Runaways
TWO
It's as if I can actually feel the alcohol flowing through my body as I step outside into the cool spring air. My eyes are wide and my thoughts are everywhere. I can shake the stupid smile from my face. It feels weird to smile so much after living in a black hole for what feels like months.
"To the bake shop!" Jack is the first to start running. Clarissa and I follow, laughing and tripping on our own feet as the city lights turn into pretty blurs around us. We run through the parking lot, past Clarissa's car, up to the corner and wait to cross the still-busy main road.
"Why are there so many damn cars on the road, it's 2am!?" Even drunk, Clarissa won the award for most pessimistic. She was right though, it was unusually busy for this late at night.
The stop light turns red, and then we're running again, across the street to the 24 hour coffee shop. No cares or concerns, just happy, drunk thoughts.
We burst through the door of the coffee shop with loud laughing and deep gasping breaths.
"I haven't run that fast since gym class...3 years ago..."
"Running for donuts. Like an oxymoron."
"You're an oxymoron."
"You're an idiot."
We grab a booth towards the back. Through the window we can clearly see the bar we just abandoned, the lights in its neon sign flickering every now and then.
"Hey kidos, can I start ya off with some coffee or tea?" Our server is a sweet looking older woman, who seems un-phased by our immaturity. I suppose we're not the first, and definitely not the last, drunk bunch that's stumbled in here after a long night of drinking.
We place our small orders and soon we are all situated with our coffees and waters, and stale donuts left over from that earlier evening.
I'm sitting next to the window, Clarissa is on the other side of me. We're silently watching Jack devour his donut.
"Oh man. I wish this donut was a pizza..." He comments, after he notices us staring. My eyes go wide. Clarissa rolls her eyes.
"This is such a good night." I announce, looking out the window again.
"Yeah it is! It's cool to hang out with new people. I like making new friends, then there's always somethin' to do!"
Clarissa agrees, as she begins talking about her other groups of friends from school. Jack chimes in, talking about his band friends and his sports friends. I kind of tune out the conversation, because I only have about 3 good friends. Well, 2 now. Clarissa and my neighbor Joe. Everyone else is just a 'hey' once in a while, to make sure we're all still alive. It doesn't bother me as much as people think it would.
"...But yeah. Tonight's really good, I think I needed to get out and hang out with some new people for a change. My girlfriend and I just broke up about a month ago, and it kind of fucked with my head a little bit." Jack sets his empty coffee cup down. The waitress notices and runs over to pour him some more.
"Aww, why did you guys break up!?"
"Ah, I don't know. I'm the one who called things off, and sometimes I wish I hadn't. We were really good for each other, ya know. We likes the same music, same movies, everything. She was great. We were on and off kind of in middle school, but that doesn't really count, cause we were kids, but we were like exclusive since graduation. Her name's Anna, but she cheated on me with some asshole she went to high school with... So I dumped her. She wanted me to just forgive and forget, so we could start over, but I think she's had a thing for this guy all along. Ugh, I don't know." Jack puts his head in his hands and starts to mess up his brown hair.
"That's funny...I used to date a handsome asshole...and he cheated on me with a girl named Anna..."
"Wait, what? Was his name Paul...?"
My eyes went wide.
"Yes! Holy shit!"
Jacks eyes were as wide and Clarissa laughed like crazy.
"No fucking way! How weird, you guys!"
"No kidding!" Jack, ran his hands through his hair some more, seeming at a loss for words.
"Paul would always talk about Anna, he said they were close friends in high school, and he liked her then but she'd never go out with him. He always assured me they were just friends, but I was never allowed to meet her..."
The memories bring back a dark feeling over me.
"Fuck that asshole!" Clarissa exclaims, showing off her hatred for Paul.
"Yeah I've met Paul a handful of times, Anna would bring him with her to my band practices."
"Like a date?" My eyes are wide again, as I realize that I was probably being cheated on much longer than I though. Jack nodded sadly.
"Yeah don't feel bad, my own girlfriend would bring another dude to my gigs and shit. And I never said anything, how messed up is that?"
"Man, screw those guys. I can't tell you how much I did for Paul, how much I cared about him for two years! And for him to turn around and do that to me...and to you! I just...ugh!"
I trail off, disgusted. My head was starting to hurt from the alcohol and the stress setting in.
"I know right. Wow. I can't believe you were dating Paul. I can't believe it!"
"Me either, he's such a sleezebag. And so is this Anna chick." Clarissa adds. A slightly hurt expression takes over Jacks face, before he shakes it off and pulls out his cell phone from his pocket.
