To Hell With It

Chapter 8

"Now that I'm Barbie, can we get the pink couch?" A small smirk plays on his lips.

I clutch my stomach, laughter fills the space around us as Elias and I both start to cackle.

"You've got to be kidding me," I gasp in between laughs. Elias shakes his head, indicating that he is being serious. "You're serious?" He nods his head, seeming to be unable to form coherent words.

"Well..." I tap my finger on my chin. "Only for Barbie." Unable to keep the serious expression, I burst out laughing again. I fall to the ground and so does Elias. He throws the heels off, revealing his giant feet. How did he even fit them in there?

"Thank God," He wheezes. "Those shoes were killing my feet."

"Yeah, because they're giant."

"No shit,"

***

Elias:

After my little stunt, we bought the pink couch, along with a bunch of other things that I really didn't pay attention to. All I cared about was my couch. She's so pretty. It took a while for the two of us to pull ourselves together, and it didn't help that I was laughing like a baboon while wearing a pink sparkly skirt.

So now, sitting on Sophia- my couch-, I look at a struggling Eirene. She's trying to put together one of the bookshelves she bought to store all her books in. I still can't believe she actually let me buy Sophia.

"Mind helping a little bit?" She grumbles. I stand up and make my way over to her. We don't talk as we piece the bookshelves together. Where she plans to put these two gigantic bookshelves, I have no idea. But she's Eirene, she'll find a way. I have come to learn that the small woman in front of me, who is no way actually small, is stubborn. So her agreeing to buy the couch was really a miracle.

Now, I'm saying that she's not small because Eirene is about five foot ten. But compared to me, she's still a dwarf. I imagine her hearing me say that and cringe.

We continue to work in silence until both of the bookshelves are put together. She puts it right next to where the TV is going to go, opposite the couches. When I bought Sophia, we agreed that Eirene could also buy a couch. Not surprisingly, she chose the pitch black couch she had eyed earlier.

I get a text from my boss:

5 oakland street, Luke Garber.

Attached is a picture of the dude. He's probably in his late forties, bald and has a crooked nose. The photo is black and white, so I can't really make anything else out other than his hair is fairly dark.

Wait... Garber as in the baby food? Oh, that's Gerber. Nevermind.

"Eirene, do you want some grilled cheese?" I ask, genuinely hungry.

"Only if you don't poison it," Eirene smirks at me- genuinely- which causes my stomach to do weird things. I stare into her eyes, trying to see why she's acting so nice, but only earn myself another round of stomach thingies.

I'm just hungry.

I start putting the cheese into the bread. Then pop the toast onto a pan and they both go over the stove. The smell of melted cheese quickly fills the apartment, causing Eirene to get up and see what it is.

"That smells good," She comments.

"Of course it does," I pretend to flip an imaginary lock of hair over my shoulder. I laugh at my own foolishness and so does Eirene. "Here." I hand her the first one. I put it on one of the boring white plates she bought.