Status: complete short story
Stand Up
Stand Up
He promised he’d be here…
He promised he’d meet me here…
Christine waited in a small booth by a window in the restaurant. It wasn’t a fancy restaurant, just a small quiet place that also did take out. It was Nick’s favorite restaurant; he loved Italian.
So why isn’t he here?
She gazed out the window at the darkening sky. The stars were beginning to peak out as the sunlight dimmed further and further. The only light left was on the horizon. It was a pale yellow-turning white, miles away from her sitting in that booth. The rest of the sky was a navy blue now. It was mid-October and the weather was getting chillier while the daylight was getting lazier—getting out of bed later every morning and going to bed earlier every night. It was that time of year again.
And before I know it it’ll be Christmas.
The waitress interrupted Christine’s musings by asking if she was ready to order yet.
“I’m still waiting for someone,” she replied.
“You sure you don’t want to order? A drink or anything?”
“Fine. A coke, please.”
Anything to get you off my back…
But it was getting late. It was 7:30 now; a half hour after Nick said he’d meet her here.
Where is he?
The waitress delivered the coke then walked away, knowing better than to ask again for an order.
What if he got in an accident on the way here?
Christine tensed at the thought. She silently begged to God that that wasn’t true, that Nick was okay. She didn’t know what she’d do without him; she loved him. And he loved her.
But if he loved me why isn’t he here?
A nagging feeling bit at Christine in the pit of her stomach and soul of her heart. She didn’t know what it was, though. It wasn’t impatience. Was it? Or was it anxiousness?
No, it’s anxiousness. I’m nervous that something happened.
Acknowledging the feeling in her stomach awakened her hunger, so she sighed and hailed the waitress.
I’ll just tell him I got really hungry and I didn’t know when he’d show up. He’ll understand.
Her meal arrived at 8. The light on the horizon was completely gone now and the sky was pitch black. The lamp posts lit up the parking lot which was heading towards empty now. An hour until closing time.
Time to call Nick.
Christine dialed Nick’s cell phone number. It rang eight times before his voicemail picked up. She didn’t leave a message. She just ended the call.
Where is he? Why isn’t he answering?
She debated calling his house phone. Maybe his car was having problems and he couldn’t come.
Then why didn’t he call or text me?
So she dialed his house phone. On the third ring a woman’s voice answered the phone.
“Hi, Mrs. Sallem. It’s Christine. Is Nick there?”
“Hello, Christine. No he left an hour ago to go on the date with you. He isn’t there yet?”
“No he isn’t. I called his phone and he didn’t answer.”
“That’s odd.”
“So you don’t know where he is?”
There was silence on the other end.
“Hello?”
“I’m sorry, Christine. I can’t understand you. Nick’s not here. Call him again. Goodbye.”
There was a note of slight franticness, maybe even hysteria, in her voice. Christine was about to protest, but before she knew it the line was dead. The feeling of unease was suddenly back, practically eating her from the inside out.
Nick where are you?
Christine thought back to the past five months, five months of being with Nick. They didn’t always get along, they fought a little bit. But that was insignificant right now; they always made up in the end. The fights usually started with her getting jealous at another girl who had Nick’s attention. He always proved her wrong, that there was nothing going on between them.
Last week he started talking to Christine’s friend Sara. Christine didn’t start anything this time. She learned from past fights that she was overreacting. She could see that they were only friends. The boyfriend always had to be friends with his girl’s friends. So that also gave Christine a reason not to get all upset over nothing. She didn’t give Sara crap either. She didn’t want to lose her best friend.
Christine decided to put bad times aside in place of good memories. She thought about when he asked her out, their first kiss, their first date, the first movie they went to, meeting Nick’s family… Christine wanted to make more memories like that. She wanted to cherish every moment with Nick, not by herself.
Inspired and filled with confidence, Christine called Nick’s number one last time. If he didn’t answer she was going home.
The phone seemed to ring forever, and with every second passing Christine was put more and more on edge.
“Hello?”
“Sara?” Christine was overrun with several emotions at once.
“Oh hey, Christine!”
“Where’s Nick? What are you doing with his phone?”
“He told me to answer it. He’s in the bathroom.”
“And where are you guys right now?” Christine’s tone sharpened.
“Umm… At a party.” She seemed hesitant with this answer.
“Where?”
“Well… Some kid’s house. I thought Nick invited you.”
“We had a dinner date tonight.”
“Oh… That’s too bad…” Sara suddenly sounded nervous instead of showing her remorse for her best friend’s misfortune. Christine pressed for more answers. Something didn’t seem right.
“If you guys are at a party how come I hear nothing in the background? I hear no talking. No music.”
“Well… I’m, uh, in a bedroom right now… And Nick’s in here with me…”
“Didn’t you say he was in the bathroom?”
“I did?” Christine heard whispering in the background. “Oh yeah. I did,” Sara said.
“Who’s in there with you?”
“I told you Nick was. We’re in a bedroom at the house.” More whispering. “Do you wanna talk to Nick?”
Christine hung up.
No I don’t, you whore.
She got up and walked out of the restaurant in the dark abyss of October night. Left behind was the hamburger she ordered. It was untouched. What used to be alive and warm was back there in the booth where Christine had sat, now cold and hard as stone. And alone. It just sat there. When closing time came the waitress picked it up and threw it out for it had died that night when Christine was talking to Sara; when Christine discovered why Nick was not with her. It served her no use now.
