...And a Happy New Year

May 16, 2014

Fridays typically meant a shorter workday. Mr. Rickford was great about letting the office out a few hours early on Fridays as the office was really slow, and today was no exception. Chaney gathered her things, looking at the clock on her desk and noting that it was almost 3:00. Definitely one of the earlier afternoons she’d had off in a while.

She didn’t have any plans this afternoon or evening, and planned on spending it with Halvo or maybe John if he was free. Outside of the other morning, she hadn’t seen John much over the last month or so. Besides, she realized after John and Halvo had left her apartment Sunday, that John grabbed her sketchbook by mistake, leaving his behind on her coffee table. She didn’t dare look through it as she wanted him to show her what material he had been working on. She also didn’t want to invade his privacy by looking without his permission.

She had stuck his notebook in her bag in case she ran into him or saw him, but unfortunately hadn’t over the past few days. She trifled through her bag making sure she had her keys, before shutting down her computer and walking towards the elevator.

She stepped off the elevator and made her way towards the front doors so she could make her way to the parking lot to the side of the building. As she was walking through the doors, she looked through her bag for her keys when she heard someone across the street call her name out.

A smile lined her mouth as she recognized exactly who the voice belonged to without looking up. She looked up and sure enough, John was standing across the street, leaning against his truck with a smile equally as big on his face. She quickly threw her keys in her bag and ran across the street to greet him.

He engulfed her in a hug, picking her up off the ground and slightly spinning her around in the process.

“I know we just saw each other Sunday, but I felt like I hadn’t properly greeted you yet,” John said against her hair.

She squeezed him a little tighter before releasing her grip as he put her feet back on the ground. “It’s good to see you again John,” she smiled.

He nodded his head towards his truck, “Hop in and let’s get some coffee. I’ll drop you off in a bit to pick up your car.”

She went around to the other side of the truck and hopped in.

John slid into the driver’s seat. He shuffled through his box of CDs on the ground at Chaney’s feet before settling on one and putting it in the player.

The smile on Chaney’s face grew as she instantly recognized the first track. “New Coat of Paint…you remembered.”

John just smiled as he pulled out of the parking space and drove towards the coffee shop. “Of course I remembered! There’s only two artists that we both like. Actually, I should say, there’s only two artists you like that are worth listening to,” he trailed off.

Chaney mock glared at him.

John just looked at her and laughed, winking at her as he turned to face the road again. “Aw c’mon Van Gogh, you know I’m joking. I’m sure you like some tolerable artists,” he continued to jest.

Chaney tried to hide her smirk as she shook her head. “I’ll tell ya this John, you sure are trouble.”

He laughed in response, glad to be back in her company. He didn’t realize how much he had missed spending time with her over the last month. Even though they hadn’t been on friendly terms for too long, they had this bond that he hadn’t had with anyone else. She was easy company. Despite her less than desirable taste in music as a whole, she was easy to get along with. She reminded him of a female version of Halvo, which is probably why he enjoyed being around her so much.

They rode in a comfortable silence, both softly singing along to Tom Waits as they approached the small coffee shop. John pulled in, and was relieved to see the coffee shop wasn’t busy.

They both exited the vehicle and made their way towards the front doors, John graciously opening the door for Chaney to enter in first. They both stand in line as they choose what to drink.

They both grabbed their drinks from the end of the counter and made their way to one of the tables by the front window facing the street. They sat down, sipping their drinks before Chaney spoke up.

“Man, the last time we were both here, you were chewing me out about how much you hated me,” she laughed half-heartedly. She looked down at her cup, feeling odd about being here with John in this coffee shop again.

John looked up and saw her expression and felt bad. “You know I don’t hate you anymore right?”

She looked up at him, her face blank.

He continued, “I get I was an ass before, but it was all because I was looking out for my best friend.”

She nodded in understanding. “I get that, I just didn’t understand what it was I did.”

John half-smiled, “It doesn’t really matter anymore. I mean, we’re friends now right?”

She mumbled a yes.

“Alright, then don’t worry about it. The reasons no longer exist. I know you’re good for Halvo and are a great friend to me and the rest of our friends, so what’s there to worry about?”

“I guess you’re right.”

“You guess? Don’t you know?” he challenged with a smirk.

A huge smile broke across her face, “Alright, alright, I know. I’m just glad you don’t hate me anymore. I know we haven’t really known each other that long, but I enjoy hanging out with you,” she looked up at him with a small smile.

