A Random Weekend of a Random Girl

As we entered the little Italian restaurant, I realized that it wasn’t really that little. The way Jean had described it, I expected a tiny little café like in the movies. I guess it was small in comparison to a place like Olive Garden, where they cram in as many tables as possible.
It smelled like bread and I couldn’t wait to eat! I had stayed up late playing a computer game, so I hadn’t even rolled out of bed until my parents called to say they would be here in 20 minutes. I had been trying to keep my stomach under control while riding with them to their hotel room, but it was running out of patience.
We must have arrived at a shift change, because everyone was crowded in the back and seemed a bit disorganized. Finally, a bald man came to seat us. I requested Jean as our server, so he escorted us up a flight of stairs to a small nook with four booths. With the dim lighting and the privacy, I imagined this would be a very romantic spot. There were paintings on the wall of windows and doors, and appeared to be the replication of the outside of a building. That’s what I get for hanging out with interior design majors. Now I notice all this stupid stuff. I sat next to my sister, Missy, with Mom across from her and Dad across from me. I felt a kick under the table, but I couldn’t tell who it was.
"These booths are a little small," I pointed out.
"Yeah, just a little," my dad laughed as he kicked me in the shin.
I kicked him back, then kicked my sister, who immediately began glaring at my mom.
"Why are you making that face at me?"
"You kicked me, you monkey!"
"No, I didn’t!"
I laughed, and it seemed that for the first time it occurred to Missy that it might have been me. However, she kept glaring at Mom anyway.
"What’s good here?" Mom asked.
"I have no idea, I’ve never eaten here before. I tried a little bit of something Jean brought home once, but I don’t really know what it was. Something with noodles and scallops. Ask Jean."
Jean was coming up the steps towards our table wearing the longest apron I’d ever seen. I would trip on that running up and down those stairs. Her tie is pretty cute though. She looks a little red; I hope we didn’t embarrass her too much. We had waved at her when we came in, but I wasn’t sure that she had seen us. As she approached our table, we all grinned at her. My parents must have noticed her red face too.
"We didn’t embarrass you, did we?"
"No, Megan just told me that a bunch of people were waving at the back and trying to get my attention. How are you guys doing?"
"We’re good. What was that stuff you brought home that one time and shared with me? It was really good and now I can’t remember what it was."
She smiled and said, "I bring home food all the time, that doesn’t help me too much."
Mom laughed and asked what Jean would recommend. She really only talked about some sauce, not an actual dish. I’ll play it safe and get something I know I like.
Dad ended up ordering one of the specials, Mom ordered a steak with the sauce that Jean ranted about, Missy got Fettuccini Alfredo, and I got the Fettuccini Gambretti. I would have gotten the Fettuccini Alfredo also, but the Gambretti had shrimp in it. It also had peas, but I could pick those out. Jean brought back my parents salads pretty quickly and I was wishing that I had gotten one too. She walked over to help another table near us while my parents scarfed down their salads. I guess they were pretty hungry too.
Mom finished first, and asked me about my apartment. I told her that I had a meeting with the landlord on Monday and that they would get to meet Madeleine, Alice and Ernie tomorrow. When she asked about "The Group’s" house, I couldn’t resist the urge to complain about the whole deal some more. I realized I was repeating information they already knew, but it made me feel better to talk about it. Especially since my parents completely agreed with me.
"Apparently none of them have signed the lease yet. The latest news is that this girl Kristina just got evicted from her apartment, so if she’s unable to find a place to stay then Sheila is perfectly willing to share her room with her. Funny how that works, since they’ve only known Kristina for a couple weeks and I was certainly never offered that deal. I guess that’s because I’m actually responsible and went out and looked for an apartment for myself. Oh well, she’ll get along with the rest of them great; certainly they aren’t any more responsible. I just got lucky in finding a place with a bunch of reliable kids. Sheila is still trying to say that it was a misunderstanding and that they all thought I was going to be a resident assistant so I wouldn’t be able to live with them. That’s a bunch of crap though; apparently she thinks that if she tells me a different story then maybe I’ll forget what actually happened. The fact of the matter is she just doesn’t want to admit that she isn’t the perfect friend and that she messed up. If she hadn’t told me that I would be the fifth person in the house before she confirmed it with the owner, then this wouldn’t be a problem. Frank is going to flunk out anyway, so they’ll have an open spot. If they offer it to me, I’m going to tell them to screw themselves."
