“Shut your face!” Turq shouts out. The room is practically empty, but he ducks his head anyways when looking to the barista. Sorry he mouths, the girl behind the counter shakes her head, then goes back to stocking. Leaning into the table, with a voice much quieter, he continues with disbelief, “She did not.”
“She did,” I tell him proudly.
Turq shakes his head, “So you’re telling me that Lacey, our Lacey, asked you out for V day.”
I took a sip of mud and swallowed it down in a satisfying ah, berry this stuff is good, “Yup,” I answer, “But I don’t think I would consider her OUR Lacey…”
“You sure you didn’t imagine it.”
Silently recalling all the details I’ve withheld, I nod, “Pretty sure, yeah.”
“Man this is like… revolutionary. Who would have thought the ice box had a defrost button.” Turq scowls at my cup. “You know those things are bad for you. They call them mud, for a reason. Do you even realize how many shots of espresso are in that? One day you’re just gonna keel over from a heart attack.”
“I’m fully aware of what’s in here and lay of Lacey alright. She’s been through a lot.”
“Well maybe if you told me, I could better understand and then I could leave her alone.”
“Nope.”
“Awww come on man!”
“Oh don’t look now, but the ice queen commeth,” Turq says jokingly with a head nod directed to someone behind me. Joke or no joke, my heart begins beating erratically and the smile on my face is hard to conceal, not that I would want to. Before I have a chance to turn around Lacey is rounding my shoulder and as cheesy as it sounds, looking more beautiful than when I left her.
“Hey,” she says leaning in for a kiss.
“Hey,” I say back.
Looking over her shoulder, I catch Turq making the most ridiculous, “get some” face, so I close my eyes. A rush of intense memories, cause my legs to jelly-fy and it feels like I might just slip off my chair. Grateful to be sitting, I push a little deeper into the kiss before we release.
“How was class?” I ask, as she takes a seat, Turq continues to watch her, thankfully with a less creepy expression.
“Boring,” she says with a groan. “This art class is such a joke, but I need it. Even though I’m like way past where we are. Ughh… oh well,” she looks to my cup on the table. “How’s the mud today?”
“Slowly eating his insides.” Turq replies interrupting our moment.
Turning her toward Turq, Lacey smiles brightly, “Hello Turq.”
“Afternoon Miss Lacey,” he says politely. So politely my eyebrows lift in astonishment, “How are you today?”
“Fine, thank you,” she says. “How are you?”
“Great great,” Turq stands up and grabs his bag, “But I am late for class, so I better run.” I look to the clock, and there is almost forty minutes until his class, but I get it. “Take it easy man,” I tell him with wave.
“Yup. Catch you two later.”
Once we’re alone, Lacey sets her elbows on the table with hands clasped, like a boss about to let loose with a firing speech, “So I’ve been thinking,” she says slowly.
I swallow nervously, “Yes. What about?”
“This valentine thing,” she confesses with a frown. “I mean, I have no idea what we should do.”
Exhaling deeply, I release all the tension I’ve been holding on to. It’s going to take me a while to get past this separation anxiety I seem to have with her, “What ever you want darlin. I’m easy.”
“It just feels weird,” she says. “Like I’m commandeering this ship, without orders. Do you want to make the plans? I mean isn’t that the guys job?”
“It doesn’t have to be the guys job,” I tell her. “I think it’s sexy.”
Lacey grins, “Well I do have a couple ideas. Since I’ve been feeling adventurous and all, maybe…” she trails off and her eyes follow to the wall behind me. “Okay I’ve got it,” she says. “Yes! This is will be awesome!”
“Great! What is it?”
“I can’t tell you,” she says playfully, sticking out her tongue, “But dress for warm weather.”
I laugh again with growing excitement, “Alright. Is it the 14th yet?”
“Not yet!”
Talking for a few more minutes, I watch Lacey’s eyelids drooping further and further. She stands up, and I follow right behind, “I think I’ve my hit my limit today,” she says sleepily.
Pulling us into a hug, my arms draw her against my chest, “You should go rest then,” I tell her.
Still holding on, I feel her head resting into my shoulder, her body has relaxed a bit and I can tell she is taking a little break before gathering her strength to walk back across the campus. Since I have her there and we are basically alone, I whisper in her ear, “Love you.”
My words evaporate in the space between us, as Lacey pulls back. She smiles softly and then kisses me, “I’ll see you later, okay?” she says to my chest.
“Alright,” I answer awkwardly, “Sleep well, Lace.”
Three days pass before I feel that scratchy feeling in the back of my throat. I kinda knew it was coming, but now that it’s here, I find I’m still not ready for it. A runny nose, sinus headache and the worst sore throat of my life, keep me from my classes. I swear I’ve gone through an entire roll of toilet paper and my nose can vouch for it as well.
Realizing this is what poor Lacey went through, I somehow feel worse. Heading to the bathroom just down from my door, I search out another roll of paper to steal. As I blow my nose for three hundredth time, my phone goes off.
‘Hey you. Everything alright?’
‘I think I’m dying.’ I type back.
