New Year's Death Wish

Preach it, Raven

The car ride home was quiet. Too quiet for comfort. Considering Callie had a bad habit of never shutting up, specifically about guys, her not talking following a date either meant it went well until I pulled her away, or it went horribly wrong and she doesn't want to admit I was right.

I wanted to tell her what just happened. Do I  know what just happened? Something about Nate, then Kace, then I left. Am I dating Kace? No. He just was being helpful. I think? But why would he say I'm his girlfriend? He could have said literally anything else, or started a physical fight. At least if they were just rolling around the sand throwing punches, I wouldn't be sitting in my car completely confused and afraid to talk to Callie about it.

We pulled into the driveway, continuing our silent trek as we made our way into my room. As soon as the door shut, I caved. "Okay. Spill."

"Well, before I saw your text, his girlfriend showed up. You know, the one he said he was going to break up with? Today." Her quiet tone told me whatever happened next likely did not involve him breaking up with her. I braced myself for a squeaky following statement as she took a breath. "He kissed me. She yelled at him. He yelled at me. I think I just got dumped before he even asked me out."

I mentally bit my tongue trying not to say the four little words. I told you so. I couldn't have said them if I wanted to anyway, I held my tongue before the party.

"I could have told you he was an idiot before tonight. Don't ever go for guys who are already in relationships, okay?" The words summed up all the thoughts I had about this guy before.

It was too late. I should have spoken up before the party. It would have been better to deal with an angry Callie who went to the party with my words in the back of her head than an upset Callie who... Should have known better, but that's beside the point.

She rubbed her tear-filled eyes, making her look as though she just woke up after one too many tequila shots. I tried to muffle the chuckle that came out, but it was nice to see my old friend looking human again. It's intimidating being friends with someone who could be a model if she wanted, so her raccoon eyes help me feel less like a PA.

"What?" She rubbed her left eye once more, smearing the black even more.

I stopped trying to conceal my laugh as I grabbed a makeup wipe from the stand across from my bed. "You know, you have to really be careful with guys. When you look the way you do, guys are going to come dozen by dozen, knocking at your door." I started wiping the worst bits of makeup. "It's your job to decide which ones are worth letting into your house." She nodded. "And while you're at it, maybe invest in some waterproof mascara, 'cause this is bad."

We both laughed and she took the makeup wipe from my hand to look in the mirror. "Oh my gosh, it is bad!" She turned to me, looking mortified, then started laughing hysterically.

"And he didn't even ask you out. Imagine if you had dated a jerk like him. I imagine black hair and nails to go with that new look."

"Oh please no. Don't let me do this to myself again."

I'll try, I thought to myself. But you won't listen.

I picked up my stuffed dog, Mr. Snuffles, from my bed, ruining the neatly placed pillow collection, and flopped across the fuzzy comforter. Too much. Tonight was too much for both of us. "You think I can just stay home for the rest of the year?"

"What did happen while I was gone?"

I had been waiting for her to ask. "I don't know," I started. I recounted what happened as best as possible, but it all flew out of my mouth like word vomit. "Who does he think he is? I don't need rescuing. And I don't need a pity 'fake girlfriend' status to get idiot guys to leave me alone. Pepper spray would have worked just fine."

"Preach it, Raven."

She grabbed a brush from the vanity and shape shifted back into the model she was. Or should be, I guess. She should be a model. She should be the one having these issues. She would know how to handle two idiots. (As long as she wasn't vying for one or the other's attention.)

I pulled at the strips of fabric on the edge of the comforter. "It was all strange. I'm not necessarily mad at him for it. Just annoyed because I had no idea what was happening. There was nothing inherently wrong, but I almost wish he would have warned me beforehand or something."

Callie's ear twitched, a subconscious habit I noticed when she had a hankering for something mischievous. "So, don't be surprised next time."

"No. I don't want a next time." I sat up so fast, Mr. Snuffles fell to the ground beside me. "How about this time was the last time and you don't leave me at a party with my ex. Ever again."

"Hear me out: You pretend date Kace for a week, max, just to get under Nate's skin and then drop him. Think about how that would make Nate feel. Oh, the look on his face when we left was priceless, but imagine if you flaunted it."

"So I ask Kace to be my fake boyfriend or actually ask him to be my boyfriend and break up with him after a week?" Callie nodded along with me. "Wait- what? Stop this. I am not actually entertaining this idea. I'm trying to get you to hear how absolutely insane you sound right now."

"No harm in trying." She winked. I didn't comment any further. I'm not sure which I was more afraid of if I continued, her not dropping it, or me talking myself into it.

She left soon after, leaving me to clean up all of the clothes she threw around my room and think. After every hanger I picked up, I felt like I was playing a variation of He-Loves-Me-He-Loves-Me-Not. Except it went more like Should-I-Should-I-Not.

Then my phone took me out of my trance.

Unknown: I'll see you at the café in the morning?

Me: I think you have the wrong number.

Unknown: Nope. This is Kace. I'll see you tomorrow ;)

Not how I wanted to decide.