The Music We Found

0.12 December 17, 2003

The next morning I saw Lindsey walking around the kitchen in Mike's shirt. She opened up a box of cereal quite carefully as we stood alone there on the tile. "I talked to Mike last night."

"I know. We heard you. So what happened to Scotty?" I asked. I guess she was the girl loaning last night through the walls. I was a little annoyed that she stole my first opportunity to fall asleep with Vic, but it all sounds a lot cuter than it really was. I think I was thankful too.

"Scotty and I broke up like, months ago." Lindsey said, not really looking at me.

I bit my lip. I had been more than a bad friend to Lindsey this year. I had been so busy with music and everything that I really lost touch with one of the most important people to me. "I'm sorry I haven't been paying attention to you. I feel bad now."

"You feel bad? Mari, how long has your dad been drinking? Mike told me and I realized that we haven't had a sleepover at your house since we were really little. I never noticed that your dad like stopped coming to stuff, until I really thought about it. He used to come to all of our cheer stuff and your piano things, but... Is this why your parents split up?" She asked.

I just sighed. Now that she knew, there was really no point in hiding anything from her. "Yeah. The drinking, not the parenting part."

"Damn. I always thought your mom cheated on your dad with Rod." She mumbled.

"She did. But she cheated because of the drinking. I think. I don't know."

Silence hung uncomfortably for a second. "So you're living here now?"

"Yeah, until I can find a real job that pays better." I sighed.

"Cashba's, where I work at is hiring." She offered.

"Cashba's? What's that? When did you get a job?" I was so out of the loop. I felt like the worst friend ever.

"A bar. I guess that's not a good job for you." She said after a moment.

"Does it pay well?" I asked.

She nodded vigorously through her wide eyes. "Yeah. You can serve alcohol once you're sixteen. Who knew, right?"

"Bring me an application. If nothing, working with you is a good backup plan." I said, stealing a piece of cereal from her bowl and crunching down on it.

"The job is practically yours. The manager is a joke." She assured me.

"Thanks." I told her sincerely.

"No problem." She said, taking a bite of her cereal before pouring more milk in. "Just promise me that we're still friends?"

My head shot up, "Of course we are. I know I've been preoccupied, but please don't be mad."

"I'm not mad. I just- you hid all of this from me. I just want to know that you still want to be friends." She said. I'd never seen Lindsey look anything less than confident, and I have no idea why the thought of me would shake her.

"I do." I promised.

"Good. I need to get to school, actually. I'll see you there?" She asked, reaching for her keys.

"I'll be the one looking unhappy in the parking lot." I agreed.

I was too, when the time came for my English class. Lindsey tried to remind me that it was important I came to my last day of high school, but I didn't really believe her. It was graduating half way through the year, so it wasn't like there were yearbooks so hold onto or anything like that.

I just let Lindsey give me a big hug before my English class, my last high school class ever. The love was short-lived though, and before my butt hit the cold plastic seat the harassment started. "I saw you with your boyfriend last night at the Mission Bay Carnival."