This Is My Stop

We walked outside the art gallery, it was pouring rain. I looked at the sky dreading the fact I only had the cardigan on because I refused to bring a warmer jacket due to then fact I hated carrying extra weight in my bag. Frank was still inside making some calls to what seemed to be a band member.

"Loving the Jersey weather?", he said while he put his hands in his pockets and just stood behind me.
"I always dreamed of dying of hypothermia, I guess it'll happen soon", I said sarcastically while I still gave my back to him. I didn't want to look at him, the look and smirk he gave me put me out of my comfort zone, "It's such a poetic way of dying, shaking, having an agitated respiration. Almost sounds like sex".
I could feel how the tension between us rose, no one said anything for a while. There was just the sound of raindrops hitting the concrete floor and agitated respiration I had because of the cold. I felt him come a little closer, he smelled my hair and took his hands off his pockets.
"Do you dip yourself in vanilla or something?"
"Wha... Pardon me?"
"Your hair, it smells nice. Uhm... We should get going"
I felt a cold chill down my back, the way his voice sounded when he said that was just breath taking. it took me about a second to get back to reality.
"Yeah... About that... Look, I can't drink coffee".
"Why? Did I make you uncomfortable? I mean, I just smelled your hair because the wind blew a little into my face and you really smell good".
"Nah, chill, it's just I have this stomach problems. If I drink coffee I won't die but I'll feel very sick, just tea is fine".
"Oh, sure. Come, I'll show you my car"

We ran through the pasture of the gallery, there were just a couple of bushes of dark red roses. I just loved the way Gerard decorated everything inside and out, it looked so fancy and sophisticated yet dark and creepy looking. Half a block away was frank's car, it was a Delorean just like the one in the movie.
I couldn't hold my excitement while frank opened the door for me and gave me signals to get in.
He ran quickly across the car and got in.
"This is just... I love this car. I always dreamed of having one like this. Where'd you get it?"
He laughed and looked at me steadily, I was just sitting there mesmerised by the way his hair looked when wet. He rose his hand and took off my glasses gently with one hand, "Well, you see, Gerard's grandfather is Scottish so... We made some calls and He sent it from Scotland. I'm glad you liked it, I'm guessing you wonder if it flies or something", he was talking while he cleaned the raindrops from my glasses with his jacket, "It doesn't fly but I can turn the heat up, you seem to feel cold".
"Sure, that'd be lovely. I regret the fact I refused to bring a cozier jacket and just have this cardigan on.."
He smiled lightly and handed me my glasses.
"Thanks", I said while I touched his hand softly. He watched me put them on and studied the rest of my body. I could feel his eyes on top of me, "So..."
"Oh, sorry", I seemed to have interrupted a thought with my voice. He touched some buttons on the dash to turn the heat up,"let's got get some tea".
The engine roared overcoming the sound of raindrops hitting the roof.
"So, tell me, how old are you?", he said while having his eyes set on the road.
"I'm 19, in a few months I'm turning 20, hope I finish college by then. How old are you?"
"I'm 21, I dropped college to be a musician. I was in Rutgers but
that wasn't for me."
"I'm guessing you're in a band with Gerard, right?"
"No, you see, Gerard's band project is very recent. I don't think they had a gig yet, I heard them when they didn't have a drummer. They are finding their sound. I think next week they have to play in some record shop. My band's called Pencey Prep, we've been around for almost a year now but it's having some problems, I think my bass player is either into drugs or a new band. Anyway we're here."

He pulled up to a small coffee shop, I didn't really know Newark. I've been coming here for a couple of weeks but stayed on the safe spot, the gallery and train station. Frank opened the door for me and led me inside the shop.
"Go look for a table whilst I get our drinks, tea right?", he said eagerly.
I put my hands in my pockets looking for a 10, "Yeah, Earl Gray seems about right", I said while I handed him the bill.
"It's okay, my treat. You'll pay the next one. Go find a table, I'll be right there."

