A Trip To The Post Office
Cinnamon Toast.
“Love is like cinnamon toast, it dies when you eat it.”
We had been standing outside in the cold for what felt like forever, I honestly had no clue why Annie, of all people, had texted me. She had seemed desperate and when I got outside she was staring at an untouched piece of toast that was sprinkled with cinnamon.
“What’s up?!” I yelled jumping over the mound of snow that was piled in front of me. I could tell something was wrong, but being the optimist I am, I tried to lighten the mood. I don’t think it worked.
“Love is like cinnamon toast, it dies when you eat it.” Annie mumbled. I shook my head trying not to laugh at her distraught face.
I managed to speak after taking a few discreet deep breaths, “Am I supposed to know what that means?”
Annie only turned to look at me. Her face clearly stated that she wasn’t in the mood to be messed with. I threw my hands in the air trying to mask my face with innocence. Rolling her eyes she went back to the toast, it was sending a steady spiral of heat into the cold air. I envied her for a moment, before remembering why I was there.
I rubbed my bare hands together before giving Annie a gentle push. “Let’s go inside… it’s too cold.” Not speaking she turned to go back inside. I followed her, taking off my shoes inside the door and then bounding up the stairs.
Annie’s room was a mess, as always. I made my way to her bed, making a path for the girl following me half in tears.
“I thought he really… I liked him!” Annie whispered, I could tell she was getting frustrated. I shook my head, out of everyone I know Annie was the most logical, she understood things.
“You never even told me what happened.” I said going over to her and pulling her onto the bed.
“I never told myself what happened either.” She muttered before scooting back and crossing her legs. I did the same she sat her elbows on her knees and then buried her face in her hands.
“Don’t cry.” I demanded. She knew I couldn’t stand to see her cry. It was an unspoken rule: Annie doesn’t cry. Annie is strong. Annie is… at the moment Annie is broken.
I furrowed my eyebrows when after a minute she didn’t respond. I poked her arm and it fell over into her lap, exposing her face. “Talk to me?” I asked. Trying to give me a smile she sat up and looked me in the eyes.
“I guess… might as well.”
“Well… go on!” I said when she started staring blankly into space again, inches from my head.
“Oh, yeah.” She paused to sigh. “Jared broke up with me.”
“Thank you captain obvious, I caught that. I don’t get why you’re so broken up about it though.” I said before finding the error in my words. I should really learn to think things through before I speak… or do.
“Dude! I liked him… a lot.” Annie said, I shrugged.
“He’s not worth it. I mean, he’s got you delirious or something.” Then I had an idea. “We should enjoy your little I-lost-a-bit-of-sanity moment! Celebrate!” Annie just raised a brow. “Oh come on! You can’t tell me that doesn’t seem like a good idea.” Both of her brows were raised now. “Please? I’d love you forever and ever and ever and ever and… well more than that… that…that…?”
“Jared?”
“Yeah, him.” I said pointing at her and clapping my hands a bit. “I already love you way more than he’ll ever get the chance to, but… yeah… you get the point!” I stopped talking and watched her nervously, I didn’t know how else to get her out of her little funk.
“What did you have in mind my little demented friend.” Annie said quietly. I smiled, then fake pouted.
“Demented?” I sniffled a little and pretended to wipe a tear from my face. “And I thought the worse it could get was perverted.”
“Aww… you know I love you, Nikki!” She lunged at me trying to hug me. It didn’t work the way she had originally planned. I laughed as we toppled off of the bed and onto the floor. I was half upside down and Annie’s legs were draped over my chest.
“Get off me bitch!” I yelled and stood up making Annie’s legs hit the floor. Dylan, Annie’s ‘evil’ twin brother, was standing in the doorway. The look on his face made me laugh so hard I fell back to my knees.
“Woah, Nikki… what are you on?” Annie said before laughing slightly. I couldn’t speak so I pointed to Dylan who still hadn’t moved from his position in mid-stride. We must have surprised him. “Oh!” She sounded surprised her self before she fell in front of me laughing.
