Great Girls(Victoria Pedretti)

C. 2🕰

I made it safely back to my car when I, unfortunately, dropped my coffee on the ground after being scared to death by Crush.

"Crush, you idiot! You owe me a brew!" I admonished, bending down to pick up the plastic cup as I wasn't a fan of littering, nor was I a fan of plastic because of the damage it caused to the environment, but I forgot my thermos at my house.

I stayed over last weekend because I didn't have any classes on Friday through Sunday, and neither did my mom. So, after she would finish grading assignments and whatnot, she would clear the rest of her schedule to take me to the All You Can Eat Your Hearty Out soup buffet.

The buffet has an array and broad range of options to choose from. All kinds of soups and sandwiches. They even let you take a small box of any choice of crackers home with you. I was a fan of Ritz Vegetable Roasted; after I finished my bowl of French Onion soup, I'd take a box of them home.

I know it's silly of my mom and me to take a break from our stressful lives to visit a buffet. The reason why we go is that before my grandfather on my dad's side passed away, my family and I would go to that place all the time. It was a Child's family ritual. It was around the time when I was in high school, and my father was in the states. Part of me feels like the reason why my father left Brown was because of the way he ended his relationship with his father when he died.

Mom told me that two nights before my grandfather's death, my dad and Albie short for Albert, got into a heated argument. She wouldn't tell me what the dispute was about.

All I knew was that my father wanted nothing to do with his father after he died. He did cry at the funeral. However, ever since then, he hadn't looked back or talked about the matter. It was as if my Albie hadn't passed away.

I think my dad couldn't bear the thought of him being the reason why his father passed away in his sleep. That's why he took the job in Europe in a heartbeat.

"Sallie, I've told you a thousand times not to buy coffee on campus. It's expensive and drives you up the wall with the amount of caffeine they put in there." Crush went down before me and quickly grabbed the cup.

"Ah, two similar characteristics that Oliver happens to be a pro in," I state as Crush glares at me before we both are standing up straight again.

"Look, I'm sorry about the last-minute change, but Oliver felt left out." Oliver always feels "left out," as if I'm trying to steal Crush. Newsflash, Crush hasn't looked at a girl ever since middle school.

"Whatever, it doesn't matter anymore," I say, taking my car keys out of my baggy light-washed denim jacket that I had chosen to pair with a long-sleeve, red turtleneck, black skinny jeans and my Oh-So-Painful Doc Martens.

I stuck the key in my station wagon and watched as the door came open. I heard footsteps patter behind me as soon as I was about to seat myself in my car.

I turned around and squinted in confusion, "Why are you following me?" Crush's face looked distressed. He scratched his head when he mustered up the strength to inform me, "Listen, there's been a change of plans."

"Oh, don't tell me. Oliver wants me to stop talking to you now?" I inquired rhetorically. "Salinger, don't be like that." Crush said. "I'm just kidding, Crush. Anyway, what's your proposal?" I ask.

Crush clears his throat, putting his hand behind him and rocking back and forth. "So, it turns out Theo won't be hosting the Halloween party at his house." My introverted self jumped for joy internally in my mind.

"Did he cancel?" I interrogated, folding my arms in interest to the conversation. "Yeah, his mom's sick. Food poisoning."

"Oh, that's a shame."

"Yeah, d'you know what else is a shame?—There's no place for the party anymore," Crush stops swaying to look at me with his beady grey eyes.

Without completion of  Crush's sentence, I already knew what he was going to suggest. I wasted no time in letting him say another word.

I'm astounded at myself that I hadn't learned by now about my habit of giving into Crush's thick-witted proposals. At some point, I learned to resist and accept his last-minute favors.

I sighed in irritation, "How many people?"

"Two-fifty," he answered. My eyes popped out of my head.

"Two-hundred and fifty people?! Are you mad?! Are you crazy, Crush?!" I yelled.

"Are you British, Sallie?! 'Mad,' seriously?!" He insulted me.

"Don't mock me when I'm angry! Does my house look like the Grand Budapest Hotel?!"

"That's actually Oliver's favorite film."  I'm glad my best friend found the time to lighten the situation. I rolled my eyes and marched over to my car. I hopped in and shut my door. When I promptly put my key in the ignition, Crush ran to my car and yelled, "No, don't! Please, Sallie. Just for this one night. This is the only night where Oliver and I can enjoy ourselves without our parents constantly bickering about how intimate we are and breathing down our necks." He pleaded.

"Fine," I wavered. Crush sighed in relief as his frown withdrew from his face. I turn the key and the car began to run. Then, I moved the column shifter downward.

I turned the radio to be met with static followed by Frank Sinatra. A couple of changes to the station, and I was becoming anemic when I heard "Everybody Wants To Rule The World" by Tears for Fears came on.

"Oh, um. I forgot to tell you," Crush started, ripping my attention away from the music. I moved my head in Crush's direction and rested my hand on the thin ivory steering wheel.

"While I was looking for you, I ran by your dorm and well...Claudia seemed upset. Apparently, her boyfriend cheated on her with his fitness trainer. Caught him railing her in the locker room." He confessed.

I gasped and scoffed, "That sleazeball."