New Twin Sized Bed

Disclaimer: I do not own twilight, or any songs by Death Cab For Cutie

Based on "Your New Twin Sized Bed"

I ran my hand along the edge of the slippery satins, the soft cotton pillow tops, and the ridiculously priced California kings with their beautiful, but unnecessary embroidery, it was a mattress after all and it would just get covered up my sheets, only to be seen every few weeks when the sheets were stripped to be washed, then it would just get covered up for another 4 weeks, only seeing the underside of the Egyptian cotton covering it.

I shook my head, banishing the thoughts of a king size bed, why would I need that when I already had a queen size bed that was too big, for my single pillow underneath my single head. I must have been staring at the expansive bed, because I felt a tap on my shoulder and spun around.

"Thinking of upgrading?"

"Huh?"

"Well you happen to be looking at one of our most lavish and comfortable beds in the store, you have a keen eye, are you thinking of upgrading to this kind of king size bed?"

I gave the salesman a flabbergasted look. "Umm no, downgrading actually. I'm looking for a new twin size bed"

His smile faded, and he shifted his feet uncomfortably, looking for a way out of the situation he had just jumped headfirst into.

"oh well, umm, we have some very nice twin sized beds too, why don't you follow me." he glanced around nervously before heading off in the direction of the twin beds.

The selection was limited to say the least, it seemed like no one had a twin anymore, only kids and college students, and even they had extra long twins, more room to stretch out I guess, not that I would be needing that, it was only me, I didn't need that extra mattress, it was only taking up space in my apartment, and in my mind. That unslept in side of the bed, only seemed to weigh on my mind every time I saw it, and just seemed to remind me of how I hadn't met someone to fill it, and probably never would, that is what the other side of the mattress said to me. It was also what my mother reminded me of, almost daily.

I must have been staring again, because when I snapped out of it I saw the salesman slowly inching his way away from me, I'm sure the depression of seeing a woman buying such a small bed was not worth the meager commission he would earn from closing my sale.

I laid down on a mattress, it seemed alright enough, plain beige color with the standard diamonds stitched into the top, it was nothing special, like my life. I always stuck to the same routine, wake up, eat cereal, get dressed, go to work, come home, and go to sleep. Well except for the past week, in which mattress shopping had been added to the routine. What I wouldn't do for something to change up my schedule, like pancakes, pancakes would be good.

I must have been staring at the ceiling this time, because I saw a hand wave in front of my face. I shifted my gaze slightly to the right, too see a girl only a few years younger than my 28. She was wearing the same mattress King polo as the previous sales person, but unlike him she seemed undeterred by my obvious bad mood, and depressing situation.

"Hey that's a really nice mattress, I'm sure your kid will love it!"

I sighed, "I don't have any children, its for me."

"Oh well, that's cool too! Are you decided on that one?"

"Actually no."

I stood up, grabbed my bag off the floor, and strode out of the Matress King, and got into my truck. I turned the key, and a roar came from the engine, I noticed it attracted a few surprised stares from passer bys, and I turned gaze downward, as not to meet their eyes.

I pulled up in front of my apartment building, where had the drive gone? Time seemed to run together when there was nothing to break up the monotony, and I was more and more often losing pockets of time, going through life on auto pilot.

I pressed the button for the elevator, and gazed at my reflection in the closed doors. Brown hair, brown eyes, sure they had flecks of gold in them, but they were still brown. Gray sweatshirt, black pants, tennis shoes. Nothing special there, I was nothing special. The doors glided open and my reflection disappeared, leaving me staring at the harsh reality the mirror at the back of the elevator provided, I looked away, I couldn't handle the realism of the mirror, only the slightly distorted one, the stainless steel had provided.

I heard someone calling to hold the elevator, but I had already pressed the number for my floor, and the doors were closing. I just didn't have the heart to try and stop what was already set in motion. I saw a flash of auburn hair, then the cold metal doors closed, sealing me alone in my solitude.

