This Modern Love

Scotty and I stopped at a pharmacy to clean up my hand. He said it looked like I broke a few knuckles, but I wasn’t worried about it. They didn’t hurt too badly, and I would schedule a doctor’s appointment when the pain started to get bad.

We were sitting in the tree house that we all built in the forest behind Mason’s house. We called it the Batcave, but we rarely ever came back to it after freshman year. I sat with my legs folded and started to pick at the lose thread on my jacket sleeve.

Scotty was lying on his back, staring at the ceiling.

“I wish you had a penis so you could experience peeing out the window in front of a crowd of people leaving parties,” he said, rubbing his eye.

“Where did that come from?” I asked, chuckling.

“I dunno. I was just looking out that window, and that’s what Louie and I did after Mason’s last house party. Its fun,” he answered.

“That’s disgusting!” I exclaimed, slapping his stomach.

He groaned at the slap. “See? If you were able to do it, you wouldn’t think it was so gross.”

I shook my head, lightly laughing.

“What’s going through your head, babe?” he asked, rubbing my back.

I sighed, shaking my head. “Everything,” I mumbled, leaning back.

“Yeah, that is pretty fucked up to do. Are you going to lie for her?”

I buried my face in his chest, and he wrapped his arms around me.

“I said yes, but I don’t want anything else to do with her or Shaun,” I mumbled.

“What are you saying?” he asked slowly.

“I’m giving up on him,” I admitted. It sounded so easy, and came out of my mouth with ease, like I didn’t feel anything.

“Why?” He sounded irritated.

“Because, he’s just getting hard to deal with, and I’m so tired of being upset with him all the time. I’m irritated with myself because every time I see you, we always have him in the conversation. He’s got a girlfriend, and I have a boyfriend. I want to focus less on them, and more on us,” I explained, shrugging.

“You can’t do that,” he snapped.

“What?” I asked, beyond confused.

“You can’t just give up on him like that. I know he makes you upset all the time, but he’ll get over it. He’s going to dump her soon, right? You just can’t toss your feelings away for him like that,” he ranted.

“But I don’t want him anymore. He’s busy with his girlfriend. I don’t want to be with you crying all the time because he has a girl, when I have a boyfriend. It’s not good for you,” I replied, walking my fingers up his chest.

“I've known never known what's good for me. I want what’s best for you, and I’m not it,” he said grabbing my hand and pressing it flat on his chest.

“But I want to really be your girlfriend. I don’t want to be a girl that you love and dating who is always crying over someone else. I feel like I owe you,” I argued.

“You don’t owe me anything. I’m telling you, Candace. You don’t want me,” he warned, shaking his head.

“Why won’t you let me be close to you? Isn’t that what you want?” I asked angrily.

“It’s not that I don’t want to seriously be with you, because I do. I mean, that would be amazing,” he chuckled. “But I don’t think it’s what you really want.”

“It is, Scotty. I’m so sick of crying in front you of. I’m sick of you just being the rebound boyfriend. I like you a lot. So just keep telling me jokes and keep making me smile, and you will make me the happiest person ever,” I said, leaning up to give him a peck on his cheek.

He sighed. “Are you absolutely positively sure you really really want this? For serious and not because Shaun made you upset and you feel like getting revenge?” he asked, raising his eyebrows.

“I’m 100 percent positive that I want to drop Shaun and be with you,” I answered, staring right into his eyes.

He smiled and kissed me on the lips.

“You’ve made me the happiest man on earth,” he informed me with a soft smile.

I smiled back and giggled.

“I’m glad. But now, will you watch VCRs with me? We do have the generator up here,” I said, pointing to the Television and the bulky generator next to it.

Scotty rolled his eyes and laughed.

“This thing is so old, that the only VHS we have up here are The Little Mermaid, Toy Story, and Like Mike,” he chuckled.

“Will you watch The Little Mermaid with me?” I pleaded with a smile.

Scotty shook his head. “NO way. I watched that movie way that movie way too many times with Louie and Mason.”

“Please?” I begged, sticking out my bottom lip.

He shook his head and smirked. “Pick a different movie.”

“Fine,” I scoffed. “We’ll watch Toy Story,” I whined, sticking my tongue out at him.