You Had Me at "I Hate You"
32
Two days later...
Linc refused to talk to me.
I guess he'd built up the moment of our first sober kiss in his mind so much... That he'd felt let down when it really happened. Not to mention the fact that I'd kind of stomped on his heart.
"Okay everyone!" Massia shouted, flinging her arms our wide. "Get your asses over here!"
Jesse had thrown together a little party for Massia, as, today, she was going back to New York. He'd done it half-heartedly, though, probably in hopes that, without a proper sendoff, she wouldn't go.
Jesse and Massia. Did I mention that, when I came home after Linc and I had that fight in the park, I caught them making out on the couch? No? Well, it's probably because I want to erase the memory from my mind forever.
"I want to show you guys the pictures I've taken since I've been here," Massia explained, producing a big manilla folder.
Jesse stood next to her, a big plastic grin on his face to hide the fact that he wanted to rip up a certain plane ticket...
Massia dumped out the black and white prints on the table, and I was met with a dozen faces staring up at me. There was Gavin and Julia, holding hands and sharing a secret smile. There was Jesse, the first time he ever saw Massia, hair tousled and his feet encased in Tigger slippers. She'd captured random objects around the house in new and different ways... Casting huge spindly shadows across the ground, or thrown into a strange light.
We eagerly began to look through them all, laughing and talking about the memories they held. Then... Towards the bottom... There was a picture that made my heart skip a painful beat.
It was me.
And Linc.
Looking at each other.
Not just looking... but Looking!
We were sitting on the couch, squished next to each other by Jesse and Gavin, who were also sitting on the small seat. Linc was openly staring at me, a full-blown Crest commercial smile plastered on his face. I was smiling also, but in a shy "OMG-is-he-looking-at-me?" kind of way. I was sneaking a side glance towards Linc...
I reached for it, my face flushing, and flipped it over, face down. Linc saw what I did, and reached for the picture. He snatched it from the table, despite my squeak of protest, and observed it for a moment.
Why, Massia? Why did you have to catch me and Linc in a cute moment? WHY? WHY?
Lincoln turned bright red and placed the picture, face down, on the table. He was now scowling.
Jesse noticed the dark vibes that Linc was practically hurling at me.
"What the hell is with you two?" he demanded.
"Nothing," we both muttered in unison.
Massia raised an eyebrow. "You guys need to kiss and make up."
Linc, Jesse, and I began to choke on the air we were breathing.
"Hug and make up! Hug!" she corrected.
I sighed and, shyly, walked over to Linc. I gave him a small hug around his middle, and he awkwardly patted my back.
"Sorry," I told him, my voice breaking.
"I know," he replied.
We broke away, and there was an unspoken agreement between the two of us. We were no longer fighting... But we weren't exactly friends either. Lincoln Fletcher would never be satisfied with "Friends." He was going to hold on to the notion that I loved him, deep down, until the day he died.
All four of us shifted uncomfortably, a stony silence descending over us all.
Suddenly, Massia broke it.
"Whoopsies!" she cried, as she ripped up her New York tickets.
I sucked in my breath. "Massia! What the hell?"
She shrugged. "I slipped."
Jesse looked pleased as punch. He didn't care that this was an obvious act.
"You want to know something?" Massia asked, smiling brilliantly. "I canceled those tickets two days ago."
I raised an eyebrow.
"So..." Jesse wondered, trying to seem casual. "Does that mean you're... staying?"
Wordlessly, she walked over to her giant suitcase and dragged it to the door. She looked back at us, signaling that we should follow. The three of us shrugged, and obeyed, with Linc lagging dutifully behind.
We followed Massia like baby ducks down to the end of the hall...
Where she stuck a key into number 220!
"You're moving in to the building?" I cried, momentarily overjoyed.
"Yes!" She squealed. "I've been keeping it a secret for days now!"
I gasped. That was an ordeal for Massia.
Jesse's jaw had dropped. Then, out of the blue, he raced over to her, dipped her down, and gave her a hearty kiss on the mouth.
Linc and I sighed and went back to our own apartment.
I was glad that Mass had moved in and all... But that means Jesse would be spending a lot more time with her. And that means me... and Linc... alone... in the empty apartment.
And just when I thought things couldn't get any more awkward...
-_-_-_-
"A celebration!" Jesse called, upon entering the apartment again. His fingers were intertwined with Massia's. "A housewarming party!"
Linc rolled his eyes. Normally he would be jumping up and down, planning out the who, what, when, and where.
I couldn't believe that I'd done this to the guy.
Jesse didn't seem to notice.
"I'll call Gavin!" he cried, and let go of Massia's hand to dial his brother's number.