The smile she gave him caused his heart rate to increase. He didn’t know why, but this strange feeling was becoming more frequent. He rid himself of this weird feeling, and rejoined reality. “I agree. Man, it’s crazy how time changes things…”

She silently agreed before taking a sip of her coffee. She looked around the coffee shop, taking in her surroundings. The soft mumble of the few people in the shop talking. The buzz of the coffee bean grinders. The smell of fresh brewed coffee and fresh pastries. The warmth from the sun coming in from the window against her right arm, contrasting with the cool air coming from inside the coffee shop.

She took a deep breath, taking in the sounds and smells around her. Something about being in a calm coffee shop seemed to spark a creative streak in her. She got a few ideas of future paintings she wanted to try out and went to grab her sketchbook when she realized John still had it. That’s when she remembered she still had his notebook in her bag.

“John! I just remembered, you grabbed my sketchbook when Halvo came over for brunch, and left yours. It’s here in my bag.” She leaned over to grab her bag off the floor, shuffling through it until she found his black pocket-sized moleskin, and handed it to him.

He smiled in gratefulness. “Thanks, I totally forgot I grabbed yours. You seemed to want to keep your whole art thing secret from Halvo. I wasn’t sure what to say then…was what I said alright?”

“Yeah! You saved my ass back there,” she muttered with a smile.

He laughed. “Mind telling me why you wanna keep this from him? I mean, I know he wouldn’t mind that you did art…Hell, he’d support you a hell of a lot better than I could.”

“I honestly don’t know,” she shrugged. “I mean, I know Halvo would be my number one fan and would do whatever he could to let me know that he supported me. But I don’t know. We always tell each other everything and for once, it feels nice to have something to myself.”

“…okay, but you told me. Not that I mind, but you said you wanted to have it to yourself?” he asked confused.

“Well…yeah, but I don’t know. This is something I feel like I can trust you with. I don’t know what it is about you, but I feel like you could be a creative mentor of sorts for me. Not sure if I’m making sense, but it’s like we have this…bond that I don’t have with anyone else…” Chaney trailed off.

“I totally get it. I feel the same way.”

“Really?”

“Of course! Why else would I agree to work creatively with you and hold you accountable?” he smiled and winked. He then started thumbing through his notebook as he continued, “So while you had this, did you look through it at all?”

“Of course not! I wouldn’t betray your trust like that. I figured you’d show me what you felt most comfortable with. If you’re anything like me, I know that your writing would be extremely personal to you. I wouldn’t want to invade your privacy,” she replied a little sheepishly.

He grinned as he found his most recent writings. He sat it down on the table, rubbing the back of his neck nervously as he slowly slid his notebook across the table. “Well, thanks for that, but uh, here’s what I’ve got. Well, from here through the rest that is. This I what I’ve done since we went to the UK.”

She grabbed his notebook with a smile and began reading to where he opened his notebook to. She began to read and her smile began to fade as she read his scrawl on the page. The sadness she was feeling was hitting her to the core. Firstly, she didn’t realize for someone so seemingly upbeat on the outside, he was twice as broken on the inside. Secondly, she couldn’t shake just how true the words she read were. She was reminded of her past failed relationships with other guys, the potential of her relationship with Halvo failing, and most of all her broken relationship with her brother. As thoughts of her brother ran through her head, she couldn’t stop the tears that began to build up and stream from her eyes.

She quickly closed his notebook and slid it back to him. She couldn’t even finish what all he had written. She was struck from the first page of writing he had. Whether it was a testament to how great of a writer he was or how overly sensitive to her plight with her brother, she wasn’t sure. However what John had written had brought a whole new depth of sympathy and understanding to her fears about failed relationships.

John looked at her with concern as she returned his notebook without returning his gaze. He never felt comfortable around people crying, particularly girls. He was at a loss for how to begin to deal with this as he still didn’t know Chaney that well. He didn’t know if his writing was terrible enough to make her cry or if something he said struck something within her. Regardless of the case, he felt somewhat obligated to try to make her feel better despite his discomfort. He tentatively reached out his hand, not knowing whether to pet her head, stroke her arm, or what. He knew he wasn’t the person ideal for comforting her, but he was the only one available.

With a sheepish chuckle he asked, “Was my writing really that bad?”

She looked up, tears running down her face, and smiled a little. “No,” she shook her head, “it’s not that.”

“What’s…what’s wrong?”

