Across The Hall (5 page)

in most of my classes. The first day back after winter break I was en route to Biology after lunch, only to be stopped at the door by Mr.

Rasmussen. “Quinn, we have a new student in this class. She was in advanced placement classes in her old school so I would like her to work

with you.” I nodded and headed to my table. I had heard there was a new girl at school, but I had yet to see her. I started getting my stuff out when

I felt eyes on me. I looked up to see the most beautiful face ever. Her green eyes peered into mine and I was lost. I couldn’t even speak to ask

her name. She sat down next to me and through the whole class all I could do was look at her. I knew I was being incredibly rude but I was just

too shy and self-conscious to talk to her. I was just a skinny, geeky boy. She couldn’t possibly have anything to say to me.

The next day I vowed that I would talk to her. She was just a girl after all; no different than anyone else, at least that’s what I kept telling myself.

That day we had to work in partners for a lab. Once we got started I found it was very easy to talk to her. She told me the reason she and her

father, Kelly, moved to Quarry Springs and I began to see that she was just as beautiful on the inside as she was outside. After that, I began to

look forward to Biology every day, to have ‘Sylvia time’. Soon we had a project to work on outside of class. That project drew us together. We

began to spend more and more time outside of school with each other and countless hours on the phone. Our relationship progressed so

naturally that I can’t even pinpoint when exactly we became a couple. People say that it takes chemistry for a good match. For us it was biology.

I put the paper in the box and picked up a smal photo album ful of pictures of our years together. Flipping through the pages sent a flood of

contrasting emotions through me. The pictures bought me back to when they were taken and I could remember the feelings of happiness,

contentment and love. But overshadowing those emotions were the fresh ones of hurt, loss, sadness and the ever-present regret.

It had been an exhausting week of end of the year tests added on top of that Sylvia had the flu. On Saturday, I convinced her to spend the day

doing nothing but recovering. That was the day I learned Sylvia talks in her sleep. We snuggled up on the couch and watched movies together.

At some point she fell asleep. When she first started talking I thought she was awake and couldn’t understand why she was telling me to stay, I

was behind her on the couch obviously not going anywhere until she moved. Then she said the words I would never get tired of hearing. “Quinn,

I love you.” My heart burst at that moment. I pulled her tighter to me and just reveled in the fact that this wonderful, amazing person loved me.

Eventually I fell asleep too, and mom couldn’t pass up such a sweet photo opportunity.

There were more pictures like this. Ones of the two of us in the midst of various activities: at the beach, prom, standing next to school projects,

holidays, and many ordinary everyday candids. The difference between the two of us was remarkable. At fifteen Sylvia was just as beautiful as she

was at eighteen. I, on the other hand, had been a gangly teenager with my hair longer than it was now, hanging over my glasses and covering my

eyes. I wasn’t what one would term handsome and could never understand what Sylvia saw in me. She always said I was “adorkable.” Honestly, as

long as she wanted me I wasn’t going to question why.

The smal splatter of a tear on the last page brought me back to the present. I hadn’t even realized I had been crying. It had been years since I

cried over the memory of Sylvia, the memory of us. I put the album in the box and blindly picked up the next item. It was the graduation card she had

given me. The pictures of the two of us in our caps and gowns had fal en out. I picked them up and placed them back inside the card. My chest

constricted and my breathing became labored. I didn’t want to see the jubilant expression on Sylvia’s face. I didn’t want to think of how the next day I

wiped that look off her face leaving one of anguish in its place. I put them in the box without even looking at them. I couldn’t deal with this. It was too

hard, the pain too much. What was done was done, and there was no turning back now. I quickly gathered the rest of the mementos, stuffing them

back into the box haphazardly.

I brought the box into my bedroom where I shelved it in the back of my closet -- where, unlike my memories, it would stay undisturbed. I walked

back to the kitchen to grab a beer when I realized the CD was stil playing. I shut my laptop; cutting off the song that Sylvia always said reminded her

of me, in mid verse. I went back to finishing off the kitchen and then out for groceries.

I had to drive around awhile before I found a grocery store. I should have looked up directions on the net first. At least the drive gave me time to

clear my mind. I stocked up on everything I could possibly need, most of it consisting of prepackaged, microwavable meals. I may know my way

around a laundry room but the kitchen was stil mostly uncharted territory.

The damn motorcycle was back in my parking space when I returned home. Wow, home. That was going to take some getting used to. I have my

own home -- wel , apartment, but it’s stil al mine. I got my key out and ready then fumbled around trying to get al my bags on one trip. I managed,

just barely, to make it up the stairs without dropping anything. Once I reached the third floor I was greeted with the sight of my neighbors making out

against their door. Mom obviously forgot to add exhibitionist neighbors to the list of qualifications of this place. I tried to slip by unnoticed, but the

guy turned to glare at me. If he didn’t want to be interrupted then he should move it behind closed doors. Like I wanted to see that every time I come

home.

I put al the groceries away and headed for bed. I felt good about how much I had done. Tomorrow I would set up my electronics and finish

unpacking, but for now I was exhausted. I stripped down to my boxers as I made my way down the hal , tossing my dirty clothes on the floor just

inside my bedroom door. I fel into bed without setting my alarm. Man, it was nice to have freedom.

God, she tasted good. I couldn’t get enough. I felt her moan into my mouth as I moved to suck on her lower lip. I traced it with my tongue and

kept going with little nibbles and licks all along her jaw to her ear. My hands were cupping the sides of her breasts, my thumbs rubbing slow

circles over her nipples. I brought my hands up over the top, pinching her nipples between my thumb and forefinger eliciting a deeper moan

from her. “You like that?” I growled in her ear.

