Right Here Waiting

Katie got up from the couch at the knock on the door. She opened it to find Val, a smile on her face.

“Hey chick!”

“Hi.”

“You alright?” Val asked, confused as to why she wasn’t being allowed in.

“Yeah, I’m peachy-fucking-keen.”

“You don’t sound okay.”

“I don’t know, do I sound off my game?”

“What are you talking about?”

“Why don’t you ask your best Bullshit player and get the answer from him? But I guess you already know how he plays,” Katie said, referencing the card game she used to play in high school.

Val watched the fake smile appear on Katie’s face before the door shut.

“What the fuck?” Val asked as she drove to the guy’s house.

She walked upstairs to Brian’s room and knocked once before opening the door. She instantly wished she hadn’t, as Brian was in bed with someone.

“Oh, God, I’m so sorry,” Val said, covering her eyes.

“Hi, Val!”

Knowing the voice, Val uncovered her eyes to see Amber smiling at her.

Confused, she looked between Brian and Amber before shutting the door. Something wasn’t right, here.

A couple of hours later, she was sitting in the kitchen when Brian came down. He didn’t speak to her.

“Okay, do you want to tell me what the fuck is going on?” Val said suddenly.

“I don’t know, why don’t you tell me again how I’m annoying?”

“What are you talking about, Brian?”

“I want to hear how I’m annoying, can’t play guitar, and how I was never really wanted around.”

“I still don’t know—”

“Oh, come on, Val. I know what you and Eliza were talking about after you dropped us off at the airport. You know, the funny thing is I never expected to hear shit talking from you. I guess I never expected it from Eliza, either, but that just goes to show you how much you don’t know someone.”

“Brian, we never talked shit about you.”

“Really? I saw the whole conversation.”

“Are you talking about the bookstore?”

“Yeah, there were books around.”

“Brian, Eliza and I were talking about a guy named Joseph who went to school with her. He bumped into her and recognized her. She was telling me about him and how he used to come over to her house in Boston all the time.”

“That sounds like a load of shit,” Brian said, grabbing his bottle of water and walking towards the hallway. Val followed him.

“How did you even know about this conversation?”

“Let’s just say things have a way of being seen.”

“That’s why you’re back with Amber, isn’t it?”

“Shit happens, Val,” Brian said and shrugged, starting up the stairs.

“Just like Eliza falling in love with you?”

He paused in step. “What?”

“Eliza’s in love with you, you asshole and now you’re sleeping with Amber. How fucking thick can you get? God, when have I ever lied to you?”

“That one time—”

“That doesn’t count, Brian,” Val said, cutting in. “Your hair did not look good blue.”

“Yeah, I guess you’re right.”

“Now think about how you found out, and think if that’s a reliable source.”

“No, not really.”

“Then why are you even getting pissed off?”

Brian didn’t say anything, but he turned around and went back upstairs. Val sighed and gave up. She would find out what the hell was going on. Even if Brian didn’t care, she did, and she wanted to know why people were acting to strange.



The next day after Amber had left his house, Brian lay in bed thinking about what Val had said. He thought about everything that had gone on and a small piece of information crept into his mind. Eliza had only slept with two people; why would she sleep with him if she felt he was annoying? Why would she ask him to hang out all the time if she thought he was annoying? If she had honestly thought he was annoying, she would’ve said something the first day, just like she’d told off Amber.

That was it. Amber was completely jealous of Eliza. Suddenly, he jumped out of bed, throwing on clothes and ran down the steps. Instead of driving his car, he ran all the way to Eliza’s house. He stood in front of the two-story wooden structure and looked at it. Eliza’s grey Mustang wasn’t in the driveway, and it looked like no one was home. Huge garbage bags lined the street, and when he walked around to the back porch to make sure no one was home, the furniture had been removed from the deck. Confused, he walked back around front and looked at the house. With a last glance at the house, he walked slowly back to his house.

Checking his phone, he saw he had a message from Amber wanting to grab dinner. Sighing, he replied saying he would meet her at the restaurant. He rubbed his hands over his face, trying to make sense of everything.

Amber was all of a sudden being sweet when Eliza was acting sketchy. She hadn’t even called him while he was away. He thought about what Val had said earlier that day and couldn’t figure out what was going on. She went from melting in his arms to being a complete stranger.

Something wasn't fucking right.