FicWad

As soon as the door to my apartment was open, the boys made themselves comfortable without my gesture. I stood at the kitchen bar counter, observing their expressions as they took everything in. Pete had taken the liberty of venturing down the hallway and before he could get too far I dashed after him while Joe remained in the living room, looking at my movie selection.

“Where are you going?” I asked, slightly paranoid. Pete shrugged and pushed his hands into his pockets before swaying up onto his tippy-toes.

“You can always judge somebody by their bedroom,” he paused in thought. “Or at least I think that’s how the saying goes.”

He shook his head to himself before freeing a hand from a pocket and reaching towards the door handle. Quickly however, I acted against him and wedged myself between him and the door handle, placing one hand on the knob and another in front of me.

“You can’t just expect me to let you in there, Pete.” I explained, even more panicked than before. “I barely know you…” I felt my eyebrows crease in worry and then flatten at his response.

“Well if you show me yours, I’ll show you mine,”

Pete pursed his lips as soon as it came out and for a moment he was able to keep back laughter until it burst through, almost affecting me as well. Nonetheless, I didn’t budge, even when I heard Joe mumbling something about Star Wars in the distance.

“I’m not letting you in, no matter what. This is my room,” I was about to come up with a long list of excuses when Pete rolled his eyes and leaned forward and placed a rather pressing kiss on my lips, dumbfounding me.

“I thought we weren’t allowed to hit on you!” I suddenly pushed Pete away from me and realized that the kiss had actually lasted longer than my brain should’ve allowed. I franticly turned towards Joe who was standing near us with an amused expression. I raised both hands to my face and shook my head, confused by what was going on.

“He wasn’t…” I stopped and then realized, as all the logic of life came back to me, that I had been tricked.

Turning around, I found my door wide open and Pete walking into my bedroom. Joe walked past my frozen stature and simply laughed at my face. I was flabbergasted as I followed him as well and stared hopelessly at Pete who was laughing to himself at my expression as well, and scratching the back of his neck.

“She’s right Joe,” he let a grin devour his face. “I wasn’t hitting on her; I just thought she could use a good kiss.”

Joe’s face beamed with recognition of his reference and was about to congratulate him with a high five when I stepped in and slapped Pete just hard enough to sting his ego.

“The only time I would ever willingly kiss you, was if you really were Harrison Ford dressed as Han Solo!” I pointed my fingers at both of them. “And there will be no more Star Wars quotes unless they are coming from me, capish?” Joe’s eyes widened before he nodded.

“Kapoosh,” I smiled and fell to my bed, it bouncing as I landed on it. I leaned back at looked back up at Pete and he smiled lightly and tilted his head slightly.

“Sorry Princess.”

I cocked an eyebrow and he made the smart choice of not snickering at his own joke. Suddenly though, his arm reached past me and for a moment I thought there was going to be another trick-kiss. As he pulled back however, I saw that he had plucked the framed picture from my nightstand and was now examining it intently. I gulped and scooted a smidge closer to see that it was the only picture I kept that was of my family. Pete’s eyes froze for a moment and he glanced up at me before looking back down and tilting his head, confused.

“That’s… not you,” he concluded, pointing at Beverly. I smiled solemnly and shook my head.

“She’s my twin…” I answered for him. Joe turned around at this and looked around at my room obviously decorated for one.

“It doesn’t look like you have a twin…” he commented.

I lifted my shoulders up and out of reflex let my legs tuck under each other on my bed. Silently, I breathed out before scrutinizing my jaw to the side in nervousness.

“That’s because she’s dead.” I mumbled.

Pete and Joe both widened their eyes and instantly they turned silent, their eyes taking on a very solemn glaze.

“Sorry.” Pete muttered and quickly, he placed the photo back to my nightstand. I shrugged and offered a forced smile.

“I kind of always ruin the moment with that comment.” My voice trailed and I stood up, wanting to observe my room as well, as weird as that sounded.

“Don’t worry about it Ev,” Joe stopped next to me and peered at the map I had hung on the bigger wall of my bedroom. “You’re not from Chicago are you?” he asked.

I slowly shook my head and looked down at the pile of postcards I had yet to pin to the poster. Smiling, I picked up the first one and a thumbtack to match.

“Arizona, born and raised,” I answered, pushing the card to the small dot that represented the desert’s capital. Joe raised an eyebrow at the picture that was taped to the small piece of mail.

“Who’s that?” he asked.

“A good friend of mine,” I paused. “Ashley. She’s the only one who really knows I’m out here,”
Joe nodded and continued to stare at the map and the picture as I moved back to where Pete was still sitting on the edge of my bed. I leaned on one leg and crossed my arms.

“What?” I inquired. He shook his head and simply smiled, placing his arms behind him and leaning back.

“How old are you, Evie?” he asked.

“Eighteen.” I answered quickly. Joe turned around at this and instantly pouted.

“You mean to tell me I’m the youngest, again?” he moved to glance back at the map. “I hate being the only one in high school,”

I laughed shortly and landed back on my bed next to Pete.

“Ashley is still in high school,” I mentioned. Joe’s eyebrows perked up.

“How old is she?” he asked. I pursed my lips together.

“Uhh… seventeen.” I mumbled. Joe’s eyes flattened and he fell into the bean bag I had in the corner of my room.

“God damn it.” He breathed. I turned back to Pete.

“How old are you?”

“Twenty one,” he stopped as my eyes widened. “Yeah, don’t ask me why I have a sixteen year old as a best friend,”

I laughed and shook my head at the two before thinking of another question.

“Ok. Last names, just for clarification.” I decided to start first. “Wenz,”

“Trohman!” Joe announced proudly before whipping his head back at me and raising a quizzical eyebrow. “Wait… what was yours?” he asked. I leaned back slightly, and noticed the same look of confusion mixed with astonishment coming from Pete.

“Uhh,” I gulped nervously. “Wenz,” I repeated.

Pete laughed shortly and shook his head.

“How do you spell that?” he leaned towards me eager for my response.

“W-E-N-Z” I spoke. Another laugh escaped him and he moved back to where he was.

“Mine is practically the same, just put a‘t’ after the ‘n’!”

I widened my eyes in amazement and simply shook my head.

“Well that just makes it an even smaller world,” I whispered.

Joe grinned wide and allowed himself to pull me up from my mattress and squish me into his chest for a hug. I smiled to myself and wrapped my arms around his torso, accepting it.

“We are going to be the best of friends, you know that, Ev?” he proclaimed. I was about to respond when another body slammed into my back, arms wrapping around both me and Joe.

“And there is not much you can do about it,” Pete mentioned. I cranked my head to see his face. “We know where you live,”

I took that as well as I could and closed my eyes in contempt. At least Chicago wouldn’t be so lonely anymore.