Page 8 of The Other Half

I’m an only child, so I don’t have a sibling I can turn to who understands what I’m dealing with. My only companion at home is my cat, Johnny. When I’m anxious he snuggles up next to me and I pet his fluffy, gray coat. It usually helps me calm down. I’ve been doing that for an hour now, though, and it’s doing very little to relieve my anxiety.

At 12:03 I quiet my brain long enough to type out a text to Oliver and tap send before I can change my mind.

Oakley: Hey, are you awake?

I toss the phone onto the other side of my bed, face down. My heart is beating even faster now and my throat feels suddenly dry. I shouldn’t have done that. What a strange time of day to text someone out of the blue, he’s probably already asleep. My phone vibrates within one minute of sending the message, I reach out and flip it over to face me.

Oliver: Yeah. What’s up?

I let out a long exhale of disbelief. Should I tell him how I really am? I’ve gotten this far, so I might as well let him know my actual reason for sending him a text so late. I type out a message briefly explaining the situation at my house, trying my best not to sound whiny or melodramatic.

Oliver: You wanna come over?

I type out my response before I can talk myself out of it.

Oakley: Yeah, that would be cool. I could walk to your house.

Oliver: I’ll meet you at the entrance of your neighborhood in 30 minutes.

My heart beats wildly in my chest. Am I really going to do this? In the past I’ve hardly hung out with friends during the day, much less in the middle of the night without my parents’ permission. I climb out of bed before I can talk myself out of it. I can’t back out now, I think that would be even weirder than texting him in the first place.

I’m suddenly grateful for my parents’ constant distraction from me, instead of paying me much attention they just yell at each other all the time, which means I can pretty much do whatever I want. Although, up until now, I’ve never had the desire or a reason to sneak out, so maybe it’s just that they don’t expect it. I’ve never had many friends, and I’ve definitely never had friends that would invite me to sneak out at midnight.

I slip off my pajamas, and trade them for leggings and a baggy hoodie and I pull on my Uggs. Downstairs the house is dark and completely quiet. I tiptoe down my stairs and look back when I reach the bottom to make sure they haven’t come out of their room. I wait a minute to make sure the coast is clear, then I slip out the door and make sure to lock it behind me.

The September air is a bit chilly tonight, but not unpleasant. My anxious thoughts start to overwhelm me. I barely know this guy and here I am going to his house in the middle of the night. What if this kindness is just him hoping to get lucky with a vulnerable girl? I shake off that thought, it’s way too late to turn back at this point.

I wait beside the large gate that secures my neighborhood. Luckily I haven’t seen any cars pass by and my neighbors’ lights are mostly turned off, so I’m feeling pretty confident that no one has noticed me. If anyone saw Dan Matthews’s daughter walking around after midnight with some long-haired heathen the news would get back to him pretty quickly.

Chapter 10

Oliver

I’m surprised by Oakley’s response, I didn’t expect her to accept my offer so eagerly, but then again, I really don’t know her. I push my bedroom window open as far as it’ll go and slip out of it, landing on the prickly bushes below. I pull my pack of cigarettes out and light one, taking a long drag.

I sneak out pretty frequently, but usually it’s to get high with a friend or to see Amber. It’s a good arrangement, we get to have sex with no strings attached, which is what we both prefer. But lately something about it feels off, sometimes I wonder if she really wants to remain fuck buddies or if she’s harboring deeper feelings for me. There are no romantic feelings from my side, which may be a dickish way to feel, but it’s the truth.

I’ve never had much interest in a relationship that goes beyond physicality. I’ve seen what happens, two people get together and one of them ends up completely destroyed. If I’m being honest though, I’m more afraid of being the one to hurt the other person. I don’t need someone relying on me for comfort, I’m not cut out for that. Even though that’s basically what I’m doing right at this moment, and I have not the slightest clue as to why.

To say I’m not attracted to Oakley would be a lie. I don’t know how to feel about her. Something about her is intriguing to me, but I know I could never meet whatever her standards are, nor do I want to try.

At 12:40 I arrive at her crossroads. I see her sitting next to the massive gate, looking tiny in comparison. Even in the dark I can see the nervous expression that seems to be permanently etched onto her face.

“Are you ready?” I ask as I approach her.

“I suppose I am,” she shrugs. I hope she doesn’t feel suspicious of me, but I couldn’t blame her if she did. I can only hope when she sees where I live she won’t tuck tail and run back to her mansion.

“Do you not drive?” I ask. I noticed the two expensive vehicles in her driveway when I was at her house. I don’t drive because there’s no car for me to use. My parents and older brother all share one vehicle, and right now my brother’s working the nightshift. I know I won’t have a car until I save up for one myself, so I haven’t bothered getting my license yet. I’m used to walking everywhere anyway.

“No, I don’t have a license yet.” She looks a bit embarrassed. “I’m nervous about taking the test.”

I give her a rigid nod. If I had the choice between driving a BMW and a Volvo I would’ve sprinted down to the DMV the day I turned 16, so it’s hard for me to understand where she’s coming from, but I don’t say so.

We walk quietly most of the way to my house. The only audible sounds are our footsteps and the crickets chirping. As we stray further from her neighborhood the streetlights become farther and fewer between, but the moon is illuminating the ground enough for us to see where we’re stepping. She glances around nervously every minute or so, I’m not sure if that’s because she’s scared of being out in the dark or because she’s regretting her decision to come with me.

“You alright?”

“Yeah. I’ve just never snuck out before,” she says looking down at her feet.

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