These Bright Lights Have Always Blinded Me

We were sitting in my room listening to music. I was picking at my nails when Ali sighed in frustration. “What is it?” I asked her.

“Mikey,” was all she replied.

“Ugh. What did he do this time?” I asked.

“He fucking kissed me! In front of Craig!” she replied.

I shook my head. “I love that boy to death, but I swear I’m going to kick his ass. Or have someone else do it for me.”

She chuckled. “Come on. He’ll get over it. He’s just mad that I like Craig’s huge dick more than his not as huge dick,” she said.

I started laughing, only to have my chest hurt. I winced at the pain and Ali sighed. “I could kill him Chelzers. I really could,” she said.

“But I know you Alikina. He practically helped raise you. You wouldn’t have the heart to do it. Even though he’s a fucking bastard for what he did to me, you love the old him and hope that maybe, just maybe, that part of him would resurface,” I told her, “I know I sometimes wish it would. Sometimes I think of what would have happened had I not dated him. Maybe I would have the courage to sleep with Max. Hell, who knows if I would be dating Max.”

She nodded. “Okay, this conversation is getting sad. Let’s do something. Anything.”

I thought for a second when my phone rang. I grabbed it and slid it open before putting it on speaker phone. “Hello?” I asked.

“You are going to pay for making Tom dump me you little whore. I’m going to make your life a living hell,” I heard a female voice say before whoever it was hung up.

I looked at Ali. “Was that Kat?” I asked.

She nodded. “Wait a minute. Tom dumped her?” I asked.

She shrugged. “Call him and ask him about it,” she said.

I dialed Tom’s number and waited for him to answer it.

“Hallo! You’ve reached my voicemail. I’m busy right now. Not that you can’t tell that already. So, leave you’re name and number and I’ll get back to you soon. Unless I’m with mein Bruder Bill oder mit mein Freundinen Ali und Chelsea. Tschüss,” his voicemail said.

“Tomi! It’s Chelsea. Kat just called me and said you dumped her? Care to fill me in? Later Tom. Tschüss,” I said before hanging up.

“He didn’t answer?” Ali asked.

I shook my head. “We’re mentioned in his voicemail,” I told her.

“Really?” she asked.

I nodded. “We’re his Freundinen. It’s female friends in German,” I replied when my phone started ringing. I slid it open and asked, “Ello?”

“Chelsea? You called?” Tom asked.

“Yeah. Did you and Kat break up?” I asked.

“Yeah. She was saying crap about you while you were being held by Ronnie. Warum?” he asked.

“She just called me and threatened me because apparently I made you dump her.”

“Scheisse. Can I call you back in a little bit Liebling?”

“Ja. Later Tom.”

“Later.”

I slid my phone shut. “What did he have to say?” Ali asked.

“He did break up with her. She was saying shit about me when Ronnie was holding me against my will,” I replied.

“Damn.”

“Ich weiss. I think he’s calling her now. Hopefully it’s to tell her to stop acting all childish because he didn’t want her anymore. Aber ich weiss nicht.”

“Let’s hope so,” she said.

We sat there for a moment when my phone rang again. I looked to see that it was Tom, so I slid it open and asked, “Ello?”

He sighed. “She’s driving me crazy Chelsea. She’s saying that she’s going to make your life miserable. She thinks I dumped her for you,” he replied.

“Wow. She’s crazy. We both know that I have Max. You and I are just friends,” I said.

“I told her that, but she started going on and on and on about something. I just ended up hanging up on her. No one has ever managed to piss me off like her,” he said.

“I’m sorry Tom. You sound like you need a hug.”

“I could use a hug. Are you busy?”

“Ali’s over right now. She’s sleeping over.”

“Oh. Would it be okay if I came over?”

“Yeah. I don’t mind.”

“Okay. I’ll be over in a bit. Later Liebling.”

“Later. Just come on in. Ali and I are in my room. You know where that’s at.”

“Okay. Bye.”

“Bye.”

I slid my phone closed and said, “Tom’s coming over in a bit. He needs a hug.”

“Kat being a bitch?” she asked.

I nodded. “And Tom dated her why?”

“He told me because she was great in bed. That’s why he didn’t break up with her before.”

“That’s what he told me as well,” Ali said when her phone rang.

She slid it open and asked, “Hello?”

She was silent. “But Monte! I just got here! Why do I need to go home? I did my dishes and took out the trash. That’s all my--what cleaning my room thing are you talking about? My room is clean. Oh. That. Fine Monte. Can I come back here later? YES! Thank you! Buh-bye,” she said. She looked at me and said, “I have to go and clean the living room. I was supposed to do that before I left. I’ll be back later, okay?”

