Love Rhymes with Hideous Car Wreck
3. Friends
When penguins want to test the waters for predators, they gather in a group and stand near the water. They keep edging towards the water and push one of their own off. If he's eaten, then the others don't go into the water. If he isn't eaten, then it's safe to swim.
That penguin is Elyse.
"Hey." She puts an arm around my shoulders. "You'll find someone better than Aubrey, I promise." I don't believe her. I'm starting to believe thatall most women are evil. I always feel like then when a girl dumps me. That, and a good amount of self-loathing. "I know what you saw came as a shock to you, but Jack, this is reality. Nothing's perfect. You just have to keep going, okay?" Elyse grins. "Keep going for all of us, okay?"
I nod, but I'm unsure if I can keep my promise. I feel like storming into my own house, lecturing the two of them, and then setting my house on fire with the two of them trapped inside. I don't think Elyse would let me do that.
"Let's go have some fun," she says, grabbing my hand. My heart jumps, and I feel my face turning pink. I shake my head, wondering what the hell is wrong with me:
Elyse is one of my best friends. I do not like her that way. She is in the "friend" pile, and there she shall remain.
We go back into Alex's living room, where the guys have started playing Guitar Hero. I sit back and watch, feeling awkward around Elyse, even though I assure myself that I do not like her like that. By the way, I do not like her like that.
Or so I think.
Right now, I'm confusing myself. I get up and tell them I'm going out for a walk. I hear someone running after me right as I shut the door. It opens again, and Alex is at my side. "Just to tell you, I lost to come out here and walk around with you." He notices that I really don't care that he lost to Zack. "What's bothering you? You're usually not this mopey, even when a girl dumps you."
"I though Aubrey was...you know, perfect for me." I sigh exasperatedly. "I thought we could make it work somehow."
"I guess Elyse didn't work her magic." Alex pats my shoulder as my heart jumps at the sound of Elyse's name. "You just have to realize that Aubrey's a slut. She always has been." As I open my mouth, Alex continues. "You liked her, so we didn't say anything. But she's the town whore, and you can't change that. I'm sorry man, but some things just aren't meant to be. For example, Aubrey and any decent guy."
"Wasn't Elyse dating someone?" I had been meaning to ask her where her boyfriend was, but it seemed insensitive at the time and completely unrelated to what was happening now.
"Yeah. Five months ago." Alex turns back around in the direction of his house. "You're a real quick." His sarcasm is not welcome. "Why?"
"I dunno. She seems a little upset."
"Well, duh. One of her best friends almost died." He slaps my back. I wince. "You are so oblivious sometimes, man. Seriously."
I laugh nervously as we go back to Alex's house. Elyse is sitting on the steps, frowning. She doesn't stand up when we approach her. Alex pats me on the shoulder, mutters a few words to her, and goes back inside. Elyse stands up. "Alex says the dumbest things, I swear. 'Cheer up, Buttercup'? Oh, come on." She crosses her arms.
"Let's talk," she says suddenly.
"About what?"
"About relationships." She sits back down and motions for me to sit next to her. "Tell me about Aubrey."
"She was pretty, interesting, and fun." Using "was" makes her sound dead. "Now that I think about it, she completely avoided me at the party the night before. And she was with that guy, Kellen or whatever." Couldn't she have dumped me and just had her way with Kellen? It hurts to think about it.
"She meant a lot to you, didn't she?" Elyse pulls me into a hug. "It'll be okay, Jack."
"What about you?" I look at her. "What happened between you and Josh?" They were a somewhat decent couple, I guess. Josh wasn't really my favorite person, but if Elyse liked him, then I did, too.
"Josh and I weren't meant to be." She sighs. "Alex was right for once. I didn't like him in the first place. I was only dating him to fill an empty hole."
"...An empty hole?" I'm lost.
"Yup." She puts her head on my shoulder. My heart beats faster, louder. My cheeks turn red. "The hole's still there."
"You'll find someone to fill it up," I almost stutter.
"...I hope so."
That penguin is Elyse.
"Hey." She puts an arm around my shoulders. "You'll find someone better than Aubrey, I promise." I don't believe her. I'm starting to believe thatall most women are evil. I always feel like then when a girl dumps me. That, and a good amount of self-loathing. "I know what you saw came as a shock to you, but Jack, this is reality. Nothing's perfect. You just have to keep going, okay?" Elyse grins. "Keep going for all of us, okay?"
I nod, but I'm unsure if I can keep my promise. I feel like storming into my own house, lecturing the two of them, and then setting my house on fire with the two of them trapped inside. I don't think Elyse would let me do that.
"Let's go have some fun," she says, grabbing my hand. My heart jumps, and I feel my face turning pink. I shake my head, wondering what the hell is wrong with me:
Elyse is one of my best friends. I do not like her that way. She is in the "friend" pile, and there she shall remain.
We go back into Alex's living room, where the guys have started playing Guitar Hero. I sit back and watch, feeling awkward around Elyse, even though I assure myself that I do not like her like that. By the way, I do not like her like that.
Or so I think.
Right now, I'm confusing myself. I get up and tell them I'm going out for a walk. I hear someone running after me right as I shut the door. It opens again, and Alex is at my side. "Just to tell you, I lost to come out here and walk around with you." He notices that I really don't care that he lost to Zack. "What's bothering you? You're usually not this mopey, even when a girl dumps you."
"I though Aubrey was...you know, perfect for me." I sigh exasperatedly. "I thought we could make it work somehow."
"I guess Elyse didn't work her magic." Alex pats my shoulder as my heart jumps at the sound of Elyse's name. "You just have to realize that Aubrey's a slut. She always has been." As I open my mouth, Alex continues. "You liked her, so we didn't say anything. But she's the town whore, and you can't change that. I'm sorry man, but some things just aren't meant to be. For example, Aubrey and any decent guy."
"Wasn't Elyse dating someone?" I had been meaning to ask her where her boyfriend was, but it seemed insensitive at the time and completely unrelated to what was happening now.
"Yeah. Five months ago." Alex turns back around in the direction of his house. "You're a real quick." His sarcasm is not welcome. "Why?"
"I dunno. She seems a little upset."
"Well, duh. One of her best friends almost died." He slaps my back. I wince. "You are so oblivious sometimes, man. Seriously."
I laugh nervously as we go back to Alex's house. Elyse is sitting on the steps, frowning. She doesn't stand up when we approach her. Alex pats me on the shoulder, mutters a few words to her, and goes back inside. Elyse stands up. "Alex says the dumbest things, I swear. 'Cheer up, Buttercup'? Oh, come on." She crosses her arms.
"Let's talk," she says suddenly.
"About what?"
"About relationships." She sits back down and motions for me to sit next to her. "Tell me about Aubrey."
"She was pretty, interesting, and fun." Using "was" makes her sound dead. "Now that I think about it, she completely avoided me at the party the night before. And she was with that guy, Kellen or whatever." Couldn't she have dumped me and just had her way with Kellen? It hurts to think about it.
"She meant a lot to you, didn't she?" Elyse pulls me into a hug. "It'll be okay, Jack."
"What about you?" I look at her. "What happened between you and Josh?" They were a somewhat decent couple, I guess. Josh wasn't really my favorite person, but if Elyse liked him, then I did, too.
"Josh and I weren't meant to be." She sighs. "Alex was right for once. I didn't like him in the first place. I was only dating him to fill an empty hole."
"...An empty hole?" I'm lost.
"Yup." She puts her head on my shoulder. My heart beats faster, louder. My cheeks turn red. "The hole's still there."
"You'll find someone to fill it up," I almost stutter.
"...I hope so."
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