She sighed, taking a deep breath while she debated whether or not to tell him. He already knew about her issues with Alex, so what could it hurt for her to divulge more. “I don’t hate your work. It’s not bad at all; quite the opposite actually. You have such a way with words. I’ve never come across someone who so eloquently describes what it feels like to just feel.” She paused for a bit, trying to gather her thoughts and figure out what she was trying to say. “Your writing is so beautiful and full of truth which is why it affected me so greatly. I’ve never come across such honest writing in my life. Reading this, I was conflicted with thoughts of my own broken relationships.”

John looked at her with more concern than he had shown before, once again tentatively reaching out a hand for potential comfort.

She smiled a little at his effort as she continued. “It’s just, this whole mess with Alex is so ridiculous. It’s been going on for most of our lives and I’m not even sure if he remembers what it’s about anymore. I sure as hell don’t.”

John absent-mindedly grabbed her hand sitting on the table and rubbed some soothing circles on the back of her hand.

The small action brought a smile to her face. She looked up from the table and saw the concern on John’s face and in his eyes. She didn’t feel like talking about her broken relationship with her brother anymore and opted to stop. They sat there in silence as they finished their coffee, John’s hand never leaving hers. Once they finished, John motioned with his head towards the door and she nodded. All she wanted to do was go home and have a good cry over her brother. Their fight was so stupid and she hated that she was losing her brother over something, most likely trivial, that happened when they were kids.

They both get in the truck and John starts it, turning off the radio when it started playing. Based on her current state, he figured anything that reminded her of her family would be a sensitive topic.

She turned to John as he turned off the radio and he gave her a sheepish smile and shrug. She smiled and leaned over to squeeze his arm in a side hug as she laid her head on his shoulder. She continued holding onto his arm as she wrapped both of her arms around his bicep. She found a strange sort of comfort that she hadn’t felt with Halvo in this moment she was sharing with John.

John tried to hide the slight blush rising to his cheeks as Chaney continued to lean against his arm. He didn’t know if it was the additional body heat mixing in with the outdoor heat that was causing him to feel so warm or just the presence of the girl sitting in the cab with him. Reluctantly, he pulls into the parking lot of her office building so she can pick up her car. He’s worried that she isn’t alright to be on her own, but doesn’t get the chance to ask as she gets out of his truck without a word as soon as he parks the truck. He hit his hands against the steering wheel, upset that he was so bad at comforting people. He saw her get in her car and drive off. He did the only thing he could think of to help her. Text Halvo for help.

“Hey man, any tips for cheering Chaney up?”

John didn’t have to wait long for a reply from Halvo.

“What’s wrong with Chaney man…if you made her cry so help me…”

John rolled his eyes. Technically he did make her cry, but it was unintentional.

“No I didn’t make her cry. Chill. She’s just had a rough day. What should I do?”

Halvo thought momentarily. He wasn’t entirely sure if he wanted John taking over his role of taking care of Chaney, but he was stuck helping with inventory at the 8123 offices for the afternoon so he couldn’t come over. He begrudgingly decided to give John some tips. It was for Chaney after all.

“Your best bet? Bring her a pint of Ben& Jerry’s. Preferably something chocolate. Top it off with some cheesy 80’s movie and you should be golden.”

John read the text a bit perplexed. He didn’t peg Chaney as that “typical” of a grieving girl. He decided to take part of Halvo’s advice, but planned on cheering her up in his own way. He drove to the nearest store, grabbing a six pack of Smirnoff and chocolate covered coffee beans made from the local coffee shop he took Chaney to, before checking out. He then walked outside to Redbox to see what movies they had. He smiled as he came across a couple of comedies that always made him laugh. He rented those before climbing in his truck and driving to Chaney’s apartment.

He ran up the three flights of stairs to her room before knocking on her door. Chaney had no more washed her face and changed into her pajamas when she heard the knocking on her door.

She froze momentarily, afraid of who could be there. Her face was all red and puffy from crying. She didn’t want anyone seeing her like this. Her hair was a mess and haphazardly thrown up into a messy bun on top of her head.

She was wearing one of Halvo’s sweatshirts that she often wore to bed along with a baggy pair of sweatpants she had rolled up around her hips to keep her petite figure from stepping on the bottoms of the pant legs. Begrudgingly, she walked to the door, and looked through the peep hole. Her eyes widened and she turned so her back was against the door. She ran a hand through part of her hair as she debated on whether or not to open the door.

