writerverse Phase 5, Challenge #6
TITLE: Us or Them
GENRE: Flash fiction
WORD COUNT: 964
RATING: PG-13 for brief mentions of alcohol and innuendo.
SUMMARY: She still has feelings for him, but maybe she's letting people have their say when they shouldn't.
NOTES: For Challenge #6, Weekly Quick Fic #2, prompt "still in love." Bonus challenge was dialog-only. I don't know how or why this got so long.
"Hey you. Thought you'd bail on me last minute."
"Oh, no. Had today free, so."
"I'm glad. Not going to stand there all night, are you? Can I get you anything?"
"Uh, water's fine."
"Heh, still being frugal for me. Might not be rolling in dough, but I got some eats and drinks to spare."
"Just the water's okay, really."
"I got juice, ice tea... some rum and Coke for old times."
"Water. Please."
"All right, have a bottled. Better than tap, at least."
"Thanks."
"If you want anything else--"
"Thanks."
"Right. So... how're things?"
"They're, you know. College, work, friends, family."
"The usual."
"Don't start."
"I wasn't. Just making an observation."
"Couldn't tell by the tone."
"Hey. You're the one who's been texting me after what, five, six months?"
"You don't remember?"
"Six. To the day. So why contact me now when last we saw each other--"
"Whatever. It's obvious you don't want me here, so I'm just going to go."
"Don't."
"Let go."
"You miss this, me holding you. I can feel it in your heartbeat and your pulse."
"I don't need this right now."
"You need to calm down. Breathe. You asked to come over for a reason. You're here. I'm here, okay?"
"...Can we stay like this? Just a little longer?"
"Of course, if it'll help."
"You know what, never mind! I'm good. Where's the couch?"
"You've stayed here enough times. Forgot already?"
"I -- oh, here -- need to sit."
"And calm down."
"Right."
"Do I need to--"
"No. Just give me a minute."
"Okay.
. . .
You good yet?"
"Huhh, huuuuuuuuhhh."
"Some sigh."
"My brother. He just got married."
"That's awesome for him. Congrats."
"Yeah, just got back from their honeymoon. Cruise to Cabo."
"Oh, cool. Okay."
"Sorry, rambling, uh..."
"You'd go into the longest-winded tangents like that. It was cute."
"You're not helping. Anyway. So, brother. Married. Wedding. I was one of the bridesmaids. Not Maid of Honor, which was fine since, well, like I needed that kind of pressure. So I was going to all the prep stuff with my brother and his wife over summer break. Looking at the venue for decoration planning, picking the cake, the maids' dresses, bachelorette party, rehearsal, then of course the actual wedding."
"Uh-huh."
"I don't know, I guess doing all that stuff-- You know, I even caught the bouquet."
"Where are you going with this?"
"I just..."
"Hey, don't start crying on me now."
"I'm not! Just, don't look at me! I can't--"
"Huh?"
"Don't make me..."
"'Make' you, what?"
"...I'm -- cough-cough -- ugh, my throat!"
"Your water."
"Thanks."
"Don't mention it.
...So?"
"Hrm murhm mur-mur muh muuur."
"I can't hear you through your hands, you know."
"I'm still in love with you! There. Happy now?"
"You're... I didn't know. Wow. I mean, I messaged you a couple times after we called it quits since I thought we decided to stay friends. But you never answered, and I figured that was my cue to beat it."
"I thought I needed the space. It was too soon. Then the wedding came up, and there were too many reminders. I could relate every other song on the radio or storyline on TV to us somehow. I'd comb through our pictures and get teary-eyed, but I couldn't stop looking."
"Then why torture yourself like this? We didn't have to break up. I only did because you were losing it and crying and insisting it was the only way. I didn't want you hurting anymore."
"You know why."
"Because your folks hate me."
"They don't understand. All of the three guys I was with were from church. My parents just want the best for me."
"And some heathen, down on his luck musician scraping by on a waiter's salary and the occasional paid gig doesn't make the grade."
"You're not that. Look, convincing them to let you come home with me for spring break was hard enough. Remember how you had to sleep on the couch in the living room because they didn't want us doing--"
"Anything we haven't already."
"They don't know that! Plus, they had to interrogate you like you were some crime suspect, and politics came up."
"None of that stuff should matter."
"I know! I didn't think I could hurt them and feel so guilty just for loving someone."
"You're an adult."
"Barely, by drinking laws."
"Still. You have to be your own person. Make your own decisions."
"I want my parents to be happy. No matter how old I get, I'm always going to be their kid."
"Then nothing's changed."
"What do you mean?"
"That's why you're here. You thought we could get back together."
"I miss you so much."
"We had some good times, didn't we. Like that night at the club."
"Oh no. No no no!"
"You say that, but you're laughing. You were flailing all over the place during that Ke$ha song. Someone had to rein you in and teach you to sway."
"Not fair. That was my first time at one of those things. I only went because my girl friend was rebounding after her boyfriend dumped her."
"Well, I'm glad he did."
"That's awful!"
"Or I wouldn't have met you."
"Geez, you're ridiculous. It's things like that I miss. You say what you say, but you're always genuine."
"Just who I am. I can't be your secret boyfriend because your folks don't like me. That's their problem. It shouldn't be ours."
"No matter what, it's a lose-lose situation for me."
"It's not about winning. You have to decide what you want and stand by it. You can't please everyone."
"I can try."
"And sacrifice yourself in the process?"
"I'll manage."
"There's your answer to all this, then."
". . .
