"Was that the last box?" I asked Grey as he placed it in the living room amongst the others.
"Yup. The very last one, and thank god. It's hot, and I'm beat." He looked around the apartment. "I can't believe we managed to carry all of this in your truck."
I smiled, feeling good about my new ride. My dad passed down his Chevy Silverado to me. It was a few years old with a decent amount of mileage, and it's in my favorite color, gray. Yes, it was a coincidence that my favorite color just so happens to be my nickname for my best friend.
Anyways, Dad had brought this truck brand new, and he promised me that if I wanted to have it for college, I could take it if I got my license by then and proved that I was a safe driver. I've had my license for about three months now, and I've been deemed the "safest of safe drivers." And yes, I was super proud of my title. I mentally patted myself on the back.
"Admit it. My truck is awesome."
Leaning against the wall with his hands crossed, Grey rolled his eyes. "I would never disrespect my bike like that."
"You mean the same bike that you can't drive when it rains?" I pointed out. "Or snows, or when it gets cold or..." I could have gone on and on, but then Grey pushed himself off the wall and strode towards me.
I took a few steps back, and my eyes darted all across the room. I didn't like that look in his eyes. Grey was radiating pure mischief.
This was what I got for teasing him about his baby, which happened to be an impractical mode of transportation, considering it was his only mode of transportation the majority of the time. I mean, it's not like all the stuff I listed wasn't true. They were, but Grey liked to pretend otherwise.
I saw one tip of his mouth twitch as he held back a smirk. Crap. I wanted to make a run for it.
But I really didn't have very far to run from here. Grey would catch me no matter which direction I took off in. One, because he was naturally faster than I am, and two, I was literally in a corner.
So let me say this again... Crap!
"Bet you're thinking about apologizing right now," Grey said, stopping a few feet away from me.
I bit my bottom lip in contemplation. Then I shook my head no.
He raised an eyebrow. "Hmm. So what are you thinking then?"
My eyes cut to the hallway that would take to me to my bedroom.
"You want to make a run for it?" Grey's eyes narrowed. "Okay, I'll give you a head start, but if you lose, I'll definitely be getting that apology out of you." He gave me a smug grin.
I frowned.
"1... 2..." I launched into an all-out sprint. "3..." My hand was so close to the doorknob... "4..."
Was Grey going to let me make it? I thought, but then, I felt my feet lift off the ground as his hands wrapped around my midsection. "10." he whispered in my ear, and I felt his hands skim across my stomach before he began his tickle assault. I squealed loudly.
I hated being ticklish. I hated being ticklish. I hated being ticklish!
"Grey... Grey... Please!" All my words came out breathy. I fought in vain to break free from him. "...I'm sorry... Your bike is awesome! I take it all back!" I practically shouted.
He paused, "What was that?" I could hear how satisfied he was with himself.
So I refused to respond.
"Mia..."
You think I would learn from my mistakes.
He poked my side, and I erupted into giggles again. Damn it.
"I hate you," I said instead, swatting his hands away.
Grey loosened his grip, and I thought he decided to release me, but rather, he picked me up and threw me over his shoulder.
"GREYSON! PUT ME DOWN!" I pinched his back.
"Ow!" he whined.
I watched him walk us back to the living room. We walked past the front door, and then there was a knock.
We both paused.
"Are you expecting someone?" Grey asked me.
I swiped my hair out of my face craning my neck up to peak at the front door as if I could use my imaginary x-ray vision to see who was on the other side. "Nope. You?"
"Nope." He began to walk towards the door. "I wonder who it is then?" "You're seriously going to take me to answer the door like this?" I mumbled. I gave up. I lifted my head placed my chin in the palm of one of my hands. "You're impossible."
I heard him unlock the door.
"Hi! I'm... OH goodness! I'm sorry, am I interrupting something?" A young woman said.
"NO!" I answered before Greyson could. "Put me down!" I growled at him.
He relented, lowering me to my feet.
I turned to greet her. "Hi!" I said, smoothing down strands of my blonde hair that had gotten loose from my messy bun.
"Hello there!" She grinned brightly.
She must be one of our neighbors. I hope she wasn't here to complain about us making a ruckus or something. Then again, she looked too friendly for that. Her smile gave it away.
I wouldn't be surprised if she were a college student too. Mostly college kids were in these apartments. She had a very fair complexion, like just by looking at her. You knew that she was the type to get red if she stayed out in the sun too long instead of tan. She had big grey eyes hidden behind these oversized black frames, and to top it all off, she had an array of auburn curls falling down her back. She wasn't super tall, but she was a few inches taller than me. Outfitted in an oversized Harry Potter t-shirt and leggings with converses, I could already tell that I would like her. I'd like almost anyone who's a Harry Potter fan.
"HI! I'm Freya! I live adjacent to you guys." She pointed to her apartment. "I heard we had new neighbors, and I wanted to
come by and introduce myself." She leaned into the doorway and whispered. "The last person that lived here was a real B. I couldn't wait for her to leave. Phew!" She wiped imaginary sweat from her forehead and pretended to flick it away.
She seemed nice. "Nice to meet you, Freya. I'm Mia, and this is Greyson."