Linc refused to talk to me.
I guess he'd built up the moment of our first sober kiss in his mind so much... That he'd felt let down when it really happened. Not to mention the fact that I'd kind of stomped on his heart.
"Okay everyone!" Massia shouted, flinging her arms our wide. "Get your asses over here!"
Jesse had thrown together a little party for Massia, as, today, she was going back to New York. He'd done it half-heartedly, though, probably in hopes that, without a proper sendoff, she wouldn't go.
Jesse and Massia. Did I mention that, when I came home after Linc and I had that fight in the park, I caught them making out on the couch? No? Well, it's probably because I want to erase the memory from my mind forever.
"I want to show you guys the pictures I've taken since I've been here," Massia explained, producing a big manilla folder.
Jesse stood next to her, a big plastic grin on his face to hide the fact that he wanted to rip up a certain plane ticket...
Massia dumped out the black and white prints on the table, and I was met with a dozen faces staring up at me. There was Gavin and Julia, holding hands and sharing a secret smile. There was Jesse, the first time he ever saw Massia, hair tousled and his feet encased in Tigger slippers. She'd captured random objects around the house in new and different ways... Casting huge spindly shadows across the ground, or thrown into a strange light.
We eagerly began to look through them all, laughing and talking about the memories they held. Then... Towards the bottom... There was a picture that made my heart skip a painful beat.
It was me.
And Linc.
Looking at each other.
Not just looking... but Looking!
We were sitting on the couch, squished next to each other by Jesse and Gavin, who were also sitting on the small seat. Linc was openly staring at me, a full-blown Crest commercial smile plastered on his face. I was smiling also, but in a shy "OMG-is-he-looking-at-me?" kind of way. I was sneaking a side glance towards Linc...
I reached for it, my face flushing, and flipped it over, face down. Linc saw what I did, and reached for the picture. He snatched it from the table, despite my squeak of protest, and observed it for a moment.
Why, Massia? Why did you have to catch me and Linc in a cute moment? WHY? WHY?
Lincoln turned bright red and placed the picture, face down, on the table. He was now scowling.
Jesse noticed the dark vibes that Linc was practically hurling at me.
"What the hell is with you two?" he demanded.
"Nothing," we both muttered in unison.
Massia raised an eyebrow. "You guys need to kiss and make up."
Linc, Jesse, and I began to choke on the air we were breathing.
"Hug and make up! Hug!" she corrected.
I sighed and, shyly, walked over to Linc. I gave him a small hug around his middle, and he awkwardly patted my back.
"Sorry," I told him, my voice breaking.
"I know," he replied.
We broke away, and there was an unspoken agreement between the two of us. We were no longer fighting... But we weren't exactly friends either. Lincoln Fletcher would never be satisfied with "Friends." He was going to hold on to the notion that I loved him, deep down, until the day he died.
All four of us shifted uncomfortably, a stony silence descending over us all.
Suddenly, Massia broke it.
"Whoopsies!" she cried, as she ripped up her New York tickets.
I sucked in my breath. "Massia! What the hell?"
She shrugged. "I slipped."
Jesse looked pleased as punch. He didn't care that this was an obvious act.
"You want to know something?" Massia asked, smiling brilliantly. "I canceled those tickets two days ago."
I raised an eyebrow.
"So..." Jesse wondered, trying to seem casual. "Does that mean you're... staying?"
Wordlessly, she walked over to her giant suitcase and dragged it to the door. She looked back at us, signaling that we should follow. The three of us shrugged, and obeyed, with Linc lagging dutifully behind.
We followed Massia like baby ducks down to the end of the hall...
Where she stuck a key into number 220!
"You're moving in to the building?" I cried, momentarily overjoyed.
"Yes!" She squealed. "I've been keeping it a secret for days now!"
I gasped. That was an ordeal for Massia.
Jesse's jaw had dropped. Then, out of the blue, he raced over to her, dipped her down, and gave her a hearty kiss on the mouth.
Linc and I sighed and went back to our own apartment.
I was glad that Mass had moved in and all... But that means Jesse would be spending a lot more time with her. And that means me... and Linc... alone... in the empty apartment.
And just when I thought things couldn't get any more awkward...
-_-_-_-
"A celebration!" Jesse called, upon entering the apartment again. His fingers were intertwined with Massia's. "A housewarming party!"
Linc rolled his eyes. Normally he would be jumping up and down, planning out the who, what, when, and where.
I couldn't believe that I'd done this to the guy.
Jesse didn't seem to notice.
"I'll call Gavin!" he cried, and let go of Massia's hand to dial his brother's number.