All Blunders

"Where are you going?" The taxi driver asks.

Downtown. "Uptown." I mutter as he starts to drive.

Uptown. "Downtown..." I correct myself. The taxi driver nods and goes downtown.

"Doing anything special?" The driver asks. I sigh, I've always hated small talk.

You're avoiding your ex-boyfriend. "I'm meeting my boyfriend." I think over these eighteen years that I could talk. I've gotten the hang of my curse. Then again just a few minutes ago I said uptown because I thought I'd say downtown. My thoughts and sentences don't form the way they should.

The taxi driver nods as his hand seems to warp; his fingers fuse together. I stare as his fingers separate and she stares at me through the rearview mirror. "Sorry." He says awkwardly. "It's...my curse."

I nod, everyone has a curse. Here is not none of the...? "Where did all...?" The taxi driver smiles. Blessing. "Curse."

"I think there was a car accident." The taxi driver says, I nod. "So, what's your curse?"

I ponder how to explain it. Synonym. "Antonym." I say almost as confused as the driver.

His eyes narrow I debate whether he is going to give up or try to figure out what I mean. "Opposite?" I nod, at least that part of things is helpful. The taxi driver turns off the car. "We're gonna be here for a while." He rolls down the windows, I inhale the fumes from the cars around us, though many of them are being turned off too. "So, opposite of what?"

Nothing. "Something?" I say, unsure of how it can be explained.

The driver smiles. "The opposite of something..." The taxi driver says. He tilts his head trying to figure out what I mean. "You, say the opposite of...what you mean?" I nod and laugh a bit. He figured it out. "That explains why you said uptown when you meant downtown." I nod.

"I'm going to get out." The diver says after a few minutes. I eventually get out realizing how hot it was in the car. I inhale the fresh air that I hadn’t had access to. The taxi driver pulls the sleeves of his sweatshirt over his hands. I notice how seemingly young he is compared to most taxi drivers. I stand next to him at the front of the car.

I listen to the cars at the front of traffic honking and every so often there are faint shouts from angry people. “I’m Dyrk.” The taxi driver says.

Light. “Dark?” I ask, Dyrk nods.

You “I…” Dyrk stares at me with clear and crisp blue eyes. I sigh. Hate? “Love?”

Dyrk chuckles in a low octave. “Love.” Dyrk says amused, my eyes go wide, my cheeks heat up.

No! “Yes!” I cover my mouth to keep myself from saying anything else. One mishap is common. Maybe I misspeak once a day, but all these blunders? It’s not fair!

Dyrk turns to me. “I’d rather it be Love than Hate.” He says in a low soothing voice. “Your name means hate?” I nod, Dyrk shakes his head. “Your parents suck.”

Light. “Dark.” I say jabbing a finger into his side. Dyrk laughs in a melody as he sways away. I move closer to him not comprehending that he’ll come back. When Dyrk does sway back into place, I feel his body pressed against mine. My face heats up once again and I attempt to pull away from him.

“I like you here.” Dyrk says, wrapping his arm around my waist. I stay in his side, feeling his warmth.

Ex-boyfriend. “Boyfriend.” I remind him, Dyrk rolls his eyes.

“I wish.” Dyrk mutters I sigh trying to find the cold air that had first hit me when I left the taxi.

You wish. “I…” I sigh and rest my head against his chest.

“Love, how old are you?” Dyrk asks. I sigh again, that’s a question I can’t answer. That’s why I started dating Harris. We grew up together, he answered these questions. “I can guess.” I nod and lift my head from Dyrk’s chest. His arm is still around my waist so I can’t move that far away from him. I stare at his face only a few inches from mine.

Dyrk’s eyes narrow at me. “One?” He asks, I laugh at him. “Eighteen?” I feel Dyrk tense as I shake my head. “Sixteen?” I scrunch my eyebrows and shake my head. “No, older?” I nod. “Older than eighteen?” I nod, Dyrk relaxes and exhales in relief. “Okay, good. Twenty?” Dyrk asks, I hold up one finger. “Twenty-one?” I nod. “Okay, I’m twenty-six.” I nod again, resting my head against his chest again.

