It's Really Happening

I consider myself pretty normal, in spite of everything. Everything, let me tell you, encompasses a lot. However, it's the details where things get intricate. The bigger picture is rather generic.

I'm a young woman with an apartment, two part-time jobs, a college I call mine, a boyfriend, and friends. I enjoy my hobbies, put up with obligations, and would generally describe my life as good.

My apartment lies on a hill overlooking the San Francisco bay. My roommates and I each have our own rooms, an eat-in kitchen, and a living room that houses my comfy couch and Giselle's big screen TV. I afford my part of the rent by working as a prep-cook in an Italian restaurant and as a recording studio lackey; I also do some freelance photography, but that's just because I'm too artistic for my own good. Between work, work, and sleep, I do school-work and attend classes.

When I'm not doing any of those things, you can find doing one of two things. If he's in town, I'm with my boyfriend. His name is Zack and he's in a band. To be more precise, his name is Zachary Steven Merrick and he plays bass for the band All Time Low. He's not in town very often, but I am (admittedly) hopelessly enamored with him and everything about him. I love his smile, his personality, his sense of humour. I love his tattoos, his hair, his body that he works to obscene perfection.

Do I sound shallow? I hope I don't.

If Zack's out on tour, home in Maryland, or recording, my free time will be spent with friends. My roommates have their own lives and friends outside of me, and I have my friends from high school that I still talk to, my friends from college, and my friends from who-knows-where. But my very best friend is named Abigail. Abby.

She and I have so many things in common, it's scary. Including our taste in men.

…And our ability to know when the other person is thinking about them.

I stopped dancing along to my cell phone's ringtone and answered it. "Funny, I was just thinking about you," I said, picking at my bowl of fried rice with chopsticks. Stupid tofu. Stupid vegan roommate. "What's up?"

"I'm pretty sure you're always thinking about me," Abby said, chuckling. "But anyway! Guess what!"

"Um... penguins have taken over New York City and they want to make you their all-powerful leader?" I guessed.

"...What, did you just watch Batman or something?"

I rolled my eyes, continuing to fish for something other than huge chucks of tofu. "No! I just like penguins and think you'd make an excellent ruler for life." Because I love my friends that much.

She laughed, and I could hear her repeat what I said and someone else laugh. No points for guessing who that was. "Well obviously," Abby agreed. "But you're still wrong. Guess again!"

I squinched my face up in thought and tilted back onto the back legs of my chair, trying for something slightly more plausible but no less ridiculous. "You... just met John Cusack? And fangirled all over him? And so did your boyfriend whom I can hear in the background?" Yes, Josh fangirled. I wouldn't put it past that boy.

There were more muffled sounds in the background, and I shook my head, smiling to myself, as I imagined Abby and Josh talking amongst themselves while on the phone with me, probably curled up on the couch in his hotel room or something. They were predictably cute like that.

"Yes, I know she sucks at this. I'm just going to tell you anyway." I protested that I did not suck at this, I was just fooling around, but I never got to finish since Abby exclaimed gleefully, "I'M GETTING MARRIED!"

I gaped across at the wall in stunned silence. My bowl slid out of my hand and I barely noticed the sound of it cracking and sending tofu splodging across the floor because, since I wasn't paying attention, my chair was falling backwards. "Shit!" I yelped, crashing back.

"Eris? Hello?" I lay on the floor of my apartment with the back of my head hurting, thanking Whoever that the place was empty, and thought about it. She was getting married. At twenty-two!

Grabbing my phone from off the floor, I brought it back to my ear. "You were holding something expensive, weren't you?" Abby asked, laughing.

I rubbed my head. "Apart from my skull, no, just a bowl. And I fell over backwards. But the chair's okay," I listed off. "But anyway, you fucking WHAT?"

"I'm getting married!" she repeated excitedly. "Josh just proposed!"

"Oh my god, that's so awesome! Congratulations!" I paused, brain finally clicking into gear. "Wait. He's there with you. How long ago did this happen?"

Abby chuckled lightly. "A few minutes ago. Josh was saying you're slow." I could practically see her grinning. "Don't worry, I elbowed him for you."

I still hadn't gotten up off the floor, but in my mind this was more important. Unless I had a concussion, which I hoped I didn't. "...He proposed just now and you called me? Aww, I love you too." My tone turned from sweet to sarcastic. "And Joshua was calling me slow?"

Abby laughed again. "Exactly. He's not one to talk." There was more muffled talking and shuffling. "Ahh! Stop that! I'm on the phone!"

I scoffed in amusement, tucking one arm under my head. "Refrain from public sex while I'm on the phone with you, thanks," I requested over the noise coming through the phone.

Then suddenly it was Josh's voice coming through the receiver. "Yes, Eris," he said, "I was calling you slow."

"Says the boy who made a video displaying the genius known as the pump jump."

"THIS IS NOT FAIR. SHE'S MY BEST FRIEND AND YOU'RE 5 INCHES TALLER THAN I AM!" Abby's voice yelled, muffled.

Both Josh and I burst out laughing. "Don't take advantage of your short fiancée, Joshua!" I chided, grinning. "Again, at least not when I'm on the phone."

"Hey!" Abby protested, having stolen the phone back. "I resent that. I'm only short when standing next to giants."

"Which, might I remind you, is practically always."

"Regardless! Prepare yourself for a visit, my love." The line clicked shut, and I was left lying on the floor of my apartment, half in a knocked-over chair, with a newly-chipped turned-over bowl of tofu and rice next to my head.

I looked at my cell phone before rolling my eyes and shoving it back in my pocket. "Does nobody say goodbye anymore?" I wonder aloud. I sighed, not moving, for a few moments before deciding that it would probably freak out my roommates if they found me looking like I'd been killed. So I got up, righted the chair, cleaned up the fried rice, and curled up in the papasan chair.

Then my phone rang again. "Hey, Zack," I greeted without even looking at the caller ID.

"…One day you'll have to tell me how you do that," he said, chuckling.

"One day I might, but probably not." I grinned to myself. "You'll never guess what just happened."

"You were eating Chinese food and fell out of your chair?"

I blinked, frowning slightly. "…And you think I'm scary." He laughed, and a warm happy feeling settled over me. Zack, for the record, has no idea exactly how much of a girl he makes me. "Our favourite idiots are getting married," I continued.

He paused, probably as surprised as I was. Hopefully he wouldn't break anything though. "Alex and Jack?" he asked. "How did you find out before I did?"

…See why I adore this boy?