I could feel my face getting hot and realized that I had better change subjects, because this was getting me angry just talking about it. Mom had been nodding and looked a little angry too. It made me feel better to know that my anger was justified. Then she asked about Jean’s house. It didn’t make me angry that Jean wouldn’t be living with me; it did when I first found out, but I wasn’t going to push the issue with her. I felt like our friendship was on shaky grounds anyway. Sheila deserved my anger because she kept rubbing it in my face.
"You should ask Jean about her house."
As she walked by, I stopped her and asked her to tell my parents about her house, knowing that she would get angry and start ranting just like I had been.
"Oh my God, it looks like a pre-school! They painted the front room bright red, the living room green, the kitchen yellow and the back room sky blue. One of the bathrooms is sea-foam green. I’m going to stay in my room so I can avoid having a seizure."
"Do the other kids think it looks good?"
"Yeah, both of the guys like it and the one guys parents okayed it!"
"The parents like it?"
My mom made her "people are crazy" face as Jean went on to describe the curtains in each room and the colors of the upstairs rooms. My mom wished her luck, and Jean went to get us some bread.
"So you really think Frank is going to flunk out this semester?"
"Yeah, I’ve been trying to help him through our policing class. I think he’ll pass that, but only because I get on his back about going to class. He skips his sociology class all the time, and I haven’t seen him after his history class for weeks. I hope he does make it. Seriously! I’d feel like I failed as a friend if he flunked out, you know what I mean?"
Mom smirked and I knew what she was thinking. She thinks he deserves it. Honestly, I do too in a way. As much as I hate to admit it, I don’t want him to flunk out because I’d miss him. She wouldn’t understand that though; she seems to think that I hate him as much as she does. I don’t want to talk about him anymore. It makes me feel guilty that she thinks I’m over him when I’m not.
I didn’t have to change the subject because Dad did it for me.
"So what’s the group we’re going to hear tonight?
"A Cub Bella. They’re really awesome; I’m going to try out on Monday."
"Is it kind of like your Acappella choir in highschool?
"Totally different. They do more modern songs and everything is done without accompaniment. It’s also all female; the guys’ group is the Beartones."
"Do they sing naked?"
I was a little confused by his question, but didn’t have time to think about it. I burst into laughter when I saw Mom giving Dad her "what the devil is wrong with you" look. Then I saw the lightbulb turn on, and I hoped that she could explain what had just happened because I was still confused.
"Their school mascot is a bear, honey. They’re the beartones, not the baretones."
She acted out both concepts, which sent Missy and me into hysterics. What was really funny was that it wasn’t my dad making a bad joke; he had actually been confused by the name. Jean came back at that time with a basket of rolls and butter, which I snatched before they’d even touched the table. I told Jean that I hadn’t eaten yet that day and she laughed at me before walking back down the stairs.
There was only silent eating time for maybe a minute before Missy said, "Look Bebe! A skull in cross-spoons!"
She was actually holding two forks.
When I arrived back at my room, I decided to get back to my computer game. Before I started that up, I decided to open my instant messenger to see if anyone interesting was online. Frank was at the top of my list, so I told him that if he was bored then he could come down and hang out with me. He said okay, which I didn’t think was a good enough response. I asked if that meant "Okay, I’ll be down in a little while" or "Okay, I’d rather do my homework." He said that it wasn’t that he’d rather do his homework, but that he had to do his homework. He logged off immediately and I looked at the clock. Even I don’t do homework at ten o’clock on a Saturday night. He could at least come up with a good excuse, or maybe just admit that he doesn’t want to hang around with me.
