Ecie & Esme II: Another Day Like This

Two

'This is like the last time we'll have lunch together,' Sara said as she bit into her Caesar salad. She wiped her mouth. 'I think that I'm going to come back in a couple of weeks.'

'How come?' Esme asked looking across the table at her best friend.

'My mom is throwing a party and I offered my services,' Sara replied. 'I just want any excuse to be able to come home.'

'Did you and Paul fall out again or something?'

'I swear we're a married couple already,' Sara laughed sipping at her water. 'We had a fight over a color scheme for our apartment, and then we fought over furniture. He said I was doing it on purpose because "I'm too scared to tell him that I don't want to live with him". Can you believe that?'

'Did you talk to him after?'

'No,' Sara replied. 'I'm eighteen years old. I shouldn't be in this situation. I should be enjoying life, not yelling at my boyfriend every second.'

'You guys have such big personalities,' Esme said. 'You're both stubborn so that doesn't help too much either.'

Sara shrugged. 'I'm a girl and estrogen is more important.'

Esme laughed. 'I'm sure that Paul feels the same way.'

'He's such a guy.'

'When did you last talk to him?'

'About twenty minutes before I met you now,' Sara replied. 'He acts like such a child sometimes.'

'You guys can't keep having arguments when you live together,' Esme said. 'You'll end up killing each other.'

'I think that we're both a bit scared,' Sara replied wiping her hand on a napkin. 'We both know that this is a big step, so we're just freaking out in our own way.'

'Maybe,' Esme replied squinting her eyes. 'It's so bright today.'

'Yeah,' Sara nodded. 'The weather here is so amazing all the time.'

'Except when it's pouring with rain or raging with forest fires,' Esme replied.

'You are so depressing,' Sara said. 'I feel like I can't leave you.'

Esme laughed. 'I'm fine. I'm just worried about you and Paul living together and going to college together. That's going to be quite intense.'

'I know,' Sara nodded. 'But I love him.'

'When was the last time you told him that?'

'I don't like to tell him too often,' Sara said. 'His head gets too big, and I mean you literally see his head inflate whenever I say that to him. He gets all weird and I hate him.'

Esme laughed.

'When was the last time you said it to Taylor?'

'I don't know,' Esme replied. 'We don't really say it to each other all the time. It always slips out though.'

'You guys are the dream couple,' Sara said. 'I always get so jealous of you two. You're both so down-to-earth.'

'Well kind of,' Esme replied. 'We still bicker and stuff, but I guess it's never major.'

Sara nodded. 'I can't believe that Joey and Owen broke up for college. I think they should have at least given it a go.'

'I thought she said it was like a trail separation to see how they felt and stuff,' Esme replied. 'I'm sure they'll get back together.'

'Joey is like the buffest girl on the whole planet,' Sara said. 'She's going to find herself a shoulder to cry on, or they'll line themselves up for her.'