What Might've Been (Cricky)

Lovesick

As reality would have it, I forgot to pay rent. My landlord was an unforgiving, frail, old lady who smelled horribly of perfume and wore dresses on a daily basis. She told me to pack up my things, and then she threw me out on my ass the next day. I offered her my Ferrari in trade, but she told me that late rent was unforgivable so she'd already sold my place to the next tenant. All my boxes scarcely fit in the car, but my instruments didn't fit at all. I rode with guitars and amplifiers across my lap because I didn't have the money to get myself a U-Haul. I didn't ask first, but I was going to live with the rest of the band. TJ probably invited me at one point or another anyways. 

Upon arrival, I awkwardly tried to get out of my car with all of the equipment practically crushing me. The house looked deserted, and I figured I should probably give warning before I just start moving in. I knocked on the front door, and someone who I think was Angelo answered the door.

"Who is it, Ang?" Someone called from the back. 

"It's the pale, skinny kid you asked to be the bassist!" He shouted back like I had no feelings. I suddenly felt self conscious and looked at my small waistline though. 

"Well let him in!"

"You're allowed in apparently," Angelo said, moving aside for me to enter. 

I didn't enter. "Yeah, about that." I gestured to my car, which had an open driver's side door because I couldn't close it. "I was kicked out of my apartment for not paying and I kinda need a place to stay." 

Josh came to the door next, appearing seemingly out of nowhere. "We have a small spare room we can clear out for you. That okay?" 

I nodded, grateful. "Thank you."

It took all of an hour for me to store all of my boxes into the tiny closet I had in this new room. Because he'd done so last time, and he was going out of his way to stay as close to me as possible, I let TJ hang some of my shirts up. It sped up the process, and it kept him quiet. At least I didn't have any boxes to unload this time. It could be worse. 

"I'm sorry you got kicked out," TJ said, pulling a sleeve back right-side-out. 

"You should be happy about it," I muttered, folding a pair of my jeans. "You get to spend all of your time with me now."

"I told you I wouldn't do anything to you if it made you uncomfortable."

I shook my head, looking over at him. "Were you really that stupid that you couldn't see that the only reason I even offered to watch that movie with you was because I wanted to push you away from me? I tried to be a total asshole. I burned the popcorn. I didn't let you pick the movie. I only offered one type of soda. I didn't even show you out. And somehow, you still managed to have a good time!" I complained. 

He put his hands on the bed's comforter. "You think that makes you an asshole?" He laughed. "I'm a fucking player, Ricky. I've met way worse people out there than that."

"Like who?" I raised an eyebrow, both curious and trying to call his bluff. 

"I once went out on a date with this girl who showed up, clearly on coke, and she had five dates in the same room that very night. I went out with this guy who would only let me give him head because he was too nervous to try anything else, which gets boring after a while."

"If you're a player, why are you jealous?"

He took a deep breath. "I don't date more than one person at once. I just move on quickly, end things quickly, and start things quickly. I guess 'player,'" he used air quotes, "might not be the best way to describe me."

I rolled my eyes and took another pair of jeans out of my suitcase, distracting myself with something else. "Right, whatever."

"Tell me about you then." He still hadn't returned to helping me. "Since you're obviously not a player, how would you describe yourself? " 

"Clingy, " I answered. "I hold on for dear life and don't let go. We'd make a terrible team, so get the idea out of your head. " It was an honest answer, and it seemed like it might scare him off. 

"What makes you think that? Maybe you could change me for the better. " 

"You're so blatantly desperate, you know that? " I started folding another pair of jeans. 

"At least you're paying attention to me. " He returned to hanging my shirts up. "That's more than some people do. " 

"Great. You're a player who's desperate and an attention whore. Now that I know that, why would I be interested in you? " 

"I'm a terrible flirt with the most effective Cupid's arrow in the world. You won't be able to help it. " 

"I forgot to mention cocky. " 

"Confidence doesn't equal being full of yourself. " 

I stopped to look at him once more. "You're right. I guess it doesn't. " 

"You're just trying to come up with an excuse to not like me. " He poked my shoulder. "See? Arrow's working already. "