|
It was about a half an hour before Amanda was supposed to come back to the apartment. I had gotten out a suit that I hardly ever wore and got dressed. I gelled my hair just right and even decided to put some cologne on. I took a once over in the mirror and happily glided out of the bathroom. I looked and could see Phyllis sitting on the sofa, watching some television. “Eh hem.” I said, clearing my throat. She turned off the television and looked up. “Snazzy.” She smiled and winked. “I look all right?” I smiled. “Fine…Just…” She got up and walked over to me. She grabbed the tie that was surrounding my throat and began to tug on it. “Hey! That took me fifteen minutes to tie…” I said and grabbed at her hand. “You look like an undertaker with that thing on.” She said and finally pulled it off. She unbuttoned the top button of my shirt and straightened out the collar. “Perfect.” She said, happy with her adjustment. “Are you satisfied now?” I said, rolling my eyes. “Yes…yes I am.” She smiled. “So…did you figure out where you were going to take her on your fun filled date angel boy…” “I thought maybe the movies…HEY!” I yelled. “Don’t call me that! You didn’t say anything to her did you?” I said in a panic. “Now seriously, even if I did, she would think I was on crack.” Phyllis laughed as me. “As you were saying.” She said, settling back in her seat on the sofa as she put her feet up on the coffee table. “I don’t really know what restaurant to take her to.” I said in confusion. “Why don’t you just ask her where she wants to go.” She said and flipped the television back on. “Could you please turn that off.” I said and stood in front of the television. “Fine.” She huffed. “Now…what things does she like?” I asked, looking down at my roommate. “Food.” She said seriously. “You’re not helping.” I said, grimacing. “Taylor, you’ll just have to figure that out on your own now won’t you.” She smiled. “I mean…what does she do in her spare time and stuff like that.” I moved over and sat down on the couch next to her. “She likes to draw and write stories. Stuff like that.” She said and looked at me. “And…” “And what? Listen, you’ll have a good time and I want to know everything that happens afterward, you hear me.” She smiled and punched me in the arm. “All right.” I said, rolling my eyes. I caught the breath in my throat when I heard a knock at the door. “Quick, go in the other room so you can make an entrance.” She smiled at me. “That’s retarded…” “Just do it!” She said, pushing me along. I went into my bedroom and stood there like an idiot as I waited for her to open the door. “Good evening Amanda.” I could hear Phyllis say and laugh. “Where’s Taylor?” “I’m right here.” I said and combed my fingers through my hair nervously as I emerged from my bedroom. Amanda was standing there awkwardly with her long hair pulled up, a long gray skirt and emerald green v-neck shirt that came to her elbows. “You look really nice.” I smiled. “You too.” She said and looked at Phyllis. “He looks damn right studly don’t he?” Phyllis laughed. “PHYLLIS!” I yelled, letting my face go flush. “What…you do.” She said under her breath. “Well…are we ready to go.” I said and walked passed Phyllis who glanced at me and smiled wickedly. “I…uh…suppose.” Amanda said nervously. “Have fun.” Phyllis smiled as she closed the door behind us. We walked to the parking lot in awkward silence. “I guess we have to take your car.” I said. “All right.” Amanda said and pulled her car keys out of her purse. I walked to her little red dodge Daytona and got into the passenger’s seat. “So, where are we going?” She asked and looked at me. “I don’t know. I don’t really know the area that well. Your choice.” I smiled uneasily. “Well, let’s go to the movies first.” She smiled. She started the car and we were on our way. We made our way to the movie theater and for some reason, we were having a really hard time figuring out what we were going to see. She wanted to see some weird foreign film and I wanted to watch the newest action movie with Arnold Swhartzeneger in it. We ended up seeing the foreign film. I sat there, next to her with my popcorn in hand. It was very weird. I didn’t quite know what to say or what to do. She was intently watching the movie, therefore, ignoring me totally. “You know…Phyllis would really hate this movie.” Amanda said suddenly. “Hm?” I said, swallowing my popcorn. “I said Phyllis would really hate this movie.” She said and looked at me. “Why?” I whispered. “She would rather watch something with a little more action or plot to it. I like to look for the hidden meanings to things.” “Oh. I notice that she draws a lot. Is that her outlet?” I asked, taking another piece of popcorn. “Yeah, I draw too.” She said, still looking up at the screen. “What do you draw?” I asked. “Anime, manga…” “What?” I said, narrowing my eyes. “Japanese art.” She said and sighed. “Oh…sorry…I don’t know what that is really. What about Phyllis, what does she draw?” I asked. “Oh…she draws more realistic things. She also draws fantasy creatures like fairies and mermaids and things like that.” “Wow, cool. I never knew she did things like that. When I get home, I’ll have to