Down With Love

“What does she see in that pop-boy jackass?!” I demanded of Val. It was one month later, and ever since the day at the pool Anna had spent every waking moment with Alex. Sure, they’d had their fights, but what couple doesn’t? Every time they did, though, I couldn’t help but be elated. Anna would come back in the evening and greet us with the slam of a door, or suddenly break down into a rant about him. My heart would skip a beat and I would think ‘this is it. This is it, they’re breaking up.’ But every time, they’d make up, and I’d once again have to listen to Anna go on and on about what sweet thing Alex had done this time. I couldn’t make any sense of it. A month ago I would have gladly ripped her head off and mounted it on the wall myself. At first I thought it was just a physical thing, but the night of the ‘pool day,’ we watched a movie, one of my favourites, that she said she loved too. In fact, it seemed that every time we spent more than five minutes together we’d find something else we had in common. “What does she fucking see in him?!” I repeated, smashing my empty beer bottle down on the table so violently it shattered. “She’s gorgeous, she’s amazing, and we have so much in common…”

“Jimmy, she met someone who makes her smile, who makes her melt, who makes her feel special, you can’t blame her for it,” Val was the only person I’d told- the boys would just laugh, and Matt might freak out.

“I would do all that,” I muttered, looking down.

“Oh, I know you would, lovely.” She hugged me. “It’s just that Anna doesn’t,” she sighed. “No!” she shouted sharply, suddenly, obviously anticipating my question. “You can’t tell her. That’s not fair on her. She’s so happy, Jimmy, don’t you want that? Can’t you remember how miserable she was when she got there?” I nodded reluctantly. “You add a break up with a boy she’s obviously head-over-heels for, to that, and, well…” I didn’t trust myself to answer Val, so I kept my mouth shut.
“Oh honey,” she rubbed my back. “And they were fighting yesterday, who knows-”

“Don’t. Don’t say it.” I cut in. “Every fucking time I get my hopes up, every fucking time they fight. Don’t say it, Val. It hurts too much at this point.”

“ALEX IS A FUCKING DICK!” A soaking wet Anna screamed, storming into the bus. I opened my mouth to say something, but she interrupted me. “Yes, I know, I should be at work. But it’s pouring rain and thundering, and only three people have shown up in the past half hour. So, I figured that I could take off and hang out with Alex a bit- I asked Katelyn, she said it was fine. So, I went to the All Time Low bus, and he had a fit, screaming at me that he was too busy, that he didn’t have time to see me, that- and I quote- he’d come see me when he had time, but not to come poking my nose around his fucking bus! All this when I had barely stepped in the door!”

“That was a shitty thing of him to do, huh, but maybe he really was busy…” Val said cautiously.

“He was playing video games,” she retorted icily.

“Maybe he just wanted to hang out with his friends-”

“Alone,” Anna finished, still in the same icy tone.
“Well then I don’t know,” Val sighed. Anna’s face went from fury to tears, and Val immediately grabbed her and pulled her close. “Oh poor Anna.”

I took my cue and left the bus. Hopefully this was it, this was the end. But luck was obviously on my side. “Alex, right?” I asked a soaking wet boy making his way to the bus through the mud.

He nodded. “And you are?” he demanded, wiping his dripping fringe from his face but to no avail.

“Jimmy. I live on that bus,” I jabbed my thumb at the air behind me.

“Oh… d’you know if Anna’s on the bus I took my cue and left the bus. Hopefully this was it, this was the end. But luck was obviously on my side. “Alex, right?” I asked a soaking wet boy making his way to the bus through the mud.

He nodded. “And you are?” he demanded, wiping his dripping fringe from his face but to no avail.

“Jimmy. I live on that bus,” I jabbed my thumb at the air behind me.

“Oh… d’you know if Anna’s on the bus? I kinda fucked up and… yeah. Is she there?” his eyes turned from the mud to meet mine. I had to admit, he looked pretty pitiful.

“She’s fuckin’ pissed at you, dude,” I muttered, avoiding the question. Maybe if I didn’t actually mention that she was there I could keep a reconciliation from happening.

“Yeah, like I said, I fucked up… is she there though?” he asked. Damn.

“Why d’you want to talk to her though? I thought you were busy playing pokemon anyway.” Alex flushed despite the cold temperatures and rain.

“Oh… she told you about that? It was Call of Duty, by the way. Not pokémon. I’m not twelve,” he answered, annoyed.

“Sure look it,” I muttered under my breath. “Well, she doesn’t want to see you. She said something to Val about breaking up.” I lied.

Alex looked alarmed. “Fuck, no!” He darted past me and into the bus before I could blink.

I frowned and slowly followed him. By the time I got back into the bus, the two were making out.

“Wanna go back to my bus?” Alex was asking. “There’s nobody there…”

“Yeah, I’d noticed,” Anna giggled, her face still close to Alex’s. I wanted to pick up the shards of my bear bottle off the table and stab Alex with each and every one of them, to take Anna and- “See you later, Jimmy,” Anna interrupted my fantasies.

They made their way into the rain, hand in hand, and I collapsed onto the couch, holding back tears. Val moved me so I was on my stomach and started to massage my back. “Poor baby. Poor, poor Jimmy.”

“I shouldn’t have told him she said something about breaking up, that’s what had him running in here…” Her massage was definitely calming me down- at least I wasn’t having murder fantasies anymore. Jeez, I love this girl. Platonically, I mean.

“But she didn’t say anything about…” Val trailed off before catching on “Oh. Right.”

“I feel like dying,” I muttered, trying not to cry again. I winced as she hit a knot in my back. “Ey! Watch out!”

“Do you want a massage or not?” she demanded.

“Yes. Please keep going,” I muttered, closing my eyes. “Good night, Val.”

“Night, Jimmy,” she laughed, but didn’t stop the massage.