I nodded and we hugged. “I’ll see you later,” I said

“Later,” she said before leaving. I lied down on my bed and let “From Yesterday” fill my room. I laid there for a while when there was a knock on my door. I looked over and saw that it was Tom.

“Hey Tom,” I said sitting up on my bed, “Come on in.”

He walked in and sat on my bed. “I remember the last time I was in here. You were sick and it was before the whole situation with Kat,” he said.

“Yeah. I don’t like to think of that,” I said.

“Sorry,” he said, “Now, where is that hug you owe me?”

I smiled and hugged him. “Happy?” I asked.

He hugged back and nodded. “Thanks. I really needed a hug. I do not know who gives the best hugs. It is between you and Ali. I do like your hugs though.”

I smiled and we stopped hugging. “That’s good,” I said.

“Where did Ali go?” he asked.

“She forgot to clean something. She’ll be back later.”

He nodded. “Ah,” he said.

“From Yesterday” ended and “Built for Sin” by Framing Hanley started playing. I closed my eyes and swayed to the music. “Chelsea?” I heard Tom ask.

I opened my eyes. “Yeah?” I asked.

He took a deep breath. “I wanted to tell you that--” he started when my phone started ringing Max’s ring tone.

I looked at Tom. “One sec,” I said before grabbing my phone and sliding it open. “Hey baby,” I said.

“Hey Chelsea. What are you doing?” he asked.

“Hanging out with Tom and listening to music. What about you?” I asked.

“Just got laundry done. I called to see if you wanted to come over,” he said, “But since you already have company, I can always see you later.”

“Just got it done? Wow Maxi. Wow,” I said.

“What? I had mine, Ali’s, Craig’s, Leila’s, Monte’s, and Robert’s to wash. That’s a shit-ton of clothing.”

“I’m just kidding Max. I know that’s a lot of clothes to wash. But hey, how about I come over later, okay? I can nab Ali when I leave since she’s supposed to be sleeping over anyway.”

“That works. Well, I’ve got to go. I’m hungry and food’s calling my name. I love you.”

“I love you, too. Bye Max.”

“Bye.”

I slid my phone shut and looked at Tom. “Sorry. Anyways, what were you saying?” I asked him.

He shook his head. “It is not important. I need to be heading home anyway. Mom and Gordon are going to be leaving and Bill und I have to watch the house for them. I’ll call you later, okay?” he said, although it sounded like something was bothering him.

“Okay,” I said letting it go. If he didn’t want to talk about it, I wasn’t going to make him, “I’ll talk to you later.”

He hugged me and I hugged him back. “Built for Sin” ended and “Sally’s Song” started. We stayed hugging for a bit when Tom let go and stood up. He smiled a weak smile and waved. He started out of my room when I sighed and said, “Wait Tom.”

He turned around and looked at me. I stood up and walked over to him. “Okay, I was just going to let this go, but something’s bothering you. I can tell,” I told him.

He smiled and hugged me. “Don’t worry about me. It’s nothing,” he said.

“But it isn’t nothing. Something’s bothering you and it’s going to bug the hell out of me,” I told him.

He stopped hugging me and held me out at arms length. “Don’t worry yourself, okay?”

I sighed. “I’ll try. But I don’t know if--” I was cut off with Tom’s lips on mine. Against my better judgment, I kissed him back, only to have him pull away.

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have done that. That was pushing the limit I had set for myself. We’re friends. You have Max. I can’t just kiss you while you have a boyfriend. What kind friend am I?” he said, muttering the last bit to himself.

I looked at him and hugged him. “Just try to forget about it. I will. We’re friends. Friends make slip-ups. Don’t worry about it, okay?” I asked.

He shook his head. “But I know it’ll be hard for me. I really like you. As much as my reputation shows that I don’t know how to like a girl, I’m still able to. It took me this fucking long to figure it out, too.”

I looked up at him and gave his cheek a friendly kiss. “You know, I seriously wish you would have found that out sooner. But, if Max and I split, you’ll be the first person I go to. Well, besides my brother. But he’s family.”

He smiled. “That makes me feel better. Well, I do really need to head home. I’ll call you later, okay Liebling?”

I smiled. “Okay. I’ll talk to you later.”

He smiled and hugged me again before leaving. The final song from The Nightmare Before Christmas was playing and it was on Jack and Sally’s part.

And sit together, now and forever. For it is plain as anyone can see. We’re simply meant to be.