“mouth breathing”

“You know it’s been like five days,” she paused to give him entry to the conversation but as always he misses the cue.  Her stare is a silent but pointed prod.  Emerald irises shrink as her pupils expand at high-speed.  Her eyes have always transfixed him, they shift so quickly like a crazy cartoon cat.

“Do you want to break up?” She cuts to the chase since the conversation is going nowhere.

“No” he says.  She examines and dissects the one word shot through with multiple layers.  It was emphatic, clear, and decisive.  There was no trace of conflicted emotions but definitely a quality of surprise, maybe even a whisper of annoyed disbelief.  How could he be perplexed?  He hadn’t stayed over during midterms or the weeks leading up to them.  His last mid-term was five days, a girl had to wonder.

“No. It’s just… I’m still catching up on my sleep” he finished lamely.  He couldn’t tell her she sounded like a congested bulldog when she slept.  He dove in for a kiss as diversion.

8 min @ the desk, 3.14.15; inspired by a comment remembered while battling the flu