These Are the Fast Times

Michael

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

Summer

We’ve already christened our new apartment and are still unpacking after dinner.

And Melly’s still walking around without pants on, just because she can.

…I’m not complaining.

We’ve already finished unpacking the living room and kitchen, so we’re just left with the bedroom.

She grins mischievously at me over her shoulder when I follow her in.

“What?” I ask, wrapping my arms around her from behind and resting my face in her neck.

“I was just thinking…” she begins, leaning back into my touch. “About how nice it’s going to be to have our own place. Time alone and everything.”

“Remind me what that’s like?” I joke, mumbling against her neck. She turns in my arms to meet my lips.

She’s about to slip her shirt off when we’re interrupted by a pounding at the door.

“Really?” I ask disbelievingly as she laughs.

“We can ignore it,” she suggests, tugging at my jeans. Tempting.

“It might be the landlord with our mailbox keys,” I point out. “I’ll get it.”

“You’re right,” she reluctantly agrees. I run a hand through my unkempt hair before leaving the bedroom. The pounding at the door becomes more insistent.

“Thought we’d come and help break in the new apartment,” William smiles. Behind him are Mike, Butcher and Sisky, each holding brown bags of liquor.

“You shouldn’t have,” Melly interrupts from behind me, now fully clothed. “Really,” she adds, grinning at me.

But who are we to deny our friends and free booze?

A few hours later means we’re all happily sitting around me and Melly’s new living room with more than half-empty bottles scattered around and we’re all drunk as if it’s the first month of college again.

“I wish Victoria and Lila were here,” Melly remarks suddenly. She’s mostly sitting on my lap and I’m running my fingers through the ends of her hair. I pause to glance at Butcher, who looks down at his bottle at the mention of Lila.

Melly doesn’t realize it and William glances at me, the only other one to sense Butcher’s sudden mood drop.

“I’m going to get another beer from the fridge,” Butcher announces, standing up and stumbling towards the kitchen.

I move slightly, and Melly understands, sliding off my lap and allowing me to follow him.

Mike starts a new conversation, or maybe a new argument, by the tone of Melly’s response.

“You okay?” I cut to the chase, walking into the kitchen as just he’s opening the fridge.

He glances at me for a few seconds before responding to my question.

“Yeah. Fine. You want one?” he asks, motioning to the cold can in his hand.

“Sure,” I say, and he tosses me one before shutting the door. I don’t know what else to say, or even why I followed him in here.

What am I supposed to say?

That Lila will come back to him? He’ll have a happy ending?

No one wants to hear that.

And no one wants to be discouraged, either.

There’s no middle ground that I can think of.

“I’m fine,” he repeats. “It’s just...I have to figure things out, you know?” he says, shrugging slightly.

“I hope you do,” is all I can think of to say.

He nods slightly and we rejoin everyone in the living room.