Together by This Christmas Tree

john o'callaghan

Cally tugged her shorts down longer on her legs, and in all honestly, she had slightly big thighs and muscular calves, but these imperfections that would normally bother me were perfect on Cally. I laughed, wrapping my arms around her waist and leaning my chin against her head, a comfortable position for my height and hers. She jabbed her butt into my crotch, and I groaned involuntarily. “John, when I told you I’d make you pancakes after my run, I didn’t mean you could get any action,” She groaned, biting her lip and flipped my pancakes.

She was right though. We hadn’t gotten any action past wrestling and making out on the couch. She wasn’t ready, and I tried to respect that, but it was getting harder and harder to wait for her. “Alright, alright, I’ll get plates,” I muttered, grabbing the bright yellow ones my mom had bought me as a house warming gift a few years back, before we started touring.

It was a few days away from New Year’s Eve, and we were going to a party at Pat and Garrett’s, surprising considering the last party those two knuckleheads had. Of course, tons of girls, tons of booze, and plenty of kisses to go around. And, well, I was hoping for something more. I almost chuckled. It was like nothing had changed: trying to get laid on New Year’s. But everything had. Cally changed everything.

Cally tugged on her sports bra, obviously self-conscious. I had called her as she was running in the trails near her home. She had explained by saying she was going to lose ten pounds by bikini season, which of course got me excited. She came and made pancakes, and here we were, laying on the couch while she picked the station. “Ooh, look John! ESPN.”

And I was set for life.

I took a swig of my beer. “So, Johnny boy, what does this mean, you being so in love?” Garrett asked, twirling his beer around in his bottle and holding it by the neck as he raised it to his lips, ignoring Kennedy talking up the waitress, as awkward as ever. I shrugged.

“I don’t know man, Cally’s just a game changer.” We always talked about ‘the game changer’, the one that made us change our ways and make us those respectable men our dads are. Garrett nodded.

“Don’t get me wrong. Cally’s my best friend and one of the greatest girls I’ve ever met. But, John, I don’t get how she’s you’re game changer.” Kennedy had turned his head back towards us and the waitress left her number on his hand, another score for the awkward boy. I sighed.

“It’s the way she smiles when I compliment her. It’s the way her hair falls down across her green eyes and make them shine. It’s the way that she wears heels when she wants to be happy, and it’s the way she runs like she’s running a marathon. It’s the way she buries her face in my chest when we lay together and it’s the way she simply looks at me. It’s the way that when I look at her, I feel like I’m at home. I know that as long as she’s around, I’m not gonna get hurt because no matter what happens, she’s going to be there for me.” I felt tears pricking, but the dark bar kept things waiting and hiding. Kennedy looks surprised.

“Wow. I didn’t know you felt that strongly about her, John.” He put his hands up in surrender. “I’m sorry.” I nodded suddenly, and took another swig of my beer, my liquid confidence with more than just girls.

“She just makes me happy.” I shrugged again, leaning back in the bar stool and holding my phone in my hand as Cally texted me her update.

Just got back from visiting my family, heading home to my apartment if you still want to come over after the drinks with the guys. Give Gare and Kenny my love. xoxo.

I sighed, putting the phone down on the bar and ordering another, stretching out my lanky legs, Kennedy and Garrett arguing over whatever the hell what, something about Stars Wars and aliens, as per usual.

“What do you think, John Oh? John Lennon in The Beatles or Tom Petty while he was in The Heartbreakers?” Garrett asked, looking at me sincerely.

Oh fuck, was I drunk.

“Petty, all the way.” I was hardly understanding what I was saying, and my words were slurred to the point where I thought they were slurred at all. Beers kept piling up and piling up until I was practically drowning in my own beer. Garrett and Kennedy had left around midnight.

Suddenly, Cally was grabbing my hand and not speaking as I drunkenly sang. Her voice rang out. “I’m taking you home, John. Kennedy called twenty minutes ago, saying you were still at the bar, thought I should come get you.” I giggled, falling all over her.

“Baby, come on, let’s have sex!” I said drunkenly, and Cally visibly stiffened as she put the car into drive, heading a few streets over to my apartment.

“John, we’ve had this talk, okay? I’m not fucking ready to sleep with you, and if you can’t accept that, then please just leave, okay?” Cally pulled into my apartment complex, opening my door and pushing me out of the car, where Garrett stood. She stiffened, not looking at me. “Garrett will stay with you tonight.” Her voice was tight, and she looked like she was going to cry.

“Jesus, John, what the hell did you do?” Gare muttered, but I hardly heard him.