This sucks. God, this really sucks."
GENRE: Flash fiction
WORD COUNT: 964
RATING: PG-13 for brief mentions of alcohol and innuendo.
SUMMARY: She still has feelings for him, but maybe she's letting people have their say when they shouldn't.
NOTES: For Challenge #6, Weekly Quick Fic #2, prompt "still in love." Bonus challenge was dialog-only. I don't know how or why this got so long.
"Hey you. Thought you'd bail on me last minute."
"Oh, no. Had today free, so."
"I'm glad. Not going to stand there all night, are you? Can I get you anything?"
"Uh, water's fine."
"Heh, still being frugal for me. Might not be rolling in dough, but I got some eats and drinks to spare."
"Just the water's okay, really."
"I got juice, ice tea... some rum and Coke for old times."
"Water. Please."
"All right, have a bottled. Better than tap, at least."
"Thanks."
"If you want anything else--"
"Thanks."
"Right. So... how're things?"
"They're, you know. College, work, friends, family."
"The usual."
"Don't start."
"I wasn't. Just making an observation."
"Couldn't tell by the tone."
"Hey. You're the one who's been texting me after what, five, six months?"
"You don't remember?"
"Six. To the day. So why contact me now when last we saw each other--"
"Whatever. It's obvious you don't want me here, so I'm just going to go."
"Don't."
"Let go."
"You miss this, me holding you. I can feel it in your heartbeat and your pulse."
"I don't need this right now."
"You need to calm down. Breathe. You asked to come over for a reason. You're here. I'm here, okay?"
"...Can we stay like this? Just a little longer?"
"Of course, if it'll help."
"You know what, never mind! I'm good. Where's the couch?"
"You've stayed here enough times. Forgot already?"
"I -- oh, here -- need to sit."
"And calm down."
"Right."
"Do I need to--"
"No. Just give me a minute."
"Okay.
. . .
You good yet?"
"Huhh, huuuuuuuuhhh."
"Some sigh."
"My brother. He just got married."
"That's awesome for him. Congrats."
"Yeah, just got back from their honeymoon. Cruise to Cabo."
"Oh, cool. Okay."
"Sorry, rambling, uh..."
"You'd go into the longest-winded tangents like that. It was cute."
"You're not helping. Anyway. So, brother. Married. Wedding. I was one of the bridesmaids. Not Maid of Honor, which was fine since, well, like I needed that kind of pressure. So I was going to all the prep stuff with my brother and his wife over summer break. Looking at the venue for decoration planning, picking the cake, the maids' dresses, bachelorette party, rehearsal, then of course the actual wedding."
"Uh-huh."
"I don't know, I guess doing all that stuff-- You know, I even caught the bouquet."
"Where are you going with this?"
"I just..."
"Hey, don't start crying on me now."
"I'm not! Just, don't look at me! I can't--"
"Huh?"
"Don't make me..."
"'Make' you, what?"
"...I'm -- cough-cough -- ugh, my throat!"
"Your water."
"Thanks."
"Don't mention it.
...So?"
"Hrm murhm mur-mur muh muuur."
"I can't hear you through your hands, you know."
"I'm still in love with you! There. Happy now?"
"You're... I didn't know. Wow. I mean, I messaged you a couple times after we called it quits since I thought we decided to stay friends. But you never answered, and I figured that was my cue to beat it."
"I thought I needed the space. It was too soon. Then the wedding came up, and there were too many reminders. I could relate every other song on the radio or storyline on TV to us somehow. I'd comb through our pictures and get teary-eyed, but I couldn't stop looking."
"Then why torture yourself like this? We didn't have to break up. I only did because you were losing it and crying and insisting it was the only way. I didn't want you hurting anymore."
"You know why."
"Because your folks hate me."
"They don't understand. All of the three guys I was with were from church. My parents just want the best for me."
"And some heathen, down on his luck musician scraping by on a waiter's salary and the occasional paid gig doesn't make the grade."
"You're not that. Look, convincing them to let you come home with me for spring break was hard enough. Remember how you had to sleep on the couch in the living room because they didn't want us doing--"
"Anything we haven't already."
"They don't know that! Plus, they had to interrogate you like you were some crime suspect, and politics came up."
"None of that stuff should matter."
"I know! I didn't think I could hurt them and feel so guilty just for loving someone."
"You're an adult."
"Barely, by drinking laws."
"Still. You have to be your own person. Make your own decisions."
"I want my parents to be happy. No matter how old I get, I'm always going to be their kid."
"Then nothing's changed."
"What do you mean?"
"That's why you're here. You thought we could get back together."
"I miss you so much."
"We had some good times, didn't we. Like that night at the club."
"Oh no. No no no!"
"You say that, but you're laughing. You were flailing all over the place during that Ke$ha song. Someone had to rein you in and teach you to sway."
"Not fair. That was my first time at one of those things. I only went because my girl friend was rebounding after her boyfriend dumped her."
"Well, I'm glad he did."
"That's awful!"
"Or I wouldn't have met you."
"Geez, you're ridiculous. It's things like that I miss. You say what you say, but you're always genuine."
"Just who I am. I can't be your secret boyfriend because your folks don't like me. That's their problem. It shouldn't be ours."
"No matter what, it's a lose-lose situation for me."
"It's not about winning. You have to decide what you want and stand by it. You can't please everyone."
"I can try."
"And sacrifice yourself in the process?"
"I'll manage."
"There's your answer to all this, then."
". . .
This sucks. God, this really sucks."