‘Oh no you’re sick. I’ll be right over.’
‘No. I don’t want you to catch this again.’
‘Pshhh, not possible. I’m already on my way. See you soon :] ♥”
Barely making it back to my room, I fall into bed and with glasses still on, slipping into an exhausted sleep. My rest, if you can call it that, is tumultuous and uncomfortable, anxieties bubble to the surface leaving me constantly tossing and turning, trying to escape them. It’s hot, It’s cold, I’m under the covers and then back out again. A knock at the door wakes me, but I’m not conscious enough to answer.
“Merlot?” Lacey calls out softly from the end of the bed. “How are you feeling.”
“Murghhhhh,” I reply. “It feelb like my throab is on fire and my tonselb are trying to escabe.”
“Awww you poor thing,” she says sitting next to me. Reaching out her hand, she touches my forehead, “You’re really warm,” she informs me getting up again. “I’m going to get you a wet washcloth.”
Nodding slowly, I hear her motions still for a moment, before she heads back into the hallway. My body shivers violently as I roll up into a ball in the center of my bed. I feel like I’ve been run over and am now slowly dying. This is where they will find me, this will be my final resting place, I think to myself, before nodding off again.
A cool sensation on my forehead, causes me to jolt. Lacey pulls her hand away, “Sorry,” she say. “Is it too cold?”
I shake my head. The room is much darker now, Lacey must have switched off the lamp when coming back in. Carefully dabbing the washcloth, she tries to acclimate me to the cold before leaving it there. The wash cloth and I hang for maybe 10 minutes before my teeth start to chatter. “That’s enough of that,” she says, taking it away. Leaning over she sets the rag on the dresser, before slipping down beside me on the bed. My eyes open and close randomly, because I can’t see to keep control of them. Pale fingertips are softly running through my hair, and though it feels amazing, doesn’t seem to help me in the eye control department.
“You’re alright,” she tells me softly.
Alright is definitely not one of my words today. Sad, scared, uncomfortable, would be more accurate to explain just how not alright I am. With Lacey’s forehead resting close to mine, I can feel the cool air she’s brought in on her bangs. “I’m glab you’re here,” I tell her.
“Me too,” she says.
My mind is running on auto pilot now, I’m not even sure if I am still awake, but once it’s asked, I realize I am, “How cobe you won’t say it.”
“Say what?”
“How cobe you won’t say that you lobe me, you said it once, but now-“
“That’s not important right now. Just rest. Okay?”
“It’s not something to be ashamed of,” I tell her.
Apparently I’m still talking on auto pilot, because my head is screaming for me to shut up as my jaws keep on flappin. “If you feel it, you shouldn’t be afraid to-
“Baby-” The moment the word leaves her lips, her crystal eyes widen with fear, as if she’s just said the most awful curse word imaginable. She then bites her lip and lowers her gaze, staying there for a moment before pulling me in, to kiss my forehead. “I do love you, please stop worrying. You need to rest. That means no more upsetting yourself. You hear?”
“Okay,” I answer.
With heavy eyelids that refuse to stay open, I can feel myself slipping away again. “Just sleep,” she says, sounding further way than she really is. “I’ll still be here when you wake, I promise.”
“How long was I out?”
“Well, let’s see, it’s almost 11 now, so 14 hours?”
“Holy…and you’ve been here the whole time?”
“Yeah, I snuck out once for food, but that was like a 5 minute trip to your kitchen Oh, by the way, I ate your last ramen cup.”
“Man, I’m so sorry. You must have been bored out of your mind.”
“I found ways to keep busy.”
I spend far too many hours in bed that day, Lacey stays with me for most of it, but I make sure to send her out for a real dinner around 7. A little cup of ramen can only go so far, and the sounds of her stomach, make it obvious they hit their limit a long time ago. Admittedly, I am feeling better, but still pretty cruddy. I’m not going to die anymore, so that’s a plus, but the thought of getting out of bed seems like a nearly impossible task. So we stay there, spending another night together.
Her presence seems to be helping me, but something is weighing heavy on her mind and I can the see worry lines, wrinkling into her forehead, “What’s the matter.” I ask.
“Thinking about tomorrow,” she says. “And the fact we have been in the same clothes for almost two days.”
I laugh, though not loudly, my throat is still angrier than my Aunt when she misses her favorite Tuesday night drama, “I should probably shower.” I try to sit up, but can’t seem to find the strength, so back to the mattress I fall “Maybe later.”
“I won’t be here tomorrow,” she says out of nowhere. “Will you be alright?”
“I think so. Just leave a bag a chips and bottle of water, I’ll be fine.”
Lacey shakes her head with amusement, “You are not going to get better just eating chips. I’ll make you a little something before I go. If you need me, call me. I’ll be at my folks.”
“Okaaaaay,” a yawn interrupts my words and I’m feeling sleepy again.
“I’m gonna go shower and change, and then I’ll bring you some soup, but rest until then.”
I nod, already heading there, and within seconds I’m asleep. I never even hear her leave.
Lace and Lo: 