Waves

A Story by Chelsea

It's to a friend. It's his story. Told through me. He's still in his story trying to figure out what's right for him.

He sits in his apartment uncertain of what happened the night before, or why he has a broken nose. All he knows is the taste of whisky is still stuck in his mouth, along with a headache. He sits at his wooden kitchen table trying to wolf down the overpriced energy drink he bought at the seven- eleven a block away from his LA apartment. He can see his cell phone gleaming green out of the corner of his eye while chugging down on the Monster energy drink he bought. He puts down his Monster to see another missed call by Andrew. He remembers being angry with Andrew last night, but he can’t remember why. Was he the reason he had a broken nose? Is that why he feels annoyed at Andrew? He decides that it’s not that. He can see his phone flash green again, but this time it’s from Angela. He’s angry with her too, and he hits the ignore button. Sending it straight to voicemail. No doubt she’ll know he hit the ignore button, and call right back. So, he decided to go one step further, and shut his phone off. He gets up from his chair stumbling to throw out his energy drink, and climb back into bed. School can be put off for a day of recuperation. His professors won’t notice if he’s missing amongst a hundred and something students.

He pulls the covers over his tanned chest, and rolls over to his side. He tries to draw back images of only just a couple hours ago. All he can recount is the mass amounts of liquor that entered his apartment, the storm of friends, and people he’s never met before. The raging music was pumping through his speakers, and the mosh pit that formed in his living room. Angela had disappeared that night. Angela’s sister Anna was there. He remembers seeing Anna, and kissing her cheek. She was flirting with him all night, and he was too. Of course, when Angela wasn’t looking. In fact, if he recalls correctly he could have sworn he saw her flirting with his best friend, Andrew. Angela is a s**t, but he loves her. He knows he’s no saint either. He is the definition of a man-w***e, and he’s somewhat proud of that fact. He prides himself that he can walk into a room and get a request of a hundred girls at his feet, but he knows there’s no beauty like Angela’s. They were born to be lovers to each other. He’s aware of this fact, but he chooses to ignore it for the simple truth that their paths are not ready to cross just quite yet. They both hold futures that are too hard to ignore for love doesn’t pay rent.

He looks at his nightstand, and checks his alarm clock. It reads one pm. He reaches for the drawer, and pulls out a photograph of Angela dressed in a white cotton dress. The dress has tiny straps that wrap around her fragile shoulders, and her raven hair at the length of her bare back. Those sparkling blue eyes pierce his heart every time she walks through a room, and smiles at him. He swears her eyes show the truth of what he’s been searching for all his life. To him she looks like the true essence of an angel. Yet, he feels the need to frown at her photograph. He knows that something that night feels like it changes everything, but what is it he asks himself. It’s not the flirting that’s bugging him, but he decides that it has to do with Angela and Andrew. He knows quite well what he did with Angela’s sister last night, but the truth of that escaping his lips are zero to ten. He puts the photograph back in his drawer, and with the thud of it closing so does his thoughts about the whole night. He quickly falls back to sleep. In his dreams he lets the memories of his past haunt him.

He wakes up to the sound of someone pounding at his door. He feels like it’s midnight, and rolls over to look at the alarm clock that reads four pm. He groans, and gets out of bed to answer it. He reaches to the door, and opens it to find Andrew with a regretful look on his face.

“Can I come in?” Andrew asks looking at his best friend half dressed with a broken nose. He assumes he was sleeping off the night before.

“Why?” he asks with a long pause.

“Because I think we need to talk before you talk to Angela,” he answers getting straight to the point.

He’s always been proud of his best friend for getting straight to the point instead of stepping around problems. He felt pleased that he figured out the root of his anger had to do with the both of them, but unhappy for the fact that somehow they both let him down last night.

“I suppose,” he tells him opening up his door a little bit more for his friend to enter. He lets Andrew walk in, and closes the door behind him.

“Do you want anything to drink?” he asks Andrew while following him into the living room.

“No,” he answered nervously. He never really could tell when he’d be upset with him, but considered the fact that he knew he’d never let girls get in between their friendship. They both made clear that girls weren’t worth that kind of trouble, but this is different. He really likes Angela, maybe even loves her.

“So, how did you know I didn’t talk to her yet?” he asks getting another monster energy drink out of the refrigerator that he bought today.

“I know you. We’re best friends, and band mates. You shut off your phone when you don’t want to talk to someone,” he said coolly. He was trying to keep calm. He really didn’t want this to affect their friendship.

“Alright, alright. Just tell me. I don’t want to be bothered with this anymore,” he said getting annoyed. He stopped caring after he let him in. He just wanted to know the facts.

“Okay,” he said exasperated.

“Angela and I were at the party. We were hanging out, and having some drinks. We were getting flirty, and we ended up making out. It’s not really that big of a deal because you mess with her sister, but she doesn’t know that. Remember, we were drunk,” he told him.

“Was it when the both of you were missing?” he asked Andrew.

He tries to see emotion in his best friend, but can’t find any trace of it, “It was in the spare bedroom, but I swear it was only making out.”

“Whatever, I got a lap dance from Anna, and we made out,” he answered after a few moments of silence. He felt like he was in middle school again. Bragging about how he got more action than his friend, but he didn’t really care. He began taking big gulps of his drink, and looking at Andrew out of the corner of his eyes. He started to grin through his sips seeing his friend speechless, and slightly envious. He could tell that Andrew was more relieved that his best friend got more action than he did. He felt like he was off the hook for hooking up with Angela.

