in your current situation and please, don’t select an Aaliyah song.”
We both burst into laughter recalling our earlier encounter at the bar when Chrissy cut the rug dancing to the played out ‘90s music.
“I guess it would be that Lupe Fiasco song, ‘Battle Scars.’ As soon as I said it, I wished I could take it back. Obviously that song reminded me of Ray and I still remembered Adrian’s reaction to Chrissy mentioning Ray at the bar. Not to mention the song I had chosen was about someone being at war with love and how the wounds you receive on a battlefield are similar to the wounds you may receive in love. The enemy is within and the fire you receive is friendly, the wounds never heal, and they don’t fade.
How pathetic did that make me sound?
“So it must be about you and a boyfriend then?” he deduced.
“Yeah. Ray.” I guessed now was as good a time as any to delve into the drama of Sidney and Ray. “He’s a musician. He’s down in L.A. now, working on an album. As you can guess, there’s a lot of temptation in the industry he’s chosen. Let’s just say we’ve had our fair share of struggles due to that issue.”
There. I had said it. If Adrian wanted to board the next plane to New Jersey, then so be it.
Suddenly, I felt a slight vibration on my hip. I looked down and realized just how close Adrian and I were sitting to each other. He shifted his weight to his left side and reached into his jean pocket as he pulled out his cell phone. It was lit up, signaling a call was coming in.
He slid his finger across the screen and rejected the call, putting the phone back in his pocket just as quickly as he pulled it out. He jumped up anxiously and said, “Okay. We’re not strangers anymore. Let’s get you some coffee so you can sober up and then we’ll get you home.”
He began walking before I could argue with him. I turned and looked at the silhouettes at the bar one last time, deciding if I should just go back and find Chrissy. But then I saw Adrian wasn’t waiting this time and in a split-second decision, I followed him.
***
I had known the old McAllister house well. Every Heights resident did. It was a historical landmark, being the first library built in town. Established in 1853, its operation only lasted a few years during the gold rush years before being sold and converted into a residence.
Before I was born, the owners used to offer tours to the local school children during field trips. After its proprietor passed away, it had just been sitting there vacant for the last twenty or so years.
We strolled up the narrow walkway, passing the giant flag pole and up the wooden stairs that led to the stately wraparound porch with two massive white marble pillars on each side of the red front door. The porch light illuminated his beautiful face, which allowed me to sneak another glance.
I whispered, “I can’t believe you’re staying in this house.”
He smiled as he put the key in the keyhole. “Why…and why are we whispering?” he whispered back.
I shrugged. “I don’t know. I don’t want to wake your parents or anything.”
The smile dropped off of his face instantaneously, “You’d have to try a lot harder than that, Sidney.”
He turned the key and the lock clicked. Opening the door, he signaled for me to enter first. As I passed him he leaned in and whispered in my ear, “You can’t wake the dead.”
I stopped in the entryway and turned to face him. I felt so terrible for even mentioning his parents. “Oh my god, Adrian. I’m so sorry.”
His smile returned. “I don’t think God has anything to with it, but thanks for your condolences.” He put his hand on the small of my back and gave me a gentle push into the foyer.
He turned on some lights and then headed towards the back of the house. I glanced around at the old estate. It looked pretty clean for being vacant for the past two decades. It had original hardwood floors with a matching staircase. The
We both burst into laughter recalling our earlier encounter at the bar when Chrissy cut the rug dancing to the played out ‘90s music.
“I guess it would be that Lupe Fiasco song, ‘Battle Scars.’ As soon as I said it, I wished I could take it back. Obviously that song reminded me of Ray and I still remembered Adrian’s reaction to Chrissy mentioning Ray at the bar. Not to mention the song I had chosen was about someone being at war with love and how the wounds you receive on a battlefield are similar to the wounds you may receive in love. The enemy is within and the fire you receive is friendly, the wounds never heal, and they don’t fade.
How pathetic did that make me sound?
“So it must be about you and a boyfriend then?” he deduced.
“Yeah. Ray.” I guessed now was as good a time as any to delve into the drama of Sidney and Ray. “He’s a musician. He’s down in L.A. now, working on an album. As you can guess, there’s a lot of temptation in the industry he’s chosen. Let’s just say we’ve had our fair share of struggles due to that issue.”
There. I had said it. If Adrian wanted to board the next plane to New Jersey, then so be it.
Suddenly, I felt a slight vibration on my hip. I looked down and realized just how close Adrian and I were sitting to each other. He shifted his weight to his left side and reached into his jean pocket as he pulled out his cell phone. It was lit up, signaling a call was coming in.
He slid his finger across the screen and rejected the call, putting the phone back in his pocket just as quickly as he pulled it out. He jumped up anxiously and said, “Okay. We’re not strangers anymore. Let’s get you some coffee so you can sober up and then we’ll get you home.”
He began walking before I could argue with him. I turned and looked at the silhouettes at the bar one last time, deciding if I should just go back and find Chrissy. But then I saw Adrian wasn’t waiting this time and in a split-second decision, I followed him.
***
I had known the old McAllister house well. Every Heights resident did. It was a historical landmark, being the first library built in town. Established in 1853, its operation only lasted a few years during the gold rush years before being sold and converted into a residence.
Before I was born, the owners used to offer tours to the local school children during field trips. After its proprietor passed away, it had just been sitting there vacant for the last twenty or so years.
We strolled up the narrow walkway, passing the giant flag pole and up the wooden stairs that led to the stately wraparound porch with two massive white marble pillars on each side of the red front door. The porch light illuminated his beautiful face, which allowed me to sneak another glance.
I whispered, “I can’t believe you’re staying in this house.”
He smiled as he put the key in the keyhole. “Why…and why are we whispering?” he whispered back.
I shrugged. “I don’t know. I don’t want to wake your parents or anything.”
The smile dropped off of his face instantaneously, “You’d have to try a lot harder than that, Sidney.”
He turned the key and the lock clicked. Opening the door, he signaled for me to enter first. As I passed him he leaned in and whispered in my ear, “You can’t wake the dead.”
I stopped in the entryway and turned to face him. I felt so terrible for even mentioning his parents. “Oh my god, Adrian. I’m so sorry.”
His smile returned. “I don’t think God has anything to with it, but thanks for your condolences.” He put his hand on the small of my back and gave me a gentle push into the foyer.
He turned on some lights and then headed towards the back of the house. I glanced around at the old estate. It looked pretty clean for being vacant for the past two decades. It had original hardwood floors with a matching staircase. The
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