Everything Is Alright
The Future Freaks Me Out
My doorbell rang. I pulled myself away from the tv long enough to answer it.
It was Justin, just like I expected. He knows how I hate to be alone. I let him in.
“Did you bring it?” I asked hopefully. He nodded.
“Coffee cake, ice cream, wine,” he ticked them off his fingers.
“Ten dollar wine?” I asked after taking it, eyebrows raised. “Cheapskate.” He shrugged. “It’s fine, I don’t care,” I said, also shrugging. I got two spoons and sat on the couch again. He joined me.
“What are we watching?” he asked. I shrugged again. He opened the ice cream as I handed him a spoon.
“Some lame old show.” He squinted at the screen. I ate a spoonful.
“I thought you hated this show.”
“I do.”
“So then why are we watching it?”
“What else do we have to do?” I asked in exasperation. He didn’t have an answer and ate some more of the ice cream.
“What do you want to do?” he asked a few minutes later.
“Right now? Drink that ten dollar wine and eat this ice cream.”
“No,” he said. “What do you want to be?”
“I…I don’t know.” He turned his attention back to the tv. “What do you want?” I asked. He looked caught off guard.
“Me?” I nodded. He thought. “I want people to listen to me.” I looked at him. He stared at the tv.
“I want people to listen to you, too.” He got quiet again. After a minute or two, he spoke.
“Well, if we could both find a way to do the things that we say, we might not sit in our rooms and drink our daydreams away,” he pointed out.
“Maybe,” I agreed. I grabbed the wine and started to open it. “But I don’t mind. I mean, what am I supposed to do?” He shrugged. “What’s up with Will and Grace?” I motioned to the tv. “I don’t get drum and bass or any music stuff like you do.” I grabbed his hand and a pen. I decorated his wrist with little question marks. All these questions I would never have answers to. He watched. “The future freaks me out,” I told him.
I realized I was daydreaming again. Or having flashbacks or whatever you want to call them. Isn’t there some saying that says you’re not supposed to dwell on the past or something? Or was it about repeating the past? I couldn’t remember.
“Liz,” Nicole said, waving her hand in my face.
“Yeah?” I asked, snapping out of it.
“Let’s go out tomorrow, okay?” she was saying.
“Sure.”
“What’s up?” she asked.
“Huh?” I was confused.
“You’ve been weird ever since you started hanging out with Jason or Justin or whatever his name is.”
“Sorry,” I said. “It’s just…I haven't seen him since college. I’m just remembering stuff.”
“So? When do I get to meet him?” she prodded.
“I don’t know.”
“Is he cute?”
“Nicki…” I said, starting to blush. She didn’t notice.
“I know, invite him out with us tomorrow. We can go dancing or something.”
“What? I don’t know. Are you sure?” She raised an eyebrow.
“Now what’s up with you? Yes, I'm sure.” The phone rang. I answered it.
“Hello?” I asked, walking into the living room.
“Hey,” Justin said. “What’s up?”
“Nothing. You?”
“I was wondering if you wanted to hang out.”
“Actually…” I began. “I was wondering…do you still like to dance?”
It was Justin, just like I expected. He knows how I hate to be alone. I let him in.
“Did you bring it?” I asked hopefully. He nodded.
“Coffee cake, ice cream, wine,” he ticked them off his fingers.
“Ten dollar wine?” I asked after taking it, eyebrows raised. “Cheapskate.” He shrugged. “It’s fine, I don’t care,” I said, also shrugging. I got two spoons and sat on the couch again. He joined me.
“What are we watching?” he asked. I shrugged again. He opened the ice cream as I handed him a spoon.
“Some lame old show.” He squinted at the screen. I ate a spoonful.
“I thought you hated this show.”
“I do.”
“So then why are we watching it?”
“What else do we have to do?” I asked in exasperation. He didn’t have an answer and ate some more of the ice cream.
“What do you want to do?” he asked a few minutes later.
“Right now? Drink that ten dollar wine and eat this ice cream.”
“No,” he said. “What do you want to be?”
“I…I don’t know.” He turned his attention back to the tv. “What do you want?” I asked. He looked caught off guard.
“Me?” I nodded. He thought. “I want people to listen to me.” I looked at him. He stared at the tv.
“I want people to listen to you, too.” He got quiet again. After a minute or two, he spoke.
“Well, if we could both find a way to do the things that we say, we might not sit in our rooms and drink our daydreams away,” he pointed out.
“Maybe,” I agreed. I grabbed the wine and started to open it. “But I don’t mind. I mean, what am I supposed to do?” He shrugged. “What’s up with Will and Grace?” I motioned to the tv. “I don’t get drum and bass or any music stuff like you do.” I grabbed his hand and a pen. I decorated his wrist with little question marks. All these questions I would never have answers to. He watched. “The future freaks me out,” I told him.
I realized I was daydreaming again. Or having flashbacks or whatever you want to call them. Isn’t there some saying that says you’re not supposed to dwell on the past or something? Or was it about repeating the past? I couldn’t remember.
“Liz,” Nicole said, waving her hand in my face.
“Yeah?” I asked, snapping out of it.
“Let’s go out tomorrow, okay?” she was saying.
“Sure.”
“What’s up?” she asked.
“Huh?” I was confused.
“You’ve been weird ever since you started hanging out with Jason or Justin or whatever his name is.”
“Sorry,” I said. “It’s just…I haven't seen him since college. I’m just remembering stuff.”
“So? When do I get to meet him?” she prodded.
“I don’t know.”
“Is he cute?”
“Nicki…” I said, starting to blush. She didn’t notice.
“I know, invite him out with us tomorrow. We can go dancing or something.”
“What? I don’t know. Are you sure?” She raised an eyebrow.
“Now what’s up with you? Yes, I'm sure.” The phone rang. I answered it.
“Hello?” I asked, walking into the living room.
“Hey,” Justin said. “What’s up?”
“Nothing. You?”
“I was wondering if you wanted to hang out.”
“Actually…” I began. “I was wondering…do you still like to dance?”