Ready When You Are

I hopped out of the shower and shook my hair out in the mirror. I blew dry my bangs so they were perfectly swept over my rather large forehead and got ready for work.

Lately while dressing for work, I was particularly fashionable. Not just a plain t-shirt and jeans shorts like I usually did. I tried to look decent and somewhat different and edgy before I walked into the shop. I wasn’t really sure why.

That afternoon, Emerson was picking me up for work because Brendan was driving out to play a gig with his band. He was already bitter enough that I wasn’t coming. But I had a job.

The doorbell rang as I threw on some ray ban glasses and blouse with shorts.

“Bren,” I called through the hallway, “Can you get that?”

It was silent for a few seconds, until I heard a reluctant thud and shuffling through the living room. The door creaked open and I heard Em’s voice, along with another voice.

“You must be Brendan!” She said.

“Hi,” Brendan said back plainly, “And you’re… Emily?”

I stared into the mirror blankly for a second. I had definitely said Emerson’s name countless times. Either he wasn’t listening, had forgotten, or was saying the wrong name on purpose. The option my heart went towards scared me.

“Emerson.” There was a slight annoyance in her voice. “And this is Ken and I’s friend, John.”

“Nice to meet you.” I recognized John’s one of a kind voice.

It was silent as I exited my bedroom and went up to them. “Hey guys!” I called into the quiet hallway filled with awkward.

Em forced a smile at me. “Sorry we’re early. We have to pick up something at John’s place, if that’s ok.”

I nodded and smiled as John waved. All of a sudden, a felt Brendan grab my waist and kiss me on the cheek. “Bye babe.”

A little stunned, I stood there for a second as John’s eyes went to the ground and bulged and Em bit her lip and smiled a little.

“Let’s go.” I said, forcing out my own smile.

Em nodded and made a sharp turn as John shut the door. The weird part about that awkward moment was that I didn’t even create it. But I felt like it was all my fault.

Once we were in Em’s car, John slid into the backseat and leaned his head on the driver’s seat. He looked at me with his green eyes.

“Kenley, I’m sorry,” John said plainly, “but that guy is a douche bag.”

“JOHN!” Em yelled as she shut the door and hit him on the arm. He cringed and shrugged.

“What, he is!” John yelled. "You saw him in there!

I stayed silent as the two continued to yell at each other for the rest of the drive. Em was fighting my own battle for me. And honestly, I didn’t know what to say. I wanted to yell at John and tell him Brendan wasn’t. But the kind of passion that took had left my heart. And again, I had no idea why. I felt like it should be there in this situation.

Another thing I didn’t understand: I really didn’t care.

***

We pulled into John’s driveway and he glared at Em through the rearview mirror.

“Are you going to get out and help me?” He asked, pausing at the door.

Em shook her head and took out a nail file. “After you were rude to Kenley? No.”

John rolled his eyes and leaned towards me, batting his eye lashes and pouting. I laughed and little and shook my head.

“Please help me move some of my stuff, it’ll only take a minute I promise.” He pleaded.

I chucked and nodded, pretending to be reluctant. “Sure.”

John gave Em a look. “She’s always been my favorite.”

Em scowled at him as we hopped out of the car and entered John house. He led me to his room and we grabbed a few boxes filled with movies, books, and CD’s. I glanced over at John who was thinking deeply about another rack of records.

“What are these for?” I asked.

John looked up at me. “I’m kind of in the process of moving. But I won’t be out for awhile. Did Garrett tell you about the tour?”

Why did he ask me if Garrett had told me about the tour, I wondered. Did he think we got along? Did Garrett talk about me? I shook these thoughts off quickly and shook my head to answer John’s question.

“We just planned out a European tour for the fall. We leave in August, and I want my apartment ready by the time I get home.” John explained as I nodded.

“Wow,” I said, smiling, “That must be awesome. How long will you guys be gone?”