ask her if I can see some of her artwork, other than the stuff that’s on her walls.” I smiled. “So…other than that…what other things do you do?” I asked, reaching for any possible thing to ask. “Uh…I write stories.” She said and glanced at me. “Uh…okay…” “There fan fiction stories based on Japanese cartoons.” “Uh…okay…yeah.” I looked down. She was a little stranger than what I thought. “What about Phyllis?” I asked. “Oh, she writes all kinds of things. Anything from fan fiction to short stories to fantasy things.” “Wow, I never knew she was that creative.” I said and smiled. “Yeah…oh…this is the good part.” She said, pointing up to the screen. I looked up just to see some goofball actor reciting something I couldn’t understand. “Uh…I have to go to the bathroom, do you want anything else?” I asked, getting up from my spot. “Uh…yeah…could you get me a soda?” “Sure.” “Thanks.” I waited there, half expecting her to give me some money for it but I figured that wasn’t going to happen. I left the theater and went to the men’s room. I noticed no one was in it and I locked the door. I took off my jacket and my shirt, feeling my wings straining against them. I let them out and looked at myself in the mirror, shaking my head. “Why did I do this?” I said out loud. It was very awkward, the whole thing. Most of the date was spent either in silence or talking about Phyllis in some shape or form. I sighed to myself and turned on the faucet to splash myself in the face. I put my shirt back on and carried my jacket out. I got her the soda she wanted and walked back into the theater to find that the movie was over and she was nowhere in sight. “Amanda?” I said, looking through the dimly lit theater. “DAMN IT!” I yelled angrily. I walked out to see her standing just outside the entrance. “Here’s your soda. I didn’t think the movie was going to be over that early.” I said and put my jacket on. “Oh…sorry. You know Taylor…this was really nice and everything but I’m really tired. I think we should cut our date short.” She said. “Oh…uh…all right.” I sounded a little more relieved than what I had intended. We made our way to her car and I got in the passenger seat again. Silence once again was the only thing that filled the car until she broke the ice. “You know…this whole situation is very strange.” She said. “Uh…” I stuttered. “I mean, I told Phyllis that she jinxes it every time I like a guy or go out with one.” She said and laughed. “What do you mean by that?” I asked. “Well, there was this one guy that I liked and his last name was Hicks. She gave him the nickname Hickey Boy to bug me. Before that was Dukie and Lardo…” “Lardo?” I laughed. “Yeah, she finds it necessary to give every guy I like or go out with a nickname therefore jinxes me.” She said and sighed. “I bet she already has a nickname for me doesn’t she?” I chuckled. “Uh…yeah…something like…uh…what was it now…” “Angel boy?” I said out loud and quickly shut my mouth. “No, that’s not it. I think it was something like the angelic one or something…I don’t remember. Something good.” She said and glanced over at me. I smiled to myself. “I have you know Taylor, she likes you.” She said and grinned. “Huh?” I said in bewilderment. “She finds you very interesting. She told me at the mall that she was happy that she got a cool room mate.” Amanda smiled. “Really…” I said. “Yeah.” She grinned. “So, how long have you and her been friends?” I asked. “Uh…seems like forever…we met in about third or fourth grade.” She answered. “Really, that long?” I asked. “Yup. We’ve had some really good times. I remember one time we went to this huge mall for her sixteenth birthday and brought Holly with us. That was really cool. We ended up playing this game in the car where you say ‘I went on a trip and packed in my bag…’ and you have to go along the alphabet. We came up with some pretty vulgar things.” “I’ve played that game but not like that.” I said and looked out the window. “Phyllis and Holly really came up with some good ones.” “So, why does she give every guy you like a nickname?” I asked seriously. “She says that they deserve one because they’re not good enough to go out with me.” “I guess that’s nice…in a warped sense.” “Phyllis thinks that almost every guy isn’t good enough for me or Holly. She really looks out for us. Most of the time, you could swear that she was Holly’s mother with the way she protects her.” “I never knew that.” “Ah you learn something new everyday.” She smiled. “Well, we’re here.” She said, pulling into the parking lot. We got out of the car and walked up to the apartment. I opened the door to see Phyllis running around in her bra and a pair of jeans, looking for a shirt. “WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING HERE!” She yelled, stopping dead in her tracks. “We cut it short.” “Oh well, don’t mind me.” She said. “Well, Amanda, good night.” I attempted to lean in to give her a kiss but she stuck her hand in my face. “Let’s just shake.” She said. I shook her hand. “See ya Phyl.” “BYE!” Phyllis called from the bathroom as Amanda left. << Previous Page of Story>> << Back to Story Page>> << Back To Index Of Chapters Page>> Back To Main Page>> |