cherry bomb // randall "pink" floyd

why can't we be friends?

"Is Slater not coming?" Donna asked. The two were sitting in Pink's car as he got ready to leave the parking lot. Donna propped her knee up and sat sideways with her back against the door so that she could face Pink.

"No. He, uh, decided to ride with Pickford."
Donna nodded and laughed when Pink turned his head to reveal some Cool Whip still on his cheek.

"What's so funny?" he asked.

"You've got some-" Donna pointed at his cheek. "Some Cool Whip."

"Oh," he wiped at his face, missing the spot on his cheek. "Thanks for that by the way," he said sarcastically.

"My pleasure. Here, let me get it," she said as he continually failed to find the spot. She reached forward to grab Pink's jaw with her left hand and turn his head so she could wipe off the white patch. She let go but made sure to hold eye contact with him as she licked the whipped cream off of her finger. "Eyes on the road." He whipped his head back forward and cleared his throat. "Don deserved that, you know."

"Yeah, I know. He's an ass."

"Tell me about it." For a few moments, the only sound that filled the car was "Why Can't We Be Friends," which played softly on the radio. Donna leaned her head back against the window and shut her eyes as she listened to the song. Pink glanced over a few times to admire the small smile that adorned the girls face. The sunshine from outside shone onto her face, casting long shadows from her eyelashes. The freckles that popped up on her forehead during the sunny months had started to form. Pink thought that she gave off the same energy as the sunshine: blissful and bright. The car bounced as it went over a pothole, snapping him out of his trance.

"So," he started. "About your birthday."

The girl opened her eyes and waited to hear what he was saying.

"I was thinking - I mean it's totally up to you - but I was thinking maybe we could go to Zilker. You know, maybe drive around a little, hit there for sunset, smoke a j, the whole deal."

A smile overtook the girl's face. She remembered when she told Pink that Zilker, a park by the river in downtown, was her favorite place to watch the sunset. She had no idea he'd remember something like that. "That's, like, the perfect idea. Who all is 'we'?"

"Well I don't know, it's your birthday, man. It's obviously up to you."

"Okay, I'll tell the girls. Probably not too big of a group - maybe Michelle and Kevin, Jodi, Kaye, Shavonne. I guess you could come," she joked. "And then Simone. That's probably all."

"Simone?" Pink seemed a little nervous at the mention of his girlfriend.

"Yeah...I mean we are friends. Why, did something happen between y'all?"

"No. I mean, I don't know."

Donna raised her eyebrows and turned the radio off. She could tell something was wrong. "Talk."

Pink exhaled and rubbed his eye. "Nothing happened. Things just have been...weird lately, I guess. It kinda just feels like we're together because that's what we're supposed to do, you know? Like, we both know it too. I think we can both tell that the other just feels kind of, I don't know, meh about the whole relationship. Like it's more of a duty now than an actual connection."

Donna hated it, but his words made her heart speed up. She felt selfish, because she really did feel bad for Pink - and Simone - but the thought of their relationship fading away gave her hope. Maybe things could work out in her favor without having to hurt anyone.

"Well, if you feel that way, I think you know what the best thing is to do. It's unfair to both of you to be in a relationship that your heart isn't really in."

"Yeah, I know. I guess change is just hard. And I think I've been putting it off because right now is supposed to be fun, you know, and I don't want to ruin the start to her summer."

Donna laughed a little, and Pink looked at her like she was crazy. "No offense, Pink, but if you're right about her feeling the same way as you, you'll be doing her a favor. I'm sure she'd much rather be free this summer than stuck in a relationship she's not satisfied with."

"Ouch." Pink pretended to wince and held a hand over his heart.

Donna slapped his arm and shook her head at his dramatics. "You know what I mean. And what about you? Don't you want that freedom? I'm sure you'd be glad not to be tied down." It hurt Donna to say, but she couldn't let any hint of her feelings show through.

"I mean, having a girlfriend isn't the worst thing ever. What if I already liked someone else, huh? Does that make me an asshole?" Pink seemed like he was genuinely asking, like he didn't want to be a bad guy.

Meanwhile, Donna's heart was beyond racing; it had jumped into her throat and started doing jumping jacks. Was it such a farfetched idea that maybe Pink liked her back? She could be the hypothetical girl, right? "I don't know about that, but I do know that you still have a girlfriend right now. So maybe figure that situation out before you go chasing after someone else."

Pink sighed again. "Yeah you're right. Like always."

"You know it," Donna winked. "One other thing: if you're going to get Aerosmith tickets tomorrow, you might want to figure that whole situation out before you get two tickets and then lose your date. Simone is still my friend, and that would be unfair to her."

"Shit. Yeah, uh, I'll figure it out."

"Mhm, you better. Now, what's this about liking another girl?" Donna could swear that she saw Randall Floyd blush for maybe the first time ever. She was testing the waters now. "Oh my god! Who is it?" It was hard to ask, because she had no idea whether it was actually her or not. The thought of it being someone else pained her. She was this close to getting what her heart desired.

"Nuh uh. We're not going there," Pink brushed off the topic. Donna hoped that this was a good sign. If it was her, he probably wouldn't straight up tell her right then, right there.

"Whatever. Now about this birthday idea of yours - wait! Does that mean I can't invite Simone now? Thanks a lot, Floyd." Donna pushed his arm again and the two laughed as they pulled in front of the Pickford house.

...

my mom was telling me about how the dazed and confused soundtrack was one of the first cassettes she bought even though she wasn't allowed to watch the movie, and it made me think about how cool it is how things like music and film can have different connections throughout generations. like, when my mom was a teenager she was listening to this soundtrack and here i am at the same age, loving the movie and making my own connections to it.