Finn
Iwake from what had to have been a dream.There’s no way Addie would’ve been in my flat, tending to me while I was sick.But I’m wrapped in the quilt my mum made me while on the couch with a glass of water in front of me instead of whiskey.My quilt holds a subtle scent of something.Something soft and warm.Something I can’t quite place, but it’s familiar at the same time.
The distinct smell of disinfectant hangs in the air, and as I stumble into the kitchen, I take in the polished surfaces, the perfectly straight canisters, and a small stash of pain relievers and cold remedies.The fridge holds half a container of chicken soup and a full bottle of ginger ale.Things I know we did not have in the flat when I fell ill because I looked.I was fucking desperate for them.And the tissues are soft, soothing ones.Not the prickly roll of toilet paper I was using.
My smile stretches across my face as I read the note tucked under the meds.It’s loopy girlie handwriting with the time marked for when I’m due my next dose.Christ, I slept like a baby.I shake out a few Advil and throw them back with ginger ale straight from the bottle.It wasn’t a dream.
I shuffle to my bedroom, wrapped in my blanket, pillow tucked under my arm, and check my phone.No messages.No new contacts added.I dial the pub, and after no one answers, I text Jimmy.
Me: Did you buy food?
Jimmy: No.
Me: Did someone stop by?One of your…women?
Jimmy: Just the girl.Green hair, pierced nose, nice rack.
Me: You saw her rack?
Jimmy: She has great tits.
Me: I haven’t seen them.How did you?
Jimmy: Relax.Used my imagination.She was being swallowed by a huge sweater thing.Nice legs though.
Me: Fuck right off.Did she leave a number?
Jimmy: No.
Me: Is Aidan there?Ask him for her number.
The bouncing dots taunt me while I straighten my bed and adjust the angle of the TV.I tilt the blinds so there’s no glare on the screen, debating what to do next.
Jimmy: Sorry.He says no.
Why are they all against me?Because, now, I don’t have her number, and all I can think of are her tits.Or the possibility of them since she always seems to be hiding under big, bulky jumpers.
Since Francie won’t let me back to work yet, I watch movies, read, and think long and hard about what to do for myself—the next step in finding my place in the world.My purpose.
The application for university isn’t difficult, but I hold my breath when I hit the request for my records from Dublin to be sent.That could ruin my chances.Francie and Aidan think I’m young and stupid now.I roll my eyes at the thought and can’t help but think of Addie.Christ, she can roll her eyes gloriously.She thinks it’s all tough and off-putting when she does it, but it just makes me wonder what she looks like when she loses herself in a moment of rapture.
Fuck, I’ve taken a lot of showers since she was here in my flat, and my cock has never been cleaner.I was sick, sure, but not sick enough to ignore the thought of her going into my room, into my space.If only I’d had her here and not been feverish.The mental image of her splayed out on my bed, green tresses spread out across my cream sheets, a hint of her perfume lingering.Her eyes rolling entirely from my efforts.
The frustration of not being able to break through her shell feeds the tedium of having nothing to do for the next few days.Add that to all of the anxiety from submitting my uni application and I can’t seem to stop fidgeting.I glance at my phone for the fiftieth time today, just as a text pings in.
Virginia: How are you feeling, honey?Better?
Me: Better.Bored though.
Virginia: Did you have a visitor?
Me: I did.I have no way to thank her.Can you help me?
Why did I not think of this before?Of course Virginia has Addie’s phone number.Maybe I really am young and stupid, but at least, now, I know what I’m doing in some respects.
My phone pings again with a phone number from Virginia.One not from this area code.I send a quick winky face and enter the new number under Addie’s name in my Contacts.
Jimmy busts through the door, balancing a six-pack of beer and a large pizza box.“Fucking lazy bastard.When ye coming back to work?”He empties the contents of his arms onto the coffee table and glares at me on the sofa.
