Good Night

TAMPCENT | DONT PLAY THIS SONG

As we ended winter break we were forced to return to school and introduced to new electives. I chose Criminal Justice since I wanted to be a lawyer. Apparently, they recommend similar courses to people who wanted to enter the police force. Intratcher and I were in the same class so at tutoring we both had something to do from the same recipient. Regardless that all was the least of my concerns.

I pushed out the grip of the machine chest press, groaning through my teeth as I uttered to Intratcher. "I mean, it's 7 pm on a Wednesday, she hasn't messaged me in 13 hours." Intratchers eyes rolled. We'd finished our Criminal Justice homework and strolled to the gym.

"You know, I never would've expected this is how you'd act when you got a girlfriend." Intratcher laughed, using the duplicate machine lined beside me. "Well, you don't go to the same school as Taylor, so 13 hours isn't bad."

13 hours wouldn't be bad if the only other relationship I could reference with him talked all the time. Intratcher had to inform Evelyn how long we'd be at the gym so she didn't think he was dismissing her. "The conversation we had 13 hours ago was like three words as well. Sometimes I just wish we were more affectionate." I scoffed and tightened my clasp on the handles of the machine.

Intratcher dropped the handles and dramatically plunged his hands into his lap. "You're kidding, right? You need to tell her that because, in the face of affection, you sit there like a dumb dog and drool." He explained, I decided to ignore his mockery.

"Maybe." I sighed, brushing my hands off each other as I let go of the handle grip. My body veered to Intratcher. "I'm not good at that stuff, she should just transfer to our school."

"Her Grandma is too stubborn for that." Intratcher joked, but I just tilted my head.

I wasn't sure what her grandma had to do with anything we were just conversing about. "What? Her Grandma?" I squinted my eyes in a haze.

"Her Grandma?" Intratcher reiterated. "Her Grandma that pays the rent for their house and for Taylor to even go to that fancy private school."

"Taylor's house is rented out?" My brows lifted and my voice shrunk. "I didn't know that, she didn't tell me anything about that."

"Oh." Intratcher turned to the wall, silence thickening between us. Was that pity or confusion? "Let's hit the treadmills and go, it's almost 8"

We wiped off the equipment we formerly used with the provided wet wipes and approached the treadmills. I despised going to the gym alone, it made me uncomfortable the way people's eyes floated to me. But it wasn't so bad when people's eyes floated to Intratcher and me. It wasn't so bad with Intratcher and me. I almost liked Intratcher and me.

"Do you want my other earbud?" Offered Intratcher as we stepped onto the treadmills, clicking the same numbers into the machine I had set.

I took up his offer and we ran to his playlist. I believe he was talking to me. I almost listened but the music was a perfect block between his speech and my thoughts. The thoughts were lined with spikes that crept too long. I didn't even like his music or ignoring him but it felt right. It felt so right. Ignoring him felt more natural than speaking to him.

I pondered to myself why Intratcher knew so much more about Taylor than I did and if our conversations mattered to her. Maybe our conversations did matter, but they mattered more with him than with me. I wondered if I scared off the first girl who seemed to like me with my murder narrative.