Night in the Ruts

Not You - Charlie

I think he just broke up with me.  Kind of.  I'm not really sure what even just happened.  But he made me choose between him and my best friend.

        Well now ain't he a keeper?

        Jeez, Steven was so nice and caring and funny and lovey and all that but all of a sudden it's just like, Hey guys, we got a major asshole over here!

        I hate it!

        Of course I still want to be with him because I think that yes I might love him, but then there's Nicky and I don't want to loose him.

        Nicky is my number one.

        Naturally the only way I can have both is if I talk to Steven and convince him that this can work–even if Nicky and I are friends–and assure him that we're only friends, or if I lie and tell Steven I'm no longer friends with Nicky.

        I bet you thought I was gonna pick plan B because lying seems to be a common theme here, but no.  N O  W A Y.

        Plan B will only commence if the situation calls for it to commence.  And right now it does not.

        What I'll do is give Steven some time to calm himself, and then worry that I won't call.  That should take a few days.  In the meantime, I'll hang out with Nicky and reestablish a life-long friendship.  My thoughts are that when Steven starts to worry he'll think I've chosen Nicky rather than him.  Then when I call he'll be so relieved that he'll just agree to whatever I say.  It's not lying, it's merely manipulating–another handy trait I've inherited from my father.

        Admittedly, I was crushed and hurt and all that when Steven said that.  Very hurt.  I almost cried.  Do you know how horrible that would've been?

        But by the time I was collapsed on my bed in my room, I had come up with my plan and realized that I thought this whole 'me or him' thing was only in the movies.  And also that it was rather stupid.

        Stupid or not, I told myself this is real life and I had to live by ob la di ob la da and then it will go on.

        So all that's left to do is wait.

--

I went back to my mom's house that weekend.  I had started to get a little homesick believe it or not and I decided that mom and Jess had to miss me by now too.

        So I said my goodbyes to Alice and my dad, hopped in my little yellow Corvette that makes me smile, and drove home.

        Jess wasn't home.  Unless she got a new car, that is.

        Mom's car and some other car I didn't recognize were parked in the driveway when I pulled up.  That's strange... I told them I was coming home.

        I pulled my key from the ignition and stuffed it in my pants pocket, then popped the trunk and carried my guitar and suitcase inside.

        I had made it just in time before the crack of lightning and the torrential downpour that followed.

        Go me.

        I dragged my things up to my room, not bothering to take off my shoes because mainly I forgot to.

        But I heard a strange noise.  It wasn't the usual crying I had been hearing less and less of.  It was laughter.  My mom's laughter.