It's Complicated Pt. 3

Chapter 3: Lying is the most fun

“So now that you know my name, tell me yours.” Ava stated, leaning back into the green couch she had grown accustomed to the past couple of nights spent with him.

“If I tell you my name, you have to tell me something too.” He said, scrimmaging through the drawers that held up the small flat screen.

“What do you want to know?” She asked, propping her feet up against the stained coffee table in front of her.

“How old are you?” He turned toward her “and don’t say you can’t tell me. I think we know a good amount about each other that you can comfortably tell me now.”

“I’ll be 20 in a couple months. What about you?”

He raised an eyebrow before turning his attention back to digging through the drawer as if he were looking for something in particular. “I’m 22, and now it feels a little awkward getting to know a little girl.”

“You’re young too, so there’s nothing to feel awkward about. Besides, I’m pretty sure you thought I was older.” She retorted, “Now tell me your name”

“You can call me Jay.” He answered, sitting down beside her with something laced between his fingers.

She couldn’t make out what it was in the beginning, but could have guessed easily. She watched as he pulled a lighter out of his pocket to light the blunt and apply it between his lips. He inhaled it and let out a laugh when he realized she was staring.

“Sorry, where are my manners?” He asked as he passed it toward her.

She shook her head, “I don’t smoke.”

“You’ve never even tried it?” He inquired, raising a brow. “Now you have to take it from me.”

She shrugged, “I tried a cigarette once, when I was like 14. Other than that I haven’t tried anything else.”

“Well, weed is nothing like cigarettes, so try it.” He said, taking another hit.

She contemplated his request, but eventually shook her head again.

“You’re a bad influence.” She said, smiling slightly.

He nodded, “I started when I was 17 to quit my cigarette habit. You don’t have to try it, but it will loosen you up.”

“How did you know there was weed in the drawer?” Ava asked

“I saw it last time we were here. I figured since it was still in there the people probably don’t want it. If that’s the case, I’ll gladly take it.”

“You don’t even know if it’s laced with anything, what if you get sick?”

He stopped puffing and turned to her, letting the smoke seep through his nose before speaking.

“I’ll feel if I get sick by the time I finish it. If I don’t then you have to smoke the other blunt in the drawer with me, and if I do you can choose what I have to do.”

Ava sat and alternated her stare from him to the blunt before finally agreeing, hoping he wouldn’t win. She nodded, and crossed her arms over her chest.

He grinned cheekily and placed his legs beside hers. “So Ava, tell me some other rebellious things you’ve done.”

“Other than drinking in high school, nothing really. These days I usually just break in to random apartments with some guy I met on the street.” She joked, loosening up her posture.

He laughed, a little louder than usual. “I’m sorry, I honestly don’t think what you said was that funny, it’s just the weed talking I guess.”

She smiled, getting more and more tempted to get in on the fun. “Where does the nickname Jay come from?”

“My birth name is James. Sounds too formal for me, so I started going by Jay in middle school.” He leaned his head back and let out a deep breath in the dark room. The only that made him visible was one that came from the street lights outside that crept through the windows.

Ava looked around, not really paying attention to his small ramble about his name. Over the past couple of days the apartment’s appearance had slight changes from what she could see. It wasn’t as messy as before, but it still seemed very sporadic in the placement of certain things. The instruments were now lined up against the wall facing the couch, with the music sheets neatly organized beside them. The once cluttered coffee table was now clear of everything, but the floors were still filled with random sheets of blank paper.

“What are you looking at?” Jay asked, resting his head on the chairs arm.

“Everything,” She answered “I wonder why the people are never here.”

“They’re probably out partying. Judging by that wall, they’re musicians” He glanced at the keyboard, “Hey, you said you play right?”

“I used to, but I doubt if I remember anything that I could teach you other than reading music.”

“I’m sure you could remember how to play something, even nursery rhymes.” He said, taking one last puff before tossing it to the ground and stepping on it with his foot to rid any possible fire hazard.

She probably could play more than just a nursery rhyme, but anything more complicated than that would have to be relied on memory.

“I finished it and I feel good. Now it’s your turn.” He said, getting up from his seat and reaching for the drawer again. “Do you want the first hit?”

She sighed, and nodded. “Might as well”

He lit it up and handed it to her, placing his hand on his chin afterward.

Her lips touched the wrap lightly and she could already practically taste the herb. She took one inhale and the smoke burned the back of her throat.

Jay laughed as he watched her cough a few times, before taking the blunt from her hand and inhaled himself. “How is it?”

“That’s the worst thing I’ve ever tasted. I don’t know how you could ever enjoy it.” She coughed again, trying to get the burnt taste out of her mouth.

“It’s not that bad once you get used to it. Take another hit and after a while you’ll probably get used to it.” He said, handing it back to her.

She grabbed it again begrudgingly and inhaled again, this time with a smaller urge to cough.

“How do you feel?” He asked.

“A little light headed, I think because the windows aren’t open and all I’ve smelled for the past hour is this.” She answered, handing it back to him. “I want to lay down”

“There’s a bed in the other room”

“I’m afraid I’ll fall asleep.”