I flopped down on the bed, turning toward the door so I didn't have to see the empty space next to me, but I still knew it was there, I could feel its presence pressing on my back, the emptiness was overwhelming. I pushed myself up, grabbed my pillow and went into the living room, not looking back, I just couldn't bare the sight.

I slumped down onto the couch, shoving the pillow under my head, and burying my face in the back, taking in the scent of moth balls, mint and coffee. The couch had been my grandmothers, and even a year after her death it still held her familiar scent.

Tomorrow I would go buy the twin bed. I was sick of sleeping on the couch, but I couldn't deal with the queen, and its taunting. I had been saying this to myself every day for the past week, and every day I walked into a different mattress store, and walked out without buying.

Tomorrow would be the day. It was the last mattress store in town. It was my last hope. I feel asleep with my face still pressed into the back of the coach, and the tears silently falling.

I walked into Pillow Top, the last, and cheesiest mattress store I would go into this week. This time I had steeled my nerves before entering the store. I walked right into the twin section and started feeling the matresses, like I knew what I was doing. I fat balding man came up behind me.

"Can I help you?"

"Yes I would like a bed, just ring up your best twin, I don't care anymore."

He looked taken aback, but then steered me over to a mattress in the center of the section.

"This is the one I have, its marvelous!"

I gave him a strange look, and I thought I was the only one out there who had restorted to a twin mattress.

"I'll take it"

And there I was, I had just bought a mattress. Now there it was laying in the lobby of my apartment building at my feet. Oh the irony. I had bought a new mattress because I had no one to share one with, and now I had no one to help me carry the new mattress up to my 3rd floor apartment.

I sat down, crinkling the plastic covering my new small mattress. I dropped my head into my hands and began to cry.

"What's wrong beautiful?"

"Huh?"

"I said what's wrong, why are you sitting here on this little mattress crying?"

I wiped my eyes and looked up at the man talking to me. I took in the rumpled auburn hair, the charcoal gray hoodie and the tight jeans, finally drifting down to the black chucks laced loosely on his feet.

"Well I'm trying to carry it upstairs, but I don't have anyone to help me", I gasped out in between hiccups.

"I'll help you, but why isn't your boyfriend here doing that"

I mumbled something unintelligible that sounded like " no boyfriend".

He chuckled and bent down so we were eye level, and shot me an earth shattering grin.

"Ok , get up lets get this thing upstairs, you better not live on the 6th floor! Why do you need a twin size bed anyway? The apartments aren't that small!"

I cocked my head, to the side "you know what, I don't know why I need it either, I think my queen size bed is just right."

He shot my that heart stopping smile again, and dropped his end of the mattress.

"Thank god, I really wasn't looking forward that, except for the getting to see the inside of your apartment thing. Oh and just so you know, I know you are the girl who didn't hold the elevator for me", he narrowed his eyes, "and I think you owe me, plus this way I'll get to spend more time with you". The mocking look left his face and he smirked.

My mouth dropped open, here was a heart wrenchingly beautiful man confessing his interest in me over my new twin sized mattress.

"You know what I don't know what I was thinking."

"What would that be?" He winked.

"Why would I want a bed that small?"

A smile broke across his face, and his eyes lit up.

"Exactly my thought."

Then he grabbed my hand and pulled me toward the door.

I ginned, how had I gone from buying a twin size bed to being pulled out onto the sun soaked sidewalk by a man I had never met before today, who was already infatuated with me.

He stopped pulling on my arm, yanking me along behind him, and turned around, with a puzzled look on his face.

"Just one question, do you like pancakes?"

I nodded my head vigorously then turned around to look through the glass of the door to our apartment building. There was the bed, still sitting all wrapped up in that blue semi transparent plastic, and all I could think was I hope I can get my money back. Then I felt my arm being wrenched out of the socket, and all I could do was laugh.