Just Think Happy Thoughts
Ch. 20: I Give Up
“This isn’t happening, this is so not happening.” Danny stared despairingly into the open hood of the van, gaze vacant as though he was trying to see into a different plain of existence. “I checked everything out before we left, how did so much of it go so wrong already?!”
Rosie joined him in staring, her cigarette dangling from her lip. “Yep, we’re screwed,” she deadpanned. “Truly, royally screwed.”
“No, no, NO!” Danny screamed, pulling his short green locks in frustration. “This can’t happen! What are we gonna do?!”
“Can we…” Elena fidgeted in the late evening sunlight. “Can we call a tow service or something?”
“Do you have the number of one in Bum Fuck Egypt, Kansas?” Marty shifted the brim of his hat down over his eyes and leaned his back against the side of the vehicle dejectedly. Tony and Manny followed suit, mulling over the situation.
While the others were freaking out, Melody sat calmly watching the commotion in her window seat. After Danny started screaming, she reached into her pocket and retrieved her cell phone, logging onto the Internet. A few short minutes of scrolling later, she’d found the number she needed and placed the call.
With a sigh, she crawled into the front seat and stuck her head out the window. “A mechanic will be here in approximately ten minutes to take a look at the damage. Now get back in here before some drunken redneck in a pick-up truck runs you over.”
Everyone gratefully climbed back in. “We’re lucky you never lose your head, Coz,” Elena grinned as she maneuvered into the back seat once more.”
“What can I say, I’ve got it screwed on nice and tight.”
.~
Not very long after the call was placed, the group walked into a nearby motel. “Really? We’re staying here?” Rosie griped.
“Well, the Bum Fuck Egypt Hilton was completely booked, but they said to call back later to check for cancelations.”
“I’m going to kill you in your sleep, Manny.”
“Temper, temper, dearest sister.”
“Will you both stop fighting long enough to get checked in?” Marty rolled his eyes as he pulled out his wallet. “Will we need two rooms or three, do you suppose?”
Tony sighed. “Dude, you already paid for the van repairs, you don’t have to take care of this too.”
“Nonsense, pal, consider it my travel fee. Two rooms, or three?”
“…two.”
~.
Manny frowned deeply as he attempted to make the couch comfortable. “I don’t see why I have to take the sofa. I didn’t lose!”
“M, for the last time, it does not count when you throw Chuck Norris in rock paper scissors,” Danny chuckled with an eyeroll. “I’m gonna head down to the snack machine, you want anything?”
“I’ll just come with you. How bout you guys?”
“Something fruity and chewy, I’m not picky.” Marty sprawled himself out on the carpet, hands behind his head.
“T?”
“I’m good, thanks.”
“OK, see you guys in a minute.”
There was a very long, awkward silence in the room after they left. The two remaining boys stared at the ceiling, not knowing exactly what to do to break it. Finally, Marty sat up and looked over to the bed. “You don’t like me very much, do you?”
“…why would you say that?” Tony felt automatically uncomfortable.
“Well, there’s this silence. And the fact that you stare at me like you want me to catch fire whenever I talk to Elena.”
Tony fidgeted under his gaze. “I don’t mind you talking to her. I’m just sure she gets tired of you hitting on her all the time.”
“Don’t pull that protective brother figure bullshit on me, Iero.” Marty smirked just a little. “The deaf, dumb and blind can tell you like Elena.”
“That is absolutely not true!”
“Tony, give it up, you won’t win the argument. And besides, I was just about to say that I’m giving up. I’ve been in love with the girl since we were toddlers, but it’s pretty damn obvious she doesn’t feel mutual. You, however…there’s definitely something there.”
“So…you’re saying you’re just giving up all together?”
“Do I stutter? Yes, you silly boy, Elena is all yours. Take her.”
“Dude, I told you, it’s not like that…”
“It so is.”
“No, it’s-“
“Shut up, Iero, you won’t win.”
Deciding it was for the best, Tony stopped arguing and resumed staring at the ceiling. Soon, though, the silence became too thick again. “So, when did you decide to give up the ghost?”
Marty lay back down with a sigh. “About three hours ago, when you and her high-fived around me. I’d been considering it all day, but that sort of cinched it. Plus…well, between you and me, I kinda have a flirtation going with a girl back home.”
