by Katie Wright
"Ah, I see," he chuckled, "he was occupied with me."
I nodded, "Yes he was," an uncomfortable laugh left my lips. I hoped Dan hadn't noticed.
"Okay well can I see what you've been up to?" He reached over and grabbed my papers which were now neatly placed into preservation slippers. "Good job. You know we're almost done. Now we just need to catalogue these and place them in the archive boxes."
He got up and started to walk away when I remembered, "Oh Dan?"
"Yes?" His expression was questioning and a little unnerving.
"I read an article in the newspaper the other day. Maybe you should place the papers in a freezer? I heard they seem to preserve the papers better."
He laughed; if he was laughing at me or my suggestion I wasn't sure. "Maybe if we got a freezer," he said and then left me.
Home was such a sour place now that Sarah had left. It was quiet and then I decided I would give Cara a call. Maybe it was indeed time to have a girl's night.
"Hello?" a light voice asked from the other end.
"How are you doing?"
"Heath! Oh I was going to call you but I just haven't gotten around to it. I kind of figured you didn't want to talk to me."
She had me in a guilt trap but I tried to reassure her I wasn't mad at her, "Well not mad, per say, a little put off. But you're my friend you know I care."
"Yeah, I just can't believe it."
"How'd you find out?"
"Well," Cara began, her voice catching, "I went to a party with him and some of his friends. I don't really like some of his friends though they're kind of just about getting the booty, you know?"
I nodded, "Yeah…"
"And anyways, he left me by myself with some people I didn't know. He said something about going to talk with someone. Then I mentioned I wanted to go find him and his friends said, 'oh you don't wanna do that he's with Alisa.'"
"Alisa, who?" I knew where this was going and my anger was growing a little more with each question.
"Well, that's what I said. And they started saying that he was with his ex and getting some and then I just didn't believe them. I told them they were full of shit and they were laughing. I left them and then," Cara's voiced hitched again and she started to cry.
"Calm down it's okay," I tried my best but I knew she was hurt real bad.
"And then I found him in another room hooking up with some girl. I guess it was Alisa, I fucking hate him!"
"Oh Jesus, you know why don't you come over tonight? Me and Jane can console you with some ice cream and a chick flick."
Once she was able to catch her breath she answered, "Oh, yes I'd think that would be a good idea."
Cara and I waited patiently for Jane to arrive. She was normally late but now it was an hour and we were both a bit worried. That's when I received the phone call. Jane called pissed off screaming about her shit car breaking down on her.
I told her we'd be there to pick her up. The state police had moved the car before the AAA arrived and towed the car to the closest mechanics. The bill was $80 just for taking the car a mile down the road. Jane decided not to have the car fixed there and would have AAA take it to my cousin's place the next day.
Once we all settled into comfortable pajamas and listened to the rest of Jane's bitchfest it was time to devote our attention to Cara.
"Well," Jane began, still wired, "I think we need to find you a new guy. That's the best thing to get over someone."
I shook my head, "What about her feelings? Wouldn't the other guy be rebound?"
"Yes, he would be but then he'd be a lot easier to get over and you'd forget all about what's his name."
"Rich," Cara supplied.
"Rich," Jane echoed.
Cara sighed, "The thing is I don't even know if I entirely liked him that much. I mean I guess I kind of liked him because he was nice to me and because I was getting attention from him. I don't know if I liked him initially."
"Well that's a problem," I stated.
Cara continued, "Yeah, I think I liked him because he liked me. But I can't believe he cheated on me!"
"So what you're saying is that you're not mad because you love him and shit and your heart is broken but that he picked another girl over you," Jane's matter of fact tone was kind of well sickening but she had a point.
"Yes," Cara agreed, "but I didn't deserve to be treated that way."
"Nobody does, time for movie," I popped in a dvd.
"Batman?" Jane said surprised, "I thought we were watching a chick flick?"
"Well it has romance," I added.
"Okay," Jane's cautious voice replied.
The girls and I watched Batman and then debated if Batman Begins was better than the original. Cara seemed happier, especially after her real reason for being upset was exposed.
I guess it didn't matter if she liked him a lot or not. The point was that if someone is in a relationship than if the other person doesn't want to be with them anymore they should just break up. I especially remembered this point of fact after what I had seen with Casey.
Casey, a person I didn't want to think about but couldn't help. I especially couldn't forget him when we all decided to take Jane's car to the mechanic's.
I walked over to Brian, who seemed surprised to see all three of us.
"Yes, is there something I could help you with?" His smugness pissed me off sometimes.
I looked over at Jane, "Jane's car needs to be fixed. They were supposed to tow it over this morning."