I was in a bad mood then and decided that my computer game could definitely fix that. However, I didn’t even have time to put the cd in before there was a knock at the door. I tripped over one of my shoes and tiptoed to the door. It would be great if that were Frank, but it’s probably just my resident assistant.
I looked through the peephole, and was surprised to see Alice and Ernie. I opened the door, and they asked if I had any glue they could borrow.
"I don’t, but Sheila probably does. Let me check real quick."
I went to her little plastic thing with drawers and looked where all of her markers were stored. I found a glue stick and some regular glue, so I brought them both.
"You should come hang out with us! We’re going to play Uno!"
"Okay, just let me grab my slippers."
After watching Alice put together a huge collage of black and white pictures, we finally began the Uno playing. Ernie had been begging to start since we left my room and was ecstatic when we finally started. We had played three games and everyone was feeling tired and goofy when my phone rang. It played "The Ants Go Marching," which was my ring for Frank. It was really loud and I wasn’t expecting it, so I just about jumped out of my skin.
"Hello?"
"Hey, I was wondering if you wanted to watch The French Connection with me."
"I’m a little busy right now, sorry. Maybe some other time."
"Alright. Bye."
"Later."
"Shot down!" Ernie cried as I hung up my phone, sending everyone into fits of laughter.
I was having a lot of fun with them, but I really wanted to hang out with Frank. I like the idea of me shooting him down. That’s new for us. Too bad I’m really wishing I was with him right now.
We finished our current game of Uno and I asked what time it was.
"It’s about 12:30."
"I should probably leave soon, since my parents are coming to get my stuff at 9:30. You guys should wake up early so I can introduce you!"
"Alright," said Ernie. "But one more game of Uno!"
As soon as I got back to my room, I called Frank back.
"Hey girl."
"Hey, have you started the movie yet?"
"No. My crazy room mate is playing a video game."
"Well I’m back now, so if you want to come watch it down here, you can."
"Alright. Will you meet me at the elevator in ten minutes?"
"Of course. See you in a bit."
When I hung up, I quickly brushed my hair and teeth. Then I tried to push some of my school books under my desk to make the room appear cleaner, all the while lecturing myself for being such a woman. I looked in the mirror and touched up my eyeliner. I am the biggest dork on the planet. Why am I bothering with all this? He doesn’t care. He only comes to see me when he wants something. I bet I look like a desperate idiot. If he tries something, I’m going to say no and that I only wanted to hang out and that he shouldn’t assume things. It’s probably been almost ten minutes. I had better go to the elevator so he doesn’t get mad at me for making him wait. I sure hope my resident assistant isn’t out in the hall.
I glanced at my calendar before I left the room. It had been 221 days since Frank and I had broken up and I was still letting him use me. I liked to tell my room mate that it was the other way around, but I knew the truth. I just didn’t know how to fix it, so I gave in and let it happen.
I decided to read the signs on the wall while waiting for the elevator. I thought about picking up the paper palm tree that was just barely still stuck on the wall, but I figured I would just make it worse. Another girl on my floor had been standing outside her room when one of the posters fell down and the resident assistant thought that she had been the one who ripped it down. From then on, I decided to avoid the decorations in the hall. Males must have escorts after seven. Why am I reading these signs? I know all this stuff. I should go read the signs about events, even though most of them have passed already.
As I turned to head towards the other signs, the middle elevator door opened and I turned around quickly to smile at Frank. He looked like he hadn’t bathed at all that day and was wearing the same mesh shorts that I’d seen him in yesterday. I couldn’t think of anything intelligent to say, so I just smiled and we started to head to my room. He sat his red and yellow blanket down on my room mate’s bed and I wondered if he planned on staying over there.
"So what’s this movie we’re watching?"
