These Bright Lights Have Always Blinded Me
Chappy 27
I looked at the piece of ice-cream cake in front of me as I heard Kat giggling. God I hate her so much. But I don’t know who I hate more. Her for convincing Tom to not talk to Ali and I, or Tom for listening to her.
I picked at my ice-cream cake and felt someone poke me. I looked to see that it was Max. “Chelsea?” he asked, “What’s wrong hun?”
I shrugged. “Not really hungry right now,” I replied
He opened his mouth to say something when I heard Kat laughing at something. Laughing loud enough bitch?
I cringed at Tom laughed at something when Max put his arm around my waist and pulled me close to him. I looked at him and asked, “What are you doing?”
“Just play along with everything I say and do,” he replied loud enough so only I could hear him.
Confused, I shrugged and continued to pick at my cake. Ali started laughing at something. I looked at her confused and she said, “Text message. Ah that just made my day.”
I shrugged and took a bite of my cake. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Tom and Kat. They weren’t sitting that far away from here actually. I looked away and stared at my cake when I said, “Hey, I need to get back to work. I’ll talk to you guys afterwards.”
They nodded and Max surprised me by kissing me on the cheek. He leaned in and whispered, “We’ll show him what he’s missing out on.”
I looked at him confused when I saw Tom out of the corner of my eye. I couldn’t tell if he was mad or shocked. Oh well.
I smiled and kissed him back on the cheek before getting up and walking back over to the registers. I broke out and started taking people’s orders.
After a while (and several Blizzards later) I was talking to a co-worker when Kat walked up to the register. I looked at her, smiled, and asked, “Can I help you?”
“Yeah actually. I need two small vanilla shakes please,” she replied smiling her I’m-better-than-you smile.
I rang them up and told her the total. She pulled out her money and paid just as Tom walked over. I turned around and started making the shakes as one of my co-workers took his order. I was blending the shake just as my phone vibrated in my pocket. I stopped blending the shake and dried off my hands before pulling out my phone, seeing that I had a text.
Tom: I am sorry.
I slid my phone closed and started blending the other shake as my phone vibrated in my pocket again. I finished the shake, dried my hands, and took them to the front and put lids on them. I grabbed a straw for both and handed them to a waiting Kat. I pulled out my phone and read the text.
Tom: I need to talk to you. Please.
I shook my head and slid my phone shut before shoving it in my pocket. I started making different desserts when one of my co-workers walked up to me and said, “Hey, there’s a guy wanting to speak to you.”
“What does he look like?” I asked.
“He’s standing by the register,” she replied.
I looked over and saw that it was Tom. I looked back at her and said, “I have to get working on dishes. I have a lot that I need to finish.”
She nodded and I headed to the back to the dishes. I started washing them when my supervisor walked back. “Chelsea, you don’t have to start on those until later,” she said.
I shrugged. “I might as well start on them now so that way I get done with them,” I said.
She looked at me and asked, “Is everything okay?”
I sighed before shaking my head. “I’m dealing with a bunch of crap and I really need to get my head together,” I replied.
She nodded. “Here,” she said, “I’ll call somebody and have them fill in for you. You could use a mental health day. Go on.”
I smiled and dried off my hands before hugging her. “Thank you,” I said before going up front. I clocked out and saw my supervisor on the phone. She smiled and gave me he thumbs up before going back to talking on the phone. I walked back to where everything was and grabbed my things before pulling out my phone.
Me: hey, I got out early. My supervisor let me leave. Wanna hang @ my place?
Ali: hell yeah! Let’s go. I’ll meet you there.
Me: kk. Laterz
I closed my phone and walked out the back. I started towards my car when I heard someone yell, “Chelsea! Wait!”
I looked to see that it was Tom. I shook my head and continued towards my car. I reached it just as Tom reached me. “What do you want?” I asked hostile.
“I just wanted to talk to you,” he replied.
“Ha! You decided to listen to your skank of a girlfriend and not talk to Ali and I, you have the fucking balls to call me while I’m in Europe on a private number, and now you’re texting me while I’m at work! What do you want from me?!” I asked him.
He put his hand on my shoulder and I hit it off. “Don’t touch me. I don’t want anything to do with you,” I told him.
“Chelsea, please. I realized I made a huge mistake. Listen, you’re going to hate me for--” he started.
“There’s no “going” Tom,” I told him angrily.
He sighed. “Look, I messed up. I hurt you too bad. I was hoping you would give up on me and find someone better for you. I mean, I can’t seem to keep the people I want and keep those I don’t want to keep. But I’m human. You know that. I am so sorry for what I did. I really am,” he said with all sincerity.
It took all the will power I had to not jump into his arms and let him hold me. I shook my head. “I can’t do this Tom. I really can’t,” I said before getting in my car. I was about to shut the door when Tom stopped it from closing. “What Tom?” I asked him, trying my hardest not to cry.
He squatted down to where he was eye-level with me and said, “Tell me you never want to see me again. Say it truthfully too. Don’t say it just because I told you to do so.”
I took a deep breath and was about to say it when I shook my head. I knew I would be a lie if I told him. “I can’t Tom,” I said, “but I can’t deal with all this hurt I’ve been through. I need to head home. I’m sorry.”
