Hopeless Desires

I let out a heavy sigh, bored with the movie I was watching. I sunk back further into the couch, hugging the pillow I was holding tighter and crossing my legs that were propped up on the coffee table in front of me. I rolled my eyes as the main girl in the movie began crying dramatically.

I looked over the couch as I heard the front door open and close, and two loud voices chatting away, the voices growing louder as they approached me. My friends Erin and Kyle came walking through the doorway, laughing about something; well Kyle was laughing, Erin was mostly indifferent.

I met Erin and Kyle when Carter and I moved into this apartment; they live together right below us. It wasn’t unusual for them to just walk in as they please; quite a few times I woke up in the morning to find one of them, if not both, raiding my kitchen for food.

“What’s so funny?” I asked.

“Nothing really, I just have to stop watching movies with her,” Kyle said chuckling. “She was texting from the second I turned the movie on and fell off the couch face first when a girl in the movie screamed. She then proceeded to stand up and have the audacity to ask me what was happening in the movie like she cared!”

“I did care!” Erin exclaimed. “I was just distracted for a moment. I was texting Matt, but he’s extremely slow at texting back.”

“He’s probably playing Black Ops or something; he’s always playing video games. The world could be under a zombie attack and he wouldn’t do anything to save his life until he won his little video game,” I said, rolling my eyes.

“What is with you and zombies?” Kyle asked, plopping down on the far end of the couch, propping his feet up on the coffee table like me.

“Have you ever met her? She loves a bunch of strange shit like that,” Erin said, sitting down next to me.

“It’s not strange shit, it’s cool shit.”

“It’s mostly weird. Zombies, mustaches, dream catchers-I’ll admit, dream catchers are cool-, Nutella-…”

“Nutella is amazing!” I exclaimed.

“No, it’s not. It’s gross,” Kyle grimaced, his eyes never leaving the TV. “Oh, and let’s not forget her love for The Golden Girls.”

“Okay, enough ragging on me and my weirdness while I’m in the same room,” I muttered, fighting off a smile.

“Fine. We’ll just ‘rag’ on you when you’re not in the room.” I smacked Erin’s arm, causing her to glare at me, her mouth agape. “Ouch, you bitch. That hurt.”

“Well, maybe next time you won’t talk shit.”

“This movie sucks. Why the hell are we watching it?” Kyle spoke up, interrupting Erin and I from our argument.

“There’s nothing better on,” I said, shrugging.

“Anything would be better than this! Even Martha Stewart!”

“Martha Stewart? Really?” Erin mused.

“You have something you want to tell us Kyle?”

“Yes, I need to get some new friends.”

“Don’t let the door hit you on the way out.”

“What kind of friend-…”

“We should go to Matt’s party tonight!” Erin suddenly chirped, shoving her phone into her front pocket.

“Thanks for interrupting me,” Kyle scowled. “And I’ll pass,”

“Me, too,” I agreed.

“You guys suck! Why not?”

“Matt’s parties are always boring as hell. He plays shitty radio music and all his friends are douche bags that get totally piss drunk then flirt with anything that has two legs,” Kyle said, messing with his hair.

“Not even. Last time we went to one of his parties, I caught one of his friends hitting on a potted plant.”

“That poor plant. Couldn’t even fight off the perv,”

“Isn’t that what every party is like?”

“Sometimes. Matt’s douche bag friends and cocky attitude make it worse though.”

“That’s my boyfriend you’re talking about,” Erin remarked, clearly annoyed.

“Your point?” Kyle questioned with a bored look on his face.

I rolled my eyes at their typical banter. “Why can’t you go?” Erin asked me, giving Kyle a dirty look before turning her attention to me.

“I have to be up early tomorrow. I have work from 8am to 2pm, then I have to pick up a few things for when I go back home.”

“You two are the biggest party poopers I have ever met,” Erin huffed.

“Nobody said you couldn’t go,” I pointed out.

“I don’t want to go alone!”

“What about Matt?” Kyle asked like it was an obvious question.

“He always ends up leaving me to go play beer pong or flip cup,”

“Now that’s what I call a good boyfriend. If he leaves you to play stupid alcohol games, you know you have a winner, ladies!” Sarcasm heavily laced his voice.

“Shut the fuck up, Kyle. No one asked you,”

“Well I decided to give my input anyway,”

“I don’t-…”

“Now, now, children. Calm yourselves,” I said, giving them each a mock warning look.

Kyle and Erin both muttered to themselves, crossing their arms and turning their attention to the horrible movie still playing on the TV.

Eventually, the whole Matt conversation faded away and Erin and Kyle were back to laughing and playfully fighting. We watched a few random movies that were on the Stars channels, played cards, and ate more than we should have. When Carter walked in, we were all lying on the couch in uncomfortable positions; Kyle had half his body on the couch and the other half hanging off the side, while Erin and I laid upside down, the blood rushing to our heads.

“Hey Carter!” Kyle and Erin said at the same time, standing up from their spots on the couch and stretching.

I sat up, closing my eyes as all the blood rushed back down from head and a wave of dizziness spread through me. When I did open my eyes Carter was pulling off his black suit jacket, smiling at Kyle and Erin who were putting their shoes on.

“You guys are leaving?” I asked.

“Yeah. You have to get up early, no?” I nodded my head, tucking my legs under my butt.

Carter strolled over to me, throwing his jacket over the back of the couch next to my shoulder. He leaned down, placing a light kiss on my lips.

“Ew, PDA.”

“Technically, we’re not in public,” I said towards Erin’s grimace.

“Doesn’t make it any less gross,” she muttered.

“Please, you and Matt are absolutely disgusting together. I’m scared to be in the same room as you two, even if we’re on opposite sides,” Carter said, sitting on the arm rest of the couch and pulling his shiny black, shoes off.

“How you’re not pregnant is clearly a mystery to everyone,” Kyle said. Erin gawked, backhanding his chest.

They waved goodbye, slowly beginning to argue as they walked out the door. I chuckled at their bickering, standing up and locking the door after them. I followed Carter up the stairs and towards our bedroom, where he peeled off his shirt and began looking through our dresser for clothes.

“I’m going to pick up a few things for next week after work tomorrow. Is there anything you’re going to need?” I asked him, jumping onto the bed and grabbing my book, Made In the U.S.A. by Billie Letts, off my nightstand.

Carter thought silently, pulling his belt off and placing it on the dresser. “Not that I can think of right now. I can always run out the day before and get something if I really need it.”

“You are the worst procrastinator.”

He chuckled as I grabbed my glasses off my nightstand, slipping them on my face. Carter came over to me and kissed my temple. “Be right back. I’m going to shower,” he said, giving me another kiss on the lips before turning and walking out of our bedroom.

I climbed under my sheets and let out a comfortable sigh, opening my book where I had placed my green bookmark last night.