Alliyah

She called Rayne right after the interview, but she didn’t pick up. So, walking home, she tried someone else:

“Hello, Mr. Blue.” She greeted him, in a playfully formal tone.

“Good morning, sweets!” She could hear his contagious smile.

“I got that job!” She yelled in the middle of the street, but people didn’t pay attention to her because someone who was wearing a watermelon costume jaywalked right next to her.

“Woah, awesome!”

“I actually knew the manager from when I started designing, and she complimented my work ethic and shit.” She loosened her tie. “Anyway, have you talked to Rayne today?”

“No… But I don’t usually do unless she’s with you.” She could imagine him shrugging and crinkling his freckled nose.

“Right. I’ll just… Wait until she calls me back.”

“Maybe she’s just, you know, feeding the cats…”

“I should’ve hung up before you said something stupid. Joke’s on me.”

“Wait, don’t hang up! I was just winding you up. I have news too…” He paused. She wasn’t sure if his news were good or bad. “I… Quit.”

“…Quit what? Are you breaking up with me?”

“Yes.” He cleared his throat. “I never wanted it… But I was scared of talking to my dad about it. But I got inspired and did it. He’s cool with it!”

“Well, I’d expect so, to be honest. He knows what it is like to be afraid of society’s expectations.” Alliyah chuckled sheepishly. “So, what will you be doing?”

“I was thinking about being a music teacher since teaching Little is so much fun… But now I think maybe I’ll try starting a band and see where it goes.”

“I’m not sure I see you as a teacher. I vote for a band.” She joked.

They both laughed before eventually saying their goodbyes.

When Alliyah got home, she put on cozier clothes and called Ocean:

“Have you talked to Rayne today?” She asked.

Ocean was quiet which was notably out of character for him.

“Yes…” He divulged.

“What’s wrong?” Alliyah shot.

She heard him let out an exasperated sigh:

“…She was having breakfast with me and Colson. But he irritated her about something I don’t think I should tell you about, and she left. I went after her, but then she got a call…” He hesitated once more. “…She was telling someone to stop calling her, and texting, and sending money?”

“Her parents…” Alliyah speculated, in a whisper.

“But then she told me that she had to go and ran.”

“She didn’t say where she was going, or why?”

“No. She just walked away. She went in her house’s direction, though. I just assumed she was upset, but I didn’t feel right going after her. I’m not a stalker…” He trailed off.

Alliyah scratched her head, feeling conflicted. On one hand, it was strange that Rayne wasn’t talking, they texted all the time since dating, and the story that Ocean told made her worry; but it had only been a couple of hours, it would be nonsensical to panic.

“I’ll just… I’ll just wait.”

The line went quiet, then, before she could control herself, she sneered:

“This little friend of yours is getting annoying. I hope you’re not actually dating.”

As soon as the words spilled out of her mouth, she regretted them. It wasn’t her place to say who he should or shouldn’t date.

However, he surprised her:

“You’re right. Whatever was going to happen is not happening anymore.”

“Oh. Really?”

“He… He’s been saying he liked me for a while. Still, he’s obviously not good for my friends. I kept trying to fit him in the crew, and I know you guys tried, too. But he’s just a jerk.”

Well, there was no denying, so Alliyah didn’t even try to.

“Something good did come out of this.” He added. “I think I’m ready to settle down… Well, with someone who will not be a douche to my friends.”

“It’s about damn time. You’re 28 years old.” She chuckled. “I’m sorry it didn’t work out with him, though.”

“Hey.” He paused. Alliyah looked up and smiled at Rusty snuggled up between both sleeping dogs. “You don’t really think he’s hotter than me, do you?”

She burst out laughing, reliving the moment when she joked about it.

After dinner, the heavenly scent of chicken curry settled around the house. As she washed their dishes, Lamar asked her opinion on a snippet that he was writing for his comic book:

“Then I’d end it with ‘At dawn, the Moon said ‘I can’t go with you, but I’ll be here waiting for you to come back.’’ He looked at her, dark brown eyes wide open. “What do you think?”

She stopped washing a dish and pondered:

“Why not simplify, ‘…but I’ll be here when you come back.’”?

“I like it!” He grinned that grand smile before hugging Alliyah, even though she couldn’t hug him back, due to her wet and foamy hands. “Thank you. I’m gonna go paint it”

“Have fun. Glad I could help.”

Alone with her thoughts, she was finally able to allow herself to detest that quote because it reminded her of Rayne. She leaned on the sink and closed her eyes.

I just wanted to take a moment to tell you if I get a little distant, become less… Available, it is not your fault. It’s just me struggling with it.

As the words echoed in her head, Alliyah realized precisely what was happening. But how was she going to deal with it? She cared, oh, she cared so damn much! But she also had just got a new job, and she had Lamar to take care of.