This Afternoon

                That morning the sun was shining. I walked down my street; I could see my breath fogging in front of my mouth. There were a lot of people I knew who hated winter, but I just couldn’t understand. The little white flecks that fell from the sky were irresistible; I couldn’t be able to go on if I couldn’t see them every year. Everyone cuddled together and bundled up all nice and cuddly, it was one of the best chances I had to cuddle up with Ben.

                I watched my reflection in the store windows. I loved the red coat I was wearing, the boots I was wearing had heels that must have been at least four inches, huge dark glasses hid half my face, and my long strait black hair stunned all the guys on the street.

After about three blocks I found the place I was looking for. There was a set of thick oak doors that sealed of the bar from the chill of the north. All the windows were boarded up with dark planks of wood to keep the sun out. The sign up above said The Crash Shack.; while it might seem like its some bad place, especially after the bar scene I introduced you to my story at, but it’s not. Really no one went there, ok so you had your average looser but you didn’t get any of the cool crowd till after dark.

                I went through the door and instantly was blinded by the sudden change in light. Whereas outside the sun shone bright, in here you couldn’t see a thing. There were random tables and booths throughout the room in odd angles and arrays, with a pool table or card table mixed in every now and then. On the right was a bar, behind the bar was a wall of those various things you would expect to find, you know like 50 different types of beer, and a man was there too. He was a slender teen with long black hair and startlingly green eyes hiding behind ginormous glasses. He wasn’t the owner though, his father was the owner but he was never around the place. His name was Johnny and he… had a thing for me... also… your jealous aren’t you.

                “Hey Izz, how’re you doin this fine morning?” he called from behind the bar.

                “Hey Johnny, I’m doin fine, what’s new with you?”

                “Notin much, can I get you something to drink?” he came around the bar and stood next to me wringing his hands in his rag. His hair was long brown put into a pony tail in back, his eyes were amber. he was a vision in black; he had on black slacks, black tie, black sneakers, and a white dress shirt that almost glowed in the omnipresent dark. I had to admit he sure was a hottie, but I had other boys on my mind. Besides Morgan was crushing on him.

                “Sure, how’s ‘bout a Dr. P?”

                “Comin’ right up, your friends are in the back.” I walked a ways into the large room and before long I caught the raging voices of my best friends.

                “… but the cats in the box!” shouted Morgan.

                “How do you know if the cat is in the box!?” screamed Sadie back.

                “Use a clear box! I don’t know!” Morgan sprang back.

                “Not Schrödinger's cat again, just drop it you,” I shouted and plopped down between the two, “so what’s up?”

                “Well, Morgan got another100 on her AP physics test,” said Sadie moodily. Morgan gave us an obnoxious grin and threw some nuts in her mouth and gracefully missing.

                “Well it’s not like its anything new, by the way nice throw,” I couldn’t help but laugh at her. Of course she gave me a dirty look and went back to the old fashion way of putting them into her mouth.

                “All I do is forget a stupid decimal and all hell breaks loose!” Sadie freaked at me.

                “Come on get over it, you got a 90 and that’s more than the rest of our class could of hoped for,” it was hard to believe that we were freaking out over a low A while others were just trying to pass with a 60.

                “How did you do, Izz girl?” asked Morgan curiously.

                “Un undred,” I sighed taking some nuts from the dish on our table.

                “What is that? Un undred? Who says that? It makes no sense. Would you start making sense every now and then,” shouted Morgan, who was always quick to make corrections.

                “GET OVER IT!” I shouted. I didn’t want the thirty degrees from my best friend neither did I wish to discuss school. I wanted the juice, the relationship and gossip knowledge. “So did you get that date from George?” I slipped into the discussion.

                “Shut up! He’s 10 years older than me! You know that!”

                “Yeah but I also happen to know you looooove him! Ha ha,” this was better.

                “Morry and George sittin in a tree k-i-s-s-i-n-g !” sung Sadie.

                “A little kiddyish don’t you think?” I commented suspiciously.

                “Eh, whateve!” she shot back.

                Ok so I know this conversation is filled with weird teen words but bare with us, the three of us are truly geniuses in disguise, besides we never really had a chance to be children when we were.

                “Here you go ladies,” Johnny set down three ginormous beer mugs filled with soda. He drug out his order pad, “What do you guys want to eat?”

                “Um… I just want a burger, you know, the usual,” I told him being careful to keep my eyes on Morgan.

                “Hey Johnny why don’t you get Morry a date!” Cried Sadie. A glance passed between Morgan and Johnny, her rebuff was a second later than it should have been.

                “Oh my word! The two of you went out didn’t you,” I screamed. Awesome, so those two finally got together after all those nights of playing footsy. Before we could stop him Johnny left our table and went toward the bathroom.

                “Wow, you Morgan and Johnny together. I’d never thought I’d see the day…” Sadie started but couldn’t quite finish the sentence, I had the same problem, neither of us could accept the fact that our little innocent geek girl was growing up. Morgan then proceeded to run toward him. Me and Sadie looked at each other.

