1985

T h r e e

Chapter 3; feeling flustered

Monday January 7th, 1985
Scarsdale, NY

"We are going to TP Ryan Anderson's house"

Is he out of his mind

"We?"

"Yes, you are going to help me" he speaks to me but never looks at me

"I can't like, TP my boyfriends house"

"You like, can" he mimics me.

"I don't talk like that" I whine

"Oh baby you do"

Baby?

"Fine, im still not doing it"

He turns to face me, he right in front of my face.

His brown eyes sparkle under the fluorescent light.

"Baby we both know you are" he says as he tucks a piece of hair behind my ear.

"Okay"

"I knew you would" he smirks before walking away to pay for all the toilet paper.

I stand there feeling flustered.

"I'm waiting outside" I say to him and I walk outside.

I had lit a cigarette in the ten seconds I was outside.

"Let me get a smoke" he says struggling to carry the bags of toilet paper.

I bring my cig to his lips and he takes a drag.

"Mmm strawberry"

"What?" I ask

"I can taste your strawberry lip smacker on the cigarette"

"Oh"

I throw the cigarette on the ground and crush it with my worn out chucks before I go over and help him with the bags.

We were now back in the car.

"So now what?" He asks

"I don't know"

"I might have an idea" he says

I turn to look at him and he's biting his lip trying not to smirk.

"Ew you pig" I slap his arm

"Calm down it was a joke"

He starts to drive and we don't even make it all the way down the road before he stops and pulls over to park in front of Beatrice's consignment store.

"Why are we stopping?" I ask him

"I want to look in there" he says "I'll buy you something and you buy me something"

"That sounds fun" I say

We go inside the store and we both separate.

I don't know where he went but I was looking through the different rings.

"Can I help you with anything" an older women who I assume is Beatrice.

"Yes can I see that ring please" I point to a simple silver ring that was sitting behind the glass.

"Here" she hands me the ring and I inspect it.

It had an engraving on the inside, Jay. Just like the great Gatsby.

I could help it I just had to get it.

"I'll take it"

She rings me up and I use my dads credit card to pay for it. She puts the ring into a small black box then into a small white paper bag.