Authors: Dallas Adams
“Sure, I have some time to spare," he chimed in, giving Kat a smug look. It was almost like he was mocking her for the fact he was staying, though she clearly did not want him to.
“Dude, it’s a chick flick. If you cry or even show a little emotion, I have the right to go ahead and question your sexuality,” Kat warned him with a sneer. Christen shook her head at the two, now in a dead match of glares.
“This is going to be a long night, I can tell,” she mutters.
The movie wasn’t the greatest movie. It was a cheesy romantic comedy with some gamer chick and some loser. In the end they both admitted to having smoking and gaming issues, and together they work to fix their problems.
“That movie was speaking to all relationships!” Kat blubbered with a snotty nose and red puffy eyes. “A relationship can work; people just need to solve your problems together!” she exclaimed, blowing her nose into a tissue. Eric and Christen looked at each other with the same quizzical facial expressions.
“That movie sucked.” Eric just came out and said it. He dug his spoon into the ice cream and got a big lump-full that he slipped into his mouth.
“You suck!” Kat yelled at him. “Go away! This is girls' night; you’re not a girl are you? It would explain a lot of things though...” she pondered. Eric was not amused at that comment, though he did not say anything. It wasn’t gentleman-like to cuss a lady out, as much as he wanted to.
“Well I have business to attend to anyways, brat,” Eric smoothly stated, getting up from the couch.
“Wait a moment, can you allow me to write back to Joey before you leave?” Christen asked him sweetly. He looked up, thinking before nodding his head.
“I don’t see a problem with that, but you better hurry up. Your friend doesn’t seem too happy that I am still here.” With that, Christen quickly got off the sofa. She grabbed a pen and some paper that sat on the counter before leaning over to think.
"Dear Joey,
We both are missing you so very much. It’s been so strange trying to get used to being without you. I hope you aren’t away for too long. I honestly think you proposing to me soothed my nerves; don’t know how that makes sense, but I just wanted to let you know. Make friends; they’ll have your back out on the front line. The more protection, the better the chances of you coming back alive, so keep that in mind, love. Lol. By the way, I was going to have you wear pink; it is a much manlier color. But if you honestly want to wear black, then fine, though you’ll have to make it up to me. I’ll just hire Eric to do all the cooking for the wedding, alright? I have so many plans… but I don’t want to make it too expensive on us. Don’t keep me waiting too long.
Love, Christen
Christen looked at her letter and smiled at how it turned out. She grabbed a pink envelope, putting the letter inside. She held it out to Eric once it was sealed. Eric took it with a casual smile, nodding his head at her.
“I’ll send it tomorrow,” he told her. She smiled back.
“Thank you Eric. It means a lot to me.” Christen gave Eric a big hug. Kat rolled her eyes at them before making a hand gesture toward the door.
“Okay, now leave please.” Kat moved her arm like it was a direction arrow. Eric let Christen go, rolling his eyes before he walked out the door.
“Well good-bye Christen and… well bye Kat," he said before Christen closed the door behind him.
Eric started to head home. He rolled down the windows and lapped up the fresh night breeze. It was slightly moist and sweet. His thoughts turned to Roxie. He hoped she wasn't up to no good in his absence. Then again, if she didn't misbehave sometimes, he would think there was something wrong with her.
Roxie sat at the dining room table, waiting and waiting. She played with her amber colored hair. Her dark green eyes watched the candle melt down, more and more, as time passed. Her smoky makeup stayed gorgeous, but her excited smile had long since faded. In a blink of an eye, the candle had created a liquid pool of red.
"Oh crap!" she exclaimed while grabbing some paper towels to clean the mess before it cooled.
She was stood up in her own house by her own boyfriend. How dare Eric do this to her, she thought. “I’ll be right back," Eric had stated before leaving hours ago.
"After dating for a year you would think he’d treat me better." She thought again,"...and introduce me to his friends that are so precious to him!" He was always more focused on his friends, Joey and Chris. He was always going to see them. Now that Joey left she did get more time with Eric, but there was still Chris. Why would he hang out with that boy more than her? At least she assumed Chris was a boy.
Roxie sighed, staring at the now cold dinner she had made for both her and Eric for something special. He always liked her cooking, and said that Joey and Chris always complimented it. She looked at the empty spot after a while; the chair waiting just as long as she for someone to sit there. After waiting even more, her eyes focused on her nails. She observed every little imperfection.
“Oh, how ugly are my nails?” she mused, glaring at the chips. “Is it baby blue or sea foam green? What the hell was I thinking picking that color?” she murmured.
There was a sudden click from the lock, and Roxie sat up straight as Eric walked through the front door. He turned on the light. The candles were about out now, no longer glowing romantically like she had planned. She sighed sadly. He started straight to his room, not even acknowledging Roxie’s existence.
“Don’t you have something to say to me?” Roxie asked, not breaking her stare on her nails.
“No,” Eric stated. Roxie ripped her gaze off her nails, and onto him.
“You stood me up! At our own house too! I have been waiting for hours. You said you were going to drop something off at Chris’s house. That was two flipping hours ago!” She slammed her hands on the table, standing up and staring at him intensely. “I think you owe me an apology!” she demanded of him. He didn’t even look at her, shaking his head.
“I’m sorry,” his voice was so dead and uncaring. He didn’t mean it as he continued his way towards his room.
“Say it like you mean it!” she yelped, standing there in a dazed rage. She knew Joey went to the army so she understood him being upset, but this was a bit ridiculous. She shook her head. There was no excuse for his behavior, none at all.