I managed to close the door and started the car before pulling out of the parking lot. And, against my better judgment, I looked in the rearview mirror and saw Tom, causing my eyes to water up when I saw Kat walk over to him. I let my emotions escape as I peeled out of the parking lot and on my way home.
I picked at my ice-cream cake and felt someone poke me. I looked to see that it was Max. “Chelsea?” he asked, “What’s wrong hun?”
I shrugged. “Not really hungry right now,” I replied
He opened his mouth to say something when I heard Kat laughing at something. Laughing loud enough bitch?
I cringed at Tom laughed at something when Max put his arm around my waist and pulled me close to him. I looked at him and asked, “What are you doing?”
“Just play along with everything I say and do,” he replied loud enough so only I could hear him.
Confused, I shrugged and continued to pick at my cake. Ali started laughing at something. I looked at her confused and she said, “Text message. Ah that just made my day.”
I shrugged and took a bite of my cake. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Tom and Kat. They weren’t sitting that far away from here actually. I looked away and stared at my cake when I said, “Hey, I need to get back to work. I’ll talk to you guys afterwards.”
They nodded and Max surprised me by kissing me on the cheek. He leaned in and whispered, “We’ll show him what he’s missing out on.”
I looked at him confused when I saw Tom out of the corner of my eye. I couldn’t tell if he was mad or shocked. Oh well.
I smiled and kissed him back on the cheek before getting up and walking back over to the registers. I broke out and started taking people’s orders.
After a while (and several Blizzards later) I was talking to a co-worker when Kat walked up to the register. I looked at her, smiled, and asked, “Can I help you?”
“Yeah actually. I need two small vanilla shakes please,” she replied smiling her I’m-better-than-you smile.
I rang them up and told her the total. She pulled out her money and paid just as Tom walked over. I turned around and started making the shakes as one of my co-workers took his order. I was blending the shake just as my phone vibrated in my pocket. I stopped blending the shake and dried off my hands before pulling out my phone, seeing that I had a text.
Tom: I am sorry.
I slid my phone closed and started blending the other shake as my phone vibrated in my pocket again. I finished the shake, dried my hands, and took them to the front and put lids on them. I grabbed a straw for both and handed them to a waiting Kat. I pulled out my phone and read the text.
Tom: I need to talk to you. Please.
I shook my head and slid my phone shut before shoving it in my pocket. I started making different desserts when one of my co-workers walked up to me and said, “Hey, there’s a guy wanting to speak to you.”
“What does he look like?” I asked.
“He’s standing by the register,” she replied.
I looked over and saw that it was Tom. I looked back at her and said, “I have to get working on dishes. I have a lot that I need to finish.”
She nodded and I headed to the back to the dishes. I started washing them when my supervisor walked back. “Chelsea, you don’t have to start on those until later,” she said.
I shrugged. “I might as well start on them now so that way I get done with them,” I said.
She looked at me and asked, “Is everything okay?”
I sighed before shaking my head. “I’m dealing with a bunch of crap and I really need to get my head together,” I replied.
She nodded. “Here,” she said, “I’ll call somebody and have them fill in for you. You could use a mental health day. Go on.”
I smiled and dried off my hands before hugging her. “Thank you,” I said before going up front. I clocked out and saw my supervisor on the phone. She smiled and gave me he thumbs up before going back to talking on the phone. I walked back to where everything was and grabbed my things before pulling out my phone.
Me: hey, I got out early. My supervisor let me leave. Wanna hang @ my place?
Ali: hell yeah! Let’s go. I’ll meet you there.
Me: kk. Laterz
I closed my phone and walked out the back. I started towards my car when I heard someone yell, “Chelsea! Wait!”
I looked to see that it was Tom. I shook my head and continued towards my car. I reached it just as Tom reached me. “What do you want?” I asked hostile.
“I just wanted to talk to you,” he replied.
“Ha! You decided to listen to your skank of a girlfriend and not talk to Ali and I, you have the fucking balls to call me while I’m in Europe on a private number, and now you’re texting me while I’m at work! What do you want from me?!” I asked him.
He put his hand on my shoulder and I hit it off. “Don’t touch me. I don’t want anything to do with you,” I told him.
“Chelsea, please. I realized I made a huge mistake. Listen, you’re going to hate me for--” he started.
“There’s no “going” Tom,” I told him angrily.
He sighed. “Look, I messed up. I hurt you too bad. I was hoping you would give up on me and find someone better for you. I mean, I can’t seem to keep the people I want and keep those I don’t want to keep. But I’m human. You know that. I am so sorry for what I did. I really am,” he said with all sincerity.
It took all the will power I had to not jump into his arms and let him hold me. I shook my head. “I can’t do this Tom. I really can’t,” I said before getting in my car. I was about to shut the door when Tom stopped it from closing. “What Tom?” I asked him, trying my hardest not to cry.
He squatted down to where he was eye-level with me and said, “Tell me you never want to see me again. Say it truthfully too. Don’t say it just because I told you to do so.”
I took a deep breath and was about to say it when I shook my head. I knew I would be a lie if I told him. “I can’t Tom,” I said, “but I can’t deal with all this hurt I’ve been through. I need to head home. I’m sorry.”
I managed to close the door and started the car before pulling out of the parking lot. And, against my better judgment, I looked in the rearview mirror and saw Tom, causing my eyes to water up when I saw Kat walk over to him. I let my emotions escape as I peeled out of the parking lot and on my way home.