It was a natural high.
By the time we could stand up again and could see clearly Dylan had already left. I leaned against the bed and looked back over to Annie.
“Now what were we talking about? Party?” Annie’s smile disappeared as an evil smirk formed on my lips. “Oh no… oh God no.”
“Yes…” I said insisting. Before waiting for an answer I grabbed her by the wrist and pointed to the open door. “TO THE POST OFFICE!!!” I jumped down the stairs taking them two at a time and almost running into Dylan.
“The post office? Nikki, why are we going to the post office?”
“Didn’t you hear?! They bust drugies up there! It’s the new ‘spot’!” I yelled running through the kitchen not daring to let go of Annie, who was trying to stop.
“TOAST!” Annie yelled reaching backwards towards the plate on the table.
My eyes widened, “TO THE KITCHEN!!!” I turned around quickly and ran back through the door. I didn’t even notice we’d forgotten our shoes.
“Whiplash.” Annie complained before picking up her piece of toast. “It’s cold.” She frowned.
“Oh well. Just eat it.” Rolling her eyes she slipped her feet into her boots. “Fine be that way!” I yelled before shoving on my tennis shoes and running through the door. I was met with a cold gust of wind. I shivered before Annie came out and started dragging me down the street.
“Where are we going?” I asked suspiciously. She gave me an evil grin of her own before laughing and dragging me farther. “You’re going to kill me aren’t you! HELP! I’ll scream ‘rape’ if you don’t let go in five… four… three…” She pulled me around the corner and we started down Main Street. “RAAAAAA-“
Annie shoved her hand over my mouth before whispering angrily in my ear, “What happened to two and one?”
“Mmm…” She let go of me. “I panicked.”
Rolling her eyes she started walking down the street again.
“But really… where are we going?”
Looking up at the sky Annie mouthed, “Why?” before turning to me. “You my friend… are messed up.” I smiled proudly before walking into the street, tripping over my own feet, and falling on my face.
Our problems were forgotten.
We had been standing outside in the cold for what felt like forever, I honestly had no clue why Annie, of all people, had texted me. She had seemed desperate and when I got outside she was staring at an untouched piece of toast that was sprinkled with cinnamon.
“What’s up?!” I yelled jumping over the mound of snow that was piled in front of me. I could tell something was wrong, but being the optimist I am, I tried to lighten the mood. I don’t think it worked.
“Love is like cinnamon toast, it dies when you eat it.” Annie mumbled. I shook my head trying not to laugh at her distraught face.
I managed to speak after taking a few discreet deep breaths, “Am I supposed to know what that means?”
Annie only turned to look at me. Her face clearly stated that she wasn’t in the mood to be messed with. I threw my hands in the air trying to mask my face with innocence. Rolling her eyes she went back to the toast, it was sending a steady spiral of heat into the cold air. I envied her for a moment, before remembering why I was there.
I rubbed my bare hands together before giving Annie a gentle push. “Let’s go inside… it’s too cold.” Not speaking she turned to go back inside. I followed her, taking off my shoes inside the door and then bounding up the stairs.
Annie’s room was a mess, as always. I made my way to her bed, making a path for the girl following me half in tears.
“I thought he really… I liked him!” Annie whispered, I could tell she was getting frustrated. I shook my head, out of everyone I know Annie was the most logical, she understood things.
“You never even told me what happened.” I said going over to her and pulling her onto the bed.
“I never told myself what happened either.” She muttered before scooting back and crossing her legs. I did the same she sat her elbows on her knees and then buried her face in her hands.
“Don’t cry.” I demanded. She knew I couldn’t stand to see her cry. It was an unspoken rule: Annie doesn’t cry. Annie is strong. Annie is… at the moment Annie is broken.
I furrowed my eyebrows when after a minute she didn’t respond. I poked her arm and it fell over into her lap, exposing her face. “Talk to me?” I asked. Trying to give me a smile she sat up and looked me in the eyes.
