. A wall I needed to protect myself from others.
I focused on the good things in my life. The house, my success at work, Drake…Drake. I really cared about him. I knew that. I knew that every day, I was starting to care more and more.
As the water scorched my face, my neck, and my shoulders, I felt some of the tension melt away, leaving behind a numbness, a separation from my body.
Turning around, I lowered the water temperature. I cleared my head, focusing on breathing in the steam, on the heavy relaxing feeling it left in my chest. It helped cut through the numbness.
After a few more minutes of standing there, I leaned my head against the shower wall. I let my eyelids droop lazily, only a sliver of light slipping through the gap at the bottom. The light flickered. A moment later I was on the shower floor, well, almost on the shower floor. Between it and me, was Drake.
I realized my elbow was jammed into his stomach as he let out an “oompf” and I released an undignified squeak.
“Hey, Drake?” I said.
“Uh-huh?”
“I was in the shower first.” I snickered, unable to hold it in.
“Sorry. It seems like you’re always landing on me.”
“Hey, you caused it this time.”
“Ugh, my head is killing me.”
“Ooh. I’m sorry. Let me see the damage,” I said, turning slightly to get a look at his head.
“Doesn’t look bad. No blood, but a little bump. You’ll live. I’ve seen you get worse.” I laughed lightly. “Remember that time when you were after that mutant and he led you into that trap? And you split your skull open on your own gun? Yeah, that was worse.”
As I pulled his head down to get a look, I inevitably drew his face right into my breasts. I didn’t realize it at first, then felt his breath tickle my nipple. I felt it harden unexpectedly, accompanied by a fluttering in my stomach.
“Ahh!” we both cried in unison, scrambling to get out of the shower.
“You’re naked!” I yelled as my foot slipped out from under me in my haste, and I fell right back down on my butt.
“Of course I’m naked! I was ready to take a shower!”
“What? You didn’t notice the steam-filled bathroom?” I demanded, my voice pitchy in my sudden discomfort.
“Well, uh…I didn’t really think about it. I was preoccupied. It’s not that big a deal, Kelsie. We had to shower together back in the day when they rationed our water.”
“That was like twice! And we were twelve! Kinda way different now!”
“Okay, well, maybe. Can you at least stop yelling? My head is pounding, and you’re not helping with your shrill voice,” Drake asked.
By now I’d gotten out and hurriedly wrapped myself in a towel since I’d been on top. On top of a naked Drake. God, this was awkward.
“My shrill voice?!” I exclaimed. I felt a little bad for yelling when his head hurt, but calling my voice shrill was rude.
“How’s this for a shrill voice?” I screamed, increasing my volume as I stormed out of the bathroom and slammed the door.
I got dressed in a tizzy in my room, throwing on whatever was nearest. Wait, not that shirt from last night. It stunk.
I slid into a pair of my favorite dark khaki shorts and a fluorescent tank top that had the main purpose of nearly blinding anyone that looked at me. It was fun to see them blink and, if I was really lucky, see their eyes water a little. You’d think they would look away from it, but for some reason, they couldn’t ever seem to.
Normally, wearing it made me feel good, optimistic and ornery. But my heart was still pounding from lying naked on top of a naked Drake. So weird. So not cool.
I started to feel worse for yelling. I wasn’t going to apologize for it, though. He had lost that possibility
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