"I don't know, Dev. I think I should get some sleep."
"Awe, come on, Jesse."
"Justin."
"Jusse."
"Justin!"
"Ok. Justin. Come to the movies with me," Devyn said with a grin. I laughed, "Alright, fatty. I'll
come to the movies with you." I walked over to his garage and pulled the door of his dark blue
old Chevy truck open. "Me? Fat?" he said, gaping. I laughed, "Oh, Dev, we all know that the only
reason you want to take me to the movies is so you can pig out on movie theater popcorn with
nasty slime butter and nacho powder." Devyn laughed, "Ok. I won't deny the truth." I smiled as
Devyn closed his car door and started the engine.
"Oh, what shall we see?" Devyn asked, frowning at the list of movies playing. "Well, there's
When in Rome-"
"Too mushy."
"Letters to Juliet-"
"Too gushy."
"Dear John-"
"Too mushy gushy!"
"Eclipse?"
"No, no, no! Too many romances!"
"Eclipse has vampires, too-"
"Yea. Mushy gushy sparkly vampires."
I laughed, "Ok, you win. Let's do something else."
"What? There isn't any guy movies?"
"Um...none."
"WHAT HAS THIS WORLD COME TO?" he screamed, pressing his hand to his forehead
dramatically. I laughed, "Ok. We're going to Barnes and Noble." He was quiet for a minute as he
slowly walked behind me towards his car. "The book store?" he asked questionably after a long
silence. "Mhm."
"Why?"
"I love books! Don't you?"
"Well, ya, I guess, but I wouldn't really think of going there as a da-" he stopped, and my head
snapped to stare at him. "As something to do when you're hanging out with friends," he added
quickly. I sighed. "Well, we're original." He shrugged, "Ok. Off we go then." He started the car
and turned his head to see out the back window, his arm stretched out behind him. His arms
were muscly, but not so much that they were like logs with skin over them, like that guy Philip
at my office. He had sort-of-long, shaggy light brown hair and light blue eyes. His eyes were the
kind girls gaped over in high school, and he was professional at the head-turning hair-flip. Most
people thought me crazy to have turned him down so many times, and to fight still to keep
away his affections for me. But I knew why I did it-Devyn was my best friend. The thing about
all the relationships I had been in, (and most of the relationships I expected to come,) was that
they ended. I didn't want Devyn to just vanish. He was too important to me to risk losing in a
stupid relationship that could end quickly and amount to nothing. Not only that, but there just
wasn't anything there. I didn't...love him. I wasn't in love with him. I wasn't attracted to him in
that way at all. And what's the point of being in a relationship with someone that you don't
love? Practice for marriage or something? I didn't want to lose Devyn over a practice
relationship.
I wouldn't let that happen.
I yawned as my alarm rung. 5:15 it read. I pressed the light blue button, silencing the
irritating buzz emerging from the little clock. I walked to my bathroom, walking into the wall
twice, and washed my face. I walked out of the bathroom and flipped on the light in my closet. I
reached in and pulled out form-fitting jeans and a long sleeve scoop-neck shirt I had gotten as a
Christmas present from my cousin. I walked into the small kitchen in my apartment and pulled
a box of Cheerios from my cabinet. I pulled the fridge open and groaned as I saw no milk. I
walked back into my room, brushed my teeth, grabbed my purse, and closed the door to my
apartment behind me.
"Hey, Bubba." Bubba's second job was at a clothing store right in the center of the mall,
where he constantly sold garments to customers who shouldn't be spending money and didn't
look particularly fabulous in them. "Honey, that looks FABULOUS on you. It brings out the
color in your eyes and contrasts absolutely perfectly with your dark hair. Love it," he said to his
latest non-charitable case. "You really think so?" the girl said, biting her lip and holding back a
smile as she stared at herself posing in the horrific dress in front of the the three-way mirror.
"Oh, defini-" Bubba began, but I cut him off. "Actually, I don't really like it. The pattern doesn't
work with the shape of your face, and though I do agree that it brings out the color in your
eyes, I must add that it doesn't work with your hair color. A red-head, maybe, but a brunette?"
The girl stared at me, wide-eyed, as I wrinkled my nose and said, "Not so much." She opened
her mouth to say something, but I quickly added, "Also, if you'll look out there," I motioned to
the opposite side of the mall, "You'll see an adorable little boutique that will have practically
the exact same dress for half the price with a better pattern and maybe even a better color. And
its not as if it's a knock-off, seeing as that one isn't a brand name." The girl's eyes widened to
the size of golf balls. Bubba glared at me. The girl hurried into the dressing room. Bubba glared
at me some more. She came out of the dressing room, hung up the dress, and said, "You know,
I don't think I can afford this right now." She smiled politely at Bubba and widened her eyes
again at me and then hurriedly rushed out of the store, heading in the direction of the boutique
I had told her about. I turned away from the changing rooms to face Bubba. "So, Bub, how's
business?" Bubba sighed angrily, still glaring at me, and said, "Well it was going just FINE until
YOU got here." I smiled, "Hey, what are friends for?" Bubba groaned and face his computer,
doing some sort of boutique work. "What do you want, Justin?"
"Where's the nearest bakery? I'm in a major hurry, so a really close one, please." I smiled and
blinked my eyelashes innocently. He frowned, "If you weren't so pretty, I would tell you to get
your butt out of my store and go find your own bakery, but unfortunately, this is not the case."
I smiled. "So, walk out this exit and turn to the left, then pass Abercrombie and Forever 21 and
you'll find the best and cheapest bakery in town. Happy?" Bubba couldn't help suppressing a
grin as I stepped behind the counter and kissed his cheek, "Thanks Bub! See ya later!"
"See ya, ya little troublemaker." I turned my head to smile at him as I hurried out of the little
store.
© 2009
No comments:
Post a Comment