Lovebug

Everything is fine

I'm not sure when I passed out.
But I know I did because I woke up to Ruth shaking me.
I'm still sweating.

"Yo dude, you passed out."
"Shit, sorry."
"No, don't be. I'm sorry."
"It's okay, Ruth."
"I'm really really sorry."
"It's my fault."

Sleepy isn't in the car.

"Wanna come inside? We're here."
"Yeah, sure."

It's a red brick apartment building.
34. I don't know what street this is.

"How long was I out?"
"I don't know."
"I need you to tell me."
"I don't know, Eileen."

When was the last time I checked the time?

"We were driving for about half an hour."
"Okay. Thank you."

10:12.
That checks out.
I wish I had my phone.
Who knows how many times Miguel has called me.

She takes my hand and leads me inside. I hear whale song in my head.

It smells good.
Fresh. Floral.

10:14.
She presses the elevator button.
10:15.
We're going to the top floor.
10:17.
She opens the door to a giant, swedish furniture packed apartment.

Clean as a whistle.

"Take your shoes off."
She says to me before she kicks off her shoes and runs 10 steps to the giant white leather couch

She lets out a dramatic moan.
"This is the shit."
She spreads herself out on the couch.
"COME SIT!!"

I take off my shoes and walk to the couch.
I sit.
In front of it sits a glass table with a bottom compartment filled with booze.

"Who's house is this?"
"Matthew's uncle."
"Oh my god wow."
"We're technically not allowed to be here, but he doesn't live here until October."
"Oh gosh, okay."
"Don't worry about it."

Sleepy walks into the living room and sits next to me on the couch.
"Want a tour, Lovebug?"
"puh-lease!"

He offers me his arm.
I take it.

He shows me a kitchen that looked like it was designed for a chef, but never cooked in.
A bathroom with a TV in the mirror.
4 bedrooms all furnished in white.
Three more bathrooms.
A dining room with a giant glass oval table.
And finally, an office with its own library.

"This place is beautiful."
"I'm glad you like it. Ruth planned something for us here later, if you're willing to stay."
"I don't think I have much choice."
"I think you might be right."

He leads me back to the giant leather couch.

"Wanna get high and watch 'The Sound Of Music' on the huge TV?" Asks Ruth, taking off her backpack
"No one wants to watch that bullshit, Ruth."
"The Sound Of Music', or I'm fucking leaving."
"Jesus, fine."

Ruth pulls a copy of The Sound Of Music out of her backpack and rushes to the DVD player to put it in.

"Do you carry that everywhere?" I ask
"Pretty much, yeah. You ever seen it?"
"I watched it once with my Grandma."
"Then you know it's a classic!"
"I do remember loving it."

"Women." Sleepy says to himself.
Ruth slaps him in the back of the head.

Ruth presses play on the remote and pulls a bag of weed out of her backpack.

Oh dear.
At least it's nothing scary.
No one dies from weed.

Sleepy unlocks the bottom compartment of the glass coffee table and pulls out rolling papers and a pair of scissors.
He goes to shut the compartment as Ruth grabs his hand.

"Tequila?" She asks, smiling a convincing smile
He sighs.
"Fine."
He pulls out a full bottle of tequila and shuts and locks the cabinet.

It's 10 am.

"Can you go grab some glasses and juice from the kitchen?" He asks her
She gets up and runs to the kitchen.

Just as The Sound Of Music starts.
Julie Andrews twirls on a hilltop, reminding me everything is fine.