Down With Love

“Oh my God, you did not!” Anna squealed. Her, Michelle, Katelyn-the-other-merch-girl and I were having a girls night, which consisted of mixed drinks, oreos, crappy movies, and scandalous stories of boyfriends past and present. Michelle had just finished telling her favourite, about how she’d accidentally gotten into a mild car crash the day she was meant to meet Syn’s parents. Neither car had been badly damaged, but she’d gotten into a screaming match with the owner of the other car and ended up arriving at their house two hours after the agreed-upon time. And, of course, low and behold, the driver of the other car was none other than Mr. Haner himself.

“Have you ever dated anyone other than Shads?” Anna asked me curiously once the laughter following Michelle’s story had died down. “Just wondering, you don’t have to answer, I just know he’s gone on about you for like, ever, and…” she trailed off.

Jesus Christ. If I had a nickel for every time someone asked me that fucking question. I forced a laugh. “Don’t worry, I get asked that a lot,” I answered. Understatement of the century, much? I swear, people must think I either had no social life until I was fifteen, or that I hooked up with Matt when I was in preschool or something. “Yeah, I have, but nothing serious obviously. Matt and I started dating when we were fifteen, but it wasn’t always constant, we dated other people in between.”

“So,” Michelle changed the topic. She knew as well as I did how sick I was of that question. Hell, even she got it sometimes, when people mistook her for me. “Speaking of ‘you did not,’ hilarious boyfriend stories, Anna, I hear you and Alex had a fight over Pokémon?” I couldn’t help but giggle, especially upon seeing the grimace on Anna’s face.

“It was about video games,” she retorted. “And no, not Pokémon!” she shouted before Michelle could speak. “Basically, though, I came to visit, and he freaked out and started screaming that he was busy, but he was just playing video ga- CALL OF DUTY- on his own. But,” she paused. “We had the most amazing makeup sex afterwards,” she finished with a wink. I laughed along with the other girls, but I couldn’t help but feel a pang of sympathy for Jimmy.

“Why do you say Pokémon, anyway?” Anna asked.

“It was something Jimmy said,” Katelyn interjected. “But he was probably just being retarded and kidding around; what else is new?” she laughed.

Anna shook her head, cutting Katelyn’s laughter short. “Jeez, I hate that guy,” she muttered. “He’s such a jerk. He’ll be really nice and sweet and then two seconds later he’s a prick again. Oh well, fuck it. I guess we’re just two people not meant to get along,” She shrugged. “Oh well, I have you guys,” Anna smiled. I wanted to lash out at her, to scream “ARE YOU BLIND?! HAVE YOU NOT NOTICED THAT HE ONLY DOES THIS WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT ALEX?!” while shaking her by the shoulders vigorously. But, of course, I couldn’t.

“Really?” Katelyn asked, and my heart skipped a beat. “I mean, I know you’re always arguing, but you guys strike me as people who would get along well…”

Michelle nodded. “You have a lot in common, I don’t see why you hate each other.”

Dear God: I love you.

Anna shrugged. “Well, we don’t get along. End of story,” she smiled.

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When I lay in bed that evening- or, well, morning- I just couldn’t sleep. I pulled the blanket up… too hot. I pulled it back down again and I was freezing. I opened my eyes and fumbled under the blankets for my phone. Five eighteen. Too late for anyone to be up. Too early for anyone to be up. Fuck. I shook my head and rolled off the couch, landing on my feet. Maybe a glass of water would help. Or a vodka. I tried to stumble through the bus without tripping over anything, the minifridge being my final destination of choice. I opened it and after some hesitation removed a beer from the side rack of the cold glowing box. Damn these boys and their alcoholic influences. What the hell had they meant, “should be friends”, “have a lot in common”?!

“Anna?” A voice asked behind me, and I jumped about a foot into the air. I found myself crashing into Jimmy, causing him to let out a loud “oomph”

“Oh, shit, sorry!” I whispered, pulling back a bit and turning to face him.

He laughed slightly and touched my arm. “No worries,” he grinned. “So, a beer?” he asked. “Strange time of day for that, isn’t it?”

I shrugged. Jesus Christ, for all the times for Jimmy to show up. “Had trouble sleeping.”

“I know the feeling,” Jimmy reached into the minifridge to grab a bottle for himself. “Wanna watch a movie or something?” he asked in an uncharacteristically hesitant voice.

“At five thirty in the morning?” I asked, suppressing a giggle that was partly nervous due to his tone.

“Why not, we’re already drinking!” he joked. “No, but seriously, Ace Ventura or the South Park movie?” he asked.

“Oh, definitely South Park! I haven’t seen it in ages!” I shouted, all tension forgotten.

“SHHH!” Jimmy hissed, putting down his beer next to where I’d placed mine on the table and wrestling me to the couch as we both laughed. “You’ll wake the others up and they’ll crash the party!” he got up and put in the DVD.
When he sat back down next to me, he put his arm across the back of the couch. Surprised but tired, I took advantage of the open gesture to lean my head on his chest, hoping he wouldn’t mind.

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My breathing hitched in my throat, but I didn’t- couldn’t- move. In fact, it wasn’t until halfway through the movie, when Anna’s breath had become quiet and regular, and she was letting out the occasional quiet snore that I let my arm slowly drop. I held her figure tightly, afraid to let go, that I would wake up cold and lonely in my bunk if I too fell asleep.

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“Anna, wake up!” I opened my eyes to Katelyn rudely shaking me. Jimmy- yes, that Jimmy- had his arm around me. How the hell dide that get there? I groaned, clutching my head.

“Too early. No sleep,” I muttered, leaning against a conveniently placed sleeping Jimmy without thinking.

“Well, you have to help me open the booth!” she protested. “And I am not taking the morning shift! I’m tired too, dude!” Jimmy stirred. I looked back at him- drool was running from the corner of his mouth down his chin. Real classy. I lifted his heavy arm off of me gently, being careful not to wake him. I hadn’t changed into my pyjamas after girls’ night, so there was no need for a clothing stop before we left.

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I watched her leave with Katelyn from the corner of my eye, a grin on my face. It wasn’t a dream.