Not Enough Mike Stories So Here's One
Bills
Mike and I got back to normal after a few weeks of awkward dating. It’s sort of bittersweet because we made up just as he had to leave with his band to tour to promote their new album.
I look over my bills, I’ve only had about a week of work since I became a goddamn replacement at the radio station. There’s no way in hell I can pay all of them, I’d already cut cable, internet and cell phone. No where else I could cut corners. I start to cry a bit, I’m so glad Maddy is at school, I’d hate for her to see me breaking down.
The phone rings, I get up to get it as I dry my tears in the process.
“Hello?”
“Jade, I think we should talk.” It’s Mike’s voice.
“Uhh.”
“Why the hell didn’t you tell me you lost your job?” I sit down on the floor, against the kitchen table.
“How’d you find out?” I ask quietly.
“I called your work because you said your cell phone was down and they said you lost your job as recording tech and you were a temp!”
“I’m sorry.” I whisper, “I didn’t want you to worry.”
“Then you say, Mike I lost my job, but there’s nothing to worry about, I got it under control!” he says exasperated.
“Because I don’t have it under control!” I yell frantically, “My cell phone isn’t down, I stopped using it so I can afford to pay my other bills! Which as of ten minutes ago I realized I can’t pay at all!”
“Another reason why you should have told me.” he says irritated, “I would’ve helped you out.”
“No Mike.”
“How much do you need?”
“I said no.”
“Jade! For fuck’s sake!” he exclaims, “What’s the problem?”
“I can take care of myself.”
“I know you can, I’m just helping you out.”
“Mike,” I say trying not to explode again, “Please, unless you want me to hate you, stop trying to help me.”
“Fine.” He pauses, “But you should know if you need help, don’t be afraid to ask.”
“Hmph.”
“So, what was so urgent that you had to call me at work?” I ask trying to be friendly.
“I wanted to see if you could get time off to come on tour with me.” he mutters, I can tell he’s still fuming, “the first week of march, Stella’s coming because of March break, and I figured you and Maddy could come to.”
“Oh.” I say not sure if the offer still stands.
“So unless you hate me, would you want to?”
“I don’t hate you.” I say calmly, “I didn’t mean to say that.”
“I know.” He says quietly.
“I-I’d love to come.”
“Great.”
“March is still a good month away though.”
“Yeah, but airline tickets book fast for March break.”
“Oh right,” I say rubbing my forehead, “I’m sorry for getting pissed at you.”
“S’okay.” the phone bleeps.
“Mike, I got another line, hold on.” I press the button to change line.
“Hello?”
“Hi, is this Jade Prelia?”
“Yes.”
“I’m Veronica Marly from WFPT Top Rock Radio.”
“Okay.” I say nervously.
“If at all possible would you be able to come in for an interview February 15th?”
“That’s Thursday right?”
“Yes.”
“I’m free that day.”
“Fantastic,” Veronica says enthusiastically, “It’s at two-fifteen, do you know where our head office is?”
“Yup.”
“Okay, well I’ll see you then.”
“Thank you.”
I change line again.
“Mike, are you still there?”
“Yeah.” He says mid-yawn.
“I just got a call for a job interview.”
“That’s great.” Mike states happily, “Got some other good news, while I was on hold Billie told me we’re coming home for a couple of days sometime next week.”
“That’s great.”
“Mmmhmm I miss you.” Mike says cheesily.
“Miss you too.” I say with a giggle, but I still feel Mike is pissed off at me.
“I have to go now.”
“Okay, I’ll talk to you later.”
“Bye.”
“Bye.”
I hang up the phone and look at the pile of bills. There’s nothing I can do about them now so I put them back in the folder.
I look over my bills, I’ve only had about a week of work since I became a goddamn replacement at the radio station. There’s no way in hell I can pay all of them, I’d already cut cable, internet and cell phone. No where else I could cut corners. I start to cry a bit, I’m so glad Maddy is at school, I’d hate for her to see me breaking down.
The phone rings, I get up to get it as I dry my tears in the process.
“Hello?”
“Jade, I think we should talk.” It’s Mike’s voice.
“Uhh.”
“Why the hell didn’t you tell me you lost your job?” I sit down on the floor, against the kitchen table.
“How’d you find out?” I ask quietly.
“I called your work because you said your cell phone was down and they said you lost your job as recording tech and you were a temp!”
“I’m sorry.” I whisper, “I didn’t want you to worry.”
“Then you say, Mike I lost my job, but there’s nothing to worry about, I got it under control!” he says exasperated.
“Because I don’t have it under control!” I yell frantically, “My cell phone isn’t down, I stopped using it so I can afford to pay my other bills! Which as of ten minutes ago I realized I can’t pay at all!”
“Another reason why you should have told me.” he says irritated, “I would’ve helped you out.”
“No Mike.”
“How much do you need?”
“I said no.”
“Jade! For fuck’s sake!” he exclaims, “What’s the problem?”
“I can take care of myself.”
“I know you can, I’m just helping you out.”
“Mike,” I say trying not to explode again, “Please, unless you want me to hate you, stop trying to help me.”
“Fine.” He pauses, “But you should know if you need help, don’t be afraid to ask.”
“Hmph.”
“So, what was so urgent that you had to call me at work?” I ask trying to be friendly.
“I wanted to see if you could get time off to come on tour with me.” he mutters, I can tell he’s still fuming, “the first week of march, Stella’s coming because of March break, and I figured you and Maddy could come to.”
“Oh.” I say not sure if the offer still stands.
“So unless you hate me, would you want to?”
“I don’t hate you.” I say calmly, “I didn’t mean to say that.”
“I know.” He says quietly.
“I-I’d love to come.”
“Great.”
“March is still a good month away though.”
“Yeah, but airline tickets book fast for March break.”
“Oh right,” I say rubbing my forehead, “I’m sorry for getting pissed at you.”
“S’okay.” the phone bleeps.
“Mike, I got another line, hold on.” I press the button to change line.
“Hello?”
“Hi, is this Jade Prelia?”
“Yes.”
“I’m Veronica Marly from WFPT Top Rock Radio.”
“Okay.” I say nervously.
“If at all possible would you be able to come in for an interview February 15th?”
“That’s Thursday right?”
“Yes.”
“I’m free that day.”
“Fantastic,” Veronica says enthusiastically, “It’s at two-fifteen, do you know where our head office is?”
“Yup.”
“Okay, well I’ll see you then.”
“Thank you.”
I change line again.
“Mike, are you still there?”
“Yeah.” He says mid-yawn.
“I just got a call for a job interview.”
“That’s great.” Mike states happily, “Got some other good news, while I was on hold Billie told me we’re coming home for a couple of days sometime next week.”
“That’s great.”
“Mmmhmm I miss you.” Mike says cheesily.
“Miss you too.” I say with a giggle, but I still feel Mike is pissed off at me.
“I have to go now.”
“Okay, I’ll talk to you later.”
“Bye.”
“Bye.”
I hang up the phone and look at the pile of bills. There’s nothing I can do about them now so I put them back in the folder.