Night Songs

I woke up to the sounds coming from the T.V. and crackling of chip bags. I got up and noticed that Jenny was sitting on the end of the couch, of which I’ve slept on last night, filling her face with the last remaining junk food I had bought last week.

“Oh, good, you’re up! Hey, I didn’t know that guy was a famous musician! You gotta tell me these types of things, Faye!” She poked at my foot.

I squint my eyes from the T.V.’s flashing bright pictures and the sun. I rub my eyes, and placed my palm to my head while hunching over. I feel really sick. “Yeah, I guess…”

“Faye, you okay?” She stopped her munching and swallowed what was left in her mouth.

“I think I’m gonna vomit.” I started burping. That’s the beginning stage of crouching over a toilet bowl.

“Uh, oh. You know what that means….” She winks, ignoring my suffering.

I ran to my bedroom and puked right on the tile. Shit.

“Hey, Faye! I hope you didn’t get anything on my stuff!” She shouted from the couch.

I sighed, and got paper towels, bags, and some Clorox. I tried not to gag from cleaning my dinner off the bathroom floor.

Jen wheeled into the room.

“I really don’t want a cousin.” She whispered behind me under her breath.

“Jen, I’m not pregnant.” I look behind me with a straight face.

She just stared at me, looking to the bag of full of puke and then back to me, twice. “I think you should at least have one of those tests.”

It had hit me. There could be a chance that I’m pregnant. How am I going to tell him this?

I shook my head trying my snap out of it. There is still a chance that I’m not.

“I’m going to go out for a bit. It’ll just take a half hour. Will you be okay?” I got up and washed my hands.

“Yeah, I’ll be fine. Take your time, girl.” She patted my back when I came out of the bathroom with my puke bag.

I got dressed while she was back on the couch. I got my coat and keys, and went off to the drug store 3 blocks away from my building. I went in as inconspicuously as possible. I had my sunglasses on and a scarf over my mouth. I felt stupid.

I searched each aisle, crossing the diapers and formula. My heart rate went up when I reached the pregnancy tests. I would have never thought I would ever have to be in this aisle. I picked up the most expensive one, and the cheapest one. I had no idea what I was doing but I just need to make sure, even though they both came in packs. As I walked towards the register I spotted a familiar hair doo. It was blonde and was big enough to be spotted from the very end of the store by an old lady with astigmatism. In conclusion, this was not going to be good.

I tried to tip toe my way to the cashier without that guy noticing. Then I finally reach the counter.

“Did you find everything you’re looking for today, mam?” An un-thrilled young Cyndi Lauper look-a-like slurred to me.

“Yes, I did, thank you.” I looked in the back of me to see if he noticed me.

“So this is all for you today?” She raised her eyebrow. Now she understood why I had my disguise on.

“Yes…” I look back to her.

She finally checked me out. “Would you like a bag?”

“Oh, yes please.” I tapped my foot in impatience to get out of the store before that Eric guy notices me. But then my plan had failed.

“Faye, holy shit, is that you?” He walked over to me while I didn’t turn around. “I know that’s you…” He crossed his arms with a smirk. Little Cyndi Lauper just stared at Eric with her crudely applied tiger stripped eye shadow. Her mouth metaphorically drooled.

I cringed and turned around.

“What’s with the get up?” He questioned with his humorous tone. Sarcastic.

“Well, I uh…” I removed my sunglasses, and turned on a guilty smile. “Aren’t you supposed to be in your studio, recording?”

“I called in that I was going to be two days late.” He smirked. He looks over to the girl to see what I was buying. He walked over. “So, Faye, what are you buying today?” He winks at the girl and she giggled in delight. I put my hands over my eyes. I didn’t want him to know about this. I wasn’t too sure of it myself.

He then took a step back.

“Miss, here’s your stuff.” She waged the bag in front of me. I took it and carried on my way. I went outside while I heard Eric chasing after me.

“Faye, wait up!” I stopped while he bent over to take a breather. He stood up. “Would you like to get something to eat?”

“I can’t.”

“Why?”

“My niece is at home, alone.”

“Would you like to call her?” He digs into his jeans pockets and takes out a few quarters.

“I…don’t---“

“Please!” He took my hand and placed the coins into it.

I looked over to find a phone, and I spotted one at the end of the street. We both walked together to get to it.

I pushed the coins through the slit.

“Helllooo?” My niece said, bored.

“Jenny? I just bumped into a friend and he invited me to get something to eat. Is that okay? Will you be alright, Jen?” I turned away from Eric and put my hand by the mouth piece.

“Yeah, of course! Have some fun before you actually find out your pregnant!” She shouted. My hand did no justice. Eric heard every word.

