The Dysfunctional Life of Stevie Kieu

I

           

I

There's a few things you should know about me. I can be overly sensitive about things that have to do with me or my friends. Insecurities are a big factor in my life, but when is that not true for an eighteen year old girl. Correction, woman. I am unmotivated, but smart as hell. Modest, but only when I'm around people I don't know. As much as I hate to admit it, I'm ridiculously good at lying. I'm dramatic and slightly self-centered, and sometimes I pretend I want to kill myself so people will feel bad for me. Or, maybe I'm just fucking with you. You'll have to figure that one out for yourself.

"So are we all getting together for coffee or what?" One thing my friends are shit at is planning. It's not like there's a lot of us, everyone just always has something they have to do, and when one person is missing, the whole group has this distorted energy to it that nobody likes. We all just end up bailing.

"Um hello Stevie. Harrys or no Harrys?" Ed was sitting on my right, arm out the window making wind waves with his hand.

"I don't know, you're gonna have to ask Cecelia. Her and ass hat may be doing their own thing today."

I could feel Ed rolling his eyes.

"I don't know why you don't like Nolan. He's a cool guy."

Now I was the one rolling my eyes.

"Ed, how many times do I have to say he's, for one, too old for her, and always acts like he fucking knows everything. We get it, you're legally old enough to drink. I don't want to hear about his determinist philosophical bullshit again."

We got to a red light and Ed turned to look at me.

"Well, I think that you're just upset Cecelia bailed on your 'Friday Ce and Ste Flick'. She can't help it when her mom forced her to babysit the kids."

            I thought about how I could argue with him; how I saw her sitting on the couch with Nolan on his stupid snapchat, and how her parents came home from dinner early which would've given her more than enough time to come over for Interview with a Vampire, but all I said was

            "Yeah, I guess."

            By then Ed was on the phone with Cece. I could hear her bright and sarcastic tone even when it was muffled.

            It's not that I was mad at her, but if she didn't feel like coming over for our movie she could've just said so. If she'd rather hang with Nolan she could've just said so.

            "Well, Cecelia said her and Nolan can make coffee, as long as they can leave at four. Nolan doesn't wanna be late for their hot yoga class at six."

            Sure, whatever Nolan wants.

            Ed called everyone else after that to tell them we're good for Harry's café. Hayden, Jorge, Kat, and Reggie were the others. The seven of us had been friends since sophomore year of high school. Now that we'd finally all graduated, our group has been trying to get together as much as possible before we all leave for college in the fall.

            Coffee wasn't the ideal refreshment for a mid-June day in Georgia, but Harry's café has the best iced coffee in our small town. It's where all factions of our high school could congregate and nobody felt like they were out of place. Harry's was a safe haven.

            I parked in my usual spot at Harry's, which was actually behind the building. Let's just say in our town the kids who drive here aren't the fucking brightest. I couldn't risk my beloved Ginger's life.