Broken Feathers

Happy

Chapter Ten: Happy (Pharrell Williams) 

  

It had previously taken a relatively long time to make me happy. At first, it had been as simple as getting some paint and paper and making a picture. Then I got older, and my vices started to kick in – I wanted cigarettes and booze and sex. And none of them were particularly gentlemanly behaviour. 

But there was something very cheer-inducing about receiving a kiss from a beautiful girl. 

Especially if that beautiful girl was Star Jenkins. I was so happy, in fact, that the pancakes had made an appearance. Anyone who lived with me, knew that a momentous occasion had occurred when I broke out the pancake batter and my trusty frying pan. 

With the radio on my side and the sun drifting in through the window, the only thing that could dampen my mood was the appearance of Kalem in the doorway, his eyes red from sleep and his face pissed. 

What a spoilsport. 

"Jay?" Kalem hissed, his eyes narrowed and looking remarkably scrawny in his boxers. "Hmm?" I replied, turning around, mid flip. It didn't even matter that it was some neurotic pop tune blasting its way into my eardrums! I wanted to sing to the heavens because finally, finally I had convinced Star Jenkins that I was good enough for her! And it felt fucking fantastic! 

"What the fuck are you doing?" Kalem asked sullenly, glaring at me. 

"...Making pancakes! You want?" I offered, holding out the frying pan to him. Except, he'd have to wait if he wanted some of my golden delicious pancakes. They were hot. 

"Who are you?" he groaned. "And what have you done with Jay?" 

"My date went really well." I grinned cheekily, still unable to believe just how well it had gone. Like...swimmingly well. I might as well have changed my Facebook status. "Oh Christ," Kalem huffed, "you didn't bang the princess, did you?" He looked at me through widened eyes, and I was half tempted to say I did just to watch him erupt. Jesus, did he have no faith in me? Of course I didn't have sex with her on the first date! Always sassy, never trashy or whatever that show that Kelly watched always said. 

"No, I didn't bang the princess," I muttered, rolling my eyes as I went back to crafting my pancakes. 

"Oh, thank God." I heard the scraping of a chair as he sat down. "So what happened?" I shrugged nonchalantly.  

"We talked a little," I said, thinking it through in my head. "I walked her home. Kissed her." The smile crept across my face, remembering the way her cheeks had flushed as our lips met, remembering the flutter in my heart. Fuck, it had been perfect. 

"...That's all?" 

"That's all." 

"And...you're content with that?" Kalem asked, tilting his head to the side. For a guy who wasn't interested in sex, he sure had a lot of interest in whether I had banged the girl of my dreams. 

"Yeah!" I exclaimed, starting to eat a pancake. "She's special, Kalem." 

"You think so?" 

"I know so." 

Kalem blinked at me, rubbing the back of his neck as though he didn't know quite what to say to me after that. 

"Well...that's good," he muttered, stifling a yawn. I grinned, pouring more batter into the frying pan.  

It wasn't just good. It was fucking fantastic.