Jane

I just laid there in bed, watching her fixing her hair. She tousled her hair for a little bit more before turning around and asked me how she looked.

“Beautiful, as always,” I answered truthfully. I was serious. Jane was wearing track pants and sweater when I first saw her, and I was captivated by her beauty. Her hair was in a messy pony tail and she was sweating, but that didn’t hold back her good looks peeking out. I couldn’t help but to notice her gleaming eyes beneath the naturally curled eyelashes and her gorgeous lips.

She chuckled in sarcasm. She never believed me. “You don’t mean it,” she said, crawling on the bed and sat on my stomach.

“Oh, but I do.” I took my hand and tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. “You don’t need all this. The make-up, those clothes . . . you look absolutely beautiful without it all.”

She smiled and leaned down. “I wouldn’t look professional if I didn’t do all of this. The fashion industry is a tough one, you know,” she whispered and kissed my cheek before climbing off me.

I sneered. “Yeah, all they do is snort coke and be thin and pose. Sounds tough.”

“Don’t say that!”

“Those models look like walking skeletons to me. I prefer the curvy ones.” Of course, I was referring to Jane. Jane was always conscious about her weight, but I thought she was perfect. Those curves – those damn curves, they could be the death of me.

She laughed bitterly. She didn’t like how her body was, and I wished she realised that she should embrace it. Stop reading those articles about losing weight and all that – she definitely didn’t need them. All that mattered was that ate healthily and she was a nice person, and that made her beautiful.

“Do you have to go? Can’t you stay in bed all day with me?” I pleaded. She turned around and smiled, seeing my attempted puppy eyes. “We can watch your favourite films and eat pancakes. Please?”

“Luke, that sounds so tempting, but I can’t. You know I can’t.”

“You can!”

“I can’t. I can get fired.”

“No problem, I’ll cover the rent and all.”

“No,” she smiled once more and grabbed her bag from the hanger behind the door. “Right, I must go now. I’ll see you later for dinner.” She blew me a kiss and with that, she was gone. The sound of her heels clicking away and the front door close.



Jane was unbelievably moody today. I put my hand on her waist, she wiggled out of it. I kissed her forehead, she looked away. I leaned in and tried to kiss her on the lips, she pushed my face away. Ouch, Jane.

“What’s wrong with you today?” I asked, watching her putting her coat on to go to work.

“Nothing, okay?” she snapped. She grabbed her bag and walked out, but I followed her out to the hallway.

“There’s got to be a reason why you’re being such a—“

“Bitch?” She stopped in her track and spun, glaring. “You were going to say bitch, aren’t you?”

I hesitated, looking for something to say. “I – Just tell me what’s wrong. Was it something I did?”

“Yeah, it’s everything you do.”

“What?” I said confusedly. What did I do?

“It’s those compliments you always shower me with!” She took a step forward. “I know what I’m looking in the mirror, and it’s not what you always say! You’re just saying it because you’d feel bad if you don’t!”

“What are you talking about?”

“I see pretty girls all the time, Luke – and you do too! You make a stop at my work almost every day; you see how gorgeous they are – how skinny they are! They don’t need make up or diet to be like that, unlike me!”

“Whoa, okay, now you’re not making any sense.”

“Just... I’m going.” She turned around and started walking away.

“I meant every word I said, Jane.” She didn’t stop. “I love you, okay? And I really think you’re beautiful.” She didn’t stop. “Please stop being so insecure. I love you the way you are.” She didn’t stop.



I was at a party that night. Usually I would go with my girl, but she had to overwork. Plus, she still sounded pissed off on the phone earlier, so I didn’t bother to talk her into it.

I was just sitting on the couch, drinking beer straight from its bottle, and not really feeling like doing anything that would be considered as partying. I just watched the people went by and danced and made out and smoked. Being an antisocial at a party sounded pretty logical.

I hadn’t really talked to anyone tonight, until my best friend since fifth grade stumbled on her way to me and fell on my lap. “Jesus, Norah, how much had you been drinking?”