I bit my lip as he thought for a second. For some reason, this question concerned me deeply. What if they would be gone for half of the year? They had become my good friends here. The thought of them not being here became scary.

“I want to say about two months, a little less.” John said as he shut his bedroom door and led me back down the hallway. “Afraid of being alone in Tempe with Em?”

He laughed and I rolled my eyes. “Maybe a little.”

“I don’t blame you.” John laughed as we hopped back into Em’s car and headed to the record store.

Once we got there, John set his stuff in the backroom as Emerson instructed him and made him promise to pick it up as soon as he got the apartment. It only took a few minutes for John and Em to start annoying each other, causing her to go see if the Chinese delivery boy was back from across the street. I sighed and organized some records.

“Can I help?” John asked, fiddling with his white v-neck.

I nodded and smiled, handing him a pile of records. “Put these in alphabetical order.”

John’s eyes bulged and he sat down on the floor next to me, laying out the records and whispering the alphabet to himself softly. I laughed and he looked up at me.

“I’m the lead singer in a band ok? The alphabet isn’t always apparent.” John joked and filed some CD’s in a nearby rack.

I shook my head and laughed. “No, no, it’s just funny.”

John moved to the end of the store and started playing with some of the sticks we used to hang up posters that were too high for either Em and I to reach. I laughed as John moved it back and forth like it was a sword.

“I’ve always wanted to do that,” I laughed, “reminds me of a light saber.”

John snorted and shook his head. “Wow.”

“What?” I asked, crinkling my nose.

“Nothing,” he sighed, chuckling to himself, “you just sounded so much like Garrett just then.”

I looked down at the ground and bit my lip. “Do you know if you broke up with Sara a few nights ago?”

John peered over at me with a curious grin. He moved and sat back down next to me, resting his back on a wall of posters.

“He did,” John said, causing my heart to sigh, “I heard about what happened that night.” John let out a whistle.

“I’ve never seen someone so sad.” I said, facing the CD in my hands.

John nodded. “They had been together for as long as I can remember. It just must be hard, ya know? Knowing that the person you love didn’t think you were good enough.”

But Garrett is more than good enough. I thought to myself.

“She came in the shop the other day,” I smirked at John, “I kinda told her off.”

I told John what had happened and he let out a loud laugh before patting me on the back and letting his jaw drop in laughter. I smiled at his enthusiasm, and I became more and more proud of myself.

“Wow Kenley,” John laughed, “I didn’t see you as a feisty one.”

I shook my head and faced him. “I’m not! But she can’t do that to Garrett and think it’s ok. She needs to know how much she hurt him.”

John gawked and me for a second before chuckling. I turned to face him again.

“What?” I asked.

He shook his head, still laughing to himself. “Nothing, It’s just-”

All of a sudden my phone vibrated. I flipped it open and looked at the text before me. I could feel myself blushing. John squinted at me.

“What’s up?” He asked.

I bit my lip. “No, no, It’s just from Garrett. But I don’t know how he got my number.”

John looked at the ground and back up at me. “Let’s just say that Em gave it to me who gave it to Kennedy who gave it to Jared who gave it to Pat who gave it Garrett.”

“Did he, er, ask for it?” I immediately wanted to the words to come back into my mouth. The curiosity was there, but John didn’t need to know about it.

John’s mouth made an ‘O’ shape as I shook him off. “I believe he did.” John shot me a devilish grin.

I ignored it as I peered at the text.

Hey Kenley. It’s Garrett. It’s time to take you up on that Star Wars: Jedi Academy duel. My place, tomorrow?

I sighed and John took the phone out of my hands. He looked down and the text and back up at me, grinning from ear to ear and laughing slightly to himself.

“You guys are fucking five year olds, I swear.” John laughed and handed my phone back to me.

As long as you’re ready to get your Jedi ass whooped.

I texted that back, smiling at myself for being particularly playful. My insides were jumping up and down.

The next text came almost immediately.

Bring it on, padawan.

Extra points for rhyming skills.