Three Strikes

It was the eve of my twentieth birthday and I hadn’t heard from Joe or the Jonas’ for the past three days. Joe had told me that he’d be visiting Amanda’s house this weekend and I was getting a sick feeling in my stomach when he mentioned it. Tonight I was eating out with some friends from work. Peter had declined saying he was going to be spending the evening in with his boyfriend. Cara and Talia had picked me up from my apartment and drove us downtown where we were going to eat at some restaurant. We walked inside and the waiter led us to our table.

“I can’t believe you’re getting married,” Talia said as she gulped her daiquiri and lemon.

Cara nudged me, obviously a little tipsy. “And to a Jonas no less!” She giggled, clapping her hands. “So,” she trailed off thoughtfully. “Is he really as innocent as everything says he is?”

My jaw dropped. “Cara!” I exclaimed with a giggle. “Yes,” I said, sobering up slightly. They wouldn’t serve me in the restaurant but I’d drank half a bottle of wine before I’d left. “He is.”

Cara smirked. “I doubt it.”

“That’s my fiancé you’re talking about!” I said, pointing my finger at her. “And he is, thank you. As am I.”

Talia looked shocked. “What? I thought and Adam had y’know…”

I shook my head, looking quite proud of myself. “Ha! No, not at all.” It was then that the waiter walked over to our table. He bent down and whispered something in Talia’s ear and walked away, leaving her giggling madly.

“What?” pressed Cara, “What did he say?”

“He wanted my cell number,” Talia said, watching the waiter go away. She jotted a number down on a piece of paper and called him back over. I watched as he grinned and pocketed it, looking very accomplished. Talia waved him away and I sat with wide eyes.

“You whore!” I stage whispered. “You have a boyfriend!”

“I know,” she said simply, ordering another rum cocktail.

“Then how… why?”

“I gave him Marie’s home number.” She grinned devilishly, reducing us into fits of drunken girlish giggles. Three hours later I was dropped off at my apartment with Cara who was staying the night. We collapsed into the living room, giggling madly. She held a finger up to her lips, signalling us to be quiet, but it led to another round of loud, high-pitched laughter.

“Where am I sleeping?” She stumbled, wandering around the room. She entered my bedroom, spotting the bed. “So this is where the magic doesn’t happen then?” She winked and laughed, collapsing on the bed.

I stepped inside the room and rolled my eyes, taking off my leather jacket. “Be quiet you,” I hiccupped, thoroughly drunk. “Joe’s a gentlemen.”

“I’ll bet.” Cara said, slinking out of her dress. She pulled a night shirt from the bag she’d left here earlier. “Where am I sleeping?”
“Spare room across the hall.” I informed her. Cara nodded and slinked her way out of the room. I stepped out of my dress and chose a nightgown, pulling it over my head before stumbling into the bathroom to brush my teeth when my phone buzzed. I left the bathroom, hitting all the wrong keys before I pressed the right one.

“Hiiiiiii,” I sang merrily into the speaker.

“Rose?”

I frowned, confused. “Nick?”

“It’s me,” Nick confirmed. He was speaking in hushed tones. “How’re you? I’m sorry for ringing so late it’s just I had to wait until everyone was asleep. Seriously, I’m sorry.”

“Nick, Nick,” I said, bouncing on the end of my bed. I giggled and Nick’s voice floated to my ears.

“Rose… Rose are you drunk?” He asked me, surprised.

“No,” I giggled, “Don’t be silly Nick.”

Awkwardly Nick said: “Maybe I should ring you tomorrow when you’re a bit more sober.”

“Yes!” I squealed and I heard Nick laugh to himself. “And then you can sing to me! Happy Birthday to Rose and all of those hip-hip things! I like it when you sing, Nick. It makes me happy.”

“Oh it’s your birthday isn’t it,” he stumbled with his words. “Rose… do you think that you could sober up for a minute?”

I flopped back on my bed. “Mayyyybe.” I sang.

“Would it help if I told you it had something to do with Joe?”

It did. I sat up almost instantly, feeling dizzy from the quick movement. I clutched at my forehead and nodded. “What’s wrong with Joe?”

Nick mumbled something into the reciever that sounded like “What’s not wrong with Joe?” but he cleared his throat and said, “Rose. Look, you’re not going to like this. But… do you know where we are?”

“Idaho?”

“Bingo.” Nick said, stalling himself.

“Out with it, Nicky.” I yawned. “I’m tired and my head feels like it’s got a knife being struck through it.”

“Nice wording.” Nick whispered.

“Nick.” I warned, wanting nothing more than to go to bed. I heard him sigh on the other end and there was silence. I repeated his name softly and he burst out with,

“I think Joe’s cheating on you. I saw him today with this girl. She’s blonde and tan and has a really weird face, I think she looks like a horse. She’s nothing on you Rose,” rambled Nick. “And I saw them kissing and it looked as though they were getting… I dunno, pretty hot and heavy if that makes sense. And I know I shouldn’t be telling you this on your birthday but I felt like I had to because I don’t want you to not know and then you get angry at me and-”

“Nick,” I cautioned quietly, “breathe sweetheart.”

He took a deep breath and I smiled.

“She was blonde?”

“Yeah,” Nick said.

“Was it short? Sort of a pixie cut?”

“Like boyish?” asked Nick. “Yeah it was.”

“Nose ring?”

“Yeah,” said Nick. “How do you-?”

“Nick, it’s fine.” I whispered, trying to calm his frantic worrying. “Trust me. It’s just Amanda,” I blurted without thinking in my semi-drunken state. There was silence on the other line.

“Rose… who’s Amanda?”

Shit.