Just Another Cliche Love Story

Chapter 1 - "Who put a stick up your ass?"

A sappy love story has to start somewhere. So, why not start it somewhere interesting? Or what I call interesting...

The local ice-cream shop. It was a very hot and humid summer day, sweat was practically pouring off of me and my l best friend, Lea's shoulders. We'd just finished moving everything into our tiny studio apartment. We spent the majority of the day just making our apartment feel like a home. And part of making it feel like a home included a garden terrace.

Hours and hours of straightening up, doing laundry, and cleaning, we had been exhausted. And hot.

On the way here, to our apartment, I saw an ice-cream shop and suggested after everything was done, we go. 

Standing there in front of the door, dairy didn't seem like a good thing right now. I'd gotten a mental image of spoiled milk churning in my warm, humid, body and immediately felt nauseous. Leah didn't hesitate at all, though. She yanked that door like it was a gateway to her own ice-cream heaven.

"Lea, I'm not feeling ice-cream after all. I think frozen ice sounds better. Don't you think?"

"Come on, Angel, not everything's about you! I don't even like frozen ice." She said jokingly but added, "Okay, we'll get frozen ice after we get my ice cream. Don't look at me like I'm a bitch."

I couldn't help but roll my eyes. "Well, you are!" She gasped lightly and punched my shoulder with a faux pouty look. I laughed at her ridiculousness.

The empty, cool ice-cream shop air felt nice, I'll admit, but that mental image of spoiled milk and sugar were still meandering in my mind.

"Hi, welcome to Nana's, home of the greatest milkshakes in town." An employee came into view, a sultry look on his face and a scowl that could most likely scare away children. Ow. Who put a stick up his ass to give him that perma-scowl?

"Hello," I beamed. Lea hadn't peeped since we got in, occupied solely on the ice cream choices that beheld her. I gave a look at the employees that said, 'Sorry'. But neither of them looked too bothered.

The shop was screaming with silence as Lea, the ice cream chooser, pondered her choices for what felt like an eternity.

I decided to try and make some new friends while we were here. I know I wouldn't be able to stand college with just Lea at my side, talking about the three cats that she had to leave in Florida. Her desperation depressed me sometimes.

"So how old are you guys?" The female employee answered first, a pep in her glowing step.

"I'm 19. How old are you?" She retorted. I smiled. I had a good feeling about her.

"Eighteen. Just finished moving here for college."

She made an 'O' shape with her mouth, excitedly she blurted, "Oooh, college-goers, where are you going to?" She looked genuinely intrigued by me, unlike the scowl dude who looked like he couldn't give two shits about where I went to college or old I had been. I mean, I couldn't blame him. I wasn't too interesting but that didn't mean he couldn't be nice and pretend. I'm sensitive about these things, you know?

"Bridgeville University," smiling at the nice girl.

"OMG, I go there too! It's such a nice school!" She gasped, "I could totally show you around. That is if you haven't already seen the college."

"I would love that. I'm Angel. Nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you too, Angel. I'm Kasey. I can't wait to see you there." She outstretched her hand for a shake and I gladly reciprocated.

"Is your friend here going to order something?" The attitude boy asked me with a hint of sass and annoyance.

I looked at him, met his eyes, which made him shift a little in his stance, and smirked. "She's a little picky about these things, you know?" Meeting his eyes made me shift internally and some nauseating feeling was aroused in my stomach.

Oh no. Not this guy. Why do you have to be attracted to the 'tude guy, Angel?

"Yeah, whatever," Le gasp! Was that an eye roll? Only I can do that, you understand?

His attitude was annoying me and without thinking I muttered, "Who put a stick up your ass?"

Slowly the boy approached the ice cream window, my heart rate fails, "What did you say?"

What? Me? Never?

"What? Me? I didn't say anything!" My hand on my chest, looking everywhere but his eyes, feigning innocence.

He blew the hair out of his eyes, so I could see him roll them. GOD, the sass this boy has! "Yeah, right."

Finally, Lea got the hint and chose mint so we could get out of here and get my frozen ice. We paid and my smart ass decided to put a ten-dollar bill in the tip jar, both employees were looking at me. But I met the guy's eyes and said, "Use your half wisely and have someone pull the stick out of your ass. It'll be worth it. Have a nice day!" I smiled laughing lightly. Kasey gaped at me and the boy glared. I shook my ass, walking behind Lea out of the door.

What another great day to be me? Am I right?

"Why were you acting so petty towards the ice-cream guy?" Lea asked as she spooned a glop of mint ice-cream chip in her mouth, looking between me and the red light ahead.

"What do you mean?" I said, scoffing. "I totally was not."

"Don't play dumb, Angie, I know that petty laugh from anywhere. You were totally being petty. I just want to know why." Lea gasped, "Do you like him?!"

I averted my eyes, "Lea, light. And I don't like him like that, I just think he's attractive." Lea smirked her knowing smirk which I sort of hated but couldn't live without at the same time. "Hey, don't smirk like that!"

"What? Me? I'm not!" She says impetuously. "You should totally try to hook up with him, by the way."

A furious blush made its way up to my cheeks, "I don't even know his name! Do you know he could possibly be a stalker or like a rapist or something? He doesn't seem like the type to go out with girls like me, anyway."

"Bullshit, Angie! You're like a gem if I've ever seen one. Plus, if you're not his 'type' he can go screw himself. Okay and there always is that possibility that he is one of those things, but if not him you should find a good lay anyway. We're in college. We're going to experience it to the fullest." Shoveling the last bite of mint chip.

I sighed, "I've already told you, I'm not here to hook up and go out to parties and drink and shit. I want to focus on my schoolwork. And you know how crazy I can get when we party, I just don't think that it would be a smart idea to let that habit fluster out of control again."

"Fine, I guess you have a point. But that's not going to stop me, though. You know that, right?"

I nodded, "You may hook up with whomever you please, party as much as you please, I am not your guardian." She did a little happy dance in her seat, "AS LONG as you keep the ragers away from our apartment." She sulked with a pouty face.

"Alright. Deal. But you have to promise me you'll go to at least one party this year with me. Please?"

"Okay, just one," I said compromising with my compromising best friend.

"Yes!" She resumed her happy dance party in her seat. I couldn't help but roll my eyes and chuckle.