What a Bunch of Fools We Lovers Are
VI.
I bypassed the kitchen and instead locked myself in the bathroom. Two questions alternated in my mind: How could I possibly face Rick again? and How could I possibly avoid it?
Like the useless coward I was, I wanted to hide out in the bathroom until he left. But the truth was, I couldn't. The answer to both my questions was, I couldn't. And the problem with that was, one way or another, sooner or later, I had to go out there. I had no choice.
I sighed and walked slowly and apprehensively out into the living room. Rick was standing in the doorway talking with Parker and another girl, Desme, who had taken my spot on the couch and lit up a cigarette. While she was making herself feel right at home, Rick hadn't even taken off his shoes or hat.
When he noticed me standing there, he said, "Er, Des, we'd better get going. Ava's still waiting for us to pick her up."
"What are you..." Desme's sentence trailed off when she turned and saw me in the other doorway. "Oh... well, why don't you come back for me at, say, one? I have some things I'd like to talk about with Parker."
"All right," he said. "I guess I'll see you all later then. Bye, Des. Bye, Parker... Bye, Serenity." When he looked at me, I looked away, and I didn't look back until I saw the front door close behind him.
The awkward silence was broken by Desme, who asked, "So what are you two up to?"
"In a nutshell," I started, taking a seat in Parker's mother Susan's rocking chair, "Parker's being Parker, and I'm cleaning up after him."
"I figured as much," she said, taking a last drag off her cigarette, then dropping it in my still-half-full cup of coffee. "Neither of you will ever get a life, will you?"
"Ironic you'd say that..." I said. "Because at this rate, I'll live much longer than you will."
"Not if I break your neck."
"Could you guys just get along?!" Parker exploded.
Desme and I looked at Parker for a brief moment, then back at each other. It's hard to believe, but years ago, she and I had been best friends. Once we hit high school though, we both went our separate ways. She got into drugs and alcohol, while I got into chess club and the debate team, and for that reason, she was jealous of me. Last year, on Desme's seventeenth birthday, her parents got sick of her habits and kicked her out of the house, so as a senior in high school, she was living with friends, boyfriends, and strangers. She couldn't afford to pay rent because no one would hire a girl with a record like hers. Me? Well, my habits were the kind that gave parents something to brag about. Too bad I didn't have any.
"I guess we can't," I told Parker, grabbing the phone off the coffee table and walking into the kitchen.
I dialed my grandparents' number, and on the second ring, my twin sister Faith answered. "Let me guess," she said. "You need a ride home from Parker's house."
"Right," I responded. Though we were both seventeen, Faith was the only one who had managed to pass her driving exam and obtain a license. I had no problem learning the material, but when I actually got behind the wheel, it was a catastrophe. Faith was the physically-gifted one; my gift was strictly mental. "See you in fifteen?"
"Wait, Serenity, what's up with you? Who's there right now? Rick? Desme?"
"Yeah," I told her. Though we were nothing alike, Faith and I sometimes had a sort of psychic connection. We were especially close—we were twins after all—and our differences just made us closer. "Rick left earlier, but Desme stayed. She kind of started with me, and I don't need that right now. Just... pick me up. Fifteen minutes?"
"Fifteen minutes," she agreed.
When I walked back into the living room, Desme was on Parker's lap, sucking his face off. That was the other reason Desme and I didn't get along: Parker. Since high school, I was his best friend, and Desme was his girlfriend. When they were together, I was jealous, and when Parker and I hung out, Desme was jealous. I wanted to tell Parker I was going home, but I decided against interrupting them, in fear Desme would start another argument. Instead, I walked outside and waited on the curb for my sister.
Like the useless coward I was, I wanted to hide out in the bathroom until he left. But the truth was, I couldn't. The answer to both my questions was, I couldn't. And the problem with that was, one way or another, sooner or later, I had to go out there. I had no choice.
I sighed and walked slowly and apprehensively out into the living room. Rick was standing in the doorway talking with Parker and another girl, Desme, who had taken my spot on the couch and lit up a cigarette. While she was making herself feel right at home, Rick hadn't even taken off his shoes or hat.
When he noticed me standing there, he said, "Er, Des, we'd better get going. Ava's still waiting for us to pick her up."
"What are you..." Desme's sentence trailed off when she turned and saw me in the other doorway. "Oh... well, why don't you come back for me at, say, one? I have some things I'd like to talk about with Parker."
"All right," he said. "I guess I'll see you all later then. Bye, Des. Bye, Parker... Bye, Serenity." When he looked at me, I looked away, and I didn't look back until I saw the front door close behind him.
The awkward silence was broken by Desme, who asked, "So what are you two up to?"
"In a nutshell," I started, taking a seat in Parker's mother Susan's rocking chair, "Parker's being Parker, and I'm cleaning up after him."
"I figured as much," she said, taking a last drag off her cigarette, then dropping it in my still-half-full cup of coffee. "Neither of you will ever get a life, will you?"
"Ironic you'd say that..." I said. "Because at this rate, I'll live much longer than you will."
"Not if I break your neck."
"Could you guys just get along?!" Parker exploded.
Desme and I looked at Parker for a brief moment, then back at each other. It's hard to believe, but years ago, she and I had been best friends. Once we hit high school though, we both went our separate ways. She got into drugs and alcohol, while I got into chess club and the debate team, and for that reason, she was jealous of me. Last year, on Desme's seventeenth birthday, her parents got sick of her habits and kicked her out of the house, so as a senior in high school, she was living with friends, boyfriends, and strangers. She couldn't afford to pay rent because no one would hire a girl with a record like hers. Me? Well, my habits were the kind that gave parents something to brag about. Too bad I didn't have any.
"I guess we can't," I told Parker, grabbing the phone off the coffee table and walking into the kitchen.
I dialed my grandparents' number, and on the second ring, my twin sister Faith answered. "Let me guess," she said. "You need a ride home from Parker's house."
"Right," I responded. Though we were both seventeen, Faith was the only one who had managed to pass her driving exam and obtain a license. I had no problem learning the material, but when I actually got behind the wheel, it was a catastrophe. Faith was the physically-gifted one; my gift was strictly mental. "See you in fifteen?"
"Wait, Serenity, what's up with you? Who's there right now? Rick? Desme?"
"Yeah," I told her. Though we were nothing alike, Faith and I sometimes had a sort of psychic connection. We were especially close—we were twins after all—and our differences just made us closer. "Rick left earlier, but Desme stayed. She kind of started with me, and I don't need that right now. Just... pick me up. Fifteen minutes?"
"Fifteen minutes," she agreed.
When I walked back into the living room, Desme was on Parker's lap, sucking his face off. That was the other reason Desme and I didn't get along: Parker. Since high school, I was his best friend, and Desme was his girlfriend. When they were together, I was jealous, and when Parker and I hung out, Desme was jealous. I wanted to tell Parker I was going home, but I decided against interrupting them, in fear Desme would start another argument. Instead, I walked outside and waited on the curb for my sister.