Just Hate Me and We'll End It Here

Alex

I lean against my headboard, thinking as I softly strum the guitar. I look ahead and peaking from the corner of my open room, I can see the outline of her door. The light is off and dark. It’s kinda disappointing, I guess.

Meaning… just, it was going well. She was learning, and I was teaching. We were talking… and dinner, it had gone well, too, with everyone. So what had suddenly changed everything?

Okay… so I touched her.

But it was only my fingertips on the bare flesh, between her jeans and her shirt… but her skin was screaming for me to touch her, I swear. Like I had to… and it was so soft, grazing my fingertips over it. Made me hunger for more… and then she ran away.

Was it that bad? My fingers aren’t that cold…

I sigh, setting down my guitar. For once, music just isn’t helping. Well, playing it anyways. So I turn on my old stereo and play it low, changing it to A Day To Remember, hoping that’ll help. Burying myself under the covers, and thinking of the beauty across the hall from me, I fall asleep.

Aaaand I’m woken up by a sudden loud shriek. Bolting up with crazy hair, I see that Bailey was headed towards the bathroom… but there’s evidently something in her way. “Georgie, drop it!” She shouts, holding her clothes close. At first I’m drawn to the small girl’s plaid boxer shorts and the camisole she’s wearing, but stop as Georgie gives a yelp and she shrieks again.

Scrambling around my things, I rush to the doorway to see the problem. Then I see it. Right in front of me is some spider, maybe the size of my pinky-nail. I glance at Bailey who’s eyes are completely stuck on the creature, looking pretty freaked out.

Apparently Georgie had tried to eat it, but didn’t like it and spit it out, cause there’s also slobber everywhere. Bailey gives another muffled shriek into her towel, seeing the legs twitch on the spider.

I grab a shoe from behind me and slam it down on the spider, then yawn. “Feel better?”

Bailey shudders. “It’s still there, stuck…”

“I clean it up,” I promise easily, and taking her forearm, I walk her around the bug. “See? You’re safe now. So shower up, and when you return, you won’t even know it was here.”

Bailey gives a slight nod, chancing a glance at me. I see that her mouth opens to say something, but she loses the strength and her shoulders drop a little as she hurriedly steps into the bathroom.

Sighing, I watch the door as I lean against my doorframe. If only she made sense, or… gah. My frustrated hands through my hair. Why doesn’t she ever do something sensible? She makes everything such a mess. I never know what to expect. It’s great and everything, but I just wish… I wish that someday, she’ll be able to look at me again and again, without that fear or mistrust or something, and she’ll do it again, cause she knows its okay.

Ugh. I sound like a girl. Or a hopeless romantic.

Pathetic either way.

Groaning, I go around and clean up the spider and drool, let Georgie out, and text Jack. Man. Need dude time. Got it?

Within moments, he replies. So there, girl! B there in 10.Then just as I’m putting my cell back in my pocket, it starts again and I read the next text. Errr…. Is she gonna B there?

I roll my eyes and don’t answer.

“I missed you!” Jack squeals, running inside, waving his arms around until he falls over on the couch, falling on Georgie who yelps. “Oh, sorry, fluff-muffin,” Jack says and rolls off. Then he [literally] skips on over to the kitchen where I’m making coffee and a sandwich. “Dude, pathetic breakfast.”

Sighing, I nod. “I know. Feeling pathetic at the moment.”

Jack nods with a serious expression. “Babes can do that to you.” Then he flashes a grin. “Here, I’ll help make you feel more pathetic! Let’s play Halo!” And hurriedly he pushes me over onto the couch, starting up the system. “I haven’t played this in weeks,” he sighs.

“Yeah, like two,” I roll my eyes. “It’s not life-threatening.”

He just stares at me in shock until the music starts up and distracts him again. I chuckle quietly to myself but, being the guy that I am, quickly get absorbed into the game.

Well, not enough that I notice Bailey creeping down and stealing the coffee. Well, not really steal it, cause I made it for her… but all the same. Then she leaves without a word or goodbye, right next to us through the front door. That really hurt, I have to admit. I mean, so what, we’re guys and playing video games. But all the same!

Aaaaaaaaaaand the day passes with us just messing around for a few more hours. Then it’s another small performance at some Borders and more girls dressed in just about nothing, begging to have all my babies….

Gah, Bailey. Get off my mind, please.

No, wait, don’t.

Well, actually-

I can’t take it!

“Dude,” Zack raps me on the back. “You okay, man?” And he watches me continually hit my head against the wall. “Uh… brain damage coming your way, just a warning…”

Groaning, I straighten. Rubbing my head, I give him a cross look. “You’re not helping, Zack.”

“And that is?” He points to the wall doubtfully.

He does have a good point…

I sigh and fall back in my chair, trying to figure things out. “Hey, Alex!” Rian calls, tossing an empty soda can at my head. I blink and turn to look at him blankly. “You still on for tonight?”

“Tonight?” I wrinkle my nose, trying to think of something to do.

Rian groans, standing up and walking over. He pulls out a chair and turns it so he sits down backwards, leaning on the back, giving me a critical look. “It’s the night, stupid. Reservations, romantic boat ride, dinner and dancing… dude, you can’t back out of the reservations, you know.”

Then it dawns on me and my eyes widen. “Crud! I totally forgot that it’s tonight!”

Zack hurries over and wacks me upside the head. “What about the dress? The suit? Did they come? And you have to call and make sure you still have the right reservations.”

Groaning, I bend over and rub my eyes. “It’s tonight,” my muffled voice comes. “I can’t believe it’s tonight. I completely, totally forgot.” I lean back, sighing. “The trip to my parents totally through me off.”

“Obviously!” They all cry.

“We have to get going!” Jack pumps his fist in the air. “You’re not ready! Shower! Hair! Suit! Clean shoes, dude!” He claps like a little kid. “And you’re not even home yet.”

“And you need to call Bailey to let her know you’re taking her out tonight,” Rian adds, pulling me up. “Come on, you sorry loser. To make you look good is gonna take a while.”

“Whatever,” I roll my eyes but allow the guys to drag me around and start fixing everything for tonight.

Just the word makes me slightly breathless. Tonight… Tonight, everything would fall together, like it should. A romantic date, just the two of us. Bailey’ll love it, I know it.

She just has to.