ETHEREAL

CHAPTER 15

    "Do you always want to listen to Nicki Minaj and Katy Perry?" I whine to Justin. "Ugh, it's so fucking cold in this fucking car, Skye. Well, do we always have to listen to Pierce the Veil and Kid Cudi?!" Justin's voice becomes more high-pitched and exasperated. "He can't even rap, it's like he's always saying these non-sensical words like, 'Na na na, mah blah blah' and shit! You want Damien to fulfill your little Kid Cudi fantasy!"

"That isn't true!" I can't even disagree with Justin without laughing. "I mean, it is about the rapping... kind of... but both Kid Cudi and Pierce the Veil are geniuses. I mean, I like Katy Perry's 'Teenage Dream' song, but what does Nicki Minaj actually talk about that isn't incredibly superficial? I like her part in 'Monster' but I don't wanna hear it every single day... We really need to compromise on what we listen to when we have to be in the car together... and I'm taking you to work! I could make you take the bus. In the WINTER!"

"Oh, hell no! You wouldn't." He sounds so sure. "I guess I like that part, 'don't rain on my paraaaddeeeeee,'" Justin loudly sings.
"Yeah, I wouldn't," I smirk and laugh, and pull up in front of the mall. "Well, have a good day at work... listening to MORE Nicki Minaj and Katy Perry!"

Justin smiles, "The customers and all of my coworkers love my music, BITCH BYE!" He slams the door, laughing. I look down to change the music, and Justin opens the door again. "JK! Love you, Skye, and thank you for the ride!"

I spend the day texting Damien about nothing and doing housework. Five hours later, I pick up Justin, and he jumps in the car, and nearly immediately falls asleep. "I'm so fucking tired, Skye, I sold so many damn shoes," he slowly slurs, his words weighed down with weariness.

I wake him up when we get home, and he immediately starts eating the entire bag of Sweet Barbecue UTZ kettle chips. "Skye," he mumbles in between crunching on the handfuls of chips that he is shoving into his mouth, not mindful of the crumbs at all. "Skye, can you walk on my back?"

"Walk... on your back?!" I burst out laughing, "Whatttttt?!" I elongate the word and continue to laugh.

"UGH! You heard me! My back hurts so bad, and I've been on my damn feet all damn day!" Justin whines and smiles.

"If I walk on your back, will you stop wearing my clothes?!"

"Oh hell no, it's not my fault that you dress like a lesbian and buy unisex clothes! And we're nearly the same size!"

"I do not buy unisex clothes! And, how does one 'DRESS LIKE A LESBIAN'?!" I laugh at how ludicrous this sounds. "Why do you even wear my clothes when you spend all of your money at H&M and ALDO?! I can't even be mad at you, because everything that you say is so ridiculously funny."

"I know, so walk on my back, PLEASE!" Justin lays down on my pink carpeted floor, face first, and I tip-toe across his back. "HARDER!" He demands.

My mom calls into my room, with an inquisitive tone, "What are you guys doing up there so late at night?!"

"I'm just walking on Justin's back as hard as I can!" I giggle impetuously at Justin's moans.

"UGH! I wanna go to a party!" Justin whines.

"You always wanna go to a party, like Damien, but then as soon as we get there, you want to go home!" I laugh.

"Because they're boring as fuck! But, there's never anything else to do around here," he complains.

"Yeah... well Damien said that Chris is having another party tonight. He keeps trying to get me to smoke and drink with him at Travi's, or at any of these parties..." I hear myself sounding unsure.

"I don't really know if y'all are compatible, Skye, honestly. What does he have going for him? Smoking? Drinking? No job? No degree?"

"We don't have our degrees yet, either." I feel like I'm getting defensive.