Longing Glances

Orange haze consumes me, I feel it all around me. Slowly drifting my body in no particular direction, suspending me in my uncontrollable yet blissful state. I close my eyes, lost in the thoughtlessness of my mind, bringing my psyche to a complete halt. Leaving my senses at the mercy of my ever eluding friend, my orange haze. Then all at once I gasp, bursting my eyes open in search of the source of the soft wafting scent that awoke my senses from there unconscious slumber. My eyes raking through the seemingly never ending miasma of orange, desperate in their search. Frantically pushing through my ever thickening haze, still searching. My lungs begin to burn for air as I continue deeper. Chasing the scent that brought me out of my nothing, moving full force into my haze. Suddenly I am pressed back, no longer able to breathe, surrounded by the beauty that is this scent, and in that moment I have my first full and conscious thought "What a marvelous way to die".

My body shoots up as I awake, lungs heaving as though id decided to take a nap underwater. Becoming aware of my bearings I realize I am in my room. The gray of the morning coming in through my window, putting a gentle glow on what little decorations I have. I glance knowingly to the corner of my room and see Claudia watching me. She looks worried so I give her a half hearted smile, she returns it with a slight frown and I can literally feel the lecture that she is about to give me. "You really scare me sometimes Ashley" I scoff and slowly begin to step out of bed. "Yea well sometimes I scare myself" smirking and crossing my eyes at her as I look into my mirror. Frowning and fussing with the tips of her hair "I don't know how you can think waking up every morning like that is ok to joke about. I mean I'm your girlfriend and it scares me how you can be in the deepest of sleeps with me here next to you then suddenly I need to jump out of be just so I don't get hurt by one of your thrashing limbs. But then twenty minutes later you can wake up, chipper as ever and completely unaware that you spent all of that time thrashing and screaming. You know its just-". My ears perk up "I was screaming?" She gives me a crazed look as though I should know "Yes you were screaming! I thought you were being killed in your dream or something. You should really go.." I tune her out as I enter my closet in search of clean clothes.

"Hmmm" I wonder where my black…. ahh yes there they are, my favorite black jeans. I throw them on with my purple panda t-shirt and black and purple vans and I all set. I take a quick glance in the mirror, shake my curls around, making sure they are just messy enough. I am actually feeling good about today, don't ask me why I just have a good feeling. I look pretty decent today, I am such a secret badass. I peek out of the closet, only to see Claudia still going on to herself about what I "need" to do and decide if I don't stop her now she might burst. "Hey babe can you give me a ride to school? I don't really feel up to driving right now" I pout a bit and look convincing. Immediately brought out of her thoughts she smiles "I would love to" I smile back and pretend to fix my hair in the mirror. I try and avoid long periods of eye contact when it comes to Claudia, she takes it as a sign to confess her deep and undeniable love for me and everything about me. And quite honestly that's a lot to take in before 9 am. Don't be mislead though, I truly do love her. She is sweet and though a bit bossy she has good intentions so I smile and bear through it.

Tired of "fixing" my hair I turn and smile as I realize she's been watching me this whole time. Closing the distance between where we each stood I kiss her cheek as she wraps me into her arms. "Your so adorable you know that Ashley?" I smirk "haha I try". I quickly kiss each of her lips and leave the room. Not because I didn't want to have a make out session or anything I am just running late.

Soon enough we are on our way, I hold Claudia's hand as she drives, all the while I stare out the window into the orange glow of the L.A. morning. As she enters the parking lot I pull myself out of my stare and turn to her and smile. "Thanks for the ride babe" I give her a small kiss "ill see you later right?" I ask somewhat hopefully. "No, remember its Thursday I have afternoon classes today so your on your own, but ill try and swing by later tonight ok?" the joys of having a college girlfriend. I look to her "sure thing, I love you" and I am out of the car by the time she can rush out the "I love you too".

Let me know what you think, I have been concocting this one for a while so I want to know if I should post the other chapters I have.

-A