Lost in the Shadows

10

As I opened the front door to my apartment Jessica was sitting on the couch while watching family fued eating Doritos. Once she saw me walk in with Wes her eyes bulged out of her face and gave me the 'what the fuck' face. Not the mean 'wtf' face though, but the what the hell is happening one. I shrugged throwing my hands up indicating that even myself has no idea what I'm doing.

"Jess right?" Wes asked as he walked deeper inside the living room, Jessica just nodded not really knowing what to do or say. "Well it's nice to see you again and I hope you haven't regretted that tattoo yet."

He followed me into my bedroom which was a sight to see. My room is girly, I hung up Christmas lights that stretched around the walls; I put up pictures of a Georgia peach, and pictures of my friends and I on my farm; and the color theme of my room is pink and gold.

"Cute room," he said as he made his way to my pictures that were all hung up across the room. "You lived on a farm?"

"Yes, we had all kinds of animals, horses, cows, pigs, dogs, ducks," I could go on, but I didn't think he would really care about the never ending list of animals you can find on my farm.

"Seems like a lot of fun, do you miss it?" He asked focusing on the pictures of me and my friends back home.

"Yeah, I've been missing home a lot here lately," I admitted as I pulled out my pink fluffy stool from under my vanity.

"Well, why don't you go visit? We have Thanksgiving break in a week, are you going back home?"

I laughed before answering him, "Flights are expensive." He just nodded before walking over to my bed and sitting at the edge facing me.

"So what do you need to study for?"

"Criminal Psychology," I laughed getting out my flash cards, "it has nothing to do with my major, but every year you have to take a a seminar class and this one seemed interesting," I told him handing him over the rainbow colored cards.

"That is interesting," he agreed shuffling the cards, "okay, what characteristics does a sex offender have?" He quizzed.

"Umm.. single? Old guy?" I answered not knowing the answer.

"No, the characteristics are less educated, unemployed and low SES," he pushes before reading another card, "what is antisocial personality disorder?"

"A personality disorder characterized by repeated rule breaking, chronic manipulativeness, a callous outlook toward the rights of others and society, and
tendencies to behave impulsively, dishonestly, irresponsibly, without remorse," I responded as he nodded. The studying went on for a little over an hour.

"I think you're good on everything," he told me as he laid back into my white comforter on my bed. "Come sit," he demanded as he pat the left side of him. I obliged and sat next to him. His eyes were closed and his chest rose slowly and calmly. "Are you going to lay down or just stare?" I awkwardly focused my attention to my hands and mumbled something on the lines of 'I wasn't'.

I laid down resting my head on the pillow and staring at the ceiling fan. "Your bed is very comfortable," he groaned flipping over to his side facing me.

Before I could reply my phone started ringing and I mistakenly didn't check the caller ID because I figured it was Jess since she left half an hour ago. "Hello?" I answered.

"Hey, what are you doing?" Charlie asked, I could hear the wind through the phone so I knew he just got out of class. How ironic of him to call while I'm with Wes. I mentally rolled my eyes.

"Just studying, what about you?" I asked as Wes sat up.

"I was just wondering if you want to hang out tonight. I know it's a Monday, but my frat is throwing a huge party tonight."

"Yeah, I don't think I'll be able to make it up, but I'll talk to you later okay," I told him and hung up the phone. Now thinking about it, I could have ditched Wes to hang out with Charlie and give Wes a taste of his medicine, but truth be told I would rather spend time with Wes than Charlie.

"Who was that?" Before I could say no one, he continued, "that weird douche? What did he want?"

"He asked to hang out tonight, I said I was busy."

"I thought you didn't like him, so why is he always around," Wes interrogating as if he was annoyed.

"We have the same friends."

"But why does he call you? You know he likes you, right?" He told me as he brushed his curly hair back from his face.

I didn't know what to say to that considering I knew he liked me, he kissed me and he texted me the next day that he really liked me. I didn't respond, how do I tell someone that I do not feel the same way, especially since I see him almost every day.

"Right?" He pressed for an answer. I just nodded. "And you told him you don't like him?"

"No, I don't know," I frustratedly threw my hands up in the air.

"You don't know what, you don't know if you told him or that you like him?"

"I don't know, we kissed last night, I just don't know," I shamefully admitted playing with the end of my sleeve on my cardigan.

He looked at me for a minute before saying a word. Was he just as confused as I was? Was he mad? Does he care? "Let's get out of here. I'm going to take you somewhere tonight, you dress warm."

"Where are we going? Should I dress nice?"

"I'll tell you once we get there. You can wear whatever you want, you honestly look good either way," he complimented making me feel on top of the world. I just assumed that his type was less conservative girls and I mean nothing mean by that, that's just not who I am.

"I'll wait in the living room for you," he smiled and shut the door behind him.

I threw on a beige knitted sweater that would be a crop top if I hasn't put on my high waisted black jeans. I then started my makeup, something light and simple which really just consisted of mascara and eyeliner. I could hear Wes through the door talking to someone on the phone, but couldn't make out what was being said. Before walking into the living room I slid on a pair of ankle boots and then started walking towards the couch Wes was sitting at.

"Wow, you look good," he told me before tearing his eyes off of me to focus on the television he turned on while I was in my room.

While we walked out back into the street I tried to ignore the cold air and Wes beside me helped that out since my focus was on him and where he was taking me.

"So when did you get started with tattooing and art?" I asked realizing I still don't know much about him, and I would like to.

"I've always loved doing art and sketches and I just got lucky that someone scouted next out to work at their shop, and once I was well off I bought my own shop." He dodged my other questions so I knew it was time to stop pressing him.

After walking for a while we ended up in front of a skyscraper of a building, I looked at Wes confused and he just chuckled, "we're going up."