Apartment 3B

18. Bullshit

Hayley

Luna and I had loved holiday season for as long as I could remember. We always shopped much earlier than necessary, finding the best winter sales. We'd met up at the local shopping street which was a like a much cheaper and much more homely version of Rodeo Drive. We bought each other matching accessories and did some miscellaneous shopping till she was called back into work.

I didn't have much to do lately so I paid a visit to the General Store and scrounged for things we didn't really need. The store was bustling with shoppers when I'd entered but they all seemed to have left before me. I realized I'd spent an obscene amount of time in deciding which bottle of whiskey to buy for my father. When I reached the checkout counter, Jesse's sister was on the phone behind it, yelling at someone.

Leaving my shopping cart aside, I went forward with caution. "Hey, Hanna, isn't it? I'm Jesse's roommate, Hayley. Are you okay?" I asked in my most genuinely kind voice.

She'd cut the call by then and seemed to be blinking back tears, something I could tell by experience.

"Yeah, I'm fine," she replied sternly, trying not to cry. I knew this expression too well.

"Who dumped you?" It came out harsher than intended.

"Nobody!" She nearly screamed. I nodded at her and shrugged my shoulders, "Sure. Of course. Tell me what's going on, will you?"

She let out an exasperated sigh and grunted, "Ugh, fine. Why are you so annoying?"

"It's what I do. Annoy till can't be ignored. Okay go now, spill it." I nudged.

"Fine fine, so my best friend is being a Grade-A bitch. She's been hanging out with these new winter exchange students and has been totally ignoring me. I suspect she's crushing on that skinny dude who basically looks like Aladdin. When I called bullshit on her bullshit, she acted like I'm the selfish asshole who doesn't ever listen to her even though I've totally been through every single thing with her, what does she even-"

"Think of herself, yeah yeah. I get it." I finished her sentence. "Also, you can't call someone Aladdin. That's practically racist, Hanna."

Her angry tense face finally relaxed as she laughed at my remark. "I probably shouldn't have said that, he's quite cute."

"Do you like him?" I asked.

"Ofcourse not, she's great with him but does that have to mean that we won't stay as close? What's that all about?" She told me.

"Oh, Han. Is it okay if I call you that? Well, I say it is. Anyway, I've been through situations like that before, with our roommate Luna," I started.

"She's my best friend. Has been for a zillion years. We've had terrible fights, over food, friends, boys, tv shows, and what not. But we've always made it through. Just because she was never afraid to tell me when I was doing something to hurt her and consoling me for when she hurt me. Communication is the cornerstone of great friendships. Just talk to your friend calmly, I'm sure it'll work out. But let your initial anger subside before you call her. In friendships, it's always a good idea to keep your pride aside and apologize first. The bond you have is bigger than either of your egos, so let's eat some ice cream then call her back, how's that sound?" I gave her the best and most honest advice I could.

She took a moment to soak up and think about what I'd said. I brought up my cart and she checked out the items. Opening the freshly bought tub of cookie dough ice cream and bringing two plastic spoons from the shelf next to the freezers, I forced my way behind the counter and ate ice cream with Hanna. We quietly indulged in the most stereotypical form of comfort and consumed insane amounts of sugar.