“Nawt mawch,” she slurred, becoming the drunk Norah which was all giggly and never made sense. “Yoo loohk upseht, Looke, whass awp?” Well, she may be drunk but she still noticed what was going on around her.

“Nah, it’s just Jane, that’s all.”

“Wha’ abawt hurr?” She sat up and took the empty seat next to me, leaning her head against my shoulder and played with her red cup of alcohol.

“She’s real pissy today, I don’t get it.”

Norah chuckled. “Sheesh prawbablayy juss’ awn ‘err puhreeod or sumthangg.”

I stared at her, trying to figure out what she had been saying. If I hadn’t known her for years, I would be thinking that she was speaking some sort of alien language. “You’re dead drunk, you need to rest. Come on.” I led her upstairs and found an empty room. She sat on the bed, being giggly all the time. Thank god I was used to this; I would find it so creepy if I wasn’t.

She then took her top off. All of a sudden and all of the things that she could do, she did that. “I’m sawree, it’s juss’ so warm.” I nodded, sitting on a chair nearby. Norah was weird when she was drunk, and it was always best to let her be. She stood up and wobbled towards me but fell again, this time knocking down the beer in my hand, making it spill all over my shirt. I sighed as she giggled and apologised, laying on the carpeted floor.

I said it was fine, which actually wasn’t, and I took my t-shirt off because I didn’t like the feeling of wet shirt against my skin. She climbed back on to the bed and drew circles on the duvet with her fingers. I could see that she was beginning to sober up.

“Let me get some mineral water downstairs. Wait here, okay?” She nodded and when I opened the bedroom door, Jane was there. It seemed like she was going to open the door if I didn’t do it. “Jane,” I said, surprised, “What are you doing here?”

“I finished my work.” She began to fidget with her fingers. “Look, I’m sorry about earlier. I was just in a feeling where everything pisses me off – you’ve felt that before, right?” I nodded. “I’m so sorry.”

“It’s alright.”

The corners of her lips pulled up and her face was beaming. Jesus Christ, nothing could be more beautiful than that.

“Anyway, what are you doing here?” she asked and glanced behind me into the dark room.

“Uh –“

Norah suddenly clung on my shoulder, all giggly and slurring. Shit, I thought she was sobering up!

Jane’s smile faded as her eyes widened when she saw topless Norah. Her eyes shifted to me, who was also topless. The disappointment in her heart made its way to her eyes. “And I thought you preferred curvy girls instead.”

“What? Oh god, no, no, no, Jane!” But she was running downstairs already. “Jane!” I ran after her, fought through the crowd of people downstairs, and finally I could get a hold of her wrist once we were outside. “It’s not what you think.”

“It’s pretty obvious, isn’t it?” Her eyes were brimming with tears.

“No! Norah was just so drunk she took her top off and spilled beer all over my shirt, and you know how I don’t like wearing wet shirts!” I tried to get her look into my eyes, but she kept looking down. “Look at me,” I whispered. She finally looked up to me. “Do you believe what I’m saying?”

She pressed her lips together.

“Do you really think I was hooking up with Norah?”

She shook her head.

“Then why did you think of that?”

She shrugged.

“Is this one of your she’s-skinnier-and-prettier-than-me feelings?”

She only looked away.

“God, Jane, how many times will I have to say it? You’re beautiful, I love you, and I will never stop saying that until those feelings of yours are gone. If you think I was lying, I would be cheating on you right now - I would come home late all the time, I would have secret phone calls!” I lifted her chin and stared right into her gorgeous green orbs. “I really love you, Jane. I always do. I mean it.”

She cracked a smile. “I love you too.”

“Then please, please – believe in me. No, believe in yourself. Would you do that for me?”

She nodded. “I’ll try.”

“That’s my girl,” I leaned down and pecked her lips, pulling her close against my body. It was then when I realised I still hadn’t worn my shirt, and I finally noticed the cold air hitting my skinny torso. “Can we get in, retrieve my shirt and jacket, and go home and watch your favourite films in bed?” She laughed and I felt her nodding against my chest.