Hot. “Cold.” I say squirming into his chest more. Dyrk wraps both of his arms around me. The sun starts to set as the cars start up again.

“You want to go back in the car, Love?” Dyrk asks, I shake my head. I want to stay like this with him for as long as possible. “You can sit in the front with me.” I shake my head again, wrapping my arms around his neck. I need to be closer to him. “Okay, Love.”

Love? “Hate?” I say, I stare up at him. I feel his hand warp, going flat against my waist. I wonder how often it happens. Not all curses are constant like mine.

“Love.” Dyrk confirms kissing my forehead.

More. “Less.” I say, not even bothering to correct myself.

Dyrk stares at me in the darkness dimly lit by the headlights around us. “More?” Dyrk asks, shocked. I nod and stand up straighter as he pulls me flush against him.

Dyrk presses his lips to mine in a soft and gentle kiss. He holds me close with both arms wrapped around my waist. I tangle my hands in his short blond hair as the kiss deepens. We break the kiss panting for much needed air.

“Let’s get back in the car, Love.” Dyrk says, he twists a strand of my hair around his finger before I nod. Dyrk places a hand on the small of my back and leads me to the passenger seat of the taxi.

He gets in the car again with the taxi sign and throws it into the back seat. Ignoring my confusion as he starts the car. He continues his route downtown stopping in front of the restaurant I tell him to.

“You like sushi?” Dyrk asks with a disgusted look on his face. I shake my head almost as disgusted.

Boyfriend. “Ex-boyfriend.” I mutter.

Dyrk sighs and presses his head against the seat. “If only.” He mutters. I kiss his cheek not liking how upset he is. Dyrk sighs and turns to me with dull blue eyes. “Bye, Love.” I shake my head.

Stay. “Leave.” I almost whisper. Dyrk stares at me for a while before nodding. I get out of the car. When I close the door I see Harris’ sister, Lilah. She stares at me with crossed arms. My eyes widen as I look at the car clearly seeing Dyrk in the driver’s seat deep in thought. I turn to Lilah in panic.

She rolls her eyes and hugs me. “I’m glad you found someone else. I don’t like the way Harris treats you.” Lilah says, she turns to walk into the sushi restaurant. I follow her, seeing Harris and his parents inside at a table. Harris rushes to me as Lilah walks to greet her parents.

“Atgas!” Harris says, he hugs me. “Marry me!” Harris shouts, I stare at him on one knee with a small box in his hands. Inside the box is a glistening, large diamond ring. Lilah stares at him eyes wide, their parents are smiling.

No!  “Yes!” I say, Harris’s eyes narrow as the strangers in the restaurant cheer. Panic floods me once again as Harris ignores my decision. He allows the strangers to believe I actually said yes.

“She said yes.” Harris says getting up, his parents are almost as happy as him. I stare at Lilah frozen in places, she’s the only other person not happy about this. Harris leans in to hug or kiss me, I don’t know. I don’t care.

I back away from Harris as I push him away. Yes. “No.” I finally manage to say, the cheering dies down.

“What?” Harris says, tilting his head to the side.

Yes. “No.” I repeat.

“No, what?” Harris says as the look in his eyes darkens.

I back up more, bumping into someone. “No, she won’t marry you.” I look up to see Dyrk behind me. I stay against him. “She’s allowed to change her mind, isn’t she?” Dyrk asks, his blue eyes narrowed and icy. I turn to Lilah; her eyes are still wide but now she’s smiling.

“Of course, she is.” Harris’s mother says she pulls Harris towards her. I watch as they back up to their table then his mother scolds him. Harris glares at Dyrk and me.

“Come on, Love.” Dyrk leads me out of the restaurant and to his car. I turn to him not fully knowing why. “Love.” Dyrk says smirking, I feel my face flush and hear my heartbeat faster.

Lyte. “Dyrk.” I say wrapping my arms around his neck.

