When the Sun Comes Up
I'll Be Conflicted.
Gabe woke up to the sound of the TV on full blast. He glanced over at the alarm clock it was a little past two in the afternoon. It couldn’t be Bianca she left for work hours ago, and so did Ryland.
He forced himself out of bed and pulled on a pair of boxers. He scratched his chest before leaving his room and walking into the living room Claudia, Kaitlin, Alex, and a guy Gabe had never met before were sitting on the couch.
“Don’t you guys have your own places?”
“yeah and?” Alex asked with a slight smirk.
Gabe rolled his eyes, “then why the fuck are you always here?”
“This way if we make a mess we don’t have to clean it we just go home best reason to be anywhere right?” Claudia said nudging the guy sitting beside her.
He chuckled and nudged her back, which made her keep doing it until they were pretty much shoving each other off the couch. Gabe wasn’t sure who this guy was but he liked that he didn’t back down though this possibly meant that he was as annoying as Claudia.
“Who’s that guy?”
The guy heard the question and stopped shoving and looked up, Claudia seized the opportunity and shoved him off the couch and scooting closer to Alex and swinging her legs over Kaitlin’s lap. The whole action reminded Gabe of a nature special where the leaders asserted their dominance over the group. The guy got off the ground scowling in Claudia’s direction but then answering Gabe’s question.
“Hi I’m Nate I play drums, um Alex asked me to hang out and I-uh hi you must be Gabe.”
Gabe because this was the guy Alex had been talking about. He was so tiny compared to the rest of them but that was fine as long as he could play.
“weren’t you supposed to pick up Ryland?” Kaitlin said in a soft voice her eyes still focused on the screen.
“Oh shit! I’m late,” Alex jumped up, “You guys coming?”
Claudia got up and followed Alex, Nate running after.
“Shotgun!” She shouted, “Kait you coming?”
“no I wanna finish the movie.”
Alex tried to shove the rest of them out the door. Claudia held on to the door, “okay we’ll be right back. Oh and Gabe put some clothes on, gross.”
Finally Alex succeeded in ushering them out the door and shutting it behind him.
Gabe was planning on going back to bed but thought it rude to leave Kaitlin alone. He sat on the couch and stared at the screen, He didn’t pay attention to what was on the screen he was busy trying to decide where to take Bianca tonight it was their three month anniversary. Three months, and he met her when he had been here for two, that’s five months, five months; five fucking months! He’d been in California for five months and hadn’t come any closer to starting his band sure they have a possible drummer but the last guy Alex brought was terrible. This wasn’t how it was supposed to happen, you’re supposed to just come out to LA and have everything fall into place.
His good mood was gone now he just felt like a complete failure, he hadn’t gone to college because he wanted to pursue music, He almost did his band Midtown were pretty popular until it fell apart. He saved up for a change of scenery and a new band and had he gotten any closer? No. Now he’s broke, living in a shitty apartment and probably going to be stuck delivering pizza the rest of his life.
“Fuck.”
Kaitlin was startled by his sudden outburst.
He felt bad, “sorry.”
“It’s okay.”
“so what are you watching?”
“The Butterfly Effect.”
“Oh.”
“Yeah.”
“Do you ever just feel like a huge fucking failure?”
Kaitlin tore her eyes from the screen and gave Gabe a questioning look, “I guess, but I think everyone feels like that at one point or another.”
“I guess you’re right it’s just, I don’t even know. I just feel like things aren’t going right or I don’t know forget I said anything.”
“Is this about you and Bianca?”
He shook his head, “no it about other things.”
“Oh. Well I think I know what will cheer you up.”
Gabe smiled what was she going to suggest? He sat up straighter and turned so he was facing her, “what?”
“Close your eyes.”
“Why?”
“Just fucking do it,” she said in a bored tone.
Gabe figured she’d just give him a Red Bull or something so he closed his eyes. The couch shifted so he figured he had been right. He was about to peek when he felt her lips crash against his. He parted his lips slightly and kissed her, she pushed him back until he was lying on the couch and she was on top of him. Her lips moved from his to his neck. Gabe let out a moan of pleasure, he was playing with the hem of her shirt; but then his brain actually kicked in; he shouldn’t be doing this.
“Stop,” he mumbled, “Kaitlin.”
She got off of him. He sat up and stared at her she just put him in the most awkward situation ever, he couldn’t kick her out because she was waiting for her ride. He couldn’t really pretend like nothing had happened. Plus what was he going to tell Bianca, he just cheated on her. He could say that kissing back was just a reflex but he knew he wanted it, and he knew that if he hadn’t stopped to think he would have gone on to do a lot worse than make out with Kaitlin. Things were going great with Bianca and Kaitlin just ruined them, Gabe got up and gave her one last look.
“I’m going to take a shower.”
She just gave a small shrug and went back to watching the movie. He found it annoying how she just went back to pretending he didn’t exist. He stopped walking and turned around.
“Why the fuck did you do that Bianca is going to hate me.”
Kaitlin kept her eyes on the TV, “you were upset.”
“Yeah but you give some one ice-cream or crack a joke you don’t just kiss someone especially if they’re in a relationship.”
“You weren’t complaining. Besides you don’t have to tell her.”