Eric stopped in his tracks for a moment. “Wait... sorry but, I never gave you a time I would be back, did I? I said I was going to drop something off at Chris’s house, but I don’t remember telling you I would be back soon. I hung out there for a while. It’s you who is wrong for making assumptions. Just because I said I was dropping something off, does no mean I would return right after. You’re the one that owes me an apology.” Eric barely even glanced at her, as he entered his room. “Say sorry whenever you feel ready to,” he stated abruptly before slamming his door shut.
Roxie fumed, storming out of the house yelling out, “ASSHOLE!”
Eric sighed at the insult, but in his mind he was correct and she was wrong. There would be no changing his mind of that either. He walked over to his bed, sitting on the purple silk sheets. He set Christen’s letter on the table, opening the other letter Joey wrote to him.
"
Dear Eric,
Yo man. I know your responsible enough to give Christen her letter, right? Well, I don’t know what to really tell you. It’s everything you said it would be, sorry for that. I think I’m finally feeling a bit scared, Eric. Maybe you’re right. I joined the army for own stupid and selfish reasons. I missed the big picture of the nation, but the young are known to make stupid decisions, right? I been thinking on the way here, and I have a favor to ask of you. If anything ever does happen to me, can you take over watching out for Christen and take care of her for me? She’s a bit of a dreamer like me; head in the clouds a lot. I just don’t know how she will take it if I suddenly am gone, and I know you are able to keep me down to earth pretty well. Do anything you can to make her happy, Okay, man? That's all I really want to ask of you. I love her man, I really do.
From, Joey
P.S. Keep baking, your cake is still on my mind!"
Eric shook his head; he just had to ruin the emotional letter by bringing up the cake. He chuckled. The couple was rather gullible. Roxie had made the dessert, not him. He fished out some paper and pen out of his night table drawer. He started to write a response. It took him a few crumples of paper before finally he got the perfect letter he would send to Joey. He read it over in his mind just to make sure it was perfect.
"Dear Idiot,
I told you not to join the army, but you don’t listen to me. Well now you’re stuck there, but I’m sure you’ll get out of there just fine. If something does happen to you though, I will take care of Christen. I will make sure she has a happy life, Joey, I promise you this. It’s the least I can do for the both of you, since you two have been amazing friends to me. No worries man, but just remember you did promise to come back. Please don’t be coming back in a body bag.
From, Eric
P.S. This is hardly the time to be thinking about cake."
He nodded his head. That worked rather well for a letter to Joey. It was straight to the point and wouldn’t bore him when reading it. He thought of what Joey asked of him. If that's what his friend wanted from him, then that’s exactly what he would do. No one would stand in the way of Christen's happiness, and no one would stand in his way to make her happy. Eric was unaware that the one that would stand in the way of her happiness was Joey himself.
A few months went by. Eric visited Chris every time they got letters from Joey. Roxie grew to accept that Eric needed his space with his buddy. They were just sharing letters that Joey was sending and staying bonded. She figured there was no harm in that.
The letters between Christen and Joey flowed with words about how each other were doing, the wedding plans, and the long and romantic phrases of how much they missed each other. The letters served as reminders of the deep love they shared. It was as if the distance didn’t even affect them at all, just made their love seem even stronger and more passionate.
Joey's letters to Eric spoke of what the war experience was like, how the art gallery was going, and what the plans were for when he got back. Joey seemed to be exhausted by the terrible things he saw. His compassionate heart was nearly bleeding for the innocent people that were dying. He said he had to shoot a child coming at him with a gun, and that was extremely hard. He remembered shooting a man that looked his own age. It was so hard to picture them as the enemy when they looked so much like him, but he was remaining strong and alert. Eventually the war would be won is what he kept telling Eric.
One day though, the letters just stopped coming. Eric grew restless and worried. Christen followed the same pattern. Christen stopped focusing on her school work while Eric buried himself more into his collections, his gallery, and his room. Roxie tried her best to comfort Eric. She struggled as he locked her away from him; he wouldn’t let the iron gates of his mind allow Roxie entrance.
Soon after, Eric got the call from Joey’s crying mother.
“You mean…he’s gone?” Eric placed a hand over his face as his mother was blabbering on the phone, he could barely make out her voice.
“My baby boy!He’s gone! H-h-he’s g-oooone!” she cried to him. Joey's father's wailing was heard in the background; he had lost another child. He had lost another son, was all he kept repeating over and over again.
“I see,” he forced out a reply. He felt hot tears stream down his cheeks. Why did that idiot let himself die?! His best friend was gone and now suddenly he didn’t know what to do.
“Christen!” Joey’s mom suddenly exclaimed. “Someone n-n-needs to tell her!” she yelped, wailing some more.
“No!” Eric suddenly yelled before regaining his careful tone. “I mean, I will tell her. She needs to hear it from me,” he whispered the last part before hanging up the phone.
He sat there in silence, not making a sound besides his shaky breath. His wet face felt hot as he thought of ways to tell Christen; how to tell it to her delicately instead of just coming out and saying, Joey is dead. What would be the best course of action? He stood up, opening the door, walking outside of his room and into the living room.
“Eric, what’s wrong?” Roxie was already by his side in the matter of seconds, blowing off her newly painted red nails.
“Joey is...dead,” he tried to state it blandly, though he couldn’t do so. His voice cracked in the end and his eyes began to burn and sting.
“Oh honey,” she said softly as she saw newly shed tears roll down his face. She grabbed his hand, pulling him over to the couch. She sat down, tugging him to sit down with her before wrapping him in her arms. He didn’t fight her. He didn’t feel like he had the strength even if he wanted to. She was the strength he needed right now. “It will be okay.” Her voice was so silky and smooth; it was soothing to hear in his ears.
“I can’t believe he’s gone,” Eric muttered, snuggling up in her arms. He felt the tears flow freely now. Her arms were comfortable and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t push her away from him.