Sample Sunday - I'm Asking

Last one, hopefully.*fingers crossed*Unedited. Subject to change. Enjoy! :) I pushed off the wall, and was about to head for the stairs where her door suddenly opened, and she peeked out.“Hey…” she said, in a tone that just seemed… off. “I am… so sorry. I got back from seeing Zion off, and I just…” she shook her head as her words trailed off, and I stepped up to the door, putting myself right in front of her. The usual light was missing from her eyes this morning, and they were glossy and red.I frowned.  “You got back from seeing Zion off, and… what?”  She different offer any resistance when I pushed past her to get in the door, which was relieving. I wasn’t sure what it was, I just… felt like I needed to be in there.She shrugged off my question, and closed the door, then just kind of stood there, looking at me. I raised an eyebrow at her, and she raised hers right back, with a questioning lift of her hand. “What?”“What do you mean, what?” I took a few steps toward her, and she backed up, which caught me off guard. “We had plans, but your whole energy is off, and now you’re backing away like you don’t want me touching you. Are you gonna tell me what’s going on?”“There’s nothing going on,” she said, wrapping her arms around herself protectively, and I scoffed.“Man, here you go with the bullshit again. Didn’t we already talk about this? If you’ve got some shit going on, and you don’t want to talk about it, whatever. You can just say that, but don’t do that “I’m fine” stuff when you’re obviously not.”Her face scrunched up at me, and she shook her head. “Like you fuckin’ care.”“I’m fuckin’ asking,” I shot back, which seemed to piss her off.Brandi’s crossed arms went from protective to defiant, and her weight shifted to one side. “Then here you go – nothing is going on, like I said. I just want to cry, okay? I got Zion off to school, and I came back in here, and I just felt… heavy. I don’t feel happy, even though I don't have anything to not be happy about, but you can’t explain that to people cause they want to talk about happiness being a choice and some other hippy-dippy crap that don’t nobody care about. All I know is how I feel, and I… felt like crying. Felt like d—” she caught herself from continuing her rant, and shook her head. “Look… I’m sorry, okay? Sorry that my… whatever this is, messed up your booty call. My bad.”I shrugged. “Nah, B. You’re good.”I could tell she hadn’t realized she was crying again by her reaction to the tears that suddenly dripped onto her arm. Her eyes flew to me first, obviously embarrassed, and then she took off down the hall, scrubbing her face with her hands.Shit.I definitely hadn’t come over here expecting this.A deep sigh pressed out from my lungs as I dropped to a seat on her couch, then swiped a hand over my face. I’d seen Brandi go off before – the night I came to her place that first time, as a matter of fact. But I’d never seen her go quite like this.“You’re still here,” I heard from behind me a few moments later. I looked up to see Brandi standing at the entrance to the hall, arms folded, but the flash of anger from before was gone. Now she just seemed… melancholy.I stood up, pushing my hands into my pockets. “Is that your way of telling me to leave?”Her lips parted, and shifted in her position against the wall. “I just… I figured that my little spazz out just then… I figured you’d hightail it out of here at first chance.”My shoulders came up, then dropped. “Do you want me to leave?”Her gaze dropped, and her teeth appeared, scraping over her top lip as she subtly shook her head. Struggling with her answer. But then she looked up, and gave me a clear, “No.”“Aiight, then… I’m good.”