About a Girl

“You have set your heart on haunting me forever from the start.” – Panic! at the Disco

-x-x-x-x-x-

“So, are you going to tell me where we’re going?” she asks me impatiently.

“Hmm…no,” I reply, smirking slightly. “Don’t think so, sweetheart.”

“I don’t know how you expect me to enjoy myself, then…” she pretends to sulk. I don’t reply; only shoot her a smile, which she returns by childishly sticking her tongue out at me. I grin.

Her gloved hand grasps mine as we walk down the chilly street.

“Okay,” I say, coming to a stop at the corner. She looks at me expectantly. “I know our anniversary isn’t for a few months, but we met around this time, so…” She smiles, catching on. I pull her towards me by the waist, hugging her from behind. “Do you remember that this is where you brought me the day we met? When I thought you ditched me-” She laughs. “Until I saw you get on stage, and that’s where it started, I think.”

She turns in my arms to kiss me briefly. I smile and grasp her hand to tug her along again. After awhile, I stop us again.

“Then you brought me here that same night. This is when I learned how much you love pancakes. This is where you said a lot of things I don’t remember, because I just liked hearing your voice,” I admit, as she releases another peal of laughter. “I’m-”

“I love you,” she interrupts, pulling my face down so she can meet my lips.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-

“This is where we brought you ice skating, isn’t it?” Rae remembers, later that afternoon when we’re walking downtown.

“Right,” I reply, kissing her cheek.

“And- hey, look! There’s where you completely wiped out on your skates,” she adds teasingly, nudging me in the side. I grin.

“So then you had to skate with me for the rest of the afternoon, just like I planned,” I fib jokingly.

“You’re such a liar,” she laughs.

“Me? Lie to you? Never.”

“I’ve heard that one before,” she jokes, linking her arm with mine. “What am I going to do with you?”

“I guess you’re not the worst girlfriend I’ve had,” I tease back.

“I’d hope not,” she muses. “Who was the worst?”

“Well…there was Collette, back in elementary school.” She snorts to hold back a laugh. I smirk. “That didn’t work out too well. Turns out she was only using me for my sweets at lunch.”

“Seriously, Michael?” Rae giggles, rolling her eyes.

“Oh yeah, then there was Elizabeth, who thought “I’m going on my first tour” meant sleep with all my friends until I get back.” She doesn’t respond to that one, just unlinks her arm from mine in order to grasp my hand.

We fall comfortably silent and continue our walk despite the cold.

“Do you realize that we’re turning into one of those couples that makes Suzie sick?” Rae suddenly states.

I laugh.

“Rae…name one thing that doesn’t make Suzie sick,” I muse. She hits my arm playfully, but doesn’t contradict the statement.

-x-x-x-x-x-

Rae

“Yeah, that’s great and magical and actually kind of makes me sick, Rae, but I have a little problem here,” Suzie interrupts my retelling of mine and Michael’s date yesterday.

“What?” I ask, snapping out of my thoughts.

“So I, uh…ah, fuck…” She hesitates, glancing at me and then away again. “I slept with Mike, alright?”

“What?!” I exclaim. “When? Why?!”

“After your New Year’s Eve party a few nights ago,” she answers, wincing a little bit. “I don’t even know, Rae.”

“So then what?”

“Nothing. We forget it ever happened. That’s what.”

“Suze…” I say, an edge to my tone.

“I know…” she groans. “I’m just afraid he’ll tell the guys,” she admits, nervously twirling a strand of hair around her fingers.

“Well…maybe you should just talk to him…” I start to suggest, knowing she won’t go for the idea in the slightest.

“Maybe you should come up with an idea that doesn’t make me sick.”