The party was winding down and my roommates were anxious, "I'm going to get my beer," I said as they pushed out the front door. I edged around the last revelers and picked my way through the sea of half crushed cans and solo cups toward the kitchen. I rounded the corner and it was empty but for Marisa's other roommate at the sink. She must have just come in from the library or something, her backpack was on the kitchen table and I don’t think I missed her here, there weren’t that many people at the party. What's her name?... We only met that one time and didn’t say much other than "hey”... Hannah? No, she’s the redhead. I had sorta leaned against the corner for a second and thought maybe she noticed me when she turned to add the dirty frying pan on the stove to the pile in the sink? I said "hey" for the second time ever. She didn't respond, I guess maybe she didn’t notice. Or maybe she just couldn’t hear over the speaker in the other room. It is pretty loud, did somebody turn it up?... ah whatever.
I walked to the fridge, pulled open the door, and grabbed the half empty six pack... That's it, it was there on a piece of masking tape on top of a to-go container. Jamie. She knew all the music and lit questions at trivia that time we met. I closed the fridge and crossed the kitchen to retrieve my bottle opener from the sill above the sink. She startled as I reached past her, the frying pan clanged into the sink and suds went flying. She ripped an airpod from her right ear, "You coulda said something you know!" I guess that’s why she didn’t hear me. Girls with long hair shouldn’t be allowed to wear airpods, they should have to have a cord.
"I'm sorry, I... uh said hey but... I'm sorry" shaking my head and pulling the paper towels from the counter.
"No I got it!"
"C'mon, let me wipe this up."
"Fine." and she leaned into the corner of the counter, arms crossed.
I stood up with the wet paper towels in my left hand and reached out with the right, "Pat, Marisa introduced us that night at trivia, but we were at opposite ends of the booth" She shook... "Jamie right?"
"Yeah. And I remember. You refused to drink the fishbowl."
"Haha... yeah that's uh not really my thing."
...
"Well... uh, sorry about the mess." and as I turned to the waste basket she put the airpod back in and picked up the frying pan. I pushed the paper towels through the top, turned to leave, but stopped.
I opened the fridge and put the beer back, tossing the opener into an empty slot in the six pack. I took a towel from the front of the oven and picked the now clean pan out of the rinse sink.
She looked over, "what are you doing!" shaking her head. Was she yelling over the speaker, the music in her ear, or at me?
"Thought you could use a hand!”
"Yeah I can see that!” Was like trying to talk while running the sweeper.
"Where's this go?" holding the dried pan.
She had a half-washed cup in her left hand and pointed with her right to the bottom cabinet.
I put it away and picked the cup out of the sink. She half chuckled and took her airpods out, put em in her pockets, mouthed "thanks."
…
"I... uh, didn't see you in the other room, not feeling it tonight?" I asked as the music from the party quieted.
"I have the LSAT soon, gotta get up tomorrow to study."
"Going to the lib?"
"Probably."
"Is that where you were tonight?”
"Yeah, it's a big test."
"So, that's why I haven't seen you with Marisa and the others. You're studying."
"Probably."
...
"Where's your roommates, thought you guys ran as a pack?" she asked.
"Haha... uh, yeah. Usually. They took off though when things slowed down."
"Why'd you stay?"
"Well, I wasn't going to but uh..." and I held up the plate I was drying.
"Oh," half smiling now. "You can go you know."
"Ah, needed some time away from those guys anyway."
...
"Do... uh, you like Lorde by chance?" I asked.
"Yeah I really liked the first album, the second was good too actually."
"I just listened to Melodrama the other day, been hooked on it" as I hit shuffle on Spotify and put my phone up on the sill.
...
A girl screamed and somebody turned the speaker up in the front room.
"So much for that," she yelled laughing.
I smiled and laughed too.
...
I put the last plate in the cupboard and grabbed my beer from the fridge, someone must have shut the speaker off. She was folding the towel and hanging it over the rack. "Jamie..., are you a coffee drinker?"
"Everyday… why?"
"What if I... uh, pick you up in the morning and we can go to the coffee shop or something. I have to get some stuff done and you can study for your test."
"I'd like that," smiling.
I walked to the fridge, pulled open the door, and grabbed the half empty six pack... That's it, it was there on a piece of masking tape on top of a to-go container. Jamie. She knew all the music and lit questions at trivia that time we met. I closed the fridge and crossed the kitchen to retrieve my bottle opener from the sill above the sink. She startled as I reached past her, the frying pan clanged into the sink and suds went flying. She ripped an airpod from her right ear, "You coulda said something you know!" I guess that’s why she didn’t hear me. Girls with long hair shouldn’t be allowed to wear airpods, they should have to have a cord.
"I'm sorry, I... uh said hey but... I'm sorry" shaking my head and pulling the paper towels from the counter.
"No I got it!"
"C'mon, let me wipe this up."
"Fine." and she leaned into the corner of the counter, arms crossed.
I stood up with the wet paper towels in my left hand and reached out with the right, "Pat, Marisa introduced us that night at trivia, but we were at opposite ends of the booth" She shook... "Jamie right?"
"Yeah. And I remember. You refused to drink the fishbowl."
"Haha... yeah that's uh not really my thing."
...
"Well... uh, sorry about the mess." and as I turned to the waste basket she put the airpod back in and picked up the frying pan. I pushed the paper towels through the top, turned to leave, but stopped.
I opened the fridge and put the beer back, tossing the opener into an empty slot in the six pack. I took a towel from the front of the oven and picked the now clean pan out of the rinse sink.
She looked over, "what are you doing!" shaking her head. Was she yelling over the speaker, the music in her ear, or at me?
"Thought you could use a hand!”
"Yeah I can see that!” Was like trying to talk while running the sweeper.
"Where's this go?" holding the dried pan.
She had a half-washed cup in her left hand and pointed with her right to the bottom cabinet.
I put it away and picked the cup out of the sink. She half chuckled and took her airpods out, put em in her pockets, mouthed "thanks."
…
"I... uh, didn't see you in the other room, not feeling it tonight?" I asked as the music from the party quieted.
"I have the LSAT soon, gotta get up tomorrow to study."
"Going to the lib?"
"Probably."
"Is that where you were tonight?”
"Yeah, it's a big test."
"So, that's why I haven't seen you with Marisa and the others. You're studying."
"Probably."
...
"Where's your roommates, thought you guys ran as a pack?" she asked.
"Haha... uh, yeah. Usually. They took off though when things slowed down."
"Why'd you stay?"
"Well, I wasn't going to but uh..." and I held up the plate I was drying.
"Oh," half smiling now. "You can go you know."
"Ah, needed some time away from those guys anyway."
...
"Do... uh, you like Lorde by chance?" I asked.
"Yeah I really liked the first album, the second was good too actually."
"I just listened to Melodrama the other day, been hooked on it" as I hit shuffle on Spotify and put my phone up on the sill.
...
A girl screamed and somebody turned the speaker up in the front room.
"So much for that," she yelled laughing.
I smiled and laughed too.
...
I put the last plate in the cupboard and grabbed my beer from the fridge, someone must have shut the speaker off. She was folding the towel and hanging it over the rack. "Jamie..., are you a coffee drinker?"
"Everyday… why?"
"What if I... uh, pick you up in the morning and we can go to the coffee shop or something. I have to get some stuff done and you can study for your test."
"I'd like that," smiling.
