This Modern Love

I stared at my feet, and brushed the hair that was hiding my hickey behind my ear.

Shaun didn’t seem to notice that I started to feel bummed out, and continued to talk.

“Alright, so I’m heading down to the skating rink to meet Natalie’s skating partner. She said he’s a little skeptical about her leaving him,. She said something about him thinking it’ll ruin their chances at some title or championship, something like that,” Shaun announced, talking more to himself than the rest of the group. “So, are you guys packed?”

“We’re leaving right now?” Mason asked with a dropped jaw.

“No, but you two need to hurry and get your stuff together! We are leaving tomorrow morning!” Shaun answered, jumping up and down.

“We’re the only two going?” Louie asked, pointing from himself to Mason.

“Yeah. Kevin is staying because Joanna can’t get off work,” Shaun replied, starting to do the robot.

“Wait, what about--” Mason began, raising his finger to point at me.

“Uninvited,” I spat, angrily grinding my teeth together.

Mason’s face was horrorstruck.

“Oh, burn!” Louie snickered.

“Why isn’t she coming?” Mason asked, hitting Shaun in the chest. “Why isn’t she coming?!”

“Natalie is coming. I don’t want them to kill each other on the drive up there,” Shaun answered, still doing some badly coordinated dance moves.

“Are you kidding?” Louie spat. “That would be incredibly sexy! You should totally bring Candace along! We can get a mud pit and have them wrestle!” he continued excitedly.

“I just don’t want there to be problems,” Shaun shrugged, now doing some Michael Jackson moves.

“Out with the old, in with the new,” Louie grinned.

Kevin tossed a pillow at Louie’s face.

“Shut up, dude,” he demanded.

Scotty wrapped his arms around my shoulder, and hugged me closer to him.

“How come Scotty isn’t going then?” Louie asked.

“’Cause Candace isn’t going, you idiot,” Kevin spat.

Scotty nodded and kissed my temple.

Kevin started making gag noises at Scotty and I.

I turned my attention to Shaun, who was trying his hardest to imitate James Brown.

“Watching you dance is making me dizzy,” Louie groaned, stuffing his face into the pillow Kevin threw at him.

Shaun started to spin and do wild pelvic thrusts.

“Candace, I want to talk to you outside, if I could,” Shaun pleaded, not even bothering to pause his dancing.

“If only I could talk to you, first,” Scotty interrupted, pointing at Shaun.

Shaun shrugged and walked into the kitchen with Scotty.

Of course, we all moved a little closer to be able to hear what they were saying.

“Look, Shaun,” Scotty began in a stern tone. “If she comes back In here crying, or even looks like she’s about to cry, I will seriously beat the shit out of you,” he warned.

“Nah, it won’t be like that. You make it seem like I make her cry everyday,” Shaun chuckled.

“That’s because you do, you idiot,” Scotty barked. “You just don’t get it , do you?”

“Get what? I always apologize for upsetting her when I know for sure I made her mad,” Shaun replied, still having a hint of a smile in his voice.

“So pathetic,” Scotty scoffed. “Nothing. Just go talk to her. IF I see a single tear, though, it’s on.”

“Aww, Scotty loves his little Candace,” Mason teased, making kissy faces at me.

“Shut up,” I giggled.

“Haha! Remember when you and I, Kevin, were in the hallway the morning after that one party, and we started imitating Scotty and Candace having violent butt sex? I wonder if it’s happened yet,” Louie snorted, smiling at me.

“It hasn’t,” Kevin said, shaking his head.

I started turning red at the topic of my boring, non existent sex life.

“Yo, let’s go!” Shaun shouted from the doorway, rushing me outside.

We walked outside, and I sat on the tailgate of Mason’s truck.

“You must be really excited about this trip, huh?” I asked with a smile.

“Yeah, I’m pretty stoked. I’m a little nervous about meeting her skating partner. She said we have the same last name, so he can’t be that bad. But, she said that they didn’t talk for about three years because they were so shy,” Shaun shrugged, spinning around in circles.

“Well, I’m happy for you either way,” I sighed.

Shaun stopped spinning and fell to his knees.

“If I could escape and re-create a place as my own world, you could be my favorite girl forever, perfectly together and tell me girl, now wouldn't that be sweet?” he sang in a high pitched voice.

“What are you doing?!” I exclaimed, laughing at his attempts to be like Gwen Stefani.

“I’m singing my feelings to you! I heard girls like that,” he replied with a huge smile.

“Who told you that lie?” I chuckled.

“Mason,” he answered. “If I could be sweet, I know I've been a real bad boy. I didn't mean for you to get hurt what so ever. We can make it better and tell me girl, now wouldn't that be sweet? Sweet escape, sweet escape,” he sang.

“You are such a goofball!” I snickered, slapping my palm to my forehead.

“Woo-hoo! Yee-hoo! Woo-hoo! Yee-hoo!” he continued.

“Shaun, stop it!” I demanded in between chuckles.

“Alright, alright, I’m sorry. I got a little carried away there,” he admitted with an ear-to-ear grin. “But I wanted to let you know that I’m sorry for what I said last night. I didn’t mean to make you so upset, you know what I mean?” he asked, brushing his huge red hair back

“I know,” I nodded..

“Do you forgive me?” he asked, resting his chin on my knees.

“I guess,” I sighed.

He smiled, showing his huge teeth.

“So baby, times getting a little crazy.
I've been getting a little lazy waiting for you to come save me. I can see that you're angry by the way the you treat me. Hopefully you don't leave me. I Want to take you with me,” he continued to sing.

I started laughing, and threw my head back.

“Yes, I’m still waiting for you if that’s what you are asking, Gwen Stefani,” I teased.

“What is that?” he asked laughing, poking my neck.

I knew he was talking about my hickey, and I quickly hid it behind my hair.

Shaun twisted his smile to the side, and raised his eyebrows at me.

“Oh c’mon! We were at a party last night!” I reminded him.

“Nah, it’s cool!” he laughed. “Being in a relationship is all about the physicality! Without the psychical contact, you guys are just friends!” he explained. Surprisingly, keeping toothy smile as he did so.

I raised my eyebrow in shock at his quick acceptance.

“You are really, really happy today,” I observed.

“Things are changing! I can feel it in the wind!” he exclaimed, slapping my thigh and getting to his feet.