the girl on the bench

Chapter 4

After my walk/catch-up, I hear Alex moving around in her room with music blaring. I head towards her room and from the doorway I can see her packing an overnight bag for the weekend. She told me she was staying at Nate's house when I asked her to hang out with me this weekend. I flopped on her bed with a sign and spread out like a starfish. "Hello stranger" she said jokingly. "Hmm" I mumble not wanting to talk but also wanting to unload everything on her at the same time. She stops packing her bag and sits next to me. She slaps my thigh "What is it, Soph? What's going on in that head of yours?" She asks. "Would you be OK after the person you could see a future with cheated on you and made you feel like it was your fault?" I asked her. She scoffs and I can feel her eyes rolling in her head. "Soph, she broke your heart. I get it your upset but she's the actual devil. She is the spawn of Satan and I never liked her" she says matter-of-factly. "Alex!" I groan. "I'm being truthful. You need to get off the Lila train and onto another chick's train" she says and gets up to keep packing. After a beat, "Speaking of another chick..." I begin. "Huh?" this peaks her interest. "No, not like that!" I exclaim. "Your face says otherwise" she says surveying my face for clues. "A chick has intruded on my bench" I say pouting. She gasps dramatically "Oh my! Not the elusive and grand bench!" She says faking her shock. "I know! My point exactly" I say matching her dramatic pitch. "Is she hot?" She asks losing interest quickly. "G... is nice looking" I say not wanting to start a conversation of me hooking up with her to get over Lila. "Ooo the mysterious chick has an initial!" She says. "Anyway, what are you doing tonight?" I ask and, thankfully, she gets the hint of me changing the subject. "Nate is planning on gaming tonight with Russ" she says rolling her eyes. Nate will sometimes invite Alex over and then also organise for his best friend to play games with him too. She says she can always woo him by lingerie and other sexual advances but the sound of it just makes me want to gag. I just don't understand guys. "Well, if you want to keep me company, I'm at Half Moon tonight until closing" I say nonchalantly. "I hate that place but anything is better than listening to those two talk gaming. I'll ask him to take me" she says as she continues packing her bag. I head into the house knowing full well she won't come. It's the thought that counts I guess. Knowing Alex, she'll start a fight with him for not giving her attention and then they will have make-up sex.

Getting ready for work, I begrudgingly pull on my Half Moon branded polo shirt and black pants. To be honest, out of my two work places, I prefer Friday nights at Half Moon. The crowd is mostly tradies finishing work and drinking themselves stupid before heading home or very old guys stopping in to watch AFL over a beer. It does sometimes get boring but at least I get nice tips when they are all nice and drunk. When I get to work, the bar manager, Frank, tells me Essendon is playing St Kilda tonight in the AFL so I should expect the place to be packed. As if I wasn't already dreading working tonight, this makes it worst. The two AFL teams playing have the biggest fan bases so there will no doubt be people everywhere screaming and yelling at the television sets. Great!

____

The night ends up going by super fast. Probably because I'm so busy pouring beers to notice the time. I definitely forget about Alex and how she told me she would come. But I didn't expect anything else from her. Once I'm on break, I check my phone to see a text message from her: 'Can't make it tonight. Hope work is alright x'. I shove my phone in my pocket and head outside for some fresh air. It's so warm inside the pub so I don't even bother grabbing a jumper. The cold air is refreshing on my skin. I set up a folding chair that is leaning on the exterior of the building and sit down. I let out a sigh before realising that it's the first time I've sat down for 3 hours.

After a few minutes, Rob another bartender comes out to join me. "It must be half time if you're on break as well" I say to him as he lights up a smoke. "Yep" he says offering me one as well. I decline. I've never been into smoking. I've tried it but the sudden rush to my head always turned me off. Rob grabs a seat and opens it next to mine. "How's life treating you, Soph?" He asks me exhaling the cigarette smoke. "Oh, don't get all philosophical on me now" I say to him. I've always liked Rob. He's chill and doesn't fuss too much and we get on so that's a bonus when working busy nights like tonight. Frank sticks his head out the back door, "Soph, times up, I need you back in here" I nod in response. "Sounds like third quarter just started" Rob says to me. I pack up my chair and lean it back against the wall without responding. As I open the door to return to the bar, Rob says to me "You make that uniform look good, especially from behind". I turn to face him and stick my middle finger up at him. "You know I'm gay, Rob" I say to him casually. "Doesn't hurt to look" he tells me as I head back inside. That right there, is the reason I think boys are shit.