Just a Day in Paradise.
By Lisa Sawyer
I smiled as I felt something softly touching my hair. I figured it was my cat trying to tell me he was there to tell me it was time to give him love. He was always so affectionate like that, although his love was usually accompanied by shrieking cries to ensure i actually got up to cater to him. After all cats are the masters and we humans were merely lovable pawns. I
“Not now... just a few more minutes” I told him groggily. I had decided not to go to class due to the fact that I felt like I had the flue. When I had gotten up that morning at my usual 6:30am alarm, I had discovered that I had quite a high fever. My throat had been engulfed in flames and I knew instantly I did not have the motivation to go to classes. With a heavy hand I cut off my second alarm, the one at 7:30. I had strategically set that alarm as a back up in case i didn't actually get up with the first one. I felt movement at my side and figured that i might as well acknowledge the impatient feline. Groaning weakly, I reached my hands out slowly to try and find him. Through my eyelids I could see faint glimmers of light and...a shadow that was too big to be my cat.
“good morning,” I heard a beautiful voice croon as I slowly opened my eyes. The drapes were drawn so only little rays of the morning sunlight shown through. I looked up to see the smiling face of my girlfriend; her kind brown eyes danced as she stroked my hair with gentle hands. I looked over my head at my alarm clock whose bright green message read: 10:30. I smiled sleepily, then bolted up, wide awake. The movement making my head swim almost instantly.
“what are you doing here? I thought you had class and then work?” I asked in surprise. She nodded as I spoke but only smiled wider, a sweet yet mischievous pixie smile. My cat hopped on the bed next to me and looked at her expectantly, apparently wanting an explanation why she was in his spot.
“I decided to call in 'sick' today for work, Ashley said she would cover my shift. As for class.... I can always call a friend for the notes I missed today. I figured since you weren't feeling well, and I know how you get when you're sick, i'd be 'sick' too.”She winked at me and kissed my forehead. Then she giggled and said with bright eyes, “what do you want to do today love?”But she already knew the answer.
When I get sick I always want to do the same three things; cuddle, snuggle, and watch movies. Crawled into bed with me, she gathered me against her and said that coffee was brewing in the kitchen. I could already smell it wafting into the room as I breathed her in. Snuggling closer to her, I sighed contently. I was so comfortable that I must have dozed off, despite the scent of my favorite caffeinated beverage calling to me.
About an hour or so later, both of us still in out pajamas with mugs of coffee in our hands, were together on the couch. We had decided to watch my favorite Disney movie first. I love how she nurtures my inner child, I thought amazed by how lucky I was. As if reading my mind she looked at me, her eyes playful, and stuck her tongue out at me, scrunching up her nose in the process. I giggled, scooted closer to her, and got ready to watch the movie. I always loved “Disney's Peter Pan". I loved how it took me away from the world of grown ups with bills and work and college classes; loved how it could make me feel like a little girl again. She could do all that as well, only she made me feel like a child and a woman at the same time.A walking paradox, which was perfect because that described her as well. She was intelligent and incredibly gifted at most things, but unless she was required to use her brilliant mind, she was the biggest air head I had ever had the pleasure of knowing.
While we watched the frisky Peter Pan fly around, our toes wrestled at the edge of the blanket. I became victorious, managing to pinch the fabric and pull it away from her foot. I looked over at her, not expecting her to already be looking at me with her devilish smile, and saw what she was planning. I giggled, knowing she had decided to have a tickle attack. While I squirmed around, trying to hold off her limber fingers, she pulled me closer and kissed me. Just a playful peck, but it filled me with butterflies and I blushed. I protested, half out of not wanting to get her sick and half out of embarrassment at blood rushing to my face.
She laughed as she stroked my hot cheeks and turned back to the movie. I could feel her kind gaze several times throughout the movies, but kept my eyes glued to the movie hopefully making her think I wasn't paying attention. Although, I was fairly sure she was doing the same thing when I looked at her. I could see her mouth move into a tiny smile every time my eyes lingered for more than a second. It was almost like one of the cliche scenes from a romantic comedy.
When the movie finished, she scooted off the sofa, much to my whining dismay, and went to the fridge. When she sauntered back to me she carried a bag of grapes, a box of crackers, some sliced cheese, and some hershey's kisses. I looked at her with raised eyebrows. She winked, set everything down and pulled out a grape. She herself seemed to have stuffed a handful of them into her mouth. I laughed and when she had finally managed to swallow them all stuck her tongue out at me again.
“Say ahhh” she said, grinning when I opened my mouth. The grape was sweet and cold, a refreshing change to my overheated body.
“Whats next,” I asked her, “movies, you, and now this? Boy I am being spoiled today.” I kept my gaze on her pretty face, loving how the light in the room reflected off her chocolate eyes.
“Of coarse. I want to make you feel all better. I hate it when you get sick... although, I don't mind the extra time with you,” she winked. As she popped in “The Phantom of the Opera” I scooted into her spot on the couch. She turned and laughed, warning that she would sit on me. I stuck my tongue out at her and she shook her head, sitting on my lap. I wrapped my arms around her as she leaned against me; I could feel any tension she had melt away from her. We sat like this for over half the movie, eating grapes here and crackers with cheese there.
Feeling slightly better and a bit more lively after eating something, I playfully bit her shoulder. This was greeted by a laugh. I loved her laugh, it reminded me of bells ringing. She shook her head and bopped me on the nose, wagging her finger in a mock scolding fashion.
“Shame on you” she said whimsically, “you're missing the best part.”
I rolled my eyes and watched as Roul and Erik, the phantom, fought in the graveyard. I slowly began to close my eyes, her warmth and the sound of music lulling me to sleep. With my eyelids barely cracked I felt her move. Then a soft pressure as her lip touched mine. I smiled as I fell into a comfortable, blissful darkness.
Suddenly yanked from my blissful slumber by a loud unpleasant sound I looked around confused. I was in my bed. I felt groggy and confused, looking at the clock it read 7:30 a.m. I grimaced as my head began to pound with the rhythm of the alarm.
I looked around the dark room, my mind dazed from sleep. It took me a moment to focus on the exact location of the wretched machine. I shivered as I wiggled my fingers and toes to wake up the rest of my limbs. I was covered in a thin layer of sweat, I could taste sleep on my tongue, and my cat was wrapped around where my head had been. His accusing yellow eyes looked into mine, as I realized, it had been a dream. He didn't appreciate being woken up anymore than I did.
Hitting snooze I groaned and tried to go back to sleep, wanting to feel her touch, to hear her laugh. But ten minutes the alarm went off again, telling me to get up and get ready for class. I wiped the crust out of my eyes, pulling on sweat pants and a hoodie, and got my things for class. Slowly but surly I accumulated everything and made my way to the door. Cursing the cold weather outside I cast one more longing look at my bed, and walked out. The only thing that made going to class when I was sick bearable was that I knew I would see her there.
She was the girl who sat next to me in my creative writing class. Pixie-like and playful, she always had a smile on her face. I smiled, imagining what she might be wearing today. Her eclectic style always fascinated me. I recalled the time i made a remark about one of her poems and she had smiled at me. One day she would smile at me, but in the same way that she smiled in my dreams. I decided, when I got over this cold, I would introduce myself to her. I would finally strike up a conversation, and not chicken out. I would make that dream of paradise into a reality. I nodded in determination, which released a fit of sneezes. Sighing, I sniffled, coughed, and set out for class.
