Everything Is Alright
What's Wrong With Us?
“Come on,” I said, pulling Justin out of the car. We had an early class tomorrow, but whatever.
“Alright, alright,” he grumbled. Sometimes he hated when I dragged him to parties. It just depended on the day and whether he was feeling anti-social or not. He followed me to the door. I pushed it open. It was cloudy from the smoke in the air and the music was playing loudly. I glanced at Justin. He was crossing his arms. “After you,” he said. I rolled my eyes and pulled him inside by the arm. I left him standing around by the drinks for a minute to go look for anyone else I knew.
“Liz,” a guy from one of my classes called, waving me over.
“Hey,” I said, walking over to him.
“Nice party, huh?”
“Just got here,” I answered.
“Here,” he handed me his drink. I took it and went to find Justin. I pushed through some people. I couldn’t see him. Or his hair, either, for that matter. I bumped into some guy. Maybe from one of my classes, I wasn’t sure. He looked really disorientated.
“Hey,” he said, suddenly. I blinked. “You're hot.”
“You're high,” I muttered, attempting to push past him. It was extremely crowded. The guy grabbed my arm. I pulled it out of his grip. He grabbed me around the waist and kissed me. I tried pushing him off as he pulled me closer. He kissed me harder. I felt someone pulling him off me. I saw a head of hair sticking up all over the place. “Justin,” I said. He was pushing the guy away. He looked angrier than I had ever seen him before.
“What the fuck do you think you're doing?” he was saying. He pushed the guy again, swearing more than usual. The guy was staring at him blankly. I pulled on his arm, afraid he would hurt the guy like the look on his face suggested. I pulled harder, but he wasn’t moving and instead kept on swearing at the guy. A few people were staring.
“It’s fine, Justin,” I said, finally managing to pull him away. “Let’s just go.” He gave the guy a last glare before following me out the door to the car. I was surprised at how mad he was. And that we weren’t drunk yet. Then again, we’d barely been there more than ten minutes. He still looked mad. “It’s fine, Justin,” I repeated. He was in the driver’s seat. He glanced at me before starting the car.
“No, it’s not fine,” he said. I didn’t say anything. “Who was he?”
“I don’t know, some guy,” I mumbled, feeling lousy. I was the one who dragged him to this stupid party. “It’s my fault.” He started driving, hands gripped tightly on the wheel.
“It’s not your fault, Betty.” I stared out the window.
“Are you mad at me?” He sighed.
“No. Why would I be mad at you?” I shrugged. “I just don’t want anything to happen to you.” He looked straight ahead at the road. I didn’t know what to say.
“Thanks, Justin,” I said quietly. He smiled slightly, anger subsiding. His hands loosened.
I remembered this as some random guy tried hitting on me at the bar.
“Just get lost,” I told him, turning back to the bar to wait. I was bringing back drinks for me, Justin, Nicole, and Jesse. The guy got behind me.
“What do you say we get out of here?” he said in my ear.
“Fuck off,” I said, pushing him away.
“You okay, Betty?” I heard Justin ask. The guy backed off and started inching away under Justin’s glare.
“I am now,” I answered. He picked up two of the drinks and we headed back to the table. “Thanks, Justin,” I told him, carrying the other two. He gave me a kind of half smile.
“Anytime, Betty,” he said, looking at the table as we approached it. I handed Jesse and Nicole their drinks and Justin handed me mine. I sat next to Justin and across from Nicole, who was sitting next to Tony. He had an arm around her.
Why hadn’t me and Justin ended up like that? We had started dating around the same time, about two months ago. But me and Justin had only lasted, what, three days? I caught myself staring at them. “You sure you're okay?” Justin asked again, interrupting my thoughts.
“I'm fine,” I insisted. I went back to my thoughts.
What was so different about me and Justin that we couldn’t have a decent relationship and needed a drink to keep us happy?
I mean, what’s wrong with us?
“Alright, alright,” he grumbled. Sometimes he hated when I dragged him to parties. It just depended on the day and whether he was feeling anti-social or not. He followed me to the door. I pushed it open. It was cloudy from the smoke in the air and the music was playing loudly. I glanced at Justin. He was crossing his arms. “After you,” he said. I rolled my eyes and pulled him inside by the arm. I left him standing around by the drinks for a minute to go look for anyone else I knew.
“Liz,” a guy from one of my classes called, waving me over.
“Hey,” I said, walking over to him.
“Nice party, huh?”
“Just got here,” I answered.
“Here,” he handed me his drink. I took it and went to find Justin. I pushed through some people. I couldn’t see him. Or his hair, either, for that matter. I bumped into some guy. Maybe from one of my classes, I wasn’t sure. He looked really disorientated.
“Hey,” he said, suddenly. I blinked. “You're hot.”
“You're high,” I muttered, attempting to push past him. It was extremely crowded. The guy grabbed my arm. I pulled it out of his grip. He grabbed me around the waist and kissed me. I tried pushing him off as he pulled me closer. He kissed me harder. I felt someone pulling him off me. I saw a head of hair sticking up all over the place. “Justin,” I said. He was pushing the guy away. He looked angrier than I had ever seen him before.
“What the fuck do you think you're doing?” he was saying. He pushed the guy again, swearing more than usual. The guy was staring at him blankly. I pulled on his arm, afraid he would hurt the guy like the look on his face suggested. I pulled harder, but he wasn’t moving and instead kept on swearing at the guy. A few people were staring.
“It’s fine, Justin,” I said, finally managing to pull him away. “Let’s just go.” He gave the guy a last glare before following me out the door to the car. I was surprised at how mad he was. And that we weren’t drunk yet. Then again, we’d barely been there more than ten minutes. He still looked mad. “It’s fine, Justin,” I repeated. He was in the driver’s seat. He glanced at me before starting the car.
“No, it’s not fine,” he said. I didn’t say anything. “Who was he?”
“I don’t know, some guy,” I mumbled, feeling lousy. I was the one who dragged him to this stupid party. “It’s my fault.” He started driving, hands gripped tightly on the wheel.
“It’s not your fault, Betty.” I stared out the window.
“Are you mad at me?” He sighed.
“No. Why would I be mad at you?” I shrugged. “I just don’t want anything to happen to you.” He looked straight ahead at the road. I didn’t know what to say.
“Thanks, Justin,” I said quietly. He smiled slightly, anger subsiding. His hands loosened.
I remembered this as some random guy tried hitting on me at the bar.
“Just get lost,” I told him, turning back to the bar to wait. I was bringing back drinks for me, Justin, Nicole, and Jesse. The guy got behind me.
“What do you say we get out of here?” he said in my ear.
“Fuck off,” I said, pushing him away.
“You okay, Betty?” I heard Justin ask. The guy backed off and started inching away under Justin’s glare.
“I am now,” I answered. He picked up two of the drinks and we headed back to the table. “Thanks, Justin,” I told him, carrying the other two. He gave me a kind of half smile.
“Anytime, Betty,” he said, looking at the table as we approached it. I handed Jesse and Nicole their drinks and Justin handed me mine. I sat next to Justin and across from Nicole, who was sitting next to Tony. He had an arm around her.
Why hadn’t me and Justin ended up like that? We had started dating around the same time, about two months ago. But me and Justin had only lasted, what, three days? I caught myself staring at them. “You sure you're okay?” Justin asked again, interrupting my thoughts.
“I'm fine,” I insisted. I went back to my thoughts.
What was so different about me and Justin that we couldn’t have a decent relationship and needed a drink to keep us happy?
I mean, what’s wrong with us?