Manage Me

I felt faint as I drove away from Jack’s house. I hadn’t eaten all day and had spent a majority of my time on my knees in the bathroom. It was disgusting. I was sure Jack had puked in there multiple time and had never taken the time to clean it properly. Jack. He had been so weird today. First he was rude, which I could attribute to the hangover, but then I found him staring at me. It made me kind of uncomfortable since he had only been wearing a towel. Also, his facial expression confused the shit out of me. He didn’t look angry for once. In fact, I could have sworn he was smiling. And then his friend, who I could clearly identify as Zack Merrick, had showed up and stared at me too. Well, not exactly, but he had looked me over which was strange. No one ever gave me looks like that. Except some of the husbands from my last jobs, but they were old and pervy and Zack was neither.

I hoped 1:30 would be late enough for Jack to be somewhat recovered from the hangover I was sure he would have tomorrow morning. I stopped by the supermarket on my way home to pick up a salad and Xing Tea. I ate as I drove, deciding to spend my night wrapped in a blanket watching Netflix on my computer if the wifi was working. I arrived home, having already finished my salad and tea. I stripped out of my apron as soon as possible, flicking the lights. They flickered for a moment and I crossed my fingers. Lucky for me they didn’t go out. Sighing in relief, I stripped out of the rest of my clothing and escaped into the shower.

I stood in the water as the temperature fluctuated, thinking. I had definitely made a significant dent in Jack’s mess of a house today. The bathroom was 90% clean and I had managed to find all of the clothing in the downstairs area, even if I had had to dig under the couch and behind the television. I wondered how Jack even had any clothing left to wear considering the amount of it I had piled in a basket I found in the hallway closet. I had forced myself up the stairs, terrified of Jack’s reaction if he woke up, but I needed to get the clothing out of the way before I could start scrubbing the floors down. The water suddenly turned unbearably cold, so I hoped out and lathered myself in lotion.

Since Jack’s laundry had been on my mind all night, I decided I might as well do some of my own. Now that I had a job, I could afford to wash them in a washer instead of my kitchenette sink, which was seriously gross the more I thought about it. I bundled up in sweats, throwing my hair into a messy bun and carried my laundry down the stairs and into the laundry room. Just goes to show how shitty my apartment complex was, I had to pay to do my laundry there. I sat on top of the washing machine as it hummed. My phone buzzed in my pocket and I pulled it out, seeing my best friend’s name flashing across the screen.

“Katiekins!” She cried excitedly.

“Hi Lil.” I smiled, laying down on top of the machine.

“I miss your pretty little face, sugarbee. Please tell me we’re going out tonight?”

“I don’t know, Lily…” I trailed off.

“Please, Katie! Please, please, pleaseeeeeee! I promise, we can go after you call your mom and Kade! Let me come over and dress you up and we’ll go find some schmexy men.” I could hear the wink in her voice and I laughed.

“That does sound fun but –”

“No ‘but’s Katie Feist! Just say yes.”

I thought about it for a moment. I hadn’t seen my best friend in a while, we were both caught up in work. I missed her craziness and how she made me feel like any other 20-year-old, out to party and have a good time. I needed that in my life sometimes since I spent most of my time stressed out and worrying about how I would get money to my mom and keep a job longer than a few weeks. I sighed in defeat after a moment. As usual, Lily was going to get her way.

“Fine.”

She squealed loudly. I could just picture her jumping around like a puppy, clapping her hands in excitement.

“I love you! I love you! I LOVE YOU! I’ll be there at 8:00. Finish your laundry and prepare yourself for a full on makeover.”

“How did you know I was –”

“I can hear the rattling, kitten. Nice to see you’re no longer doing your washing in the sink. See you soon!” She made a kissing noise and I laughed as she hung up the phone.

I felt a little bubble of excitement start to build up in the pit of my stomach. I was nervous. I hadn’t been out in a while, and I was always a little awkward around guys. I knew Lily would get a few drinks in me though and I was definitely in need of a girl’s night. I sat in the dim laundry room, the anticipation building in my little body. By the time the dryer buzzed I was practically exploding with it. I gathered my clothing, flying up the stairs. I had been inside of the apartment for a total of two minutes before a frantic knocking sounded. I flung it open and came face to face with the one and only Lillian Jacey.

“Katie!” She cried, nearly knocking me over as she barreled into me. “Gosh I just love you.”

I laughed, hugging her close. She shut the door behind me, looking around the apartment. It was spotless, my job having seeped into my personal life. She kept her arm around my shoulders.

“You seriously need a new place.”

“Lil, leave my apartment alone. Let’s get ready, yeah?”

Lily smiled. She pulled a bag out from behind her and I knew it was undoubtedly filled with a ridiculous amount of make-up and hair product. She gripped my arm dragging me into my little bathroom. I closed my eyes, sitting perfectly still while she got to work.

“Voila!” She cried 30 minutes later.

I opened my eyes slowly, studying myself in the mirror. My blonde hair had been curled even more, pins holding one side of it back. Mascara swept along my long eyelashes, dark eye shadow and liner creating a smoky effect. My blue eyes popped out dramatically and my cherry red lips split into a smile. I hugged Lily tightly.

“Oh honey, that is just the tip of the iceberg.” She smirked.

She grabbed my arm again, this time dragging me back into the main room. I had no doubt she would make me look amazing. She was in fashion design school after all. She walked next to the door and grabbed a garment bag off of the coat hook. I had no idea how I had missed that before. She placed it in my arms.

“Okay, so I know that you usually call home at 9:00. But I may or may not have managed to get us early entrance into this new club and doors open at 9:00, so call now while I get ready and then we’ll head out and dance the night away.”

I nodded and shooed her into the bathroom. I dialed the familiar number. My mother answered on the fourth ring.

“Hello, Kathrine.”

“Hi, Mom.” A tight smile formed on my face. “Can I talk to Kade please?”

“He’s already asleep. He’s been sick lately, so I put him to bed early. I got your money, though. Thank you.” I sighed.

“Okay. I’ll call at the usual time tomorrow, okay?”

“That’s fine, Kathrine. Good night.”

She hung up and I sat down on my futon bed thing. I let out my breath in a huff. My fucking mother. I took a deep breath, releasing the negativity from my system. Tonight was about having fun, and I planned on having plenty of it. I unzipped the bag, a squeal escaping my lips.

“I knew you’d love it.” Lily smiled, exiting the bathroom.

She was completely ready for the night and I hurried to put on my own outfit. Lily had even included jewelry and shoes. She slipped her arm through mine and we left, locking the door behind us. We rushed to her Volvo, giggling in excitement. She turned the music up full blast and we sped off towards the club.