We Must Be Careful Who We Pretend To Be
Wasting Time
"Are you ready?" Ellie hollered. "How is it that I'm ready before you are?"
Actually, I was ready, I was sitting on my bed, wasting time. We were going to The Harrington's for Thanksgiving dinner. I was just trying to make it so we didn't get there too early. There was a knock at my door and I flew up and grabbed a brush. Ellie walked in.
"Come on, you have no one to impress," she complained.
I pulled my hood over my head. "Ok, let's go."
"You look like a hobo," she said. "I wish you wouldn't wear that stupid hood."
I ignored her and started to walk out to my car. Ellie climbed into the passenger seat. I tried to think of more ways to stall.
"I'm going to stop and get a bottle of wine."
"If you take too long, we're going to be late! Besides, my parents will have wine. They got a bottle of that white cabernet just for you. Why are you stalling?"
"Shit, you found me out."
"There's something I should probably warn you about," Ellie said carefully.
"What's that?"
"Will's bringing someone."
"Ok." I replied shortly.
I didn't like the feeling welling up in my chest. It was jealousy. I wasn't going to admit it.
"How does that make you feel?" Ellie asked.
"Fine. How should I feel?"
"I just thought…"
"Ellie, Will and I haven't even talked for what, 2 months?"
"And why is that?"
"I hurt him."
"I still don't understand why you did that," she grumbled.
"Because I'm no good at that shit and you know it. I don't want to talk about this anymore," I finished and turned up the stereo.
It was an uncomfortable ride there. I knew it was only about to get more uncomfortable. We pulled up to the house and a pushed my short hair behind my ears. I didn't want to go in there. Finally, I got out of the car and followed Ellie into the house. She went and sat on Rob's lap and I just stood there. Will was sitting on the couch with a girl. She was beautiful, short with strawberry blonde hair that fell past her shoulders and bright blue eyes. She had these perfect little features. That feeling came back again.
"Hey Abby!" Rob cried.
"Hi," I replied.
"Hello, Abigail," Will said. I responded with a quick hi. "This is Amanda."
"Nice to meet you. I'm going to go see if Mary needs any help."
I quickly retreated into the kitchen. Mary put me to work making the gravy. When we all sat at the table, I ended up sitting across from Will. Everyone was talking and laughing. I sat there quietly. Everyone was loading their plates. Mary came out of the kitchen with a small platter that she set between Will and I.
"I tried tofu for you two!" she cried. "Oh, and I used Smart Balance, it's gluten and dairy free, and soymilk, so you two can eat everything except the turkey and gravy."
She was very proud of herself.
"Thank you mom," Will smiled.
"Thanks Mary."
Amanda had a big plate full of turkey. She looked at Will.
"You don't eat meat?"
"He's a vegan, you didn't ever notice that?" I snapped sarcastically.
"Well, no," she said uncomfortably.
"It's ok. You can eat whatever you want," Will said gently, giving me a look.
How could you not notice your boyfriend was a vegan? I took some of the tofu for myself and ate in silence. Mary had done well for her first try. Once everyone finished, Mary shooed everyone out to the living room. She wouldn't let me help.
"So, Will, how did you and Amanda meet?" Ellie asked.
"Oh, she teaches history at the college."
"I had my eye on Will for awhile," Amanda said, putting her hand on his. "And, I got him! We've been together for a little over 2 months now."
I rolled my eyes and gave her a look of disdain. She batted her eyelashes at him. God, she made me sick! She and Will looked like Ellie and I. Amanda was this teensy little thing, dwarfed by Will's tall, lanky frame. She seemed like a total ditz. I just wanted to hit her. Every now and then, I meet a girl who I just don't like, a girl who makes me just want to hit her. This was Amanda. I began to feel irritable.
"If you'll excuse me," I said, getting up.
Actually, I was ready, I was sitting on my bed, wasting time. We were going to The Harrington's for Thanksgiving dinner. I was just trying to make it so we didn't get there too early. There was a knock at my door and I flew up and grabbed a brush. Ellie walked in.
"Come on, you have no one to impress," she complained.
I pulled my hood over my head. "Ok, let's go."
"You look like a hobo," she said. "I wish you wouldn't wear that stupid hood."
I ignored her and started to walk out to my car. Ellie climbed into the passenger seat. I tried to think of more ways to stall.
"I'm going to stop and get a bottle of wine."
"If you take too long, we're going to be late! Besides, my parents will have wine. They got a bottle of that white cabernet just for you. Why are you stalling?"
"Shit, you found me out."
"There's something I should probably warn you about," Ellie said carefully.
"What's that?"
"Will's bringing someone."
"Ok." I replied shortly.
I didn't like the feeling welling up in my chest. It was jealousy. I wasn't going to admit it.
"How does that make you feel?" Ellie asked.
"Fine. How should I feel?"
"I just thought…"
"Ellie, Will and I haven't even talked for what, 2 months?"
"And why is that?"
"I hurt him."
"I still don't understand why you did that," she grumbled.
"Because I'm no good at that shit and you know it. I don't want to talk about this anymore," I finished and turned up the stereo.
It was an uncomfortable ride there. I knew it was only about to get more uncomfortable. We pulled up to the house and a pushed my short hair behind my ears. I didn't want to go in there. Finally, I got out of the car and followed Ellie into the house. She went and sat on Rob's lap and I just stood there. Will was sitting on the couch with a girl. She was beautiful, short with strawberry blonde hair that fell past her shoulders and bright blue eyes. She had these perfect little features. That feeling came back again.
"Hey Abby!" Rob cried.
"Hi," I replied.
"Hello, Abigail," Will said. I responded with a quick hi. "This is Amanda."
"Nice to meet you. I'm going to go see if Mary needs any help."
I quickly retreated into the kitchen. Mary put me to work making the gravy. When we all sat at the table, I ended up sitting across from Will. Everyone was talking and laughing. I sat there quietly. Everyone was loading their plates. Mary came out of the kitchen with a small platter that she set between Will and I.
"I tried tofu for you two!" she cried. "Oh, and I used Smart Balance, it's gluten and dairy free, and soymilk, so you two can eat everything except the turkey and gravy."
She was very proud of herself.
"Thank you mom," Will smiled.
"Thanks Mary."
Amanda had a big plate full of turkey. She looked at Will.
"You don't eat meat?"
"He's a vegan, you didn't ever notice that?" I snapped sarcastically.
"Well, no," she said uncomfortably.
"It's ok. You can eat whatever you want," Will said gently, giving me a look.
How could you not notice your boyfriend was a vegan? I took some of the tofu for myself and ate in silence. Mary had done well for her first try. Once everyone finished, Mary shooed everyone out to the living room. She wouldn't let me help.
"So, Will, how did you and Amanda meet?" Ellie asked.
"Oh, she teaches history at the college."
"I had my eye on Will for awhile," Amanda said, putting her hand on his. "And, I got him! We've been together for a little over 2 months now."
I rolled my eyes and gave her a look of disdain. She batted her eyelashes at him. God, she made me sick! She and Will looked like Ellie and I. Amanda was this teensy little thing, dwarfed by Will's tall, lanky frame. She seemed like a total ditz. I just wanted to hit her. Every now and then, I meet a girl who I just don't like, a girl who makes me just want to hit her. This was Amanda. I began to feel irritable.
"If you'll excuse me," I said, getting up.