Gabe shook his head, Kaitlin didn’t seem to care that she just fucked up his love life; she never seemed to care about anything. Now because of her he was conflicted, should he tell Bianca or not?
He forced himself out of bed and pulled on a pair of boxers. He scratched his chest before leaving his room and walking into the living room Claudia, Kaitlin, Alex, and a guy Gabe had never met before were sitting on the couch.
“Don’t you guys have your own places?”
“yeah and?” Alex asked with a slight smirk.
Gabe rolled his eyes, “then why the fuck are you always here?”
“This way if we make a mess we don’t have to clean it we just go home best reason to be anywhere right?” Claudia said nudging the guy sitting beside her.
He chuckled and nudged her back, which made her keep doing it until they were pretty much shoving each other off the couch. Gabe wasn’t sure who this guy was but he liked that he didn’t back down though this possibly meant that he was as annoying as Claudia.
“Who’s that guy?”
The guy heard the question and stopped shoving and looked up, Claudia seized the opportunity and shoved him off the couch and scooting closer to Alex and swinging her legs over Kaitlin’s lap. The whole action reminded Gabe of a nature special where the leaders asserted their dominance over the group. The guy got off the ground scowling in Claudia’s direction but then answering Gabe’s question.
“Hi I’m Nate I play drums, um Alex asked me to hang out and I-uh hi you must be Gabe.”
Gabe because this was the guy Alex had been talking about. He was so tiny compared to the rest of them but that was fine as long as he could play.
“weren’t you supposed to pick up Ryland?” Kaitlin said in a soft voice her eyes still focused on the screen.
“Oh shit! I’m late,” Alex jumped up, “You guys coming?”
Claudia got up and followed Alex, Nate running after.
“Shotgun!” She shouted, “Kait you coming?”
“no I wanna finish the movie.”
Alex tried to shove the rest of them out the door. Claudia held on to the door, “okay we’ll be right back. Oh and Gabe put some clothes on, gross.”
Finally Alex succeeded in ushering them out the door and shutting it behind him.
Gabe was planning on going back to bed but thought it rude to leave Kaitlin alone. He sat on the couch and stared at the screen, He didn’t pay attention to what was on the screen he was busy trying to decide where to take Bianca tonight it was their three month anniversary. Three months, and he met her when he had been here for two, that’s five months, five months; five fucking months! He’d been in California for five months and hadn’t come any closer to starting his band sure they have a possible drummer but the last guy Alex brought was terrible. This wasn’t how it was supposed to happen, you’re supposed to just come out to LA and have everything fall into place.
His good mood was gone now he just felt like a complete failure, he hadn’t gone to college because he wanted to pursue music, He almost did his band Midtown were pretty popular until it fell apart. He saved up for a change of scenery and a new band and had he gotten any closer? No. Now he’s broke, living in a shitty apartment and probably going to be stuck delivering pizza the rest of his life.
“Fuck.”
Kaitlin was startled by his sudden outburst.
He felt bad, “sorry.”
“It’s okay.”
“so what are you watching?”
“The Butterfly Effect.”
“Oh.”
“Yeah.”
“Do you ever just feel like a huge fucking failure?”
Kaitlin tore her eyes from the screen and gave Gabe a questioning look, “I guess, but I think everyone feels like that at one point or another.”
“I guess you’re right it’s just, I don’t even know. I just feel like things aren’t going right or I don’t know forget I said anything.”
“Is this about you and Bianca?”
He shook his head, “no it about other things.”
“Oh. Well I think I know what will cheer you up.”
Gabe smiled what was she going to suggest? He sat up straighter and turned so he was facing her, “what?”
“Close your eyes.”
“Why?”
“Just fucking do it,” she said in a bored tone.
Gabe figured she’d just give him a Red Bull or something so he closed his eyes. The couch shifted so he figured he had been right. He was about to peek when he felt her lips crash against his. He parted his lips slightly and kissed her, she pushed him back until he was lying on the couch and she was on top of him. Her lips moved from his to his neck. Gabe let out a moan of pleasure, he was playing with the hem of her shirt; but then his brain actually kicked in; he shouldn’t be doing this.
“Stop,” he mumbled, “Kaitlin.”
She got off of him. He sat up and stared at her she just put him in the most awkward situation ever, he couldn’t kick her out because she was waiting for her ride. He couldn’t really pretend like nothing had happened. Plus what was he going to tell Bianca, he just cheated on her. He could say that kissing back was just a reflex but he knew he wanted it, and he knew that if he hadn’t stopped to think he would have gone on to do a lot worse than make out with Kaitlin. Things were going great with Bianca and Kaitlin just ruined them, Gabe got up and gave her one last look.
“I’m going to take a shower.”
She just gave a small shrug and went back to watching the movie. He found it annoying how she just went back to pretending he didn’t exist. He stopped walking and turned around.
“Why the fuck did you do that Bianca is going to hate me.”
Kaitlin kept her eyes on the TV, “you were upset.”
“Yeah but you give some one ice-cream or crack a joke you don’t just kiss someone especially if they’re in a relationship.”
“You weren’t complaining. Besides you don’t have to tell her.”
Gabe shook his head, Kaitlin didn’t seem to care that she just fucked up his love life; she never seemed to care about anything. Now because of her he was conflicted, should he tell Bianca or not?