Summer's on Its Deathbed

After the barbeque, Brendon and Yasmine became closer. They spoke almost daily, whether it be via text message, or phone calls or going out for frozen yoghurt. But still, nothing was officially going on between them.

It was a sunny morning, when Brendon called Yasmine.

“Hey, Yas. Are you free right now?” Brendon asked, walking through his bedroom, almost tripping over an old t-shirt as he did so.

“Yeah, but only for a little bit. I’m just on my way to the set now.” Yasmine told the man. She had gained a position doing the make-up for a small independent film that was shooting in the desert just outside LA. It was her dream to do the make-up for a film, and although she wasn’t the chief make-up artist, she was still enthralled by the whole atmosphere of a movie set.

Brendon nodded into his phone, although he knew Yasmine couldn’t see it. “How’s that going?”

She smiled before answering. “It’s amazing Bren. I really love it, everyone’s so nice. It’s really hectic, but what can you expect from a movie set?!” Yasmine answered, letting a small laugh escape her lips.

Shops flew past on either side of her as Yasmine drove; she was just cruising down the road, when her can began to stall. Annoyed, she took out the key and restarted the ignition. It didn’t work; she tried again and again, hoping that her mess of a car would just start.

However, still 20 minutes later, it was still resisting and Yasmine’s loud curses aimed at the vehicle still didn’t tempt it to start once more. Dropping her head with a loud thud to the steering wheel, Yasmine let out a groan. Her car had been on its last legs for a while; she’d had it for almost 7 years, since her parents were cool enough to give her a car on her 16th birthday. Even then it had been old, used for many years before Yasmine had even driven it once. She called the tow company and they said that they’d be there as soon as possible. Which wasn't helpful, they could mean hours.

Tears threatened to escape her eyes, despite her excitement at going to the set, things hadn’t been going extremely well for Yasmine. Her apartment was a complete mess; her electricity company had been sending her notices about paying her bill which she hadn’t got around to paying, solely because she had insufficient funds and her rent was due in under a week.

She’d been living a dream, being a make-up artist didn’t pay too well, especially when she worked on small films. For as long as possible, she’d wanted to hold onto the absurd notion that she could get by like this, but it wasn’t working. Yasmine severely needed a more stable job, and one that paid a lot more. Along with her job as a make-up artist, she often picked up shifts at the local hardware store, but they were few and far between as she’d always pick a job offer to do make-up anywhere over working at the store.

Only that morning Yasmine had received a phone call from the new 24 hour supermarket a few blocks away from her apartment. She’d been offered an interview, after applying months before on a whim; Yasmine hadn’t heard anything so she assumed that they weren’t going to consider her for a position.

The interview was a 1pm and it was 10am, she had time, Yasmine knew that it was responsible to take the job; she could get more shifts, which meant more money. And if she continued picking up odd shifts at the hardware store it would be even better.

Leaning against the car, swearing at the fact the world had screwed her over; her phone began to ring in her pocket.

“Yasmine, I know you said you were almost at the set-” Brendon began before he was interrupted by a loud sniff from Yasmine, who could no longer keep her tears at bay after hearing the familiar, comforting voice.

“Yas? What’s wrong?” He asked, his voice holding a hint of worry.

She tried to think of the words to adequately describe how shitty she felt, but none of the vocabulary that came to mind seemed to do it justice. So she settled for, “everything’s just a bit not good at the moment.” Her tears betrayed her attempt to play down her feelings, but her last words were drowned out by the sounds of her beginning to lightly sob into her phone.

“Where are you?” Brendon asked grabbing his keys and slipping on his shoes.

Yasmine told him the address before sliding down the side of her car and sitting on the sidewalk, not caring how utterly insane she looked crying and sitting on the pavement. It seemed that the realisation of all of the seemingly minor bad things that happened to her, piled up and then hit her at once, becoming one huge pile of sadness, anxiety and pain. Pulling her legs up to her chest, she rested her forehead on her knees and tried to stop the tears.

If you asked Yasmine how long she sat there, she wouldn’t have been able to give you even a rough estimate. Time passed her, and she didn’t even acknowledge anyone else on the fairly busy street until she felt the presence of another person to her left. She shuddered lightly before looking to see who was there.

When their eyes met, she pulled on a weak smile. Brendon. He wrapped his arms around her and rocked her side to side very slowly. They sat there together, waiting for the tow truck to come and take her car to the garage, which would surely rack up another bill she wouldn’t be able to pay.

After a long stretch of silence, Yasmine asked Brendon a question. “Do you think you could drive me to that new Target. Y’know, the one by the freeway?” She wiped a tear away from under her eye.

Brendon didn’t even blink. “Yeah, of course I will.” Yasmine leaned in for another hug, letting her head fall on Brendon’s shoulder.

“Why do you need to go to Target?” He asked quietly.

“For a job interview.”

“A job interview?” Brendon asked quizzically. “But you already have a job.”

“Yeah I know, but that make-up artist thing was just a bit of fun. I don’t get work regularly and it doesn’t pay enough.”

Brendon knew she was lying, he knew she was overtly passionate about her career, but he chose not to push her on the subject seeing the state she was in.

“I can’t only think of me anymore…” Yasmine said quietly, so quietly Brendon wasn’t sure that she realised she had uttered the words aloud.

Just as he was about to ask what she meant, Brendon saw the tow truck pulling up to the kerb. After the car was towed away, taken to the local garage, Brendon took Yasmine, as she’d requested, to Target.

She was in and out within 45 minutes. As Yasmine buckled her seatbelt in Brendon’s car, he asked, “How did it go?” Her glum expression suggested it hadn’t gone swimmingly.

“Great. I got the job.” She said her voice supporting a harsh monotone.

“Well done!” Brendon exclaimed. Although Yasmine didn’t seem too pleased.

“Bren, can you take me home now?” She asked, looking at him with wide eyes that made her seem so young, so naïve that he couldn’t refuse, not that he’d wanted to.

The drive back to Yasmine’s apartment was mostly silent, except for the times Brendon hummed along with the radio.

When they reached their destination, Brendon walked Yasmine inside, despite her protests.

They stood outside her door and Yasmine began to dawdle, she rolled her keys in her hands awkwardly. Brendon didn’t like the sad look in her eyes, so he stepped forward and kissed her softly on the lips. She brightened significantly, and pulled Brendon back towards her, kissing him again.

Distantly, Brendon heard a door open, but he wasn’t paying attention until someone called for Yasmine.

“Yas?” A middle-aged woman called down the hall. Yasmine blushed as she walked towards her.

“Hey Jane, how is my little angel?” Brendon was confused, little angel?

“She’s fine, been asking for you almost constantly since I picked her up from school.” Jane responded after Yasmine had walked into her apartment. Brendon stood rather awkwardly for a second or two when Jane beckoned him over.

When he walked down into the apartment, he saw a young girl with curly brown hair hugging Yasmine’s leg.

With one swoop, Yasmine picked up the little girl and rested her on her hip.

“Brendon,” Yasmine spoke. “This is Alice.”