A Year Of Hope

For two weeks I had heard nothing from Jane.

Now I didn't expect her to text me everyday, and I didn't text her everyday. She had a job and a social life, and I, well I didn't have much of a social life, but I did have a job.

But to go several days without hearing from her was not usual for her. I had texted her but never got a text back, or even a read receipt. I started to worry that our hook up had ruined things between us.

I finally decided to text Sam. She was the second contact to be added to my phone after I had met her that night.

"Sam, is Jane good?"

"No."

No? I started to panic, but I'd figure I'd wait until she explained.

"Care to elaborate?" I texted back.

"Why don't you swing by. She could probably use a good friend right now."

So I immediately left. I was wearing only basketball shorts and a tank top, which was my version of pajamas, but I was worried as to what could possibly be wrong.

I knocked once and Sam immediately swung the door open and motioned for me to come inside. Her and I walked to her bedroom door, and I knocked.

"Go AWAY Samantha! I'm not hungry." snapped Jane.

"She's not well... she knows I don't like to be called Samantha," Sam whispered to me.

"Uh it's Cai, actually."

"Oh," her whole tone had changed. "Come in."

Sam retreated to the kitchen, and I entered a very dark and even messier room, to where Jane laid on the bed, staring at the wall. She looked tired and had dark bags under her eyes, a lot like how I was before the start of this summer.

"Close the door, I don't want the light coming in!" she hissed.

I quickly shut the door.

"I was just coming in to check on you, to make sure you're fine."

"Yeah."

I didn't know what to say to her simple response, so I stood there awkwardly for about a minute. I knew she wasn't okay but she didn't seem interested in seeing me.

"Well, you seem tired. I should let you rest."

"No!" she said, slowly getting out of bed. "Let's hang out. Go wait in your car. I'll be out in a minute."

"Oh, uh, alright." I said a bit confused.

As I left the apartment, Sam said,"Have you managed to get her out of bed?"

"Yeah."

"Good! Just be careful. She isn't... okay right now."

I nodded, before leaving.

When Jane came out, her hair was still a mess, but she smelled heavily of perfume, and had changed to a T-shirt and some sweatpants.

"Let's go on a drive and play loud music. Your choice of sound track."

"Is that all you want to do?"

"Yup. Oh wait, do you happen to have any cigarettes?"

It came to my attention that I didn't know whether or not I had cigarettes, I hadn't smoked in weeks. Since the party to be exact.

"Not sure, might have some in the glove box. But whatever happened to smoking kills you?"

"Perhaps that is the point, Mordecai," she said tiredly, opening my glove box. Luckily for her, I had half a pack left. She lit one and began smoking it.