John spoke up, hearing her moving about on the other side of the door. “Uh..Van Gogh? I uh, I brought some drinks, snacks, and movies…thought you could use a friend tonight? I understand if you don’t want company, but I just thought—”

He was cut off by Chaney opening the door and attacking him in a hug, momentarily knocking him a couple steps back. He smiled, wrapping his arms around her frame as she buried her head in his chest.

“Hey, why don’t we go inside. I’ve got some great alcohol that you can get tipsy from. Some chocolate covered coffee beans that will simultaneously give you your chocolate fix and help combat the alcohol with caffeine. Not to mention a couple of stupid comedies that you don’t have to think about to watch. How does that sound?” he spoke into her hair as they continued to embrace.

She nodded against his chest, slightly pulling away as she wiped her eyes and motioned for him to follow her inside.

“So uh, what kind of alcohol ya got there O’Callaghan?” she smirked as she moved to the kitchen to get glasses.

He laughed, “This kind of alcohol doesn’t require glasses. Not sure what you liked, I went for a safe bet: Smirnoff ice.”

She turned towards him, clutching a hand to her chest, “My favorite. What flavor?”

“Cherry lime,” he smiled in triumph. Figured it was a pretty middle of the road choice.”

“My god O’Callaghan, sometimes I think you know me better than myself. Let’s crack open a couple bottles.”

He nodded, laughing, as he went to the living room to set the six pack on the coffee table.

Chaney came back into the living room. She pulled out a couple bottles and grabbed the rest of the pack, and put them in the fridge to chill while they drank the still cold drinks. She came back and sank on the couch as she grabbed the bag of chocolate covered coffee beans and ate a couple.

“So what movies did you bring O’Callaghan?”

“Are you seriously set on calling me by my full last name now?” he laughed.

She shrugged, “Eh, I don’t know. I could just call you O.C.”

He shook his head with a smile as he moved towards the TV with the two movies he brought. “Alright, so we’ve got MacGruber and Bridesmaids. I haven’t seen the latter, so I hoped maybe it was a movie you might wanna watch if MacGruber wasn’t your speed…”

“Either is fine. If they’re comedies, I’m golden.”

He nodded and put in MacGruber. He made his way back to the couch, leaning forward to grab his bottle and open it. He leaned back, relaxing into the couch as he propped his right arm across the back of the couch, occasionally drinking from the bottle he held in his left hand.

Chaney tucked her feet up on the couch and curled into John’s right side. His open arm giving her the perfect place to tuck herself into. She was seeking the comfort of a friend and John was the perfect person for that. She was glad it was John here instead of Halvo this time because John wasn’t as connected or involved with her relationship with Alex. Sure John played baseball with him in highschool, but only for a year. They never really talked past that. She enjoyed the anonymity that John had in her relationship with Alex. Made it easier for her to forget about the drama with him.

It didn’t take Chaney long to get a bit tipsy and sleepy from her drink as she was already an emotional mess and vastly dehydrated and underfed that day. The alcohol went straight to her head, and before long she was giggling and laughing hysterically about everything.

John was finding it hard to decide what to concentrate on: the movie or Chaney. Both were equally entertaining to him. Chaney wasn’t even talking to anyone in particular. She was just rambling on about nothing. She eventually talked herself out and decided to attempt to watch the movie. Unfortunately for her, it already ended. John got up, much to her protest, to swap out movies. He started Bridesmaids and sat back down, resuming his previous sitting position.

Not long into the opening credits, Chaney started talking again. “Ya know John,” she said over a yawn, “I’m really glad it was you who came to help me tonight and not Halvo.” She then nustled back into his side and passed out immediately.

John looked down at her and smiled. He took his arm perched on the back of the couch and grabbed the blanket off the couch to drape over them both. She was curled into his chest, hugging him to her around his torso. Once he draped the blanket around them, he placed his right arm around her comfortingly gently rubbing circles into her shoulder to help her drift into a peaceful sleep.

It was an action his mother would often to him as a child when he couldn’t sleep. She would come into his room, sitting on the edge of his bed as she would gently rub his shoulder, across his back, in a slow repetitive motion until he eventually fell asleep. His paternal, protective instincts were kicking in at the moment and he knew Chaney needed a peaceful night’s sleep.

He didn’t mind sitting here watching this movie alone while Chaney slept against him. John couldn’t explain where this sudden change was coming from, but he had a small feeling that coffee played a role. With a smile, he grabbed a few chocolate covered coffee beans and popped them into his mouth; thankful for the magical ability coffee had to bring people together.