No More No More

Joe

I left the party before it got too out of hand.  Tom and Asshole gave me a ride home.  Mainly because Tom was staying at my house (so was Asshole for just this one night) for the duration of their stay.  They'd only spend one night (tonight) and were leaving tomorrow.  Tom slept on the couch with his feet hanging over the edge, and Asshole fit perfectly in the chair.  My mother was a little surprised to see Asshole, but he was very polite (to a certain extent) and my mother soon liked him.

     "Thank you, Mrs. Capello.  This is delicious, but really, me and Tom have to leave."  Asshole had three helpings of everything we had for breakfast as well as a bowl of cereal.  How is he so skinny?

     I tell the boys bye, watching them speed off to God knows where.  I realized for the first time that I was free as I was walking back upstairs.  No more high-school, no more homework, no more 'bedtimes' no more getting up early.  The only downside: no more Anthony.  He knew when graduation was; he hasn't called since three weeks before Thanksgiving.  I try to keep telling myself he's busy with schoolwork, but I know that can't be the case.  I'm almost tempted to drive up there for myself.

 --

That weekend, my friends and I pooled our cash to go to the beach.  Janet and I drove together, which I regret.

     "Confession: James doesn't drop me off at home when we leave from parties.  We go to his place unless my parents aren't home," Janet giggles.  She had her bare feet on the dashboard.  We were playing confession––a stupid game we made up as freshmen.  I was trying to make up some stupid confession when Janet said suddenly, "Annie, quit making them up.  Tell me something real!  I just told you something that only you and I know!... Well, of course James knows, but...  Make it deep!"

     Without taking my eyes off the road, I tell her something she probably already knows.  "I like him."

     "No shit!" she giggles.  "Are you positive you only like him?"

     "No," I utter, barely audible.

    I've done it.  I've finally done it!  I've stunned Janet to silence.  She sits in the seat with her mouth hanging open, eyes bugging out, hand clenching the bottle of mascara (she was doing her makeup in the car because I "picked her up too early").

    I actually laugh.  "Deep enough?" I ask.

   "Oh my God, Annie!" she says finally, flipping her short brown hair out of her eyes.  "This is great!  You guys would be so cute together!  Oh, I can't wait til he comes home so that you can tell him!"  Janet looks at me skeptically before going back to painting her eyes.  "You are telling him, right?"

    I ponder this question (that wasn't really a question) for a second before grinning.  "Yeah," I say slowly, "yeah, I think I might."  At that, I crank the tunes and (when Janet's finished) roll the windows down.  You're probably thinking, wait!  When did Annie get a car?  Well, it's not my car; it's Will's.  My brother let me borrow his for the weekend because he's still on campus.

 --

The weekend flies by, the late nights spent by a fire, the sleepy mornings spent at the nearby Waffle House or on lounge-chairs, the days spent either swimming in the ocean or tanning (well, in my case, burning) on the beach.  Charlie said I looked hot––and not in the fire sense––in my yellow bathing suit that my mom didn't know I packed.  As far as she knew, I wore shorts and a long bathing top for the trip.  It seems like we were only there for hours when it's time to leave.  Janet again has her feet on the dash, her long legs considerably tanner from short-shorts (which she's wearing now) and bikini-bottoms.  My legs look similar in color to a tomato, but it'll turn a nice brown-ish in a few days.  Of course, my nose is on fire and starting to peel, but I can live with that.