Page 78 of Off Sides

“Hey, man, welcome home.”

“Thanks, I think.”

We walk shoulder to shoulder toward baggage claim ten.

“How was the flight?”

I deadpan, “Flighty.” He shoves me and I laugh. “How do you think it was? I made it here, so it wasn’t terrible.”

There are people bustling everywhere, some confused, some walking with purpose. It’s an international airport, so multiple languages are being spoken around us, but it all blends together as background noise with the wheeled bags and crying children.

Of course, my bag is the last one to come out so everyone on my flight has walked off by the time we can leave.

“Do you want to come to my place tonight or head to Mom and Dad’s?”

I drop my head back against the seat and stare at the freeway through the rain. Do I want to see my parents? Yes, but I also don’t want to answer all of Mom’s questions. I don’t want to be alone but I don’t want to be overloaded with people either.

“Your place.”

Brent nods and on the way swings through a Carl’s Jr. because Western Bacon Cheeseburgers are life and I’m starving.

“If you don’t stop checking your phone, I’m going to take it,” Brent says when we’re sitting on his couch. He turns on Doctor Who but I’m not paying attention to it. I’m scrolling through my text thread with Joey. Again.

“Fuck off.”

“That’s it.” Brent snatches my phone from my hand and jerks it as far away from me as he can get it while I launch myself at him. Crawling over him, I pull on his arm, trying to get my phone within reach. Unfortunately for me, he has long-ass arms.

“Goddammit, give it back!”

He rolls into me and we fall onto the floor with a loud thud that I’m sure his neighbors hate me for.

“You need to stop obsessing. Staring at your phone won’t make him text you back!”

We’re both starting to pant as the wrestling intensifies. Luckily, he doesn’t have the athletic training I do, so I’m stronger and faster than he is. Not that it’s doing me any fucking favors right now.

“This is the most reaction I’ve gotten from you since you got here!” Brent grabs my nipple and twists while I howl.

“Motherfucker! What are you, twelve?” I’ve got his arm in an arm-bar but it means I can’t get his other one which has my damn phone.

“My bad, was that your favorite nipple?” Brent yells as I get my legs around one of his.

“Maybe it was, what of it?”

Brent laughs, relaxing just enough for me to get my hand into his armpit and tickle. He lets out a high-pitched screech that makes my ears ring, but he pulls his arm in to protect himself and I’m able to grab my phone. I shove Brent off me and roll away from him, shoving my phone down the front of my pants where I’m pretty sure it’s safe for a minute.

“That was a cute scream,” I pant. “You use that as a mating call so all the girls will come flocking to you?”

“Don’t mock it till you try it,” he laughs. “Fuck, my stomach hurts. I’m too full of bacon and cheese to be roughhousing like that.”

“You’ll be okay, drama queen.” I pat his cheek and leave him on the floor while I go to the kitchen to get water. It’s been a while since I was here but it’s a typical, young person apartment. Dark brown shitty carpet, brown fake wood cabinets from the 80s, Formica countertops, linoleum that’s probably older than me, and white walls. But it’s clean and it’s comfortable. Brent lived with a grandma who was a hoarder at one point and can’t stand to live in messy or cluttered places. He’s a clean freak to the extreme when he’s stressed.

“If you leave the cap to that water bottle on the counter, I will put it in a very uncomfortable place for you to find later.”

A shit-eating grin splits my face as I take another drink and toss the cap on the floor. It slides under the table and hits the wall.

“I’m going to murder you while you sleep.”

I laugh and put the now empty water bottle in the sink, just to fuck with him.

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