An old drabble from a few years ago... (like 2009 or something)
Just a terrible little drabble I wrote a loooooong time ago that I figured could be put up here... This was originally up on my other LJ account and since this account contains more of my fiction , I wanted to transfer it. No it's not fanfiction but rather fiction lol.
Note: contains LGBT characters.
Stood Up
by Xtine
The left hand on my wristwatch was moving excessively slow. The ticking of the right hand seemed to move slower than my heartbeat. The waiting was maddening. I drummed my short fingernails on the tiny round diner table and adjusted my body against the wrought iron chair back; the chair legs shrieked against the floor making me wince and clench my teeth.
8:45.
She was late.
Marie was the name of my blind date. She loved art and fashion and she worked in an antique shop downtown. Marie was dark-haired, dark-eyed and very charismatic. At least that’s what Hailey said. Hailey says I need to date more. She was the first person I came out to. She hugged me when I told her my parents didn’t want anything to do with me and then she took my wrist, dragged me into her kitchenette and fixed me a bowl of vegan fudge-brownie ice cream. We watched movies all afternoon, crying and laughing at intervals.
I lived with Hailey for six months, crashing every night on the lumpy couch in her den. The mornings were early because she made sure I was up before she left for work at seven. Hailey would later find me typing away on her laptop having spent the entire day job hunting online. Then she’d tell me to print off some resumes and kick me out the door the next morning with a cup of coffee and an apple. I wasn’t sure who would hire a high school dropout especially in this economy but I had to try. Eventually my persistence paid off. Walmart had an opening and I became their newest customer service person. Once I’d stowed away enough savings to pay first and last month’s rent, I took the tiny bachelor’s apartment down the hall from Hailey’s. It was a tearful day when I told Hailey I was leaving; but when I told her where I was moving to she smacked my arm playfully and pulled me into a tight, trembling hug.
Hailey knew Marie from a college night school course. Hailey is going to be a nurse but needed a humanities credit. Hailey always was very practical. I’m going to be a famous musician but customer service at Walmart is going to pay the bills for now.
Marie was supposed to be here. Our meeting time was for 8:30.
I glanced at my watch again. 8:52.
I sighed and bit my lip. Five more minutes.
I stared at the table, at my chipped nails, at my rough skin and at the broken window at end of the row. I think a lot about me is broken.
“Why do you always break shit?!” my step-mum slurred when she stumbled into the kitchen.
My body was frozen as I observed the shards of ceramic that was once a bowl.
“Sorry,” I murmured. “I didn’t mean to.”
She rolled her eyes and threw the wooden handled broom at me. “Clean it up.”
I caught the broom deftly. Well, I thought, at least her presence in my life honed my reflexes. My sense of self-preservation was somewhat helpful too.
I looked down at my wristwatch again. 8:58.
I hate my life. I sighed and drummed my fingers against the table again. I looked around to see if Marie had come in and I had just simply missed her.
There were only two other patrons in the diner. A hefty male trucker sat at the bar on a stool hunched over a newspaper and a muddy coffee and a tired looking middle aged woman dressed in mismatched clothing was chatting away on her cell phone in what I figured was Russian.
9:00.
I sighed deeply and pulled my second-hand jacket on. I hoped Hailey had more of that ice cream.
end.
Note: contains LGBT characters.
Stood Up
by Xtine
The left hand on my wristwatch was moving excessively slow. The ticking of the right hand seemed to move slower than my heartbeat. The waiting was maddening. I drummed my short fingernails on the tiny round diner table and adjusted my body against the wrought iron chair back; the chair legs shrieked against the floor making me wince and clench my teeth.
8:45.
She was late.
Marie was the name of my blind date. She loved art and fashion and she worked in an antique shop downtown. Marie was dark-haired, dark-eyed and very charismatic. At least that’s what Hailey said. Hailey says I need to date more. She was the first person I came out to. She hugged me when I told her my parents didn’t want anything to do with me and then she took my wrist, dragged me into her kitchenette and fixed me a bowl of vegan fudge-brownie ice cream. We watched movies all afternoon, crying and laughing at intervals.
I lived with Hailey for six months, crashing every night on the lumpy couch in her den. The mornings were early because she made sure I was up before she left for work at seven. Hailey would later find me typing away on her laptop having spent the entire day job hunting online. Then she’d tell me to print off some resumes and kick me out the door the next morning with a cup of coffee and an apple. I wasn’t sure who would hire a high school dropout especially in this economy but I had to try. Eventually my persistence paid off. Walmart had an opening and I became their newest customer service person. Once I’d stowed away enough savings to pay first and last month’s rent, I took the tiny bachelor’s apartment down the hall from Hailey’s. It was a tearful day when I told Hailey I was leaving; but when I told her where I was moving to she smacked my arm playfully and pulled me into a tight, trembling hug.
Hailey knew Marie from a college night school course. Hailey is going to be a nurse but needed a humanities credit. Hailey always was very practical. I’m going to be a famous musician but customer service at Walmart is going to pay the bills for now.
Marie was supposed to be here. Our meeting time was for 8:30.
I glanced at my watch again. 8:52.
I sighed and bit my lip. Five more minutes.
I stared at the table, at my chipped nails, at my rough skin and at the broken window at end of the row. I think a lot about me is broken.
“Why do you always break shit?!” my step-mum slurred when she stumbled into the kitchen.
My body was frozen as I observed the shards of ceramic that was once a bowl.
“Sorry,” I murmured. “I didn’t mean to.”
She rolled her eyes and threw the wooden handled broom at me. “Clean it up.”
I caught the broom deftly. Well, I thought, at least her presence in my life honed my reflexes. My sense of self-preservation was somewhat helpful too.
I looked down at my wristwatch again. 8:58.
I hate my life. I sighed and drummed my fingers against the table again. I looked around to see if Marie had come in and I had just simply missed her.
There were only two other patrons in the diner. A hefty male trucker sat at the bar on a stool hunched over a newspaper and a muddy coffee and a tired looking middle aged woman dressed in mismatched clothing was chatting away on her cell phone in what I figured was Russian.
9:00.
I sighed deeply and pulled my second-hand jacket on. I hoped Hailey had more of that ice cream.
end.