“Really now? Do tell.” Tony smiled for the first time since Danny and Manny had left the room.
Rosie joined him in staring, her cigarette dangling from her lip. “Yep, we’re screwed,” she deadpanned. “Truly, royally screwed.”
“No, no, NO!” Danny screamed, pulling his short green locks in frustration. “This can’t happen! What are we gonna do?!”
“Can we…” Elena fidgeted in the late evening sunlight. “Can we call a tow service or something?”
“Do you have the number of one in Bum Fuck Egypt, Kansas?” Marty shifted the brim of his hat down over his eyes and leaned his back against the side of the vehicle dejectedly. Tony and Manny followed suit, mulling over the situation.
While the others were freaking out, Melody sat calmly watching the commotion in her window seat. After Danny started screaming, she reached into her pocket and retrieved her cell phone, logging onto the Internet. A few short minutes of scrolling later, she’d found the number she needed and placed the call.
With a sigh, she crawled into the front seat and stuck her head out the window. “A mechanic will be here in approximately ten minutes to take a look at the damage. Now get back in here before some drunken redneck in a pick-up truck runs you over.”
Everyone gratefully climbed back in. “We’re lucky you never lose your head, Coz,” Elena grinned as she maneuvered into the back seat once more.”
“What can I say, I’ve got it screwed on nice and tight.”
.~
Not very long after the call was placed, the group walked into a nearby motel. “Really? We’re staying here?” Rosie griped.
“Well, the Bum Fuck Egypt Hilton was completely booked, but they said to call back later to check for cancelations.”
“I’m going to kill you in your sleep, Manny.”
“Temper, temper, dearest sister.”
“Will you both stop fighting long enough to get checked in?” Marty rolled his eyes as he pulled out his wallet. “Will we need two rooms or three, do you suppose?”
Tony sighed. “Dude, you already paid for the van repairs, you don’t have to take care of this too.”
“Nonsense, pal, consider it my travel fee. Two rooms, or three?”
“…two.”
~.
Manny frowned deeply as he attempted to make the couch comfortable. “I don’t see why I have to take the sofa. I didn’t lose!”
“M, for the last time, it does not count when you throw Chuck Norris in rock paper scissors,” Danny chuckled with an eyeroll. “I’m gonna head down to the snack machine, you want anything?”
“I’ll just come with you. How bout you guys?”
“Something fruity and chewy, I’m not picky.” Marty sprawled himself out on the carpet, hands behind his head.
“T?”
“I’m good, thanks.”
“OK, see you guys in a minute.”
There was a very long, awkward silence in the room after they left. The two remaining boys stared at the ceiling, not knowing exactly what to do to break it. Finally, Marty sat up and looked over to the bed. “You don’t like me very much, do you?”
“…why would you say that?” Tony felt automatically uncomfortable.
“Well, there’s this silence. And the fact that you stare at me like you want me to catch fire whenever I talk to Elena.”
Tony fidgeted under his gaze. “I don’t mind you talking to her. I’m just sure she gets tired of you hitting on her all the time.”
“Don’t pull that protective brother figure bullshit on me, Iero.” Marty smirked just a little. “The deaf, dumb and blind can tell you like Elena.”
“That is absolutely not true!”
“Tony, give it up, you won’t win the argument. And besides, I was just about to say that I’m giving up. I’ve been in love with the girl since we were toddlers, but it’s pretty damn obvious she doesn’t feel mutual. You, however…there’s definitely something there.”
“So…you’re saying you’re just giving up all together?”
“Do I stutter? Yes, you silly boy, Elena is all yours. Take her.”
“Dude, I told you, it’s not like that…”
“It so is.”
“No, it’s-“
“Shut up, Iero, you won’t win.”
Deciding it was for the best, Tony stopped arguing and resumed staring at the ceiling. Soon, though, the silence became too thick again. “So, when did you decide to give up the ghost?”
Marty lay back down with a sigh. “About three hours ago, when you and her high-fived around me. I’d been considering it all day, but that sort of cinched it. Plus…well, between you and me, I kinda have a flirtation going with a girl back home.”
“Really now? Do tell.” Tony smiled for the first time since Danny and Manny had left the room.