We shook hands. "Nice to meet you both too. I'm a sophomore at the university. I'm majoring in Anthropology. Are the two of you students at the university too?" She asked, looking between the both of us.
"Yup. We're starting our freshmen year this fall," Grey told her.
"And you guys live together?" Freya clasped her hands in front of her heart. "AWEE! You two are so cute! We don't have a lot of couples in this building."
My eyes widened as Grey chuckled under his breath. "Oh no, we're not a couple. Just friends. We've known each other from childhood," I clarified.
Her expression fell. "Oh. Sorry. When you opened up the door, it looked like..."
I cut her off. "Nope...nope. Just friends," I started again.
Freya nodded slowly, her gaze shifting from mine to Grey's. The skepticism was unmistakable. "Okay, well, stop by if you need anything and or if you just want to hang out. I'm hoping we can become friends." She looked really hopeful.
"Sure. Of course," I told her, and I meant it. "Thank you for stopping by. We'll talk soon."
Freya started walking backward as I waved goodbye.
As soon as I closed the door, I whipped around to slap Greyson on his arm.
"Hey! What was that for?" he asked, confused, rubbing his bicep.
I raised my chin in the air, and I walked around him without answering.
That was for making our neighbors think that we're an item. Even though I told her we aren't, she still looked like she didn't believe us. I wouldn't blame her, but it's the truth.
Me and Grey, we could never have a relationship like that.
Even if... Agh...Nope... never mind!
A few hours later, we managed to unpack most of the stuff from the boxes. It was a good thing we spent the past week or so slowly dropping stuff off before officially moving in. It saved us the hassle of moving everything all at once and being stressed about how long it would take to unpack everything.
We still had a few deliveries coming in sometime this week.
Like Grey's bedroom set and our dining table. We had everything else like my bedroom set and the living room furniture, etc.
Greyson planted himself on the couch, putting his feet up and resting his head on one of the cushions while I finished placing a few of our new dishes, mugs, and utensils in the dishwasher.
And to think we almost turned down that couch as a gift from my grandparents. We didn't want our families to help us out any more than they were doing now, and we saved enough money for these things, but we couldn't say no to Grandma's gift.
She threatened us and told us we better take the couch "or else." Neither of us wanted to know what that implied, so we thanked her repeatedly and told her how we were grateful for it.
"This mortal form grows weak. I require sustenance." Grey patted his stomach.
I snorted. "Now, I know you're starving when you quote Thor."
"I love how you get me." He opened his eyes to give me a wink.
"Whatever." I walked over to the refrigerator and opened it. "So, our fridge has nothing but water, juice, and milk that we both collectively stole from our parents' fridges. We need to go.
Do you want us to buy food to cook for tonight while we're at it, or do you just want to grab a bite to eat then go shopping?"
Grey thought about it. "The second option gets food in my belly faster than the first one," he said, sitting up.
"Okay, let's try that café we drove past last week. They looked really good."
He nodded. "I hope you're right."
It was a less than ten-minute walk to the café. They looked a little busy, but they had room left for a few people.
When we stepped in, one of the employees grabbed us a few menus and gave us a table inside by the windows. We were close to this stage that they had set up for open mic performances.
"This place is so nice!" I whispered loudly to Greyson. It was dimly lit, but it had a lot of natural light too. It looked city chic, and it came off as a very Instagramable location which would explain why all the people around me had their phones out snapping pics.
"Yeah, it's cool," Grey replied with a shrug as he continued to browse the menu.
"Agh, you men rarely have an appreciation for these things."
I saw him smirk, but he didn't reply.
After skimming the menu, we ordered everything that sounded appetizing. The table between us was filled with multiple dishes when the waiter got back. The both of us tried a little bit from each plate. Nothing was left uneaten.
Our waiter placed the check on the table, telling us we could pay at the register upfront. He also mentioned that if we wanted dessert, we could check out the bakery while we're over there, or he could give us the menu. We thanked him and told him we would check it out for ourselves.
Greyson and I spent about a minute arguing who would pay for the bill until he said he'll just let me pay since I was being stubborn.
When we got up from the table, Greyson walked around me and snatched the bill right out of my hands. "My treat," he said with a smug grin, making sure to hold it up and out of my reach.
I didn't bother to argue that time.
He paid at the register, and I made my way over to the bakery. I stared at the mouthwatering treats wondering how I could decide on just one but also knowing that if I ate two, I'd probably regret the calories at some point. I wasn't skinny by any means. I didn't have a thigh gap, and I had a little roll when I hunched over, which was fine because I loved the curves I had. But I also liked my jeans to continue fitting, which wouldn't happen if I ate my weight in baked goods.
"I'll be with you in a second," a familiar voice called out. I spotted her in my peripheral as she came out of the swinging doors with her back turned to me, carrying a tray of cookies.
"Freya?" I asked, doing a double-take.
She looked over at me. "Mia? HI!" Her face lit up with a smile, and her high cheekbones became more prominent. "What's up? Looking for a sweet tooth fix?"
I nodded. "You work here?"
"Yup. My big brother owns the place."
"Hey, Freya!" Grey said, walking up behind me.
