Don't Go Chasing Waterfalls
Early Saturday morning
"MEGAN!" Drake shouted. He was covered in a spider's web of colored silly string. She
must have used two whole spray cans on her brother.
"Maybe that'll teach you to not eat my brownies!"
"When I get out of this mess you better watch out." It stuck to him like when you have
something sticky on your finger and it takes you five minutes to take it off.
"Strong words coming from a boy covered in silly string!" She ran out of the room and
closed the door.
"JOSH! A little help would be nice!" Drake finally uncovered the mess by his eye area
and noticed that Josh wasn't in their room.
He hoped that Josh wasn't on his way to Mindy's house already.
Drake was able to reach for a pair of scissors to cut through all of this ridiculous not-so-
silly string. He hoped that the rest of it would come off in the shower.
"Woah! What happened to you, Drake?" Josh walked in with a glass of orange juice.
"Megan's what happened! Now come over here and help me!"
"She is an evil little girl." He placed his juice on the table.
"You think?" Drake replied
"You know we should take a digital picture to show Mom and Dad---"
"JOSH! Will you do a little bit less talking and a little bit more cutting?" Drake handed
him the scissors.
"Sorry, bro."
If only life were as simple as helping your brother out of a silly string jam.
"Remind me to 'kill' Megan later." Drake said when he got free. He had to take a shower
and get all of this residue gunk off his body and his proper rock star hair.
"Well now that you're unstuck so to speak, I'm off to see Mindy. See ya, Drake."
"Wait."
"What is it?"
Drake couldn't find the right words to say. It was like when he had a songwriter's block.
He just didn't want to see Josh go down the dark path again.
"Just be careful, Josh."
"I will. Later."
"Later." Drake sighed hoping that Megan better be long gone out for the day when he
came downstairs.
He hoped that Josh would get the answers that he was looking for. But Josh was
dealing with Mindy Crenshaw. A piranha would be more receptive.
Josh stood on Mindy's porch, but was afraid to ring the doorbell. What if her parents
answered? What if no one answered? He knew Drake wouldn't be afraid, so that gave
him enough inspiration to ring the doorbell.
It took two rings spaced thirty seconds apart before Mindy opened the door. She was
wearing one of her usual preppy outfits. A spring green v-neck sweater and a kicky
pleated denim skirt.
"Hello," Josh nervously coughed, "Mindy."
"I knew you were coming, Josh." She let him in.
"How did you know that?"
"Because Drake left a threatening message on the machine last night. He's lucky I got
to the machine before my mom did."
"I don't think he was threatening you as much as he was sticking up for me."
Damn! Why did Drake have to leave a message on her machine? It only seemed to
make Mindy aggravated.
'Whatever."
"I saw you at the Premiere last night."
"You did?"
"Yes and you were wearing a Garfield High cheerleading uniform."
"My parents thought it best if I switch schools, Josh."
"What made you interested in cheerleading? You looked nice, though."
"Josh, I seem to have let you on from when we saw each other at the pharmacy. I'm
cutting all my Belleview High ties. You might want to mention that to Torey and tell her to
get a brain and dump your stupid ass pretend rock star of a brother. So, I think it's best
if we don't associate with each other anymore, Josh. I have a new school and new
friends. It's pretty much a new life for me. So, if you'll excuse me, I'm afraid I'm going to
have to ask you to leave."
Josh was dumbfounded. "Mindy, I could tell you things about me that would make your
skin crawl, but I don't want your sympathy."
"I don't need any more negativity in my life, Josh."
"I'm negativity?"
"Goodbye. Leave yourself out, won't you?"
She ran upstairs.
Josh slowly left the Crenshaw residence, as did the slow walk to his car. He didn't know
how he drove the short distance home without getting into an accident.
He sat in the driver's seat for a good five minutes. The sun might have been shining, but
his heart was yet another cold, dark thunderstorm.
Mindy was the only girl he had ever really loved. There would be no eventual reunion like
Drake and Torey. They had it. That magical clichéd word "IT" used to describe couples
in a state of real love.
His hands were shaking but they were still on the nine o'clock and three o'clock
positions on the steering wheel. No he wasn't going to inhale the refrigerator and throw
up the contents later. But he was trying his best not to cry.
How could Mindy turn on a dime like that? Granted, their meeting in the pharmacy in the
summer was what led him to not give a damn about his life, but he just assumed that
once the dust was settled that Mindy Crenshaw still cared for Josh Nichols.
Who was he without her?
WHO?
Josh exited the car door and was greeted by Drake who could tell by the somberness of
his brother's face that it did not go well. Which was probably the understatement of the
year.
"Josh—"
"I need you to do me a favor, Drake."
His whole body was shaking. The tears were about to come gushing out like an oil field.
"Anything."
That bitch.
Josh wrapped his arms around Drake's waist and pulled him closer.
"Hug me, Brother."