Let the Fire Die Chapter 6
After slamming the front door, I walked slowly toward my room downstairs, thinking of what had just happened. That was the end of everything we'd had in the past, it had to be. I'd said such mean things, and she'd never come back. She'd go back to New York, and get married, have her dream life, and I'd just be a nuisance from the past. And just as I was thinking this I walked into my bedroom to find my three best friends there.
"Video games, man?" Geoff asked, holding up several games cases, and smiling.
"And Mexican food!" DJ yelled, pulling out burritos, tacos and nachos from a never-ending supply he had hidden somewhere.
"We already know we're the best so don't even say it, just come here and try to beat me on Guitar Hero!" Trent said just as I opened my mouth to say something.
I plopped down on the beanbag chair beside Trent and grabbed the controller to beat the shit outta Trent on a game where he knew most of the songs by heart, and could play them by heart on his real guitar. Somewhere around midnight we brought out the booze, and that's when things got really weird, I don't remember everything, but I'm pretty sure it involved my next door neighbor, since I just woke up, and she's here. With me. Naked. In my bed.
God, what have I done?
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The morning after reconciling with Bridgette, and fighting with Duncan, I awoke to a strange screaming coming from the house. I noted that Bridge was gone, and I was pretty sure that she was the one doing all the screaming in the house. I walked out into the bright sunshine of what I presumed was midday sunlight, and fluffed my hair out of my eyes and rubbed them.
"What the hell, Dunc! Seriously? After all the fucking shit you've done, this takes the cake! I mean really! Sleeping with her? Right after you get in a fight with Courtney! You're effing Courtney, the girl you've pined over for years!" This was sounding really strange and very clear, considering the only difference between my hearing before and now was that I'd walked out of the barn.
Then I saw them, Duncan was standing by an oak tree looking strangely cornered, with some girl by him that looked like she was pissed, and yet ready to burst into tears at the same time. Bridgette was across from the two of them, looking angrier than I'd ever seen her, even last night when she was yelling at me.
"Oh and look. There she is! She never even fucking left!" Bridgette yelled pointing over toward me and making Duncan turn, his face filled with emotions I'd barely ever seen on him.
"Princess?" He asked quietly, yet loud enough for me to hear across the yard.
"Come on over Court, I need to tell you what happened last night while we were pigging out on chips and cookie dough and watching chick flicks." Bridgette yelled, smiling hard, and waving me over.
'This is bad. Horribly bad.' I thought as I crossed the lawn to stand beside Bridgette.
"Oh, well, you should meet Melinda first. This" She said, pointing to the young girl beside Duncan "is our next door neighbor, Melinda. Oh, and Melinda? This is Courtney, the first and only girl Duncan has ever loved. Anyways, last night, after that huge screaming fest went on right outside the house, the guys got drunk. I know, perfect choice, huh? Alcohol is always the best thing, right? Anyway, after that, Duncan went next door and serenaded the little hooch that lives there. And then, they wound up in bed together. What a nice story huh?" Bridgette huffed this all out, and glared angrily at the two every chance she got.
"You….slept with her?" I asked Duncan, turning to face him, tears already pinpricking my eyes, and my mouth pen in shock.
"Courtney, it's not like that!" He yelled, reaching for my hand, but instead of allowing him to touch me, I pulled back and slapped him across the face. He grabbed his face in shock, and I could see the skin turning red under his hand.
"What do you mean it's not like that?" The blonde, bosomed young girl screeched in a high voice beside him.
"I don't give a shit about you! Just leave okay?" Duncan turned, yelling at the girl before reaching out for me once again, "baby, please just listen to me!" his voice filled with pleading as the girl walked behind him in a huff.
"I'm not your baby, and it doesn't matter. Just go fuck Melissa." I stated, walking back toward the barn I'd spent the night in.
"It's Melinda!" The girl screeched in her high pitched, nasal voice.
"Fuck you." I said simply, flicking her off without even looking back. I heard a gasp, and then a giggle from what I presumed was Bridgette, and then light footsteps. Defiantly Bridge.
"I love you Court, Have I mentioned that lately?" She swooned out, and I laughed a little, knowing that I couldn't break down right here, but as soon as it was just me and her, she knew it would be coming.
She pulled the barn door open for me, and I walked slowly into the cool, air conditioned space and collapsed onto the bed, the sobs finally breaking me down into a little ball. And just as I suspected, Bridge was right there beside me, rubbing my back and telling me it was all okay. And then, just as the tears were getting worse, I remembered Drew.
"Oh, god, Bridgette, what have I gotten myself into? Why did I ever even consider Drew?" I asked, pulling a pillow over to cover my face. I was so smart, and yet such an idiot sometimes.
"There's only one thing that can save this." Bridgette said, smirking evilly, while holding up my cell phone.
"You aren't proposing I break up our engagement over the telephone do you?" I asked, giggling and pulling the phone over into my lap while I sat up.
"Oh, yes I am." Bridgette answered while I was pressing the numbers to call Drew at work, knowing that he'd be there. He always was.
"Oh honey!" He cried out on the second ring, joy and happiness filling his voice.
"Look, Andrew…" I said, trailing off, unsure of how to state exactly what I wanted to say.
"Andrew? Honey, you never call me that. What's wrong?" He asked, the happiness suddenly gone and filled instead with dread and unsure ness.
"Nothing, I just. I don't love you. I don't think I ever did." I said, looking down at picking at the fibers on the bed's comforter.
"You what?" He asked tears obvious in his voice.
"I'm sorry. I just…I've loved a boy since I was a teen, and well…I still love him. And he's not you. It's not your fault. I'm sorry. But, I'm staying down here. I'll ask some friends up there to ship clothes and such things down to me, but I'm sorry." And with that, I hung up on the man I had thought would be my future husband.
"I can't believe you just did that." Bridgette said stunned, obviously, though she'd come up with the idea, she didn't think I would follow through with it. Oh well, too late for that, huh?
"Me either." I said suddenly, shock spreading all over my body.
'What are you going to do now? Duncan doesn't love you, he slept with that whore, and you just left your husband, so not only is he out of the picture forever, but so are your parents.' I thought as I collapsed into Bridgette's lap, sobs wracking my back and making me shake violently.
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I sat outside listening to Princess sobbing inside the barn, and even though I wanted to go inside, my legs wouldn't allow me too. Then, I heard the most glorious thing, she still loved me. And she broke up with her fiancée just to prove it, and she was going to stay here. I had to make everything perfect again. Somehow, I had to make everything in the world perfect again. Because Princess deserved perfection and then some.