Page 37 of Sicken of the Calm
“Dude, I can hear her! Go, go,go!”
“Gowhere? It’s a dead-” Istartle as a screech sounds, followed by eerie giggling as my character getsmauled by the undead girl I had been trying to escape from. Ezra and I look atthe screen as theYou’re Deadmessage fades onto it, my evisceratedcharacter a suitable backdrop.
“Welp,” Ezra says as I frown.
It’s already late into the night,and the only light in my apartment comes from the screen I’ve propped up on afoldable table, pressed against the wall as we sit, cradled by pillows, on thefloor. Ezra and I have spent all day hanging out together, him having stayedover through unspoken agreement after we woke up, pressed against each other,in the aftermath of yesterday’s scene. It was the first time I ever woke upnext to someone who I had sex with, but it had been oddly comfortable, allthings considered.
I had woken slowly, a littledisoriented as the feeling of his body tangled with mine registered. I hadtensed as I blinked my eyes to find him already awake, watching me with asmall, crooked smile on his face, like it was ready to fall off at any moment.His hair had been a complete mess, the imprint of the pillow on one cheek, aspot of dried drool on the corner of his mouth. He had been oddly beautiful, inthe way that rare things are, as if I were suddenly privy to a secret I hadbeen dying to know.
He had leaned in to kiss me onthe lips and then had laughed as I wrinkled my nose at our morning breath. Hehad tried to pull away, but I had held him close before I could think about it,wanting to keep the delicate moment a little longer. We had breathed togetherfor a while, resting in the space between sleep and guarded wakefulness.
The day had rolled forward on itsown momentum from there. A cereal breakfast, separate showers, TV and chattingand simply co-existing for a while. I had gotten to watch Ezra’s wide laugh aswe watchedVeeppressed together, experience the way he tucked his toesunderneath me on the bed. Got to see the disastrous way he chops tomatoes, theway his hands would constantly brush against me during the day, a balm to apart of me that isn’t even hurting. All day, the real world has seemed very faraway, and part of me wishes it could stay that way forever.
“You need to go left when youreach that creepy portrait of the old dude,” Ezra advises as my characterrespawns. He’s watching me play a horror game and is the most annoying backseatplayer I’ve ever met, although his expressive reactions to the jump scares morethan make up for it.
“The garden’s that way. I’mtrying to get to the basement.”
“Yeah, but maybe the garden hasone of those, like…storm-shelter door thingies.”
“It doesn’t.”
“Oh my God. Fine. Keep dying inthe house then!”
“I wouldn’t die so much if youwere quiet for more than ten seconds.”
“Oh, of course, it’smyfault you’ve died seventeen-billion times-”
“I’ve died likefive!”
“Five! As if! That psycho withthe machete killed you at least-”
“Ok, that was then and this isnow!”
“Oh my God!” Ezra cries,collapsing back onto the pillowed floor as he laughs into his hands. I roll myeyes but have to press my lips together to keep the smile in.
“Just – shush!” I say.
“Mmm, I’m digging this sexylibrarian side of you, Joaquin. What are you gonna do to me if I don’t shush?”
“I’m going to kill you.”
“Very hot,” he says, and thensits up to press a sloppy, open-mouthed kiss on my cheek.
“Urgh!” I lean away from him,wiping my cheek, but I can’t contain the grin this time, and Ezra notices. Hewaggles his eyebrows at me, winking and making kissy faces. I shove him with ahuffed laugh.
“Can you please controlyourself?” I bark out.
“I can’t when I’m with you, baby.You just make me so-”
“Stop.”
“Wet.”
“Urgh!” I press the controller tomy forehead as my shoulders shake with laughter. He starts placing quick,teasing kisses on the bit of my cheek and jaw he can reach. I lower my handsand turn my head, surprising him by catching his lips in a kiss. I force mytongue between his slightly parted lips, tilting my head and threading one handon the hair at the back of his neck to hold him in place. I feel the rush ofbreath against me as I ransack his mouth, and just as he starts getting withthe program, I pull away. His eyelids flutter open, looking dazed, and I grinat him smugly.
“Now, shush,” I say, turning backto the game. I can feel him watching me intently, but he doesn’t make a move.He stays close though, as my character starts walking forward, Ezra’s presencea distraction that melts to the background as I concentrate on the game.
Eventually, I find the basement.True to reputation, it’s incredibly eerie, and we’re both on edge as mycharacter creeps forward in the nearly completely dark room.