“I guess… might as well.”
“Well… go on!” I said when she started staring blankly into space again, inches from my head.
“Oh, yeah.” She paused to sigh. “Jared broke up with me.”
“Thank you captain obvious, I caught that. I don’t get why you’re so broken up about it though.” I said before finding the error in my words. I should really learn to think things through before I speak… or do.
“Dude! I liked him… a lot.” Annie said, I shrugged.
“He’s not worth it. I mean, he’s got you delirious or something.” Then I had an idea. “We should enjoy your little I-lost-a-bit-of-sanity moment! Celebrate!” Annie just raised a brow. “Oh come on! You can’t tell me that doesn’t seem like a good idea.” Both of her brows were raised now. “Please? I’d love you forever and ever and ever and ever and… well more than that… that…that…?”
“Jared?”
“Yeah, him.” I said pointing at her and clapping my hands a bit. “I already love you way more than he’ll ever get the chance to, but… yeah… you get the point!” I stopped talking and watched her nervously, I didn’t know how else to get her out of her little funk.
“What did you have in mind my little demented friend.” Annie said quietly. I smiled, then fake pouted.
“Demented?” I sniffled a little and pretended to wipe a tear from my face. “And I thought the worse it could get was perverted.”
“Aww… you know I love you, Nikki!” She lunged at me trying to hug me. It didn’t work the way she had originally planned. I laughed as we toppled off of the bed and onto the floor. I was half upside down and Annie’s legs were draped over my chest.
“Get off me bitch!” I yelled and stood up making Annie’s legs hit the floor. Dylan, Annie’s ‘evil’ twin brother, was standing in the doorway. The look on his face made me laugh so hard I fell back to my knees.
“Woah, Nikki… what are you on?” Annie said before laughing slightly. I couldn’t speak so I pointed to Dylan who still hadn’t moved from his position in mid-stride. We must have surprised him. “Oh!” She sounded surprised her self before she fell in front of me laughing.
It was a natural high.
By the time we could stand up again and could see clearly Dylan had already left. I leaned against the bed and looked back over to Annie.
“Now what were we talking about? Party?” Annie’s smile disappeared as an evil smirk formed on my lips. “Oh no… oh God no.”
“Yes…” I said insisting. Before waiting for an answer I grabbed her by the wrist and pointed to the open door. “TO THE POST OFFICE!!!” I jumped down the stairs taking them two at a time and almost running into Dylan.
“The post office? Nikki, why are we going to the post office?”
“Didn’t you hear?! They bust drugies up there! It’s the new ‘spot’!” I yelled running through the kitchen not daring to let go of Annie, who was trying to stop.
“TOAST!” Annie yelled reaching backwards towards the plate on the table.
My eyes widened, “TO THE KITCHEN!!!” I turned around quickly and ran back through the door. I didn’t even notice we’d forgotten our shoes.
“Whiplash.” Annie complained before picking up her piece of toast. “It’s cold.” She frowned.
“Oh well. Just eat it.” Rolling her eyes she slipped her feet into her boots. “Fine be that way!” I yelled before shoving on my tennis shoes and running through the door. I was met with a cold gust of wind. I shivered before Annie came out and started dragging me down the street.
“Where are we going?” I asked suspiciously. She gave me an evil grin of her own before laughing and dragging me farther. “You’re going to kill me aren’t you! HELP! I’ll scream ‘rape’ if you don’t let go in five… four… three…” She pulled me around the corner and we started down Main Street. “RAAAAAA-“
Annie shoved her hand over my mouth before whispering angrily in my ear, “What happened to two and one?”
“Mmm…” She let go of me. “I panicked.”
Rolling her eyes she started walking down the street again.
“But really… where are we going?”
Looking up at the sky Annie mouthed, “Why?” before turning to me. “You my friend… are messed up.” I smiled proudly before walking into the street, tripping over my own feet, and falling on my face.
Our problems were forgotten.