Looking For Space // Josh Kiszka

XXXI

It's short but after writing 9 pages for Chapter 30, it's not like we can go asking for the moon...or can we...

----

"I don't know why we're even out shopping," Bev remarked, picking up a white and blue ceramic jewelry tray to turn it over in her hand before setting it back down on the shelf. "You could literally go out into the woods, find a really nice pine cone, wrap it up and Josh would be happy."

I laughed. "That might be true. But I wanna get him something."

"He's really into the anniversary thing? I didn't expect him to be so traditional."

I looked up from the thick chunk of red, bronze and yellow agate in my hand. "He's weirdly traditional in some ways. I mean, he still hates when I pay for anything."

"I thought he liked 'independent women?'"

"You remembered that?"

Bev chuckled. "How could I forget the first date?"

"That was really our second date, actually. Doesn't this look like Saturn?" I asked, holding the agate out to her, to which she looked it over and shrugged. "But after the whole Canada thing, I want to make our anniversary special. As cheesy as it is."

"It's cute," Bev replied. "You said his birthday is coming up soon, too?"

I exhaled. "Yeah. Which might be even better, because it'll be just about him."

Bev raised her eyebrows. "Ooh, just about him."

I rolled my eyes but couldn't contain the smirk. "Shut up."

"Hey, you said the make-up sex was great, so--"

"I really need to stop telling you things," I interrupted, laughing a little and moving over to a shelf of incense and fantasy figurines. I wasn't really sure where to begin with Josh's gift, but Bev and I had been roaming around all evening on the hunt for something that just screamed his name. A gold and silver figuring of a wizard? No, even though the details of the crystal ball in his hand was amazing. Incense? No--Josh and Jake's apartment was already teeming with it.

"You know twins have the same dicks?" Bev told me, casually fingering her way through a rack of old t-shirts next to me. "So you already know what Jake's working with."

I sneered and groaned in disgust. "I never even thought about, Jesus. Thank you for that tidbit of knowledge."

"You never thought about it?"

"No! They're two totally different people."

"How is that an explanation?"

I shook my head, my hand frozen in the air as if to halt her. "Jake is like my brother. I mean, he's basically my brother in-law, anyway. Ew."

"Alright, I'll take your word for it. Would Josh want this?" Bev asked, holding out a t-shirt with a clown drawing that said, "I Eat Children."

"Oh wow. I don't think so, but I should look at the clothes. I might be able to find him a cool vest or something," I mused, leaving all the incense to rifle through the racks of used clothing. "So, how are things with Sam?"

"Fine, I guess. I don't know how much he really likes me," Bev said. "But we've hooked up a few times."

"Ongoing?"

She shrugged. "I guess? It's never been said. I think we're just each other's booty calls."

"Hey, as long as you're satisfied."

Bev laughed quietly. "Definitely satisfied."

"What if we became sister in-laws?"

She snorted. "Yeah, right."