“So, are we cool?” Andrew asks him.

“Of course we are. I’m aware of the fact that you’re both s***s,” he told Andrew with a grin on his face.

“So, you’re going to let her off the hook too?” Andrew asks.

“No, I want to see what she has to say. I’m pretty sure she’ll lie to me, or say it was all your doing,” he tells Andrew.

“Oh,” Andrew replies silently. He’s not sure if he should let him get back to ignoring the world, or try and make more conversation.

“So, thanks. I’m going back to sleep. Get out,” making up Andrew’s mind for him.

He walks Andrew to the door and locks it. He begins to debate on what he should say to Angela. Should it go something like, “So, where did you disappear to? I missed you” laying on some guilt he thought. Maybe he should be snide he thought by saying, “Did you have a fun time with Andrew?” He decided to just let it come naturally, and remain calm about it. She didn’t do as bad as what he did. After all, he’s not even dating her. Technically, it’s free reign for the both of us.

He goes back into his room and shuts the door. He climbs back into bed, and falls back asleep.

He sits on a park bench next to the sea sipping on his second Monster drink this afternoon waiting for Angela. He picked a neutral place where loud fighting wouldn’t occur. It’s hot outside, but the sea breeze comes up every once a while and smacks his body. He’s still debating on what to say because he let a week go by before calling her to talk. She seemed nervous on the phone. She probably knows that Andrew told him, and most likely feels ashamed because she knows how much he likes her. He can’t understand why she’d pick his best friend to that with. It couldn’t be anyone else at the party, but one of his close friends? He knows he has no right to be judgmental. He knows he did worse, her sister. Where will it go from here he thinks to himself? He doesn’t know what he wants. He knows he’s developing feelings for her sister, but how can he tell her that.

He can see her tight jeans hug her hips and her cherry t-shirt hangs loosely as she walks the boardwalk to the seat. She smiles wearily at him, and he smiles back. He again believes she is beautiful, but can tell there’s something ugly in her. He doesn’t know if he should get up and hug her or be cold towards her. He decides he’s a better man than that and stands up.

“Hey!” she exclaims as she reaches in for a hug.

She smells of apple shampoo, and he breathes in her scent before letting go. He sits back down, and she sits with him. She places her purse on the side, and twirls her hair nervously. She’s not sure what to say to him. She thinks he must be furious at her, but her sister told her what they did together. He’s just as bad.

“So, how have you been? Haven’t talked to you in a week,” he says to her.

“Yeah, well, I tried calling you,” she answers quietly.

“Yeah, I know. I’ve been busy. School, work, and the band. You know how that is for me,” he informs her.

“Mhm, always busy,” shows sadness in her eyes.

“So, you and Andrew hit it off, huh?” he jumps into why they’re both here.

“What? What is that supposed to mean?” she asks.

“Come on, Angela. Don’t play dumb with me. Andrew told me,” he explains to her.

“What did he tell you because I don’t know what you’re talking about?” she asks getting angry.

“You’re seriously going to deny it. You made out with him. Come on Angela tell me you didn’t,” he gets angry by her denial.

“I didn’t do anything with Andrew. He tried to get with me! You’re not a good boyfriend! I know what you did with my sister!” she yells.

“We’re not dating. What the f**k did I do with your sister? I was drunk the whole night! I don’t even know why I got a f*****g broken nose!” he shouts back at her.

“You made out with her, and you got a lap dance from her! If you’re going to use the “we’re not dating” excuse than why do you care if I did anything with Andrew. I can’t believe the both of you! How could you embarrass me like that?” She asks.

“Angela, I don’t care. Do what you want, but don’t lie to me,” he tells her. He realizes he’s being a hypocrite, but he doesn’t care.

“I’m not lying! You don’t lie to me!” she shouts at him. He looks at her, and can see hurt in her eyes. He begins to soften and decide that he doesn’t want to be with her right now.

“Look, I don’t want to fight with you. Maybe we’re just better off friends right now. If we’re partying together or in the same town for the weekend and we hook-up- it’s cool. If we don’t, that’s cool too. Let’s just do our own thing for now. If we’re meant to be with each other in the future then we will be,” he finally explains to her.

He searches her facial expression to see her true reaction. She seems a bit taken a back by his so forth coming opinion. He feels bad for telling her what he feels is best right now because he truly does want to be with her, but until they both realize that they want to be in a relationship with one another it won’t work.

“Okay,” she tells him slowly. She’s still trying to take in everything he just said, but puts her bag around her shoulder.

He stands up. He shakes his can of Monster to feel for any more drops. He feels nothing. He looks down at Angela wondering if she’ll be okay to drive back home. She gets up as soon as his thought disappears.

“Alright, I guess I’ll see you soon then?” she asks putting on a smile.

“Yes, maybe you can come to the next show?” he answers back.

She nods, and opens up for a hug. She takes in the scent of his cologne and his warm touch around her body. She feels like it’s easier to drive home now knowing that everything will be okay between them. They let go and kiss each other on the cheek.

He walks over to the trash to throw away his can. He turns to face the ocean. He watches the waves crash against one another. Suddenly, he thinks that people are like waves. Everyone crashes into one another and causes conflict and resolution. Conflict is the crashing, and the resolution is that both waves are still the same wave. It becomes one. Making it full circle- with his new found thought he realizes that he will have many “conflicts” with Angela but they will always ride the waves out because at the end of the day they both want to make it work.