He smiled, “What’s wrong with that?”

She squinted at him, “What do you think would happen if the people who live here find a random girl in their bed?”

“I’m sure they wouldn’t mind” He winked, “I doubt they’d come home anytime soon. It’s only midnight.”

She nodded and followed him to the bedroom where they both laid beside each other. Ava crossed her legs and sighed out loud. She felt so tired now, which I’m sure he thought killed the mood for the rest of the night.

“What are you thinking about?” He questioned, cracking his neck slightly.

“Just wondering what my mom is doing” She lied.

“Wouldn’t she be asleep by now?” He asked, putting one arm behind his head and letting the other slide in his jean pocket.

“No, she goes to bed pretty late like me. She’s probably up drinking some tea and reading a magazine or something.” Ava answered, smiling. “What do you think your parents are doing?”

“Sleeping like everyone else”

“You don’t really talk about them much.” She said truthfully. Thinking about it, she didn’t think he had ever brought them up at all. Not that it was something she really wanted to know about, but it seemed like she had said so much about her father that she never really got the chance to ask about his parents.

“There isn’t really anything to talk about. My mom works as a pharmacy assistant and my dad is a teacher.” He said, “Do you want the rest or do you want me to finish it off?” motioning toward the final bit of weed was holding.

She shook her head.

As he took his final intake, he blew out slowly. “Do you hear that?”

Ava furred her brows, “Hear what?”

Jay stood up quickly, and pointed to the closet silently, cocking his head to get her to step in. Slightly confused, she did as he said.

“I think we have visitors” he whispered. “Let’s hide in here and hope they don’t find us”

Her heart began beating faster, and she could feel the anxiety building up. She couldn’t tell whether she was going to have a heart attack or it was the weed making her more scared than usual. Either way, the renters were home and they were still in their home.

Jay smiled as he closed the closet door, which annoyed Ava. How could he be laughing in such a serious situation? She shushed him quiet enough to not get caught. His smile remained.

She could hear commotion in the living room and her heart froze. Did Jay forget to shut the drawer? What if they realize their weed is gone? Surely they would know that it was gone. How could they not?

Jay’s laughter began again, but it short giggles that required Ava to put a hand over his mouth.

“Shhh!” She hissed, rolling her eyes. “They’re going to hear you and get us in even more trouble.”

He laughed even more, resting his head on her shoulder. The closet space was so small, she could feel his body pressed against her, quivering with laughter. They heard the room’s door open, and jumped at the light that made its way through the cracks of the door.

Jay still couldn’t contain his laughter. She looked so scared, which was even funnier than seeing her glossy gaze fall over her eyes when she first took a hit off the blunt. He didn’t laugh then of course to save her embarrassment, but her panicked state now was just so funny.

They could hear footsteps roaming around the room. Jay’s smile grew wider and Ava took a deep breath. She didn’t know if her idea of shutting up was logical, but she knew it was the only way to get him to shut up.

She grabbed the back of his neck quickly and pressed her lips hard against his, slightly clenching the back of his neck with her nails.

He quickly responded by placing his arms around her waist and pulling her closer to him. Her lips were soft, as were his. She stared at him in the dark the whole time her lips touched his, but he took advantage of the situation and slipped his tongue in her mouth, attempting to get a willing reaction out of her. She couldn’t tell if he was enjoying it, or just going with the flow. He pressed Ava against the door and began trailing down her neck with his tongue, surprising her with a bite. She gasped and pushed him away, both breathing heavily.

The door behind her opened, and the cold air hit her face.

“Brandon?” An unfamiliar face questioned. “I didn’t think you’d be home, man. Or that you’d have company. Sorry if I’m interrupting anything, I thought we had intruders or something.”

Ava’s body went cold, and anger washed over her but she didn’t say a word.

“You weren’t interrupting anything,” He replied casually, “Give us a minute, I’ll be in the living room in a bit.”

The guy nodded and took one glance at Ava before exiting the room.

“What the fuck is wrong with you?” She seethed, her hands balling up into fists. “You didn’t tell me you lived here this whole time. Or that your name is Brandon.”

“Take a seat on the bed” He said, following her out of the closet.

“I want to go home.” She spat, “I’ll walk home by myself and I don’t ever want to see you again.”

“Relax, you’re mad. I get it. I’ll explain everything once you take a seat.” His voice sounded so smooth and unbothered, which angered her even more. She didn’t want to take a seat or listen to his explanation but the thought of walking home alone worried her.

She complied.

“My name is James, Jay for short. The people who’ve known me long enough call me Brandon because it’s my middle name and I went by that in elementary school. I switched to Jay in middle school like I said” He replied, “I was laughing in there because I knew how scared you’d be knowing that my roommates were home. It was all in good fun. Besides, you got a kiss out of it so you shouldn’t be that mad.”

She rolled her eyes, “you’re ridiculous. I’m seeing someone and you made me kiss you.”

He scoffed, “I didn’t make you do anything, you did that yourself. Seemed to like it too so don’t blame your guilty conscious on me, sweetie.”

“Take me home” were the last words she uttered to him that night.