I grabbed my coat off the coat rack and took my car keys. I needed to get the smoking stuff for tonight and get as far away from Amy as possible. It wasn’t fair of her to make me feel like I was doing something wrong. Besides, she didn’t even like to smoke! It’s not like I could invite her or anything. It was too awkward.
I would never love my Honda Civic as much as my old car, because my old car had too many perfect memories. This car was nice, though; it was red and had a powerful bass. I blasted my music, enjoying the hum of it. It rattled my eardrums as I shot down the driveway and into the afternoon. I rolled the windows down, feeling the air on my face. I felt free again, free from the pain of abandonment I promised myself I would never feel again. At the light downtown, I saw my friend Ryan walking across the street. I rolled the window down and beeped my horn.
“Hey, asshole!” I yelled.
Ryan took off his sunglasses and gave me the finger, smiling. At the green light, I made a left and pulled into a spot nearest him.
“What you doing?” I asked.
“Nothing. Just fucking around.”
“Wanna come to the smoke shop with me? I gotta get shit for a date tonight.”
“Sweet, bro. And fuck, yeah. Let’s head over,” Ryan said.
Ryan got in the passenger side. He was stoned, as usual. I wanted to be stoned, too. I sighed and looked at the mirror, waiting until I could back out of the parking spot.
“So what’s up, man? You never date,” he commented.
“Not usually, but I’m trying to get over this other girl I met. She’s really sweet, beautiful…But I can’t be with her.”
“Why?”
I pulled out of the spot and headed for the smoke shop. “It’s complicated,” I said honestly.
“That blows, man, but the only thing you can do is try to get it on with someone else. That’s the only way to get over it.”
“You think so, man?”
“No shit. Hook up with your date tonight, and you’ll be over it in no time.”
“I hope you’re right. I really do,” I said thoughtfully.
“Who is your date, by the way?” Ryan asked.
“Jen.”
“Ha!” Ryan said, slapping his thigh. “I knew she wanted you. And she’s a hottie. Nice one, man.”
I smiled, trying to convince myself I was happy and excited. My thoughts lingered on Amy a bit longer before my pride took over. I slammed on the gas to get to the smoke shop sooner. I hoped tonight would help me forget about her.
AMY
“A girl! He’s having a girl over,” I cried to Sarah, my shaking hand barely able to hold the phone.
“This is a good thing.”
“Good thing? How? The guy I lost my virginity to is having another girl over!” I bellowed.
“It’s good because you’re trying to get over him! What better way than him hanging out with someone! It’ll be fine,” she said, trying to comfort me.
“They’re playing ‘video games,’ or something. That basically means sex.”
“Not necessarily. They could be drinking or doing something else they’re not supposed to be doing. You can’t make assumptions,” Sarah pointed out, her logic making sense.
“I have to figure out who she is.” I pulled out my computer and put Sarah on speaker so my hands would be free to pry into Ash’s personal life.
Sarah sighed. “You know that doesn’t make anything better.”
“Her name is Jen…I’m checking his social media,” I informed Sarah. I looked at his wall; recently, a girl named Jen H. had left a comment.
Jen H.: Can’t wait for 2night. Get the good stuff. Lol.
My eyes narrowed. I clicked on her profile. It was private, but I could see her picture. She was beautiful—freckles, blonde hair, and crystal-blue eyes. Some of her interests included movies and rock music. She also liked cars. Ash loved cars! She did seem pretty cool, dammit.
“Ugh. I found her. She’s really pretty and so his type,” I complained.
“Who cares? You aren’t going to date him, so it’s not a big deal,” Sarah said soothingly.
I took a deep breath and shut off my computer. I didn’t want to see any more. “You’re right. It doesn’t matter. I’m overreacting. He’s my stepbrother, for fuck’s sake. We already crossed the line, and now we need to take a step back.” I tried to convince myself of the truth of my own words. “I’ll just stay clear of the house tonight. I’m going out and having fun.”
“Yeah. Have fun, and tell me what happens,” she said.
“Will do. Bye.” I hung up and looked around my room. Whenever I felt crappy, doing my hair and nails always made me feel better. Though I had already taken a shower, taking two or three showers a day was not uncommon for me. I loved showers because they were relaxing and washed the day away.