You Had Me at "I Hate You"

TWO DAYS LATER

The phone rang.

Aiden smiled at me over the large plate of eggs he'd made for breakfast. I was grateful for the men in my life who could cook. Without them, I would surely starve!

We let the phone ring, continuing to smile at each other.

The answering machine clicked, and Jesse's voice filled the room.

"Violet? Or, uh... I mean... Aiden. Hey. Um... This is Jesse. Linc's feeling a lot better. Um. Gavin's going to come over... So... Um... We're going to have a get-together... kind of. So... Yeah... Linc's better. You can come home now. If you want. You don't have to... i mean if you want to stay at Aiden's then you- OUCH!"

There was a thwack noise, suggesting that Linc had thunked Jesse upside the head.

Lincoln Fletcher's voice now took over the message.

"Violet! Hey! I'm better now! Get your ass home!

Hang up, Linc! You're acting stupid! And that HURT!

Come home! Come home! Come home!

Shut up!

Come home! Come-"

Jesse had, apparently, pressed the small button to hang up the phone.

I laughed and finished my eggs.

I then climbed into Aiden's car. I kissed him goodbye, and made my way up to my apartment...

"VIOLET!" Lincoln shrieked as I closed the door behind me.

I guess he wasn't mad at me any more!

He ran up to me, throwing his arms around my waist, and twirling me around.

"Linc! Linc!" I cried. "Put me down!"
He laughed and plopped me down on the couch, next to Gavin.

He laughed at Linc's child-like excitement, and greeted me with a hug.

"Hey girlie!"
"Good to see you, Gav!"

"LINC! GET YOUR ASS IN HERE!"

Lincoln rushed off to the kitchen to help Jesse.

I pulled back and surveyed Gavin's handsome face... Wait... What was that on his lips?

"Um... Gavin? Are you wearing lipstick?" I asked cautiously. I mean, I'd already walked in on the guy while he was wearing my jeans...

"What? Oh! Um..." he blushed, and wiped his lips off with the back of his hand. "Julia's here..."

I nodded in understanding, a teasing smile playing about my mouth.

I heard a toilet flush, and Julia, Gavin's girlfriend emerged from the bathroom.

Her curtain of nut-brown hair fell past her shoulders, perfectly framing her pale, round face. The color of her blood-red lipstick had matched the shade that Gavin had been accidentally wearing a second ago.

She smiled warmly at her boyfriend, and I could see that Gavin positively melted under her gaze. She started moving gracefully towards the couch, but Gavin couldn't wait that long. He leapt up the moment he saw her, and pulled her towards him, enveloping her in a giant hug.

"Gav!" she squealed, giggling under his enormous height.
"Yes, Love-muffin?" he replied.
She giggled, stood on her tiptoes, and planted a kiss on his jaw.

He went weak. His arms dropped, and his knees sagged a bit.

"Aw!" I crooned. "So cute!"

Gavin laughed, and Julia strode over to me, her arms outstretched.

"Hey! I remember you!" she cried. "Violet, from the Christmas party, right?"
I nodded, and hugged her. "Yeah! You're Julia, aren't you?"
"Yup!" she smiled.

Wow, she was friendly! I could tell why Gavin was so enamored with her.

And enamored was the exact word. He was absolutely, irrevocably in love with her. I could see it by the way they looked at each other.

He leaned over, and whispered something in her ear. She tried to hide a smile, and slapped his shoulder playfully.

Linc emerged from the kitchen, with Jesse behind him. Dinner was almost ready, we just had to wait for the lasagna the finish cooking. Gavin had cheated, and was eating peanut butter straight from the jar... He claimed that he was so hungry, he just couldn't wait for dinner.

"It's a wonder you're still so thin!" Julia exclaimed, poking her boyfriend's stomach.

We all crammed on the couch, talking and laughing for a while. Then, there was a slight problem...

"WHERE'S THE REMOTE!?" Linc asked urgently, after he caught sight of his watch. "WHERE IS THE GODDAMN REMOTE!?!"

"What d'ya need it fur?" Gavin asked thickly through a mouthful of peanut butter.

"HOUSE!"

We all sighed. Linc had an unhealthy obsession with the T.V. show House.

"When I was sick, I missed an episode!" he explained frantically. "They're running a re-cap marathon! I have to see it so that I can catch up!"

We all shrugged. Gavin dug out another dollop of JIF from the bottom of the jar.

"WHERE IS IT?!" he bellowed, running around and searching under every surface in the living room.

"I don't know, Linc," I said. "The last time I saw it, Gavin had it."
I realized my mistake. In less than a second, Linc had grabbed the front of Gavin's shirt, and was shaking him like a mad man.

"Where did you hide it, Peanut Butter Boy? Where is it!"
"I- Don't- Know!" Gavin yelled as he was violently shaken.

"No, don't worry Linc," Jesse said from behind the couch. "I found it right here."
He held the remote up in the air, and pointed under the couch, where it had been hiding.

"Jesse!" Linc cried and dropped Gavin like a hot potato. "You're a saint! A saint!"

Lincoln rushed over, grabbed the sides of Jesse's face, and planted a big kiss on his forehead, complete with a "Mmmmwah!" Then he grabbed the remote, shoved Jesse out of the way, scrambled over the back of the couch, landed directly on top of an already disgruntled Gavin, and clicked the T.V. to FOX. Gavin elbowed Linc off him. The theme song for House had just begun.

"Yes!" Linc shouted triumphantly. "I didn't miss it!"
He turned back to Jesse, who was wiping his slobber off his forehead. "I love you, Jesse!"
"Right back at you, Linc," he muttered.

Julia laughed. "You guys are crazy!"
Gavin gave her a peanut-butter kiss. "Thank you!"
"Try living with them!" I exclaimed, and Julia groaned.
"I pity you, Vi... I really do!"

Suddenly, the phone rang.

And, for some reason, an urgent aura settled over the room. We fell silent... Our laughter died in the air.

House blared on, forgotten, as Linc plucked the phone from the cradle with a shaking hand.

"Hello?"