Taking a cue from Jeremy, I put on my best smile.
This is the most uncomfortable I think I've ever been. Its bad enough that I forgot my deodorant and my hair looks like a rat's residence. But seeing him like this; his arm around her waist and his lips precariously close to her glittering earlobe, could kill me.
I'm over-dramatic, but I can't help the lump growing in my throat. It tastes like regret and vomit.
"You look lovely, Annie." he says. He smiles, again. Did his hand tighten around her waist? Or is that my imagination?
"Thank you." I say, though I accuse him of lying. In the privacy of my head. "You look like you are doing well."
"Well, Pam and I just got married," he says, nonchalantly. As if I hadn't noticed the sterling silver band on his finger the moment he walked in. "We're getting ready to close on our first house, so we're pretty excited."
"Congratulations!" I say, congratulating myself for sounding halfway sincere.
We chit-chat for what feels like, an uncomfortably, long time. I leave them with a chipper good-night before heading to the roof to smoke.
I puff thoughtfully, gazing off and into the night sky. A shooting star streaks through the set patterns. Rearranging more than the cloud patterns.
"Those things will kill you, you know." says a voice. Startled, I jump to my feet and drop my cigarette.
"Sorry." he says, sheepishly. "Didn't mean to scare you."
"What the fuck did you think would happen?" I shout, both embarrassed and scared. Who is this guy?
"I'm Eli." he says, as if he heard my thought waves. He stretches out a hand to shake, looking sufficiently apologetic.
"Annie." I say, taking his hand in mine. "What are you doing on the roof?"
"I could ask you the same question."
"I needed a break from the meet and greet session downstairs."
"Same. Can I bum one of those from you?" he gestures at the pack I dropped and I retrieve one for him.
We sit in semi-comfortable silence for a few minutes before we hear the gymnasium doors open below us. Jenny traipses through, tilting drunkenly onto the football field. Her red hair is plastered to her face and neck, a beer in her hand.
"What's Jenny doing?" I wonder, out loud.
"Don't know." Eli shrugs.
"I better go get her. The last thing she needs is to fall and hurt herself." I push myself to a standing position and dust myself off. Eli also stands and escorts me to the staircase. I give him my pack of cigarettes. He smiles and pretends to tip an invisible hat to me.
Jenny dances in lopsided circles across the dewy grass. She has her shoes off, like always.
"Sis, let's go home." I say, picking up her debris. "You've had enough."
"I've not." she replies. She doesn't even look at me, her eyes locked on something only she sees.
"C'mon, Jen. Its getting chilly."
This is the most uncomfortable I think I've ever been. Its bad enough that I forgot my deodorant and my hair looks like a rat's residence. But seeing him like this; his arm around her waist and his lips precariously close to her glittering earlobe, could kill me.
I'm over-dramatic, but I can't help the lump growing in my throat. It tastes like regret and vomit.
"You look lovely, Annie." he says. He smiles, again. Did his hand tighten around her waist? Or is that my imagination?
"Thank you." I say, though I accuse him of lying. In the privacy of my head. "You look like you are doing well."
"Well, Pam and I just got married," he says, nonchalantly. As if I hadn't noticed the sterling silver band on his finger the moment he walked in. "We're getting ready to close on our first house, so we're pretty excited."
"Congratulations!" I say, congratulating myself for sounding halfway sincere.
We chit-chat for what feels like, an uncomfortably, long time. I leave them with a chipper good-night before heading to the roof to smoke.
I puff thoughtfully, gazing off and into the night sky. A shooting star streaks through the set patterns. Rearranging more than the cloud patterns.
"Those things will kill you, you know." says a voice. Startled, I jump to my feet and drop my cigarette.
"Sorry." he says, sheepishly. "Didn't mean to scare you."
"What the fuck did you think would happen?" I shout, both embarrassed and scared. Who is this guy?
"I'm Eli." he says, as if he heard my thought waves. He stretches out a hand to shake, looking sufficiently apologetic.
"Annie." I say, taking his hand in mine. "What are you doing on the roof?"
"I could ask you the same question."
"I needed a break from the meet and greet session downstairs."
"Same. Can I bum one of those from you?" he gestures at the pack I dropped and I retrieve one for him.
We sit in semi-comfortable silence for a few minutes before we hear the gymnasium doors open below us. Jenny traipses through, tilting drunkenly onto the football field. Her red hair is plastered to her face and neck, a beer in her hand.
"What's Jenny doing?" I wonder, out loud.
"Don't know." Eli shrugs.
"I better go get her. The last thing she needs is to fall and hurt herself." I push myself to a standing position and dust myself off. Eli also stands and escorts me to the staircase. I give him my pack of cigarettes. He smiles and pretends to tip an invisible hat to me.
Jenny dances in lopsided circles across the dewy grass. She has her shoes off, like always.
"Sis, let's go home." I say, picking up her debris. "You've had enough."
"I've not." she replies. She doesn't even look at me, her eyes locked on something only she sees.
"C'mon, Jen. Its getting chilly."
No comments:
Post a Comment