Dyrk laughs. “I love how you must remember that.” Dyrk says, kissing my forehead. After a few seconds he cups my face and presses his lips to mine. He breaks the kiss and opens the car door for me. I try to figure out what Lilah meant. I don’t like the way he treats you, she had said. Harris didn’t treat me badly. I mean he almost forced me to marry him but that seems to be it.

Harris always answered questions and never really talked to me. He never asked me questions I couldn’t answer, though. But Dyrk does and he even tries to guess the answer! Dyrk somehow figured out the way I speak and how my curse works! 

Dyrk parks on the street of an apartment complex. I watch as he gets out of the car and walks to the other side and opens my door. I get out and smile at his annoyance kissing his cheek. Dyrk smiles and I notice a dimple on his left cheek. I poke it and his smile grows bigger as he laughs.

“Okay, Love. Come on.” Dyrk takes my hand and pulls me to the lobby of the complex. “You’re going to stay with me?” I nod and wrap Dyrk’s hand in both of mine. Dyrk exhales shakily, where else would I stay?

After high school Harris moved me into an apartment with him. His parents paid for it. The elevator dings open to a floor, I follow Dyrk to a door as he takes his keys out. “Okay, I’m going to shower. You’re welcome to join me, Love.” I blush before giggling hysterically. No one’s ever said that to me before. Dyrk smiles and kisses my forehead before walking to the end of the hall and opening the door.

I wander around the living room glancing over the kitchen area. There’s a glass sliding door leading to a balcony. Still, it's not a good idea to go out into the Chicago night. I glance over the novels on the bookcase, some are about poetry and historical events. Others are autobiographies. I flip through one before setting it on the shelf and wandering around the apartment again. I open the closet with the sliding doors, I hate those doors considering I always get confused on how to open them.

When I do I see a washer and dryer, next to the dryer is a five tier shelf. One has laundry detergents and fabric softeners, the higher two shelves have boxes. The shelf under the detergents has some folded clothes. The bottom one has throw blankets and sheets. I manage to close the doors and open the door on the other side of the hall. It’s dark and cold in the room.

I glance at the wall mounted TV seeing dust on it. I walk over to the nightstand after turning on the light and see dust on it too. The bed is big but not as big as the one with Harris. The apartment and everything with Harris always had to be big and grand. Dyrk’s apartment is comfortable even in this cold and dusty room that doesn’t seem to be used, I feel comforted.

“Love?” Dyrk says from the doorway of the room. I sit on the bed and reach out to him. He sits on the bed next to me and places the towel he was using to dry his hair next to him. He smiles as I sit in his lap. “Do you like it here?” I nod and point at the dusty nightstand. Dyrk sighs. “Yeah, I haven’t been in here for a while.”

How long? “I know, short?” I ask, Dyrk laughs and kisses my forehead.

“I don’t know, Love.” I mostly sleep on the couch.

Dirty. “Clean.” I say pointing at the nightstand.

“I know.” Dyrk says, I narrow my eyes at him. “Oh, you mean like…clean now?” I nod. Dyrk nods and gets a smaller towel, he wipes down the TV and the nightstand and the lamp on the nightstand. I change the sheets on the bed not knowing just how dirty they could be. I follow Dyrk to the closet as he starts to wash the sheets. I hop onto the dryer and wait for him to finish what he’s doing.

Dyrk pecks my lips. “You’re adorable.” I blush as he reaches into the shelf of clothes. He pulls out black sweatpants and a t-shirt. “You can put that on if you want to be more comfortable.” I nod and hop off the dryer walking into the bathroom. I trace a smiley face onto the fogged mirror before changing.

Blind. “See.” I say, Dyrk turns from the lamp of the nightstand to me. He smiles as I wave my hands around in the oversized shirt and baggy sweatpants.

“Adorable.” Dyrk says, he goes back to changing the lightbulb of the lamp. Once he’s done he sits on the bed next to me. “Are you hungry? We could have pizza.” I nod as Dyrk gets his phone from the nightstand. I don’t bother to check mine knowing the only people that messaged me were Harris and Lilah. Dyrk turns on the TV and puts on a movie he plays with my hair as we wait for the pizza.