He promised he’d meet me here…
Christine waited in a small booth by a window in the restaurant. It wasn’t a fancy restaurant, just a small quiet place that also did take out. It was Nick’s favorite restaurant; he loved Italian.
So why isn’t he here?
She gazed out the window at the darkening sky. The stars were beginning to peak out as the sunlight dimmed further and further. The only light left was on the horizon. It was a pale yellow-turning white, miles away from her sitting in that booth. The rest of the sky was a navy blue now. It was mid-October and the weather was getting chillier while the daylight was getting lazier—getting out of bed later every morning and going to bed earlier every night. It was that time of year again.
And before I know it it’ll be Christmas.
The waitress interrupted Christine’s musings by asking if she was ready to order yet.
“I’m still waiting for someone,” she replied.
“You sure you don’t want to order? A drink or anything?”
“Fine. A coke, please.”
Anything to get you off my back…
But it was getting late. It was 7:30 now; a half hour after Nick said he’d meet her here.
Where is he?
The waitress delivered the coke then walked away, knowing better than to ask again for an order.
What if he got in an accident on the way here?
Christine tensed at the thought. She silently begged to God that that wasn’t true, that Nick was okay. She didn’t know what she’d do without him; she loved him. And he loved her.
But if he loved me why isn’t he here?
A nagging feeling bit at Christine in the pit of her stomach and soul of her heart. She didn’t know what it was, though. It wasn’t impatience. Was it? Or was it anxiousness?
No, it’s anxiousness. I’m nervous that something happened.
Acknowledging the feeling in her stomach awakened her hunger, so she sighed and hailed the waitress.
I’ll just tell him I got really hungry and I didn’t know when he’d show up. He’ll understand.
Her meal arrived at 8. The light on the horizon was completely gone now and the sky was pitch black. The lamp posts lit up the parking lot which was heading towards empty now. An hour until closing time.
Time to call Nick.
Christine dialed Nick’s cell phone number. It rang eight times before his voicemail picked up. She didn’t leave a message. She just ended the call.
Where is he? Why isn’t he answering?
She debated calling his house phone. Maybe his car was having problems and he couldn’t come.
Then why didn’t he call or text me?
So she dialed his house phone. On the third ring a woman’s voice answered the phone.
“Hi, Mrs. Sallem. It’s Christine. Is Nick there?”
“Hello, Christine. No he left an hour ago to go on the date with you. He isn’t there yet?”
“No he isn’t. I called his phone and he didn’t answer.”
“That’s odd.”
“So you don’t know where he is?”
There was silence on the other end.
“Hello?”
“I’m sorry, Christine. I can’t understand you. Nick’s not here. Call him again. Goodbye.”
There was a note of slight franticness, maybe even hysteria, in her voice. Christine was about to protest, but before she knew it the line was dead. The feeling of unease was suddenly back, practically eating her from the inside out.
Nick where are you?
Christine thought back to the past five months, five months of being with Nick. They didn’t always get along, they fought a little bit. But that was insignificant right now; they always made up in the end. The fights usually started with her getting jealous at another girl who had Nick’s attention. He always proved her wrong, that there was nothing going on between them.
Last week he started talking to Christine’s friend Sara. Christine didn’t start anything this time. She learned from past fights that she was overreacting. She could see that they were only friends. The boyfriend always had to be friends with his girl’s friends. So that also gave Christine a reason not to get all upset over nothing. She didn’t give Sara crap either. She didn’t want to lose her best friend.
Christine decided to put bad times aside in place of good memories. She thought about when he asked her out, their first kiss, their first date, the first movie they went to, meeting Nick’s family… Christine wanted to make more memories like that. She wanted to cherish every moment with Nick, not by herself.
Inspired and filled with confidence, Christine called Nick’s number one last time. If he didn’t answer she was going home.
The phone seemed to ring forever, and with every second passing Christine was put more and more on edge.
“Hello?”
“Sara?” Christine was overrun with several emotions at once.
“Oh hey, Christine!”
“Where’s Nick? What are you doing with his phone?”
“He told me to answer it. He’s in the bathroom.”
“And where are you guys right now?” Christine’s tone sharpened.
“Umm… At a party.” She seemed hesitant with this answer.
“Where?”
“Well… Some kid’s house. I thought Nick invited you.”
“We had a dinner date tonight.”
“Oh… That’s too bad…” Sara suddenly sounded nervous instead of showing her remorse for her best friend’s misfortune. Christine pressed for more answers. Something didn’t seem right.
“If you guys are at a party how come I hear nothing in the background? I hear no talking. No music.”
“Well… I’m, uh, in a bedroom right now… And Nick’s in here with me…”
“Didn’t you say he was in the bathroom?”
“I did?” Christine heard whispering in the background. “Oh yeah. I did,” Sara said.
“Who’s in there with you?”
“I told you Nick was. We’re in a bedroom at the house.” More whispering. “Do you wanna talk to Nick?”
Christine hung up.
No I don’t, you whore.
She got up and walked out of the restaurant in the dark abyss of October night. Left behind was the hamburger she ordered. It was untouched. What used to be alive and warm was back there in the booth where Christine had sat, now cold and hard as stone. And alone. It just sat there. When closing time came the waitress picked it up and threw it out for it had died that night when Christine was talking to Sara; when Christine discovered why Nick was not with her. It served her no use now.