31. Intelligence
Donnie growled in the middle of a text. He turned to Rose, who was sitting on the bed behind him. "It froze again."
She held out her hand and he gave her the phone. Rose gave it a quick look over before popping out the battery. "Just remove the battery and it'll reset." She handed back the phone. He went back to texting and fussing with his hair.
"So," Rose said, "Where are we going?"
He put his comb down and looked at her reflected in the mirror. "Well, I thought we would go to a party. " He paused and then picked up the comb again. "You keep talking about meeting someone, and there's a rave down Pier Street." He avoided her eyes. "You like techno and stuff right?"
"And stuff ... right." Rose rolled her eyes and fiddled with a loose bedpost. "Have any wood glue?"
Donnie walked over to the closet and pulled out a single cheap plastic bracelet from a jewelry box. He walked back over the mirror and put the bracelet on one wrist, took it off and placed it on the other wrist.
Rose followed him with her eyes as he repeated the process of taking out a single bracelet at a time. Just take the damn box over to the mirror.
"If you really want to fix something, you can fix the rattle in my car." He was still trying on little identical bracelets. "Did you bring something to wear, or do we need to stop at your place?"
"You didn't tell me where we where going, remember?"
"Do you have fishnets and a skirt?" He hovered over, the two-dozen bracelets on each wrist rattled by her face.
"No." She rolled her eyes at him. Oh Damn, guess I can't go to the rave then.
He tossed his hands at her causing the bracelets to shift and clank against one another. He disappeared back into the closet. When he came out he threw a pair of torn black pantyhose, neon green fishnet stockings, a black 7" skirt, and a large assortment of neon, glow in the dark, accessories.
"Finally coming out of the closet?"
"Ha ha, funny. Try this on. I don't have any shoes that fit you, but I bet my sister does."
She held up the skirt with two fingers and an outstretched arm. "I'm not wearing this."
"You wear a spanky under it retard," he said as he walked out of the room.
Rose poked through the large assortment of bracelets and necklaces. She found a blue glow in the dark pacifier that made her wonder about the stores that sold such things.
Donnie came back with several different high heel shoes, a black fishnet shirt, and a sparkling red bra.
"I'm defiantly not wearing that." She crossed her arm.
"Just wear a white tank-top under the fishnet, trust me."
"I don't think so."
He dropped the items down in front of her. "Do you want to meet a guy or not?"
"I prefer guys not tripped out on acid, thank you."
"I can make you another outfit. There are some really great guys at these things, you should give it a chance before you just close yourself off."
"Name one."
"Well," Donnie walked over to the closet, "me ... for one. Look, I don't know what you want me to do. The rave isn't important; I'll rent some movies or something if that's what you want. You've just been so…depressed lately. I thought this might make you smile again."
Rose held out her arms for a hug, he walked over to the bed and sat down. She grabbed and squeezed his shoulders. "I just…I mean it's silly really." She threw herself against the bed and hid her face in a pillow. " I just don't know who I am anymore. It's like I can see this great person lost somewhere inside and I don't know how to let her out. I work a dead end job and take classes, and for what? I don't know what I want to do with my life. I can't even keep a boyfriend."
Donnie sat in silence staring at the floor.
She turned her head slightly so she could see him. "Everyone else knows what they're doing. They live life, and I can't even find mine. I feel like I'm drowning in it all."
"That's not true. I don't know what I'm doing. I go to these raves and take X so I don't have to think about it. I never told you this, but I really look up to you."
Rose turned onto her back. "Why?"
"Because you have it together, you're getting a degree in something you like, you're so smart and you don't even know it. You've fixed everything I own --"
"That’s easy."
"See, that's just want I mean, you can make something out of yourself. In 10 years I'm still going to be living with my parents."
She pulled him down, "I won't let that happen."
"That's just it, you have to, you just need to take the plunge and forget the consequences."
She grabbed his head and kissed him.
© Chris Richards 2009 - Read More