Status: Completed
Psyche
16
A sweet, burning buzz resides in Jamie’s head that’s been bothering him. For a moment he thinks he forgot to take his medications, and then remembers he took them earlier at home because he didn’t want to do so in front of Alexandria. He doesn’t need her asking about them or him having to tell her what he takes them for.
Jamie pushes his head further into her pillow. “Are we friends now?” he asks randomly. He glances at Alexandria, who sits on the plush carpet choosing another CD.
“We’ve been friends,” she says. “You don’t want to be?”
“No, I mean –“
“When I first met you, you looked like I was a scary kid coming to bully poor little you. I really thought you were gonna say ‘Get away from me!’” She picks a black CD with a messy skull on it, and puts it in the stereo.
“I don’t . . . I mean, just being around people, it’s . . . you know,” he mumbles, and he wants her to drop it. This isn’t therapy.
She tosses the case of CDs in a corner, and plops next to Jamie, her hips almost touching him.
“I haven’t had many friends, if you believe it,” she voices. “And of the very few I did have, you’re probably the only one I feel . . . In tune with? Ugh, it feels like we’ve been dating for three weeks and we’re already saying ‘I love you!’”
Jamie doesn’t bother to hold back his laugh, and lets its mangled mess fill the room along with the guitars from the stereo.
It is true.
It’s not until Jamie says Girlie is on her way to pick him up that Alexandria remembers the CD. She hesitates, not sure if she should, before digging it out of her bag.
“It’s from Jean,” she says, and tells Jamie about their meeting earlier. ”I also told him he’s a jerk for using you.”
Jamie almost drops the album, glaring at her sharply. “What? Why?”
Her long arms warp around her waist and she doesn’t have to speak for Jamie to get it. She’s not dumb. She knew what Jean was doing, and for Jamie to continue to play dumb would be . . . stupid.
He feels more pathetic than dumb, and the sourness that comes fourth outweighs the happiness he has gathered all day.
He suddenly hates he’s so infatuated with Jean.
“But he . . .,” and there’s nothing he can possibly say to make it okay.
But he meant well?
Jean will never like him like he does Alexandria.
Jamie already knows that.
He remembers Alexandria is watching him and brushes the situation off. “I don’t care.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. I have my CD. It’s fine.”
It doesn’t matter. Jean will graduate in a year and Jamie will forget about him. He’ll be another, everyday crush.
Jamie pushes his head further into her pillow. “Are we friends now?” he asks randomly. He glances at Alexandria, who sits on the plush carpet choosing another CD.
“We’ve been friends,” she says. “You don’t want to be?”
“No, I mean –“
“When I first met you, you looked like I was a scary kid coming to bully poor little you. I really thought you were gonna say ‘Get away from me!’” She picks a black CD with a messy skull on it, and puts it in the stereo.
“I don’t . . . I mean, just being around people, it’s . . . you know,” he mumbles, and he wants her to drop it. This isn’t therapy.
She tosses the case of CDs in a corner, and plops next to Jamie, her hips almost touching him.
“I haven’t had many friends, if you believe it,” she voices. “And of the very few I did have, you’re probably the only one I feel . . . In tune with? Ugh, it feels like we’ve been dating for three weeks and we’re already saying ‘I love you!’”
Jamie doesn’t bother to hold back his laugh, and lets its mangled mess fill the room along with the guitars from the stereo.
It is true.
It’s not until Jamie says Girlie is on her way to pick him up that Alexandria remembers the CD. She hesitates, not sure if she should, before digging it out of her bag.
“It’s from Jean,” she says, and tells Jamie about their meeting earlier. ”I also told him he’s a jerk for using you.”
Jamie almost drops the album, glaring at her sharply. “What? Why?”
Her long arms warp around her waist and she doesn’t have to speak for Jamie to get it. She’s not dumb. She knew what Jean was doing, and for Jamie to continue to play dumb would be . . . stupid.
He feels more pathetic than dumb, and the sourness that comes fourth outweighs the happiness he has gathered all day.
He suddenly hates he’s so infatuated with Jean.
“But he . . .,” and there’s nothing he can possibly say to make it okay.
But he meant well?
Jean will never like him like he does Alexandria.
Jamie already knows that.
He remembers Alexandria is watching him and brushes the situation off. “I don’t care.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. I have my CD. It’s fine.”
It doesn’t matter. Jean will graduate in a year and Jamie will forget about him. He’ll be another, everyday crush.