“Okay, I’ll see you tonight. There’s a T.V. dinner you can heat up--“

“Go!” She interrupted my motherly stature.
She hangs up before me, and I later do the same.

“So, where do you want to eat?” He smiled, trying to move on from that uncomfortable moment granted from my darling niece.

“I don’t know…” I walk out of the phone booth.

“There’s this Italian place up 4 blocks from here. We’ll take a cab.” He runs towards the street and shouts “Hey, TAXI!!” One screeches to a halt driving up a sidewalk. He goes up to it and opens the door. “After you…”

As I shake myself from the shock, I walk over and get into the cab while he does the same.

“West 56th street” He said.

“Alright, got it.” A Jamaican man shouted to the back.

We sat uncomfortably in the cab for about 15 minutes, which seemed like an hour. We both got out and went into this little hole in the wall Italian restaurant. A lady whose boobs were protruding out of her black satin dress, with a necklace riding up to be a choker from her cup sizes too many, greeted us. Eric and I just awkwardly stared at her.

“For two?” She had a very thick New York accent.

“Yeah…” He spaced out eyeing her chest, while she turned and reached for some menus.
We both seated at a table all the way in the back. Surprisingly this place was packed.

“She looked like a cartoon character…” He regained himself.

“Yeah, she did oddly enough…” I giggled.

I lifted my menu to my face to forget who I’m here with. I really didn’t want to talk about what happened at the drug store.

“I here they have good spaghetti here.” I heard from the other side of my menu.

“Yeah, that’s basically the only thing I can comprehend from this menu, aside from lasagna…”

I heard him chuckle across from me. I laid down my menu in front of me, and I caught him staring.

“About what happened back there—“

“Hey, it’s fine if you don’t want to tell me.” He put his hand out.

“But, I feel like I should…” I lowered my head. “I didn’t feel very well this morning, and I…uh…”

“Puked? Upchucked? Barf?”

“Yeah…those.” I lifted an eyebrow. I guess he had a strong stomach.

He breathed through his nose and lifted his menu. “So, what do you feel like eating?”

“Are you serious?” I suddenly felt sick again.

“You want to get out of here?” He dropped his menu on the table.

“Yeah…” I felt woozy again. He helped me up, and I leaned on him while on the way out.

“Say goodbye to the caricature hostess.” He whispered. I tried to laugh, but my nausea threatened to come out.

He placed me on a bench outside from the restaurant. I sat there while looking up. He began to rub my back. I ignored the fact that that could be considered weird on his part.

“Do you want me to get you some water?” He sounded concerned.

I looked at him. “No, thank you. I’m just going to pray that I don’t ruin your nice boots.”
He slightly moved his feet under the bench. “Are you sure?”

“That I’m going to ruin your shoes? I think so.”

“No, are you sure you’re gonna be alright?”

“I don’t know, Eric…”

He reached the back of his hand to my forehead.

“You’re burning up. Faye. I think we need to get you to the hospital.” Now he sounded honestly concerned.

“I think I had my share of hospitals for the year.”

“This is serious.” He paused. “You’re not pregnant Faye…you’re really sick.”

For some reason, when he said that, my weight hasn’t been lifted from the thought of me being pregnant. I fainted right onto his lap from what I can remember. Then the next thing I know, I was in a florescent lit room with an “oh so fashionable” paper bracelet. I still had on my clothes but my coat was off. I looked over to my left and there sat Eric falling off into sleep, but glanced in my direction and noticed I was finally awake. He jumped up.

“Jesus Christ, Faye! I was so fucking worried!” He sounded scared.

I lifted a smile. “Thanks for worrying about me.” I chuckled.

His mouth closed and he seemed to realize that he was over doing it a little bit. He looked at me and a slight smile lifted on his face. “I really didn’t know what the hell to do the moment you fainted on me. I basically panicked and called an ambulance.” He pulled his chair closer to me and sat back down.

“Thanks for doing that.” I smile.

A man with a white jacket and a rainbow stethoscope walked into the room. He was balding on the top, but a little hair tail tied in the back. His glasses magnified his eyes to the extent of them being physically impossible to fit in his head.

“You’re brother was really worried about you, Ms. Brittingham.” He walks over to me checking my vital signs. “You had a stomach ulcer. Now did you ever have this before?”

“No…” I had a stomach ulcer?

“Well, Ulcers are sores on the lining of your digestive tract. They’re usually are caused by an infection or bacteria. We need to get rid of the H. pylori bacteria residing inside of you. I’m going to prescribe an anti biotic that well help with just that. Okay?” He simply smiled.

“Okay…” So I’m not pregnant. Huh.

I got up from the bed, and the doctor left the room giving me a prescription sheet. I guess
Eric went through my purse to find my health insurance card, because doctors don’t just give you stuff for free.

