The Perfect Mix

Seven. The Perfect Mix of Indoors and Outdoors

                It was 9PM. I was walking towards Jane’s house. I didn’t have much time to think of what I should give her that she’ll remember me by. So I just brought one of my favorite CD with me. It was “Songs About Jane” by Maroon 5, which is really fitting. I wanted to give her a spiderman DVD too, but I know Canada has HBO or something.

The last song on Songs About Jane was “Sweetest Goodbye”, which is also fitting. I wanted a sweet goodbye. I wanted to say sorry as well and I wanted to kiss Mary Jane. I want Mary Jane for one last night.

I also brought large fries from our favorite fastfood. I had to take two extra bus trips to get this but I know it’s also worth it. I kind of wanted to take her off her house and just talk outside, eating fries. Talking about how life would now be now that she’s in Canada and when she’ll come by to visit us back home. Finally, I could hear loud music as I get closer to Jane’s house. I could see a lot of parked cars too.

Jane’s family is wealthy. Her house was big and the front garden was big as well. There was also a garden on the side of the house separated by a bush designed like a fence. I thought to myself that must have been some expensive gardening work. To be honest, I never went pass the gate. Well that changes tonight.

As soon as I enter the gate, I could see a lot of people starting to enter the house, mostly freshmen. So like a horse with blinders, I walked and aimed for the door. When I walked it, there were more people. Again, they were mostly freshmen, but I could see a group of male seniors gathering around drinking beer. I started to get claustrophobic so I found stairs leading to the second floor. There was a good vantage point on the second floor where it overlooks the entire living room. When I went up I saw a sign that says “off limits” on the top of the stairs, so I just stayed where the sign was placed and started to look around for anyone I know. All I could see was people drinking. All I could hear was the sound of the music being played in full blast. And all I could smell was beer. I waited for a good 15 minutes there, while I was waiting I took out the CD I brought and stared at it wondering if Jane would like it. I also took a piece of the French fries I bought, unfortunately it became saggy. I still hope Jane won’t mind.

There was a small group of female freshmen who decided to sit on the stairs a few levels below me offering me a beer. I simply said thank you. Deep inside me though, I wanted to say “I didn’t came here to drink, I came here for Jane”.

“Have you seen Jane?” I shouted at their group.

One of them looked at me and said “I saw her outside.”

“Thanks!” I quickly went down the stairs, trying to avoid the people sitting there. While I was trying to maintain my balance though, I lost grip of the CD I was holding and it crashed down on the floor in front of the stairs. And to make things worse, somebody stepped on it. I quickly checked on the CD’s condition. The case was cracked but the CD was fine. The guy that stepped on it didn’t even realize what he stepped on. And I was angry. But I do not have time to get angry at the guy. I rushed outside and started to look for Jane.

I noticed that everyone seemed to have already been inside the house. There was literally no one outside. So I checked back inside and started to go through people. I do not recognize anyone at all. I started to go through rooms downstairs, I even thought of going back upstairs and going through the off limits sign, but there were already a lot of people blocking the stairs that it would be impossible to go up. I wanted to shout “JANE!” and maybe that would get her attention. I mean, how hard is it to look for someone in their own house? This is getting ridiculous.

I was starting to get claustrophobic again so I went outside. I sat on the grass for a while… then I laid on the grass started to look at the stars. I know I’m going to find Jane or die trying. Maybe she just went to by some more beer for the party or something. Maybe she’s inside but I never saw her. Maybe she’s in the off limits section upstairs.

So I went inside again. I started going upstairs repeatedly saying “excuse me”. I went over the off limits section without anyone noticing. I started saying “Jane….Jane?” each “Jane” louder than the last. When no one responded, I moved around the different rooms. First I put my ears over the door and when I do not hear anything, I’ll try the doorknob to see if it’s open. There were four rooms there.

The first room was locked, the second room was also locked, the third room was open because it was the bathroom and the fourth room was also locked. No one was upstairs. I discreetly went back on top of the stairs beside the off limits sign. I started to look around. Again, the girl who offered me beer shouted “I said she’s outside!”.

“I couldn’t find her there!” I shouted back.

“Probably the side garden!”

“Thanks again!” I replied.

                Again, it was a struggle to walk down the stairs while maintaining my balance. But this time around I managed it without dropping and breaking anything. I walked slowly towards the door this time. I didn’t want to rush because I thought this was really another false hope. I wonder why she’ll be in the garden when she can be inside the party. Before I went out I finally saw people I know. The two guys that were with Jane the first time I met her. I just gave them a quick nod and started going for the door.  Outside, I couldn’t take the excitement any longer. I started increasing my pace towards the garden on the side of Jane’s house. There was this huge bush decorated like a fence that separates the front garden from the side garden. There I saw Jane.

                Jane was sitting on a bench. Jane was sitting on a bench with a senior student. Jane sitting on a bench with a senior student hugging her. Jane sitting on a bench with a senior student while Jane’s arms are wrapped around him. Jane sitting on a bench with a senior student while Jane’s arms are wrapped around him. They were kissing each other. They didn’t even notice I was there.

                I couldn’t believe my eyes. Was I dreaming? Before I could completely make sense of what has happened, someone pulled my arms and quickly pulled me away back to the front of house. It was Jane’s two male friends. I guess they followed me but I didn’t notice. I didn’t say a word. When they started speaking all I could decipher was “didn’t thought I was coming”, “that was Jane’s ex-boyfriend”, and ”I’m really sorry dude”.

                I wasn’t angry. I was sad. I was crumbling. I was about to cry. But I cannot show them. So I told them “don’t tell Jane I came”. Then they didn’t say anything anymore, and neither did I. I walked away out the gate. I walked outside going back to the bus stop. I dropped the bag of fries I have in my hand and I didn’t care. I took the bus back home. I took the CD I stared at it again. Tears started to drip on the broken CD case. My tears were able to go through the cracks and even got the CD label wet. But I didn’t care. I took out my phone and texted Ron.

                “Bro… she broke me again.”