"Hey," Freya acknowledged him with a swift nod. "What can I get for you two?" she asked, slipping the tray onto the counters.
In an effort to help us narrow down our options, Freya described each of the pastries. We decided on two cherry cheese Danishes, two cookies, and one slice of chocolate chip pie.
"Is it always crowded like this?" I asked Freya as we paid, and Grey grabbed the bag of goodies. He'll probably devour more or more of those treats before we make it home. I already saw him peeking in the bag.
"Yes and no. The summer is pretty hectic all day, but the fall season is calm in the mornings than hectic from lunch to dinner. I can't complain though, It's good for business." She shrugged.
I smiled. "So, do you guys need extra help for the summer?" I wouldn't mind working at a place like this.
"Now that you mentioned it, we could use it. My brother has been thinking about hiring an extra person or two, but he hasn't formally advertised it yet. Do you know someone who might be interested in a job here?" She leaned onto the counter, giving me a smirk. "They'll just be a waitress and or help in the bakery, etc. Nothing too challenging, honestly."
I was already sold. She just had to hire me. "Hmmm. I might know of a person who had some experience from working at a hotel."
"You're hired!" she said without hearing any more. "I mean, I have to talk to my brother about it, but he trusts my judgment. And I like you. I think you'll be great!"
I clapped my hands together. "Yay!! Thank you!" I glanced over my shoulder at Grey, who had half a Danish hanging from his lips. He winked, giving me the thumbs up.
"No problem. You can start the day after tomorrow, okay?"
I nodded excitedly. "Sure thing! Thanks again. We'll talk soon." I smiled and waved as we headed out.
Back at home, I prepared myself for bed. I had left my phone on the charger by accident, so I missed a few calls and texts.
My mom had called me then she sent four texts.
Mom: I guess you're busy unpacking. I was just calling to say hi.
Mom: I hope we can meet up soon now that you're living close by.
Mom: But no pressure or anything.
Mom: I'm sorry! I'm going overboard with the texts. Anyways, whatever you decide, just know that I'll always love you, and I always have. Good night, Mia.
Then there was a missed call from James? That was so freakin' odd. We haven't talked since the break-up.
James: Sorry. I'm an idiot. Miss u muchhh. I just caannnt believe we not together. Call me.
What? Did he just drunk text me?
I laughed under my breath. We're not even old enough to drink. Okay, I shouldn't judge him because I've been there. Once. But that was beside the point.
And I wouldn't dream of calling him. I placed my phone back on the nightstand and tried to fall asleep, which came easy considering, I was pretty tired.
***
Mia! MIA! MIA!! WAKE UP!
I jumped awake, bumping my forehead into Grey's.
OW! I saw his face in the moonlight.
"What the hell are you doing in my bed?"
Grey ignored the question, turning on the lamp closest to him. "What were you dreaming about?"
"Nothing." I tried to forget it as soon as it popped up into my mind.
"You were whimpering and kept saying 'Mom'" I saw concern written all over his face.
I had been dreaming about the day she left and how I begged her to stay. But I didn't want to talk about it.
"You haven't talked about your mom in a while. Why was she suddenly on your brain?" Grey brushed a few stray strands from my face.
I shook my head. "I don't know," I lied.
"You miss her?"
"I don't know." And that was the truth.
Now back to my question. I looked at Grey comfortably lying on the other side of my bed. "Dude! What happened to you sleeping on the couch?"
Grey's bed wasn't coming for another few days, so he said he would crash on the couch until then. I should have known better.
He gave me an innocent smile. "It wasn't all that comfy. Not like your bed, at least." He threw one arm behind his head and shut his eyes.
"Whatever," I huffed. "I'm going back to sleep." I flopped back on the pillow, shutting my eyes.
I thought about how I didn't sleep well for days after my mom left because I wanted to be awake to see her come through the door. Sometimes, I cried myself to sleep on the couch and woke up to Dad carrying me up the stairs to my bed.
Every time I had a bad dream, I remember that mom would be there to run her fingers through my hair and help me feel safe enough to fall back asleep. But when she became the center of all the bad dreams, I didn't know what to do anymore.
I didn't care how old I was. I used to squeeze one of my teddy bears, praying for sleep just to come. Sleep without any dreams of my mother, who never came back. But I didn't have my teddy bear right now.
I looked over at Greyson. "Grey?" I sat up, putting my weight on one elbow as I turned towards him.
"Hmm?" he replied without opening his eyes.
"Umm... Can you just... this might sound weird, but it's platonic, I swear! I mean..." I shook my head in frustration. "Never mind. It's silly." I laid my head back on the pillow, silently cursing myself.
I watched him opened up his eyes in my peripheral as he studied me. "You need a hug?" he asked, opening one of his arms wide for me.
I nodded silently.
"Come here," he said softly.
I cuddled up next to him. Resting my head on his chest, he wrapped one arm around me. This didn't mean anything. I just needed some comfort, and Grey was here. Like he always has been for me. My best friend.
I felt him extend his other arm to switch off the lamp then he kissed the top of my head. "No more bad dreams. Okay?" he whispered.
"Hmm," I said before falling into a deep, restful sleep.