Stuck

I stare outside the window, watching the moon move further across the sky at an incredibly slow pace. I feel his presence beside me but I try to ignore it as he continues his persuasion tactics.

“Jessica, please listen to me.” He tugs at my sleeve and urges me to face him.

I sigh and turn away from the beauty that is Mother Nature. I look at him with a blank expression, showing my obvious annoyance. “I’m not going to another one of your frat parties, Luke. You know what happened last time.” Said last time involved beer pong, couples rounding second base every corner, and dancing uncomfortably while many drunken frat brothers tried to grind against me. Let’s just say I’m not exactly looking forward to going back.

“C’mon! It wasn’t that bad. And Jordan apologized for hitting on you.” As if a friend of his flirting with me is the worst part of my experience there. I had to deal with so much more than mindless flirting and I still shudder with disgust with I think about it.

“Lukas Todd Moore. Please, the last thing I want to do on a Friday night is deal with drunk, horny college students. I swear, the only things on those guys’ minds are sex, beer, and gambling.” I widen my eyes and curse myself for saying that but stand my ground, albeit tentatively. Quickly, I glance at Lukas’ expression and notice his clenched jaw.

“They aren’t pigs, Jessica. They are my friends and most importantly, you don’t even know them so why are you being so judgmental? Here I thought you looked beyond appearances.”

I glare at him and stand up from the couch, ready to defend myself. “I do look past appearances but it’s kinda hard to do that in a dimly lit room with so many bodies grinding up against me. Sorry if I offended your beer buddies but when guys act like obnoxious, snotty rich kids with a large trust fund, it’s kinda hard to see them as anything but douche bags.”

Lukas stands up suddenly. “Well I’m sorry for hanging with douche bags but I guess that’s just me: an idiot who can’t choose good enough friends for his still-underage girlfriend.”

“You’re not an idiot.” I reply, ignoring the way he spat out ‘underage’.

“Oh, well that’s great. My perfect little girlfriend assured me that I have a high school diploma for a reason.”

“Okay, now you’re just being an ass.”

“I’m an ass? And this is coming from the girl who won’t hang out with her boyfriend and his friends just because she’d rather stay in on a Friday night.”

“For your information, I wanted to invite you to go to the new sushi place with me and some friends.”

“And by some friends, you mean the only three friends you have.”

My heart is beginning to speed up and my cheeks flush with embarrassment. “Yes Lukas. By friends, I meant the only three people that I can trust with my life.”

“I’m assuming you can’t trust me with so much responsibility. Even though I am your boyfriend of almost a year.”

“The way you are acting now, I don’t think you deserve that kind of trust.”

“Then why don’t you find yourself a boyfriend that deserves your trust because apparently I’m not good enough for it.”

“What are you saying? You want to breakup over something as trivial as what to do tonight?”

“It’s not trivial. Every night I’m stuck in this town when all my buddies are out having the time of their lives. I want to be able to bring my girlfriend to a party and enjoy myself. Not stay in this godforsaken town and play high school with you and your friends.”