Realization dawned on Brian's face, "Oh yeah, Mickey's looking at it right now."
"Can we see it?"
"Whoa," Brian put his hands up, "Heath what has your undies in a twist? It's only 10:30 in the morning."
I blew out a breath, "I'm not upset I just want to see the car."
"Well you can't go back there right now. Heavy machinery, etc." Then Brian turned and left us standing at the office.
"What the hell was that all about?" My rhetorical question was left in the air. My two friends didn't respond and we all just decided to sit down in the waiting area.
Jane muttered, "I wonder how long it'll take to at least tell me what it is."
Cara offered, "Probably not that long."
I shook my head, "Was Brian acting weird or was it just me?"
My friends didn't look at me as Casey walked through the entrance to the office. He had papers in his hand.
"Hey, what are you guys doing here?" He asked when he recognized us.
Jane answered for us, "My car came in this morning, I'm waiting to hear from Mickey about what's wrong. Will he be out soon?"
Casey nodded, "Yeah, I don't know."
"You're a lot of help," I mumbled under my breath.
Casey gave me a pointed look and seemed to be biting his inner mouth. Good I hoped he would bite a hole through his cheek.
He shook his head and then left us.
Another fifteen minutes later and I was up walking back and forth. "I'm tired of this shit. I've been back there before why the hell am I waiting in the office?" I stormed through the side door and Cara and Jane followed.
We walked to where the shop was and I saw Brian discussing something with Casey. Then I looked over and saw Mickey examining Jane's car.
"Mickey!" I hollered.
He glanced at us, "Hey!" He waved.
I walked up to him, "What's wrong with Jane's car?"
"Oh," he said, "Well I think it's going to be expensive."
"That helps," Jane said, "Mickey how much?"
He shook his head, "Not sure maybe you should come back in an hour. I would rather ask Brian or Casey before I estimate. We have to check everything. You're lucky I got to look at it today."
"Oh," Jane looked around, "Well why weren't we allowed back here."
Mickey gave us all uncertain looks, "What do you mean? You guys can come back here just have to be careful."
My confusion was at an all time high. I stormed off to ask Brian what his probl
em was when I came up to not only Brian and Casey but a third party.
"Lucy?" I asked.
The bouncy girl turned around, "Hey!" She ran up and gave me a hug.
When my shock wore off I asked, "Aren't you supposed to be up at school with my sister?"
"Well I have to come home on the weekends to work. I told Casey I'd stop by."
"Casey?" Now I was more than a little confused. I didn't even remember them speaking to one another at the beach.
"Yeah we're going out to the movies tonight. I came by to confirm, you know," she pulled me away from the two boys who were now not even looking in our direction. "He's so hot I can't believe he asked me out."
"Yeah it seemed sort of out of the blue," I glanced at my two best friends who seemed to be speaking with Mickey but once they spotted me, Jane stopped and all three just had a look I couldn't quite place. It could have been pity, but I surely didn't think they felt sorry for me.
"Well," Lucy looked in the same direction, "Hey guys!"
Jane and Cara came up to us and the three of them chatted up a conversation and I was only half listening to them. Cara was introduced to Lucy and they had some small talk. I dazed out and tried to figure out what had happened. I looked back over to where Brian and Casey had stood but they were no longer there.
The whole situation was bothering me. I tried not thinking about it but it couldn't be helped once Jane started talking.
"Wow I wasn't expecting them to start dating."
"What do you mean?" I questioned. We decided to leave the shop after Mickey said he wanted to get a second opinion. Lunch was in order but for some reason I wasn't so hungry.
"Heath I've been meaning to tell you something but didn't think I'd have to because I really didn't think anything would come of it."
"What," I stared out the front window at the fence around the lot. They really needed to get a new fence; there were holes in it and growing ivy pulling it down.
"Heather, remember the last night we all stayed at the beach house?"
"Yes Jane it was only like a week ago."
Cara remained quiet in the back seat. I presumed she knew before I did what had happened and I started to feel very angry.
"Well you went to bed early and um, Lucy and Casey went off somewhere. No one knew and then Mickey found them and well I guess it was more than a summer fling."
Now I was biting the inside of my mouth.
"Are you okay?" Cara asked.
"Fine, why wouldn't I be?" I started the car.
"Oh come on, we know you guys had a bit of a fight and him going off and hooking up with some little girl isn't the way."
I pulled out of the lot and started driving towards Applebees.
Jane continued speaking when she knew I wasn't going to say anything, "Come on Heath, I know this pisses you off. He just did it to get back at you and make you upset. But I don't think he wanted you to find out and now he's shot himself in the ass."
