The Plan

“You two probably should have started packing earlier,” Mike commented dryly from his spot on Simone’s bed. He had been lounging there silently while we packed, a book hanging from his fingertips. He’d finished it however, and now tried to criticize us.

“We’ve been mega busy packing your band’s merch which your label fucked up majorly so,” Simone trailed off. Her hair was flashing wildly around as she searched high and low for her pair of navy blue Toms.

Our bedroom was actually a mess. Usually, as Simone and I were both OCD level neat freaks, the entire apartment was clean. We’d actually neglected packing in order to finish our job and to clean the rest of the place. Now our room looked like a warzone.

“Well, you could have balanced it out,” he said.

“You’re treading in dangerous waters Mike,” she warned, standing up from looking under her bed. He smiled sheepishly. I was knee-deep in my over organized closet, considering what exactly I should and shouldn’t bring shoe-wise.

I tossed a pair of navy blue Toms at Simone. They were too small to be mine; my best friend was short. She leapt over my open, half-packed suitcase and hugged me from behind. Laughing, I beat her off and when I turned around she was plopped on her bed, lips on Mike’s.

“Get a room!” I screeched, throwing a flip flop at them. Simone laughed as she pulled away from her boyfriend.

“We are in a room, specifically my bedroom,” she pointed out. I scoffed, retrieving my sandal and placing it in the suitcase.

“Well, it’s my bedroom too so be conscious of my virgin eyes!”

“Oh, that’s rich.”

I turned to see Andy in the doorway, arms crossed and a smirk on his lips. I rolled my eyes and gave him the finger. He entered the room and sat on the edge of my bed. I continued packing shoes into my suitcase, ignoring the bassist.

We were on good terms occasionally. He liked to make comments about Alex, who was present wherever Mike was. In fact, it was strange that Mike had even shown up here today without the bass tech tagging along. I didn’t like when Andy was bitter about it.

Other times, we were like we used to be. We went out for coffee and lunch and casually discussed everything under the sun. I missed times when it used to always be like that. I couldn’t help but hold a small resentment towards Mike for getting rid of that all with one little sentence.

“Y’all are a little behind the rest of us,” Andy said. Simone was the one distracted by her boyfriend, my progress outstripped hers. I folded underwear and bras while seated on the floor, leaning on Andy’s shins. He played with my hair absent-mindedly.

“I’m almost done,” I said, tucking my clothes on top of my shoes.

Simone sat with her legs resting over Mike’s stomach and her back resting on the wall. He played with her fingertips casually. She watched him with the smallest smile on her face but her eyes showed all the adoration I knew they both felt mutually.

He kissed her hand and the tips of her fingers and even with a hand running serenely through my hair and two different bassists on my ass, I had a sinking feeling that I’d never have what they had.

Mike understood Simone and Simone understood Mike. They were perfect for each other on a physical level and even more so on a spiritual level. I sat around everyday thinking about what a great match I’d made and how well their personalities complemented each other.

I watched them as they interacted so peacefully and silently and that was when it happened.

That was when the jealousy set in.