Into Your Arms

John walked into my room where I sat, strumming my acoustic.

"Ready for tonight?" He asked, raising his eyebrows up and down.

I shrugged. "As long as I don't have to take care of your drunk ass again."

He laughed and shook his head. "That's Kennedy's job."

I started humming the song I was playing.

"What're you playing?" He asked, sitting on my bed beside me.

I laughed. "You really can't tell?"

He shook his head. I started from the beginning and began to softly sing.

"Oh a good man said 'If you're feelin' dead, you gotta try to find a way to be alive.' This is not a game that you have to play. Don't need a reason to breathe just like you die."

He smiled and joined in singing.

"Give me thunder, give me lightning, and I will give you every part of me. Take me dancing, get me fucked up. Play that old guitar and we will sing."

He stood up and held his hand out to me. I dropped my guitar and took it, and we began twirling around the room, still singing.

"Oh my old man said, 'You must lay in your bed the way you make it, no one can make it like you do.' Oh you're not alone. You still have a home. No matter what you do, my son, I'm still proud of you."

We moved through my doorway, out into the living room.

"Give me thunder, give me lightning, and I will give you every part of me. Take me dancing, get me fucked up. Play that old guitar an we will sing. Yeah, we'll sing."

He did a little dip, my hair falling back out of my face before he pulled me back up and we spun around.

"Give me thunder, give me lightning, and I will give you every part of me. Take me dancing, get me fucked up. Play that old guitar an we will sing. Yeah, we'll sing. We'll sing."

***

"Damn it John! Where'd you find this girl? She's awesome!" Pat said, pulling me out to the dance floor where we awkwardly began dancing beside the rest of the guys, John sitting at the table laughing by himself.

"I'm not that awesome." I laughed.

Pat shook his head. "You are! John's been talking about you so much!"

"Is that good or bad?"

He laughed. "He says you're a better friend than all of us put together."

Oh. Friend. Okay.

"In that case!" I ran up to the table and grabbed hold of John's shirt, pulling him to the sweaty mass of terrible dancers.

He stood there awkwardly. "Why are you dragging me out here?" He groaned.

I grabbed his arms and began moving them around, attempting to make him dance. Instead, I made him laugh and shake his head, shortly after walk up to the bar.

Me and the guys danced on, Garret disappearing every now and then and returning with drinks.

"Come on, let's sit down. I'm all sweaty." Pat shook his shirt, attempting to air it out.

I nodded and followed him to the table, where John wasn't.

"Where'd John go?" I asked, looking around.

"He went home with Amy." Garret said, sliding in beside me.

"Who's Amy?"

He shrugged. Oh.

I shook my head. "Can I get a ride home? I need to finish drawing up some things for work."

Pat nodded and we left.

***

"You said John talks about me."

Pat nodded, turning the keys and his car off once he parked the car outside the apartment.

"What exactly does he say?"

He smiled. "You like him."

I flushed red and nodded.

He shook his head. "Don't worry about it. It's all good stuff he says."

Confidence restored. Slightly.

I leaned over and hugged him tight. "Thanks for the ride."

I got out of the car and ran inside, straight into the elevator.

Once I reached the right floor, I went to unlock the door, but it was already open.

No. No. Please no.

I pushed it open and saw John. And that girl Amy. On the couch, doing what drunk hookups usually do.

I turned away and slammed the door, tears pouring from my eyes. Without a thought I was downstairs, in my car, driving. As fast as I could, in any direction. Away.

Far, far away.

It was all just his little game, wasn't it?