I Never Told You What I Did for a Living
Night Cap
I tossed and turned that night, well aware that I was keeping Gerard awake as well, but unable to stop. I was beginning to regret not packing a bag. For some reason, Gerard's shirt wasn't as comfy as I remembered. Maybe it wasn't the shirt that was bothering me, maybe it was something else.
I heard a sigh from behind my back and I rolled over again.
"What's wrong?" I asked, seeing Gerard gazing at the ceiling.
"Funny, I was going to ask you the same thing."
"Am I keeping you up? Sorry."
"Don't be sorry. You have a reason to be upset. You want to talk about it?"
"Maybe later. I just... I wish she understood, you know?"
"Maybe she does, in some weird way. What do you think she meant when she was talking about her bad relationship with her mom?"
I shrugged. "I never knew my grandmother. Mom never talked about her, and she died when I was little. I think it was from an aneurism or something, but I'm not really sure. Dad never mentioned anything, either. Maybe I should ask him sometime."
"So what are you going to do now?"
"I guess I'll do exactly what I was planning to before. I'll finish school and then I'll come here. Unless..." I let the sentence trail off, my mind spinning in my sleep-deprived state.
"Unless what?" he persisted.
"Maybe I could just come here now. There's nothing left for me with Dad, and there's no reason for me to work my plans around Mom. What do you think?"
"You know I would love that, but you've only got a couple of months left. I'll visit you on weekends, but it's just a lot for you to have to go through to transfer schools twice in such a short time."
"I guess I see your point. Fine, I'll stick it out there for now. But I refuse to enjoy it. I wonder what Dad's going to do, now that Mom thinks they're in love again."
"I guess you'll have to wait and find out. Maybe they'll rekindle their relationship."
I snorted. "Yeah, then they'll just end up getting divorced again. I can't wait until she looks into a mirror and sees how old she really is."
"You're kind of vicious when you want to be," he smirked.
"Would you love me as much if I was a door mat?"
"Good point."
I sat up and peeled the blanket off. I got up and felt a chill sweep through me as my bare feet made contact with the cold floor.
"Where are you going?"
"I need a drink," I replied.
When I got into the kitchen, I glanced at the clock on the wall. It was nearly four in the morning, and I still hadn't slept. I turned on the tap and let it run until the water was cold. I got a glass from the cupboard and filled it halfway before taking a long drink. Instant relief filled me as my dry throat became rehydrated.
I heard a small cough behind me and I jumped, the glass nearly slipping from my fingers. I whirled around, my heart racing wildly in my chest.
"You scared the shit out of me!" I yelped.
"Sorry," Mikey apologized. "I heard someone out here. I couldn't sleep."
"Why not?"
"I don't know. I guess there's just been a lot going on lately."
"I'm really sorry, Mikey. I don't want my problems affecting you."
"Don't worry about it. I wouldn't let it get to me if I didn't want to. I'm here for you." He reached past my head and got his own glass from the cupboard. "Want a night cap?"
"Sure."
He got a bottle from another cupboard and poured a bit of liquid into his glass, then did the same for me. The alcohol was a bright shade of purplish-pink. Mikey pulled out a bottle of Sprite from the fridge and poured it over the other fluid, causing the color to change to a much paler shade. He replaced the soda and took a sip of his drink. I did the same and was amazed by the sweet, fizzy taste that washed over my tongue.
"What is this?"
"Cherry whiskey. Do you like it?"
I nodded. "Yeah, it's great. I think I'll be having this more often."
Mikey and I stayed up for awhile, talking over a couple of drinks. Our conversation was focused mainly on gossip, as neither of us was in the mood for a serious discussion. When I finally went to bed, Gerard was sleeping. I slid in beside him as softly as I could, trying not to wake him up.
I listened to the steady rhythm of his breathing and was soon fast asleep.
I heard a sigh from behind my back and I rolled over again.
"What's wrong?" I asked, seeing Gerard gazing at the ceiling.
"Funny, I was going to ask you the same thing."
"Am I keeping you up? Sorry."
"Don't be sorry. You have a reason to be upset. You want to talk about it?"
"Maybe later. I just... I wish she understood, you know?"
"Maybe she does, in some weird way. What do you think she meant when she was talking about her bad relationship with her mom?"
I shrugged. "I never knew my grandmother. Mom never talked about her, and she died when I was little. I think it was from an aneurism or something, but I'm not really sure. Dad never mentioned anything, either. Maybe I should ask him sometime."
"So what are you going to do now?"
"I guess I'll do exactly what I was planning to before. I'll finish school and then I'll come here. Unless..." I let the sentence trail off, my mind spinning in my sleep-deprived state.
"Unless what?" he persisted.
"Maybe I could just come here now. There's nothing left for me with Dad, and there's no reason for me to work my plans around Mom. What do you think?"
"You know I would love that, but you've only got a couple of months left. I'll visit you on weekends, but it's just a lot for you to have to go through to transfer schools twice in such a short time."
"I guess I see your point. Fine, I'll stick it out there for now. But I refuse to enjoy it. I wonder what Dad's going to do, now that Mom thinks they're in love again."
"I guess you'll have to wait and find out. Maybe they'll rekindle their relationship."
I snorted. "Yeah, then they'll just end up getting divorced again. I can't wait until she looks into a mirror and sees how old she really is."
"You're kind of vicious when you want to be," he smirked.
"Would you love me as much if I was a door mat?"
"Good point."
I sat up and peeled the blanket off. I got up and felt a chill sweep through me as my bare feet made contact with the cold floor.
"Where are you going?"
"I need a drink," I replied.
When I got into the kitchen, I glanced at the clock on the wall. It was nearly four in the morning, and I still hadn't slept. I turned on the tap and let it run until the water was cold. I got a glass from the cupboard and filled it halfway before taking a long drink. Instant relief filled me as my dry throat became rehydrated.
I heard a small cough behind me and I jumped, the glass nearly slipping from my fingers. I whirled around, my heart racing wildly in my chest.
"You scared the shit out of me!" I yelped.
"Sorry," Mikey apologized. "I heard someone out here. I couldn't sleep."
"Why not?"
"I don't know. I guess there's just been a lot going on lately."
"I'm really sorry, Mikey. I don't want my problems affecting you."
"Don't worry about it. I wouldn't let it get to me if I didn't want to. I'm here for you." He reached past my head and got his own glass from the cupboard. "Want a night cap?"
"Sure."
He got a bottle from another cupboard and poured a bit of liquid into his glass, then did the same for me. The alcohol was a bright shade of purplish-pink. Mikey pulled out a bottle of Sprite from the fridge and poured it over the other fluid, causing the color to change to a much paler shade. He replaced the soda and took a sip of his drink. I did the same and was amazed by the sweet, fizzy taste that washed over my tongue.
"What is this?"
"Cherry whiskey. Do you like it?"
I nodded. "Yeah, it's great. I think I'll be having this more often."
Mikey and I stayed up for awhile, talking over a couple of drinks. Our conversation was focused mainly on gossip, as neither of us was in the mood for a serious discussion. When I finally went to bed, Gerard was sleeping. I slid in beside him as softly as I could, trying not to wake him up.
I listened to the steady rhythm of his breathing and was soon fast asleep.