Under a Raincloud- Part 6

I couldn’t focus throughout class and driving home was a chore. My head spun with ideas about how the night would go and how much I wanted time to speed up yet slow down once I got to see him again.
I couldn’t even get to sleep that night. Voices started to conjure up in my mind, all saying different things with different tones,
“He’s not going to like the real you.”
“Don’t worry, he’ll fall in love the moment he sees you.”
“Maybe you shouldn’t go, don’t get your heart broken again.”
“He’s a great guy, you’ll be perfect for each other.”
“This is a bad idea.”
“This is a good idea.”
I tossed and turned, trying to make the voices stop. Eventually they did, but something replaced it.
Toby and I entered his apartment lip-to-lip. We scrambled to the bedroom and frantically started taking each other’s clothes off. The bed was already unmade, the sheets were soft. His warm breath tickled my neck as he kissed it and we lay down on the bed. He was on top of me when—
Beep beep beep!!! The sound of my alarm snapped me awake from my dream. I flew straight up and looked to my left to see the empty space that always accompanied me. I sighed, secretly wishing he was there to occupy it. This was stupid, the last time I fell for a guy this fast, he used me for what he needed and dumped me like I was nothing. I hoped Toby wouldn’t be like him.
I had to go to work, so I slumped out of bed and into the bathroom. I heard singing from the next room; my sister hollering out of tune to the Backstreet Boys. I rolled my eyes and pounded on the wall that separated our bathrooms.
“Shut up in there!” I shouted.
“Make me!” her voice rose.
I groaned, too tired to do anything about my bitchy sister. I hopped in the shower and when I was finished went to the kitchen for breakfast. I checked my phone, oddly enough for the time, as if to check if it was already five. It was only noon, and I had to go to work.
Bru Coffee Bar wasn’t as bad as Toby had exclaimed, but it wasn’t as good as Starbucks. The people I worked with were nice and the customers that came in were friendly and polite. I didn’t mind working there, it paid nice too.
I arrived there on time, dressed in the apron and hat I was given for my uniform. I saw my friend Lindi at the register and joined her behind the counter.
“Hey there.” She greeted me.
“Hi, how’s today been so far?” I asked her.
“Boring. You excited for your date?” she noticed my surprised expression, “Sunny told me.”
“Of course she did. But yeah, I’m very excited.” A customer came to the counter forcing Lindi to cut our conversation short.

I left the coffee shop at four, just in time to get ready to see Toby. As soon as I got home I rushed to my closet and searched for the perfect dress. I came across a green and black dress; the dress I wore to my senior prom in high school. I studied it more carefully, and took it off the hanger. I held it up to my body to measure it. It looked like it would fit; I hadn’t grown an inch since high school.
I slipped into it and smiled as I twirled in the mirror. I grabbed a glittery black headband and put it on, then added some bracelets and a necklace. Looking at myself in the mirror I felt beautiful. I smiled and added some pink lipgloss before gathering things into my small black handbag and grabbing some black heels.
I made my way to the living room and saw Sunny sitting on the couch watching TV.
“I need you to take me to Café La Boheme please.” I said as calm as I could.
“Why can’t you take yourself?” she asked without looking up at me.
“Cause I want Toby to take me home.” I said flatly.
“Why, so you can sleep with him again?” she snorted.
“No, we agreed to keep it simple until we get to know each other more. Please, just do this for me?”
She sighed, “God dammit.”
I walked to the door as she got up and took her keys from the kitchen counter. I smiled as we went to her VW Bug.
“Thanks!”
“Yeah.” She mumbled back. The only reason she was acting like this was because she hated giving people rides unless it was to a party. She was a party girl, she’s where I got it from. The drinking, the dancing, the hang-overs, all inspired by the girl I called my older sister.