I took my coat and purse from off of one of the chairs and me and Eric both left the hospital. Good riddance.

We walked around the hospital and finally sat on a nearby bench. It was still light out.

“Well, bro, what do you say we call it a day?” I just wanted to go to a drug store, a different one, and go home and get some sleep on my nice, comfortable, warm….couch.

“Sure, yeah, I understand.” He looked disappointed from the corner of my eye. But I was still woozy since I woke up. “Do you need help getting to your place?” He asked.

I got up and suddenly leaned back, almost falling on my ass, but then he saves the day again, catching me before that could happen.

“I think I’ll you take up on your offer.” My head started pulsating. My hand lifted and grabbed my forehead while I squeezed my eyes shut.

“Wow, I think we need to get you home in bed, fast.”

He called a taxi. I silently pronounced my address and Eric recited it to the driver. We both arrived while I tried to scramble through my purse to find my keys that a smiley face keychain attached. I felt even worse just glimpsing at it. I opened the main door and wobbled on every stair to my floor. Eric was right behind me, grabbing my waist and aligning me straight to not fall and snap my neck.

I reached my door and opened it to find my niece still watching T.V. and eating that T.V. dinner I was talking with her about.

“Y’know…T.V. will rot your…brain…” I slurred my words and stumbled on my own feet ready to vomit again. I grab the counter. My niece looks at me with her raised eyebrows.

“You drunk?” She laughs.

I darted towards the bathroom and puked out my own shame. I just left Eric standing in the hallway, but then I hear footsteps. I look up, tears running down, and saw him motioning to bend down and lift my hair out of my face. He continues to rub my back while I start spewing out water. I had nothing left in me after a half hour hunched over the toilet with Eric trying to tie my hair in a pony tail with a rubber band. I still had a gag reflex, but I only could let out strings of drool. I was tapped out, even of liquid. I push myself away from the toilet and relaxed on the floor onto my back. My hand was grabbing onto my stomach with my eyes shut. Eric crawls over to me and rubs the top of my head, trying for me to calm down.

“Do you feel a little bit better now?” His voice was low and consoling.

I lean to my side, facing him. “I feel like my stomach has turned into a raisin.” I cringe.

He chuckles. “It’ll get better. Here, I’ll help you into bed.” He grabs my arms, and I try to push myself up.

“My niece needs the bed more than I do…” My head tilted to the side. I was in a lot of pain.

“From what I saw, I’d have to disagree with you.” He laughed. “Just lay down,” I laid as I was instructed. “there you go.”

I winced in pain after he put the covers over me.

“Where did you put that piece of paper with the prescription?”

“In…in my coat pocket…” I coughed.

“Alright, I’m going to the drug store to get you your pills.”

I nodded and rolled over. I heard him walk out of my room only to be greeted by my sister. They’re conversation sounded very brief, but I barely heard it from my throbbing headache.

After a while, I was woken up from a short nap from my niece shaking me.

“Faaaayye…Faaaye…WAKE UP!” She shouted into my ear.

I bolted up. “Did you need anything?” My eyes weren’t even open. I motioned to get up, but then I was pulled back down from my niece.

“No, I just wanted to ask you something…” She blushed. “Why were you with Eric Brittingham?” She batted her eyelashes.

I moved my hair from sticking to my sweaty forehead. “Brittingham…? How did you know his name?” I blinked.

“That MTV channel I’ve been watching all day. It’s fucking amazing!” She hollered.

“And when did you learn to swear?” I wiped my eyes of sleep.

“Geez, Faye. Who do you think I was? Some goody two shoes?” She sounded disappointed in me for believing that she was actually a good person. I guess she wanted me to think she was hot shit. What’s so bad about being good?

I dazed out. “What did you want again?”

She angrily sighed. “Nothing! Just forget about it!” She rolled away, back to watching her adoring T.V.

My nightstand started to ring. I picked up the phone without saying a word, I was so tired.

“Hello? Faye?”

“Tom?” My worries were forgotten. “Tom, is that you?”

“Yeah, Faye, is everything okay?” I heard a woman’s shouting in the background with other men’s voices. Sounded like a party.

“Uh, I, ah, yeah, everything is okay.” My voice sounded cheery. The opposite from what I’m really feeling. I just wanted him to have a good time with his friends. I didn’t want him to worry. But, then the crowd of people got even louder. “Tom, are you still there?”

“Yeah, I’m still here!” He could barley even hear me.

“Tom, just call me back tomorrow, it just sounds like you’re really busy right now!” I shouted through the phone so he could hear me.

“Faye, are you sure?!”

“Yeah, I’m sure! I’ll talk to you tomorrow!”

“Okay, I love you!”

“I love you too! Bye!” I hang up.

Then my stomach pain gets even worse.