"Awh, what do you mean we can't do galentines?" I say, dropping my arms in my lap.
"I'm sorry Kir. I got to work all day. Unfortunately, Valentine's is not a major enough holiday to get off." Isabella shrugs, getting up. Her backpack looks fuller than usual, but I'm guessing she's just taking her weights. "Maybe, we can do something tomorrow."
"What are you going to tell Em? She's going to be furious, both of us can't make it for just one time. You know how she feels about the whole "the whole group has to be there." "
"I don't know. I think I'm going to put it off for as long as possible." She says, twisting the cap off her water bottle, "Nate is picking you up at 7?"
"Yup. When will you be back?" I say, looking down at my phone for a text from Nate.
He still hasn't texted me back.
"Probably 6ish or something? I don't know."
"Okay, I love you." I say as she walks out the door.
"Bye Kir," She waves.
Huh, weird, She always says it back.
I call up Em, "Hey."
"Hey, what's good?"
"Nothing, I just have to kill like 7 hours before Nate picks me up."
"Wow, to not be single on valentines." She laughs.
"Literally, it's the first year in my entire life. Shut up."
She sighs, "Do you wanna come over? Zach, Jack, and Corbyn are all freeloading in my house and I'm pretty sure one of them ordered a pizza."
"When did they come over?"
"Like 10. The only reason I let them in was because they brought me chocolate."
I laugh, "I would come over but I'd have to come home soon to get ready."
"Well, just get ready here and have Nate pick you up. The boys can help get you ready." She says, eating something. From context clues, I'm guessing its the chocolate.
"Oh yeah because Corbyn does a killer smoky eye." I roll my eyes.
In the back, I hear him yell, "Hell yeah, I do!"
"Just come." Emerson pleads.
"Fine, I'll be there in a few. But if my makeup looks bad, I'm going to murder you."
*
"Hey beautiful." Zack smirks as he opens the door, "You could have just asked me to be your valentine."
"Shut up." I smile back. "You going to let me in?"
"Kiss first." He says, tapping his cheek.
"IS KJ HERE?" I hear a voice yell behind him.
"JACK JACK!" I push in Zach's chest, quickly pecking him on the cheek. He holds his cheek, smiling at me.
"What? Cat got your tongue?" I smirk, looking back at him.
"Kira Jade, I will kiss you right now."
"Boyfriend, you forgot?" I tease.
"I wish I did." He says, tugging the bottom of my hair.
"KJ, are you coming in or making out with Zach?" I hear Jack yell from the living room.
"Coming." I say, walking over, leaving him standing behind me.
"No valentines day's kiss? I mean don't get me wrong, kiss on the cheek is great. But, it's kind of like an appetizer-" He asks, jogging to catch up with me.
I start walking up the stairs. "You really want Nate out of the picture that bad?"
"I wouldn't mind it, no." He follows me.
"Jesus, you guys were downstairs for so long." Corbyn says as I sit on the recliner's arm to the right of him. I reach over, giving him a small hug.
"You're just salty you're single on valentines and I'm not."
"You know, I could be on a date right now but I chose to be with you. I could have given millions of girls a chance, but noo, I have to put my makeup skills to the test." He says sarcastically, holding his hands up like he's surrendering.
"Yeah same, we could all pull. But then who would keep Ms. Bryne company?" Zach says, sitting down on the recliner that I'm on.
"There's like 4 other chairs here." I say to him, gesturing out to the room.
"Yeah but 3 of them don't have you." He says, wrapping an arm around my waist, holding my belt loop. I lean back, so he has more to wrap around and isn't just awkwardly holding out a hand. I'm getting more comfortable with him being so touchy, which is the polar opposite of Nate. Or at least I thought, up until recently.
"I guess Zach isn't single either." Jack says, masking it with coughs.
"You want me to get you tea for your cough? Maybe honey?" Emerson says jokingly, sincere, nudging Jack.
"So what have you guys been doing?"
"She's been making us watch these corny movies and pizza is on it's way." Corbyn says, motioning to the TV. "I think I might be going brain dead."
"You were more into 50 first dates than I was." She says, confused.
"That was because of Adam Sandler, not the movie itself." He defends.
Jack laughs, "Oh so that tear you shed was fake?"
"Shut up." Corbyn says, hitting Jack on the back of the head.
"Have you guys hit the notebook yet?" I ask, looking around.
"We have to watch the notebook?" Zach asks, looking at me, pleading to not.
"Yes, of course. It's a classic, we can make chocolate covered strawberries and everything. It's not valentine's day without it." I say, looking at Zach, smiling.
*
"Wow, I should be a makeup artist." Emerson says, adding the finishing touches on my makeup.
"I did most of it-" I say, getting up.
She holds her hand up, silencing me. "I fixed it."
"You put on glitter-"
A knock at the door interrupts us, "Can we come in now?" Jack whines.
"Mhm." I say. All three of them push themselves into Emerson's tiny bathroom, making it more crammed than before.
"DAMNNN KJ." Jack says, looking at me. "FRESH AS FUCK."
"SHEESH." Corbyn says, biting his lip. "The lashes too."
I blush at their compliments. I'm wearing a long sleeve shirt that ties in the back and plaid slacks with my hair straight down, falsies, and a couple rings to accessorize. It's super simple and plaid but dressed enough that.
"What do you think, Z?" I say hesitantly.
He looks at me more wholesome than I've ever seen him before, "You look beautiful Ira, really beautiful."
"Thank you." I say quietly, trying to mask the nervous feeling. "Um, what time is it?"
"7:02." Em says, "He's going to be here soon."
"Y'all going to be okay without me?"
"Yes, we will live." Jack says, walking out of the bathroom, the rest of us following. "Go have fun with your boyfriend."
"Okay, I'll see you guys." I say, sitting on the couch next to the door. I watch the clock waiting.
7:30
8:00
8:30
9:00
"Kira, do you just want to eat-" Corbyn says, walking into the front room where I'm sitting.
I wave him off, "He probably forgot I was at Em's and then traffic this way. It's okay, I'll eat with him."
He huffs, "Okay, there'll be food in the fridge."
9:30
10:00
10:30
11:00
11:30
I check my phone, again and again, expecting a text or a call.
Nothing. Absolutely nothing.
"Kir?" Jack asks, walking into the room hesitantly.
"Hm?" I hum, my eyes watching the clock's arms move. I've seen them move so many times that I've lost track of what the actual time is.
He walks over, sitting next to me. "Kira, it's 11:45 p.m. It's late, and as much as I respect the fact he's your boyfriend, this is a dick thing for him to do."
"Jack," I say, my voice breaking. "he has to be coming." Tears blur my vision, but I do not let them drop.
"He's not coming." Corbyn says from the door frame. He walks over, sitting on the opposite side of me. "Kir, it's been 4 ½ hours. He would have at least called."
I open my mouth but my voice breaks, "He can't have just done this, right? He could have told me anyway, text, call, email, heck I'd even look for a carrier pigeon." I look at the group, but my eyes land on Zach. He looks like he just got stood up. He has so much hurt in his eyes, like seeing me like this personally hurts himself. I think he's stunned in place, scared that if he moves, I might break. He apologizes with his eyes, and they say a million words at once.
I'm sorry; you don't deserve this; I wish to take away your pain.
Emerson walks over from Zach's side and sits right in front of me. "Kira Jade, I am so incredibly sorry that a man felt as though he could treat you like this. You are an absolute bad bitch, and you know what?" She takes my hand and looks me straight in the eye.
"Bad bitches don't need anyone."
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word count: 1417
s/o Em's quote!
much love,
~ nish