                “We’ll have to give him the talk,” she said giving me a curious look.

                “Naturally,” I agreed. The bell rang and we heard the babbling of two of our best guy friends.

                “Hay baby,” Sadie shrieked as she ran up to hug the tall blond. She and Alex went way back, they’d been dating for about four years now. It had taken Alex a long time to work up the courage to ask her out even then we couldn’t be sure because they’d been alone when they agreed and they didn’t tell us they’d went on a date until a week later. Still it was good to see those two together cause they were perfect for each other, he never really talked but Sadie always knew what he wanted to say, besides she was the sweetest girl I knew and he was the sweetest gut ever.

                Dex was a very tall gut with short cropped black hair, black glasses and green eyes. All these guys we hung out with seemed to be freakishly tall for some reason and poor Morgan was only 5ft. We all sat down again, that is Sadie on Alex’s lap, Dex, and I.

                “Hey, where’s Morry?” asked Dex trying to be nonchalant.

                “Oh she ran after Johnny just a second ago,” I said seeing as Sadie was distracted by Alex’s lips on hers.

                “Oh,” he gave a discontented sigh. Just as he sunk his head to the table Morgan came from the back hall.

                “Thanks you guys now he won’t even talk to me,” she sighed and sat down beside me, “and what’s this thing doing here,” she added in a heavy voice looking at Dex with disdain.

                “Oh shut up smart a*s,” he rested his head on the table behind his arms.

                “Excuse me, we don’t use that kind of language around here!” she yelled back getting to her feet.

                “You’re the only one complaining around here! You get out!” He started to stand.

                “Stop it you guys!” screamed Sadie standing between the two. I got up as well, tensions were soaring to high here. I wished they would get together before they exploded something literally seeing as they were lab partners locked up in the same windowless cramped laboratory down in the depths of the CIA building. We all sat down and I stared at Morgan and Dex, Alex and Sadie stared at each other.

                “If y’all is gona do it like this I’m leavin,” I said standing up and striding toward the door playfully.

                “No,” said Sadie and Morgan together. Of course Ben had told Alex who told Sadie who told Morgan who bragged to Dex about my bit of partying the other night so naturally they’d be nervous about where I was heading.

                “Fine, new subject,” I said resuming my seat, “did anyone go to the volleyball game last Friday?”

                “Nope,” said Morgan cheerfully picking at the bowl of nuts.

                “We went,” cheered Sadie as I knew she would.

                The rest of the night went on smoothly. We talked a little about the game and then some about the pep rally we’d had at school that Friday. We played pool and cards and had a great night after the initial blow out was over. Dex and Sadie even exchanged a few merciless sarcastic jokes about each other meant to be funny.

                No matter how much fun we had though I couldn’t help but be distracted by Ben’s absence. Johnny never did come back to us though he waited at the bar and other tables. The chef from the back room named Jonas brought us our food, he was a burly bald guy with a gut his stained gray shirt and a tattoo on his right shoulder of a heart with a ribbon that read “pain”. It was another one of those awesome hang out days that you have with your friends and on the night before we went back to school. Yet I still couldn’t get the thought of Ben out of my mind! And him being with that pris Viki. Every time I watched Sadie and Alex exchange loving glances I couldn’t help but wish that it was me in Ben’s arms.

                At around 8:00 p.m. we headed out. I was one of the last to leave because my apartment wasn’t so far off. Alex was going to drop off Sadie. Morgan and Dex were going to go on their own ways.

                “Here your highness let me help you in the royal cab,” said Dex in a mocking voice as he waved toward a cab waiting on the street. She gave him a smirk.

                “Get out of my way looser!” she sneered. Pushing him aside she got into the cab. Dex backed away to stand by the rest of us who were still saying our goodbyes as the car whisked her away back to her dad’s apartment.

                “Brat, what does she see in that doosh bag anyway?” he cursed leaning against the wall and crossing his arms.

                “Sounds to me like somebody’s jealous,” I whispered to Sadie. She smiled back at me swaying in Alex’s arms, it made me want to hurl.

                “Shut up! The only one who could love that uptight b***h is her no good father!” he shouted at us. At first me and Sadie were exchanging broad know-it-all smiles but then when he started insulting her father and those of us who loved her we shot up.

                “Hey you leave her alone!” I shouted.

                “If you don’t have anything good to say don’t say anything at all!” scolded Sadie.

                “You shouldn’t say that man,” said Alex quietly. He backed away and thought about it.

                “You’re right,” he sighed but said no more.

                “I guess I ought to go, early day tomorrow,” I said. Alex and Sadie went off towards where he’d parked his black Corolla. I walked away at that point to let Dex sulk in his own self pity.

 

Reviews

[Dylan I. Cree]

I found this chapter funny. I like the progrssion of the story, it'smoving at an okay pace. Good work.