Peach Cocaine

Oliver still hasn’t figured out how he’ll make Joey Young show up to his concert on Friday, and it’s already Thursday. He’s been too wound up about today arriving, he hadn’t really been able to focus on anything else. Maybe by luck, Joey would show up on his own. Oli could only hope.

“‘Allo,” He says as Casey wanders up to him, fiddling with her cell phone and shoving it into her purse.

“Hey,” She smiles, her mind feels ready to explode with excitement. Casey had made sure that no one prepared plans with her today, and no one would call her or text her that normally did on a regular basis. Unless it was her parents, they didn’t think any moment in time was an excuse not to talk to them. Even if she were having sex.

Not that she planned on it! Oh no, not with Pale Fish…

Her face began feeling hot at the thought, and she blinked back the images that flooded her like rainwater pouring out of a trough.

“You ready?”

“Of course.” Casey replies.



His eyes kept drifting back to Casey while she distractedly stared at a flock of brilliant pink flamingos, some with their heads tucked into their wing and others wading through the shallow, murky water. Oliver wanted desperately to run up and hold her hand, stand close to her, taking in her scent of coconut and lime.

“Oli, why are you just standing there? Come over here,” Casey grins, her eyes bright and skin luminous in the high noon sun, “I love birds, they’re so… so beautiful.”

“I uh-” Oliver stops, trying to conjure up the words he wants to say and form them on his lips.

“Look, look!” Casey grabs his left hand and pulls him over to a pack of lumbering hippos, “The baby is so freakin’ cute. I wish we could pet it,” When she turns her head to look at him, she’s smiling. It’s like a contagious disease, because he gives one back and doesn’t let it drop as she tugs him around to see all the different animals.

“Casey,” Oliver exclaims as they’re both standing by a railing peering at a pride of lions, she gives him a bewildered look, and he realizes he had said her name a little too loud. They were drinking smoothies and the few people around them gave him confused stares. Some of them had been staring even before his outburst, so Oliver isn’t sure if it is because of his tattoos or practically screaming her name, but he’s so nervous he can’t be bothered by that right now.

“Casey,” He says more softly, “I uh, want to ask yeh something.”

She looks totally oblivious to what he could possibly be hinting at, the smiling seems to have become permanent on her features. This only makes him more anxious.

“Will you- will you go to dinner with me t’night?”

Shit. Shit. SHIT.

Oliver bites his bottom lip, his eyebrows furrowing together. Not what he planned on asking at all. Well, in any bit, if she said yes, at least he’d have another shot at it.

“Well, um, sure,” Casey replies, confusion evident in her voice. Though she seems to soon brush it off at the sight of a gazelle and its babe.