A Month To Live - Extras

The Designated Driver

I was not happy to hear the ringing of my phone. Usually that meant it was the morning and I had to get up for work and right now I was very dead to the world and didn’t want to get up and do anything that required any effort. Then I remembered it was Saturday tomorrow... so I didn’t actually have to go to work. So why was my phone making noisy noise?

When I finally forced my eyes open, I realised it was actually still dark out and the tone was not of my alarm but of an incoming call. With a groan, I rolled over and snatched my phone up from the bedside table, squinting at the bright light in my face.

‘George,’ I sighed before answering. ‘What do you want?’ I demanded grumpily, letting myself flump back down into the pillows.

‘Betty! I cannot believe you answered. It’s only ‘cos I have Bradley with me though, right?’

‘Correct,’ I replied, closing my eyes again and yanking the covers back up.

That was, admittedly, the only reason I hadn’t left my phone on do not disturb. I thoroughly enjoyed my sleep and didn’t like my phone going off with notifications at all hours of the morning.

‘You’re mean.'

‘You’re drunk.’

‘How did you know? I’m trying real hard to sound sober right now, you know.’

‘I know everything,’ I yawned. ‘You guys need a ride?’

‘How did you know that too? Bradley, your girlfriend is a witch! How does she-'

‘There is no other reason for you to be calling at this time. Unless something bad happened. And you’re too chill sounding for that,’ I cut him off before he could go on a tirade. He rambled a lot when he drank. So did I, but it wasn’t amusing me right now when I was ready to pass out. ‘Where are you?’

‘We’re at that place downtown, you know the one where they have the pool tables and ummmm what’s that other game called? The one where you throw the darts at the board?’ George said, speaking almost too quickly for me to hear.

‘Darts?’ I said in an exasperated voice. ‘It’s just called darts, George.’

‘Darts!’ George exclaimed. ‘Why is it called darts? That’s so stupid, it should be called like... like...’

‘Your creativity seems to have dried up,’ I noted, holding back a huff of air as I threw aside the covers. All that warmth I’d accumulated while sleeping would now be lost. ‘Where’s Bradley? Put him on, he’s easier to understand than you!’

I heard George speaking indistinctly for a couple of seconds and I managed to yank on some fleece-lined leggings before the phone was passed over.

‘Hi love you!’

‘Did you just combine hi and I love you?’ I asked, smirking as I threaded my arms through a cosy grey sweater which did not belong to me. ‘Very efficient. Hold on, I’ve got to put the phone down a sec,’ I added, tossing it on the bed as I yanked the sweater over my head too. ‘Okay, I’m back.’

‘It wasn’t on purpose!’ Bradley replied. ‘But it doesn’t make the meaning any less real. You have to save me before he makes us go back inside and drink some more. Please, please, please-’

Yep, he was as drunk as his pal. George had come back for the weekend as it was the last few days he had free before he started full time at his job in New York. He’d gone out only a couple weeks back to move his belongings over. Even though he hadn’t been gone for long, it felt really weird with him not living just three blocks away from my apartment. I’d become very accustomed to his presence. In both a good and a bad way.