Don't Give Up on Us

“What do you mean you’re working late again?” he sighed down the phone. “I have to leave in the morning.”

“I’m sorry, Lex. There really isn’t anything I can do. I missed a deadline last week and I have to make up for it somehow. I’ll be in around eleven. We can watch a movie and I’ll get food on the way. How’s that sound?”

“Fine,” he mumbled. “But I just feel like I never see you anymore. I know it’s partially my fault too but I just don’t know.”

“Listen, I really have to go,” I rushed. “See you at eleven. Love you. Bye.”

I hung up the phone and tried to sort out the masses of work I had on my desk. Everything had been piling up on me recently and I was struggling to deal with home and work. I knew it’d be a load when I took this job a year ago but I wanted to show everyone that I could actually do something and working at this newspaper was actually a great opportunity.

Eventually I gave up for the night. I looked at my watch - ten thirty. I grabbed my bag and rushed to the nearest Chinese restaurant where I picked up some takeout. I turned the handle of the comfortable suburban house I shared with my boyfriend Alex at exactly eleven to find him asleep on the couch with the TV on in front of him. I smiled down at him, there was no way I was waking him up. There were dark circles under his eyes and he had a flight in the morning.

I ate some of the food and put Alex’s in the microwave before running up the stairs and returning with some blankets. I settled on the couch, trying not to disturb him and fell asleep.

**

I woke up the next morning to Alex clattering around and sorting out his stuff.

“Oh, you’re awake. Any idea where my grey beanie is? I’ve looked everywhere,” he said exasperatedly.

“Our room, second drawer on the left,” I mumbled as I pulled myself up from the couch and stretched every body part I had. I hated sleeping on couches.

“Awesome. Well, the guys will be here any second and then we’re catching the flight to LA. I should be back around seven on Monday. Promise you’ll be here when I am?” he threw his bag over his shoulder and pulled his newly discovered beanie over his head.

“Promise,” I said, getting up to peck him on the lips as there was a brisk knock on the door. I quickly opened it to reveal Matt Flyzik. “We’re running late,” he greeted, taking Alex’s arm and dragging him to the parked van where I saw Jack frantically waving out the window, “LA BABY!”

“Bye guys!” I waved back as the van left our driveway.

As soon as they had left I got into my own car and made my way to work on a Saturday. The only other person at the office when I got there was the day guard/janitor/all-round nice guy Hank. “Mornin’,” he saluted me as I sat at my desk and logged onto the computer. I decided on checking my email and stuff before I began work so I wouldn’t get distracted later on.

I had a message from Dan Flint - he was continuing the conversation we had going on about what life would be like if no one wore pants. I had another message from my brother Max asking about work and life and whatnot. I missed how I hadn’t gotten to spend as much time with him since I permanently relocated to Baltimore a little over a year before. He came over for Christmas but other than that I hadn’t seen him and email was the only way we could contact each other without racking up an astonishing phone bill. I talked to most of the guys on a regular basis and I was glad I could live somewhere else and not lose friendships. That was the last thing I wanted. There was once person I hadn’t spoke to since I moved though. One person I didn’t even tell I was leaving.

I shook my head trying to get rid of the thoughts. I closed down my email and logged onto my twitter. I surfed past the comments from various people. Some of them made me smile but more were actually kind of hurtful. I stopped when I saw one tweet on my timeline though. I didn’t really know how to take it. I didn’t know how to feel because I hadn’t even been informed by my own brother and I didn’t know if I wanted to ever see him again. It was easier.

“@joshmeatsix: Heading to the mighty US soon with my boy @Maxmeatsix. So pumped."