"What the hell are you talking about? And I think it's he shot himself in the foot," I sped up.
"Whatever, I mean the reason I didn't tell you or anybody else was because he asked us not to."
"Who?"
"Casey, and that's why they didn't want us back there because she was there. See I knew he liked you," Jane sounded so happy that she was right it pissed me off even more.
"That's bullshit he doesn't like me," I tried to interject.
"No, he does, you're too asinine to realize it."
"Oh big word!"
"Fuck you Heath, none of this would have happened if you didn't question everything he did. Like he had some secret motive to hurt you or something. You like him too and you know it so why cover it up?"
"Because I don't like him. If everyone would stop bothering and saying I like him when I don't and stop giving him the idea that I do maybe then none of this would have happened!" I was fuming and speeding.
We made it to the restaurant safely though but none of us spoke except to order lunch.
Then Cara commented, "I like it here. You know they have the best oriental wraps."
Me and Jane nodded, and simultaneously said, "Yes." We looked up and started laughing at one another. We decided for the rest of lunch we wouldn't speak about Casey until I was ready to, whatever that meant. Then we concentrated on looking for a guy for Cara. What a fun filled afternoon.
Chapter 13: Halloween Candy Ain't So Sweet.
I hated Halloween, mostly because I despised dressing up. I felt stupid and usually whatever I wore was uncomfortable and unflattering.
"What about this one Heath?" Sarah and Jane were both at a random costume shop in the mall.
Sarah was home for fall break and planned on returning for Lucy's Halloween party. Well not really Lucy's but Lucy's older sister's party. However we were all invited under the assumption the more the merrier. Yeah well I wasn't merry and I wasn't looking forward to going.
Halloween only being a week away I still hadn't bought an outfit and now these two knuckle heads were trying to find something last minute. Mostly all the good stuff was gone and maybe it would be my fate not to go. I would be fine with that.
"Come on Heather a little response would suffice," Sarah pouted at me.
I shook my head at the sexy angel outfit. It disturbed me, and not because it was an angel looking sinful but that she thought I could pull something like that off.
"Heath, you're going so you better find something or we'll drag you as is and call you, well you." Jane smiled evilly and I knew she wasn't bluffing. I would feel ten times more stupid without a costume.
"Fine," I grumbled to myself and walked over to a rack attempting to seem interested in some of the outfits.
"Hey, Heath," Jane came over to me with a solemn look on her face, "Don't be surprise but Casey's going and so is Brian and Mickey."
"Pfff," I threw a hand in the air, "I know and I don't care." I continued to dig further into the attire and started wishing I would find something if just to get out of this pointless conversation. Jane insisted I liked Casey and would try numerous times to breech the topic but I wouldn't bite. This was especially true since I've been able to avoid him the past couple of weeks.
"You're going to have to see him and Lucy. They've been going out for what, a month now?" Jane seemed to think I cared.
"This seems nice," I pulled out a random suit.
"It's Godzilla, Heath."
"Oh."
"Yeah, oh," unfortunately for me she continued, "I think you should wear this."
Pulling out a very red dress.
"What's that, am I supposed to be Jessica Rabbit?" I teased. My mom always insisted I be that for Halloween one year because of my hair. Yeah, right.
"No dumb ass, it's a flapper costume."
As I looked at it I realized she was right, "Yeah that's cute," I commented. At this point I just decided to get it. It wouldn't hurt and it was cute.
"We got one!" Jane called over to Sarah.
I heard a cry from across the room, "Finally!"
"Thanks guys," I muttered and grabbed the dress to purchase it.
Alright I wanted to officially kill myself for even saying I wanted to go to this damn party. There I stood in my flapper garb waiting impatiently next to Sarah, dressed as a cat, for my two friends to arrive and take us to this 'oh so kick ass party.' I had a feeling if I got drunk that would make it fun enough for me.
"Oh they're here!" Sarah ran to the door.
"Hold on!" My mom screamed from the hallway.
Sarah turned around. Yes, our mother was very strict, especially with Sarah, the baby.
"What time are you guys coming home?"
I thought about this one and in my experience I answered, "Actually mom we're staying over Lucy's, I told dad remember?"
She thought it over in her head. I had mentioned something about staying over. And indeed we were getting home the next morning after staying up all night, so what was the difference?
&n
bsp; "Are boy's staying over?" Mom's hands were on her hips.
"Actually Lucy's letting us stay in her bedroom, door locked."
This seemed to calm her a bit, "Okay then, and be careful."
It seemed like we were home free, well me at least.