I could feel the wind blowing before the trees started swaying. I could estimate the temperature inside or outside within 3 degrees. I could pinpoint the exact day that my period would come. These mosquitoes didn't stand a chance. I executed them immediately after they landed; it was a game to me. I sat still, waited for one of them to vibrate the tiny hairs on my body and eliminated them with precision. It was so gratifying. I looked around the train and smiled to myself; people were swatting, scratching, and slapping themselves and each other while I sat back and sniped.
"Why are there mosquitoes on this train? Are you getting bitten? " Charlotte asked me as she looked up from her Kindle.
"No bites yet, but I've killed 4 so far." I replied.
She wrinkled her nose and resumed reading. I don't know why she does it; reading is such a waste of time. We just don't live that long to sit around and read a story for days when we can get it over with in an hour-thirty. She would read the book and I would watch the movie; that's how it always went. She spoiled the ending of Hunger Games for me. Of course I went to the theater to watch it anyway. She could never spoil how sexy Jennifer Lawrence looks on that big screen; oh the things that I would do to her....
I felt another mosquito, this time I decided to pinch it between my fingers. I was annoyed that it attempted to stick its dirty little proboscis into my flesh.
"When are you going to start looking for love again?" Charlotte asked me without looking up from her reading.
Why does she always ask me questions like this? And at the worst possible times! One day we were running to her house in the pouring rain, I slipped and fell in the middle of the street and did she ask me if I was alright? No. She asked me if I was going to start dating again.
"What kind of question is that to be asking me on a packed, sultry, mosquito filled train?" I snarled. She rolled her eyes.
I was done looking for love. I had a best friend and a great family, that's all of the love that I needed. I've been cheated on, lied to, even physically abused before. Love has brought me nothing but heartache and I'm done with it.
"Well here's our stop," Charlotte said as the train began to screech. She stood up and put her Kindle in her messenger laptop bag. She's such a nerd.
We exited the train and began making our way to the stairs. It was so hot and muggy down there; everyone looked as if they were dragging their feet to get to where they were going. Everyone except 2 people. I saw them out of the corner of my eye and turned to look. There was Mia, my sexy, caliente, Puerto Rican.... or Dominican.... or something , long term fling. She was leaning against a column in the middle of the platform with some woman who was sucking and kissing on her neck. Charlotte caught my gaze and turned to see what had me so preoccupied.
"You know she's got some nerve Natalie!" Charlotte said staring directly at Mia and her vampire. "Do you want me to go over there and say something to her?"
"No, it's ok. We... we have an arrangement. You know that Charlotte." I looked at Charlotte to see if she had caught the crack in my voice.
"Yes I do but does everyone in the world have to know about your arrangement? I mean look at her! She's flaunting her whorish ass all over the train station!" Charlotte gestured her hand toward the PDA. Walking up the stairs I looked back at Mia. She smiled at me and I reluctantly smiled back as she disappeared from my view.
"That girl is going to end up giving you something Natalie. Are you not worried about that?" She sounded concerned.
"I guess a little bit, but she's right for me, I use her to get off and she uses me, for whatever she uses me for." I said with a shrug.
"Ok." She said. I could tell that this conversation wasn't over.
We walked the couple of blocks to Charlotte's house and went inside. Her house was large and equipped with a bunch of wood, rocks and tech stuff. It was like a techy version of the Stone Ages. She had a huge slate coffee table and a rather large stone analog clock on the wall. Her computer desk was handmade of a thick grey wood and she had every electronic known to man throughout the house. Charlotte was a computer nerd and made a good amount of money being one. I on the other hand worked for a relay service for deaf people. I typed their phone calls to them so that they could read it. I made $9.50 an hour. I could type over 100 WPM and I never got weekends off.
We walked into her bedroom and I plopped down onto the bed. Charlotte sat down on the carpet, reached under her bed and took out her shoe box. She took the lid off and placed it right side up on the floor.
"What's that?" I asked her looking into the box.
"Loud." She replied
I nodded my head. She began sifting through the greens.
"You know, it's just sex Charlotte," I said, "and with a woman, not a man. It's highly unlikely that I'll catch anything serious from her."
"But you're starting to have feelings for her; I saw it in your eyes in the train station. You can't fall in love with an evil slut Natalie."
"She's no angel but she's no devil, and there is no love. What you saw was lust. You know I'm Taurus, she's Scorpio, our compatibility is off of the charts! You should be happy for me."
"You're compatibility? I thought that it was just sex?"
"Our sexual compatibility; you know what I mean." I said annoyed.
She rolled it up.
"We're on a 'don't ask don't tell' kind of thing. And I'm cool with it."
Charlotte grunted, lit it up and took a big hit.
The truth was I've thought about a serious relationship with Mia a few times before. But I was sure that it was just the sex talking.
We smoked.
"You know, I love you Charlotte." I said. Puff.
"Really?" She asked.
"Yeah I do, you're the bestest friend that I've ever had. You're more like family to me than a friend." Puff.
Pass.
"I love you too." Deep inhale.
I got up and walked out of the bedroom towards the kitchen. "Do you have any Gushers?"
"Yeah but they didn't have the sour ones this time." She called to me from the room.
"Shit, alright." I walked into the kitchen and got the box of tropical punch gushers and headed back to the room. Charlotte wasn't in there.
"Where are you?" I called out.
"In here." I heard her voice coming from the living room. I walked in and sat next to her on the couch. I opened the gushers, took a pack out and threw the box at her. I opened the pack and put 3 different flavors into my mouth.
"These are the best Gushers I've ever had; we need to start getting these instead." I said to her.
"Shut up bitch, you're high."
We laughed.
The flavors were so enhanced. It was like I grew more taste buds. I felt my mouth becoming dry. I reached over to the coffee table and picked up my glass of water; when did I get a glass of water? Oh well, it was there, I was thirsty, so I drank it. When I was done I crunched the glass up in my hands. They didn't bleed. I crumbled it some more and pulled on the glass as if it were clay. I shaped it into an origami bird and put it back on the coffee table. Damn I was high. I came back down to see if Charlotte saw how beautiful my bird was. She was struggling with a Gushers wrapper, so I leaned my head back and looked up at the skylight. The stars were changing colors now. I flew up and through the skylight; floated on my back in the night sky. I floated past and admired the rainbow colored stars until I came to a big white one. The star was beating loud bass and I could see the sound waves coming from it. I stopped and rocked out with it for a little while. When I came back down Charlotte was passed out.
I got up and looked at the time it was a little after 9:30 I was supposed to meet Mia at her house thirty minutes ago. I got up, but slowly. I kissed Charlotte on the cheek and went out and locked the door. She had given me a key last year after the bad break up that I had with my abusive ex. She was deaf and angry about it, so she took it out on me.
I took my time walking to Mia's house. I wanted to be extra late because of that public display that she put on earlier. I walked past my house along the way. When I got to Mia's, I knocked on the door and Lucas opened it. "Hi Natalie." He said. He brushed past me and kept walking. I turned to see Mia coming out of her bedroom, "Hi sexy!" Mia said as I walked in and closed the door. She looked so happy to see me. She was in her robe; I knew that she would be bare under it.
"I didn't think that you were coming," she said, "so I called Lucas over." She put her arms around my neck and wasted no time. She kissed me and pulled me into the bedroom. She threw me on her bed and started stripping me.
"You must have really been waiting for me." I said a little flustered but cooperative.
"I'm so horny, I want you!"