I walked hesitantly and found a table in the corner, it was a couch with dimmed lights. It was also, the only place available for two.
I sat on one end of the couch while I saw Frank waiting in line looking from one side to another. It was my chance to get a better look of him. He wasn't that tall, he was probably 5'4-5'5; was wearing black jeans, black flag shirt and a black hoodie that read S//C. His hair was long on the fringe but shorter on the other sides. I saw him turn back to see where I was sitting with drinks in his hands. He just smiled all the way over.
"Here you", he said while he sipped on his coffee before sitting down,"So, how come you live in Manhattan? What are you studying?"
"I'm in law school, transferred here for my last college year. It's been nice, I always dreaded the ambiance back home"
"Really? Why?"
"Well, I used to get bullied at school. As I child and teenager I looked very different than what I look right now. I was chubbier and probably weirder. College was just surrounded of the same people, shallow and judgmental."
Frank just looked at me as he tried to think what I looked like before. I wouldn't say I'm skinny, I would like to be skinnier. I'm just looking healthy now. I'm not pale but have white coloured skin, with a slight pink tone, light brown hair, brown eyes, about 2 inches shorter than Frank. I was wearing a misfits white shirt and that hideous blue cardigan with skinny black jeans and black converse.
"Well, if I would've been in your school I wouldn't bully you. You seem like a cool person, very intellectual I must add."
I was blushing slightly, "Haha, thanks. So, was Gerard right? Are you a prankster?"
He took a sip of his coffee and started laughing, "We'll, I just like to mess around with him and the guys in his band."
Our conversation was interrupted by my phone buzzing in my pocket.
"Sorry, have to get this", it was my ex boyfiriend calling all the way from Chile. From the sound in the background I could only assume he was drunk.
"Hello?"
"Aubrey, babe come back home I miss you. "
"Dude, you're drunk on a Monday..."
"I know but I just miss you and everything. Come on..."
I was really pissed off, Frank just sat in the table sipping on his coffee.
"Look, fuck face, I'm getting real tired of your shit. Either you stop calling or i'll change my number", I said while I hung up in a very violent way.
Frank had a worried yet scared look on his face, "Aubrey? Is everything okay?"
I put the phone on top of the coffee table in front of us and grasped my tea, "Yeah, it's just my ex boyfriend back home... I just feel tired of dealing with his shit again, I'm so far away and he keeps nagging me"
He was about to say something when my phone started buzzing again.
"Ugh, it's him again..."
"Do you mind if I answer?"
"Uhm... Sure, go ahead I guess...", I was freaking out, this guy I just met was going to face my ex boyfriend with whom I had a 3 year relationship.
"Hello?", said Frank. I couldn't hear the other end of the conversation but I guessed he was shocked not to hear me answer.
"It's his boyfriend, that's who. Leave her the fuck alone, I'm sick of you getting all worked up. She's over you man, get a grip of yourself. If I hear about you one more fucking time, I swear I'll hunt you down."

He handed me the phone and had a smirk on his face, "That'll do it", he looked at me while he sipped on the last bit of his coffee.
I was shocked, I just looked at him quietly; "Uhm... Thanks, that was... Something.."
"It's getting late, wanna go back to Manhattan?"
I just nodded and followed him back to the car.

The whole ride was silent, I fell asleep during the first half of the trip and woke up just when we were crossing the Hudson River.
"This is beautiful", I muttered.
"Oh, you're finally awake, we'll be there in about half an hour. I like the tattoo on your hip, by the way"
I came up in my seat and blushed lightly while I saw the tattoos on his arm. My shirt was slightly lifted, probably from curling up in his car.
"They're from a band here in Jersey, the Cellabration.".
"I know, I designed the logo, I actually work with them sometimes. It's awesome seeing my design on someone's skin", he winked at me and kept looking at the road; " In which part of Manhattan do you live?"
"I live in Lower Manhattan, between Bleecker and Crosby."
"Really? I live right around the corner. there's this black building on Bond street, 6 stories tall. Not too fancy but I love the neighbourhood." He looked at me briefly as we approached the city.
"I'm guessing you go to NYU, how is it?"
"As a matter of fact I do, it's nice. I love the open minded environment. It's like people embrace the weirdness." I said while I started looking through the window for familiar streets.
"Oh! On Crosby there's this modern art studio, it's sick. Have you been there?"
I jumped off my seat and leaned into him, "That's my building! Of course I've been there, they have some neat pieces there. I met Gerard there!"
He parked in front of my building. There was this awkward silence and tension, again.
"Thank you for driving me, I was having a crappy day. It turned out better than expected. "
"No prob, it was on my way home. Look, I'm sorry for what happened in the train, maybe you think I'm some kind of ass...", he said while he played with his phone in his hands.
"I did, you made up for it. Now you're just a cool guy who designed the tattoo on my hip, has one of the coolest cars ever made and... the one who answers my phone as my boyfriend."
"Forgot about that, it just made me upset knowing how much he disturbed you.", he said while he touched the back of his neck with his left hand.
"It's okay, I owe you one. I should get going... Got some essays to write", I grabbed my bag and looked for the door handle.
Frank grabbed my wrist and handed me his phone,"Since we live close and you owe me one... Could you type your phone number so we stay in touch?"
I gave him a seductive look and smirked, "Sure", started typing my name and number into his address book, "here you go".
He took his phone and put it on the dash, "Thanks, be careful it's starting to rain."
I had a hard time opening the door, he immediately opened his side and came around to help me get out. Grabbed my hand and pulled me close to him while he closed the door.
It was raining heavily, we stood there looking at each other's faces get wet. I could feel the smell of his cologne and coffee breath against my cheek. He nibbled on his lip ring and grabbed my waist.
"Thanks for everything Frank, I'll see you around", I said while I let him go.
"Take care, Aubrey", he said as he made his way back to the car.

Notes