"I can't drive home, I'm gonna call my brother. You guys want a lift home?"
"To the bake shop!" Jack is the first to start running. Clarissa and I follow, laughing and tripping on our own feet as the city lights turn into pretty blurs around us. We run through the parking lot, past Clarissa's car, up to the corner and wait to cross the still-busy main road.
"Why are there so many damn cars on the road, it's 2am!?" Even drunk, Clarissa won the award for most pessimistic. She was right though, it was unusually busy for this late at night.
The stop light turns red, and then we're running again, across the street to the 24 hour coffee shop. No cares or concerns, just happy, drunk thoughts.
We burst through the door of the coffee shop with loud laughing and deep gasping breaths.
"I haven't run that fast since gym class...3 years ago..."
"Running for donuts. Like an oxymoron."
"You're an oxymoron."
"You're an idiot."
We grab a booth towards the back. Through the window we can clearly see the bar we just abandoned, the lights in its neon sign flickering every now and then.
"Hey kidos, can I start ya off with some coffee or tea?" Our server is a sweet looking older woman, who seems un-phased by our immaturity. I suppose we're not the first, and definitely not the last, drunk bunch that's stumbled in here after a long night of drinking.
We place our small orders and soon we are all situated with our coffees and waters, and stale donuts left over from that earlier evening.
I'm sitting next to the window, Clarissa is on the other side of me. We're silently watching Jack devour his donut.
"Oh man. I wish this donut was a pizza..." He comments, after he notices us staring. My eyes go wide. Clarissa rolls her eyes.
"This is such a good night." I announce, looking out the window again.
"Yeah it is! It's cool to hang out with new people. I like making new friends, then there's always somethin' to do!"
Clarissa agrees, as she begins talking about her other groups of friends from school. Jack chimes in, talking about his band friends and his sports friends. I kind of tune out the conversation, because I only have about 3 good friends. Well, 2 now. Clarissa and my neighbor Joe. Everyone else is just a 'hey' once in a while, to make sure we're all still alive. It doesn't bother me as much as people think it would.
"...But yeah. Tonight's really good, I think I needed to get out and hang out with some new people for a change. My girlfriend and I just broke up about a month ago, and it kind of fucked with my head a little bit." Jack sets his empty coffee cup down. The waitress notices and runs over to pour him some more.
"Aww, why did you guys break up!?"
"Ah, I don't know. I'm the one who called things off, and sometimes I wish I hadn't. We were really good for each other, ya know. We likes the same music, same movies, everything. She was great. We were on and off kind of in middle school, but that doesn't really count, cause we were kids, but we were like exclusive since graduation. Her name's Anna, but she cheated on me with some asshole she went to high school with... So I dumped her. She wanted me to just forgive and forget, so we could start over, but I think she's had a thing for this guy all along. Ugh, I don't know." Jack puts his head in his hands and starts to mess up his brown hair.
"That's funny...I used to date a handsome asshole...and he cheated on me with a girl named Anna..."
"Wait, what? Was his name Paul...?"
My eyes went wide.
"Yes! Holy shit!"
Jacks eyes were as wide and Clarissa laughed like crazy.
"No fucking way! How weird, you guys!"
"No kidding!" Jack, ran his hands through his hair some more, seeming at a loss for words.
"Paul would always talk about Anna, he said they were close friends in high school, and he liked her then but she'd never go out with him. He always assured me they were just friends, but I was never allowed to meet her..."
The memories bring back a dark feeling over me.
"Fuck that asshole!" Clarissa exclaims, showing off her hatred for Paul.
"Yeah I've met Paul a handful of times, Anna would bring him with her to my band practices."
"Like a date?" My eyes are wide again, as I realize that I was probably being cheated on much longer than I though. Jack nodded sadly.
"Yeah don't feel bad, my own girlfriend would bring another dude to my gigs and shit. And I never said anything, how messed up is that?"
"Man, screw those guys. I can't tell you how much I did for Paul, how much I cared about him for two years! And for him to turn around and do that to me...and to you! I just...ugh!"
I trail off, disgusted. My head was starting to hurt from the alcohol and the stress setting in.
"I know right. Wow. I can't believe you were dating Paul. I can't believe it!"
"Me either, he's such a sleezebag. And so is this Anna chick." Clarissa adds. A slightly hurt expression takes over Jacks face, before he shakes it off and pulls out his cell phone from his pocket.
"I can't drive home, I'm gonna call my brother. You guys want a lift home?"