When I Come Around
Minty
"You've been locked up, and needing to escape. You broke the law it was your first offence…" I hummed along to Silverchair's words as I picked my way around the supermarket. Bandit, Sapphire, Stephanie and Hayley had all kicked me out to pick up 'supplies' after they'd decided I was the only one efficient enough to do it all in an hour. Even before I'd began protesting that Stephanie was way more organised than I was, I was shoved out the door with two fifties and Bandit's car keys. Great friends.
As I strolled around the corner of the aisle and dragged the cart with me, I bumped straight into someone. Staggering backwards, I caught myself on a shelf before I went down. Pulling out an earplug, I stabilised myself.
"I'm so sorry!" I exclaimed. "I wasn't watching where I was going and I just sorta ran into you…" The guy grinned and shrugged.
"It's okay. No harm done," he said dismissively. I smiled and ran my hand through my hair.
"I'm uh…I'm Minty," I said, holding out my hand. When I saw him stare quizzically at it for a second before he took it in his, I mentally kicked myself…hard.
"Minty? Is that a nickname? I'm Jay, by the way," he replied, flicking his dark brown hair out of his eyes.
"My name's actually Araminta, but I decided it was too long and weird. So I just shortened it to Minty. And all my friends call me that anyway," I rambled, sealing my lips shut when I realised I was making a complete fool of myself. As usual.
"Minty…that's a cool name," he smiled. I suddenly realised that our hands were still clasped together and I quickly let his drop, blushing.
"Thanks. Look, I've got to – "
'Come, as you are. As you were, as I waaant you to be. As a trend, as a friend, as an old enemy…' Kurt Cobain's moany, gravelly voice wound it's way out of my back pocket and I quickly dug out my phone, smiling apologetically at Jay before answering it.
"Hello?"
"Where are you? Bandit's getting hungry!" Sapphire demanded, sounding more or less pissed.
"Bandit is a little sulk! Can you wait ten minutes? I'm not even finished yet," I replied, scuffing the toe of my beat up Converse against the white stained linoleum.
"You've been there for an hour already, isn't that enough time to grab a few things?" She whined, her tone instantly changing.
"Saph, you gave me a two page list! Don't expect me to get it all in an hour."
"Hayley wrote most of that list, you know. She eats enough for all of us. And anyway, it's not my fault that – "
"Goodbye Saph, it was nice to talk to you, too," I said, cutting her off and hanging up quickly. Jay looked confused.
"Sorry," I mumbled. "That was my friend Sapphire. She's a little…demanding."
"Sapphire?"
"Yeah; it's not her real name though."
"What is her real name, then?"
"I don't actually know. It's something like Beartrice or Gertrude; one of those really old names," I told him, shrugging. "If I had that name like that I'd change it too." A smile spread across Jay's face.
"Any other of your friends who have weird names?" He asked.
"There's Bandit, I guess."
"Is that her real name?"
"It is," I laughed. We lapsed into silence and I cleared my throat. "I guess I gotta go. I'll see you 'round?"
"Sure, see you 'round Minty." With another smile, he was gone, leaving a wave of adrenalin in his wake.