"The French Connection. It’s the movie that Dr. Craig talks about in class all the time."
"I don’t remember him mentioning that one."
I sat on my bed, propped my pillows up and wrapped up in my quilt while he put the movie on.
"Do you mind if I lay over there with you?"
I shook my head and he brought his blanket and all the pillows from Sheila’s bed over to mine. I could feel my heart starting to beat faster, so I tried to take deeper breaths. He snuggled up against me and pressed play on the remote control. When did he even get the remote? I must have zoned out for a second. He’s so warm, I love snuggling with him. He smells really good too; I guess he marinated in cologne to cover for him not showering. He really should shower more. We’re such an unlikely pair; I shower three times a day! He’s awfully handsome though, so he can actually pull of the grungy look. Suddenly, I realized that I had zoned out and had no idea what was going on in the movie.
When the movie finished, Frank got out of bed to turn it off and put it back in its’ case.
"I better get going, I need to get some sleep."
"Alright, I’ll see you later."
I followed him to the door and locked it behind him. Then I went to turn off the bathroom light, the light by the door, then the two lights above the beds. I tucked myself in and burst into tears. What the heck? Why didn’t he stay? He always stays! Did I do something wrong? Why can’t he just be consistent so at least I know what to expect? He clearly has no idea what he wants.
The next morning I was woken up by a phone call from my parents. They said they’d just woken up and that they would be at my room in about forty minutes. Since I’d been up late with Frank, I was exhausted and my eyes felt sore from crying. I decided that I could sneak in another twenty minutes of sleeping before they arrived.
I was woken up again about ten minutes later because of another phone call from Mom, who knew me well enough to know that I would go back to sleep. She yelled at me to get out of bed and get ready because they were leaving and would arrive in about fifteen minutes. I rolled out of bed and went to my laundry basket to search for a pair of pants that didn’t smell too rank. I had only worn my American Eagle jeans once that week, so I thought they would be fine. I wrote a note on my hand to remind me to do laundry and then I checked my calendar to see if I had anything important to do later that day. I only had some studying to do, which wouldn’t interfere with laundry. Then I went and grabbed the rest of my ensemble and headed for the bathroom. I had to take a quick shower, so I didn’t get to condition my hair. As soon as I was dressed, I squirted my favorite red toothpaste on my toothbrush and started with my front, top teeth while looking in the mirror. Of course, my Mom picked that exact moment to call me again.
"We’re here and we’re coming up!"
"Rokay. Am burshin ma teef."
"Oh, I’m sorry! Well finish up, we’ll be there in a second."
At that point, I realized that I hadn’t cleaned my room up at all besides packing a few things for them to take home for me. I spit out my toothpaste, quickly grabbed the schoolbooks and papers that made up the moat in front of my bed, and shoved them into a drawer. My desk was hopeless, so I didn’t bother trying. I tried to shove my laundry further down into the basket so it would stop overflowing, but it bounced right back up. I had just enough time to grab my shoes and put them in the drawer under my bed before there was a knock at the door.
While she managed to keep a straight face, I could see the disgust in Mom’s eyes. She has always been anal about keeping her house very clean, which is probably why I’ve been such a mess since I moved out. I felt guilty for not cleaning, but the dishes she was eyeing weren’t mine so I wasn’t about to do work that I shouldn’t have to do. My room mate knew that my parents were coming so she should have cleaned her dishes. I’ll write on my hand to remind me to yell at her for it when she comes back.
When they all packed into my room to get my stuff, Mom looked a little bit surprised.
"Is that all you have? Just this little bit?’
I had a tub full of clothes and a carpetbag full of more clothes, two boxes with my video game junk, another box with an assortment of random stuff that I’d probably throw away when I got home, my printer, and my winter coat. I thought it was quite a bit, and I’d really had to stretch to get even that much. I still had another three weeks of school, so I figured I would still want most of my belongings where I could get to them.