“Yes, more.” She pleaded arching her back and pushing her chest up to me. I ran my hands down her sides to the hem of her shirt. I pushed it

up roughly and dipped my head to take her nipple between my teeth. I flicked at her nipple with my tongue over the top of the soft lace of her

bra. As I moved over to tease the other one the same way I slipped my hand into the cup of her bra lifting her breast out to have complete

uncovered access. I slipped the other out and traced circles over her nipple with my tongue. Her little whimpers urged me on, faster and faster,

until I sucked the whole bud in and pulled back, releasing it with a pop.

One of her hands was gripping my ass, pulling me in closer to her while the other was running over my cock on the outside of my now-too-tight

jeans. I moaned around her nipple as she began undoing my pants. Soon I felt her hand rubbing me over my boxers until her hand slipped

through the open fly, pulling me out. She used strong, slow strokes up, stopping to swirl her palm around my head before going back down. She

slid down against the door to her knees. I couldn’t believe she was doing this out in the hall where anyone could walk up and catch us.

She held the base of my cock tight in her little fist as she stuck out her tongue, tasting the tip. I looked down to one of the most beautiful sights

ever. Bright green eyes looking back up at me so innocently as she teased her tongue over the tip before closing them and diving down, taking

me all the way in. I slammed my hand against the closed door as she sucked me in. “Damn, Sylvia, that feels so good!” I moaned out. I

pounded my hand against the door even louder every time she pulled back, only to come down faster on me.

“Quinn! Dude, get the hel up and answer your door.” The gruff voice broke through the haze. I swear to God I’m going to kil the person

responsible for interrupting us.

“Fuck,” I yel ed out in frustration. I opened my eyes realizing that my mind put that little fantasy together for me, punishing me for opening the

Sylvia box and witnessing the make-out session out in the hal .

The pounding didn’t stop. I threw my shorts from the night before on and padded down the hal to the door. “Damn it Reed, I’m coming.”

I threw open the door to a laughing Reed. “That’s what she said.” I rol ed my eyes at him.

“So what brings you up here pounding on my door this early?” I moved away from the door letting him enter.

“Early? Hel , man its 11:30. I thought maybe you would like to come play some bal with Sloane and me. You know, get a little break from...” He

stopped and bent over to pick something up. He looked at it quizzical y and then looked back up at me. “What the fuck?” He looked back down at it

again and I walked over to him pul ing it from his fingers.

It was my favorite picture of Sylvia. I must have missed it when I put everything back into the box last night. I stared at it momentarily, going back

to that day.

We spent a perfect lazy summer day making love out at an abandoned farm house on the edge of town. It wasn’t our first time together, just

our first time there. I couldn’t resist taking the picture of my Sylvia. She was beyond beautiful laid out on the grass. Her soft red hair was spread

out behind her, with her arms thrown up over her head. She was playing with a lock of hair, twisting it around and around her small delicate

fingers. Her green eyes were heavy lidded with a look of absolute contentment in them. Her cheeks were flushed and her lips were still swollen

and slightly parted as if she were waiting for one more kiss. My shirt was over her chest barely covering her breasts. My only regret was that the

picture wasn’t taken with a better camera than the one in my phone. Right after I snapped the picture she pulled me down for that kiss and soon

we were once again lost in each other.

I was stil semi-hard from the dream and that little flash back had my dick twitching.

“Wel ?” I looked over at Reed realizing he must have asked me something and was waiting for an answer.

“I’m sorry, what?”

He looked rather pissed and I wondered if I should be worried. “Why the fuck do you have a picture of Sylvia?”

I looked back down at the picture. “How do you know Sylvia?” I was instantly cold. I hadn’t talked about Sylvia with another person in ages. Now I

have someone who obviously knew her standing in front of me.

“Sylvia is a friend. A good friend.” His voice was menacing and he was looking at me with complete distrust. “How do you know Sylvia?”

“We were... friends once.” He looked at me questioningly and back down at the picture.

“From the looks of that you were more than friends.”

It felt wrong, someone else seeing Sylvia like that. That picture was for me alone. I pul ed it away from his view and turned to go to my room.

“Yeah, wel , it was a long time ago. She’s gone now.”

Reed cal ed after me, “Gone? Hel , she lives right across the hal .”

Fuck! I stopped and took a deep breath. I let it out and continued to my room to get ready.

As I dug through my drawers I debated on what to tel Reed. My heart leapt at the thought of her that close. I could see her again. Talk to her, be a

part of her life. She could be my Sylvia again. My mind was racing, overjoyed at the possibilities. Then, like a punch to the gut I remembered the

couple outside what was probably her door. Fuck! I felt sick. I sat down on the edge of my bed. I put my head in my hands and leaned forward.

She’s not my Sylvia anymore. I made that choice. I had to live with it. I would just have to keep my distance. Just move on, like she clearly had.

“Q? What’s the deal?” Reed questioned quietly from the doorway.

I knew I had to give him an answer. But what one do I give him?

I looked over at Reed. He had his hands raised above him, holding on to the top of the door frame. His face was a mix of irritation and confusion.

My gut told me that Reed was a good guy, that I could tel him about the mistake I made and beg for his help getting her back. While my mind

screamed at me that she had moved on, and not to make a big deal of this. In this case, the one that yel ed the loudest won out.

I shrugged, “Sylvia and I dated in high school, but we went our separate ways when we left for school.” Meanwhile my heart whispered that I stil

loved her.

He looked at me a moment longer before his face went livid. “You’re the asshole!” He stalked towards me and now I was worried. I threw up my

hands, not sure why he was so upset with me. “Don’t pretend to be innocent. You broke her heart. What are you doing here? Did you come here