“My sister—granted, she’s still a senior in high school—dates down. She’s gorgeous, and I’m not just saying that because she’s my sister. I’m saying that to make a point she could have any guy she wants, but she chooses guys who she can control and have wrapped around her little finger. How did it affect me?
“Well, I’ve never had a steady relationship, for starters. I suppose I just don’t believe in them at this point. But I also don’t lie to girls, ever. It has earned me more than a few slaps across the face on a third date when I say, ‘I just don’t see this developing into a committed thing.’ In my mind, I just think, better a slap on the third date than a divorce fifteen years from now. That’s been my attitude ever since that moment.”
“This is a long tangent to make an important point. This time with you is the first time I’ve been totally monogamous.”
“Well, with someone who’s monogamous with you,” Sky adds. “Sorry.”
I shrug. “You’re right about that. Ironically, doing the whole ‘relationship theatre’ of Operation Romper has given me the motivation to settle into something with you and just enjoy it.”
I have to laugh. “And you’re really enjoying…this? Sitting by the bedside of your fake lover?”
“Strangely, I am.” He grins. “You ready for another applesauce airplane?”
16
Luke
I drive back to my apartment late Sunday night from the hospital, past the cornfields on the outskirts of town, past the Walmart, past the neighborhood of tiny houses, then past Professor Row, which is a rich neighborhood relative to the rest of the town.
Talking with Sky is one of the greatest pleasures I’ve ever known. Why is it so wonderful with her? I contemplate that constantly.
When I open the door to my apartment, to my surprise I can hear an album playing on the record player. Odd because the albums rarely get played, except when I’m around.
When I come in, I see two people sitting on the couch, Ryan and the campus weed dealer, Krista. The two of them are sitting close together looking at something on her phone.
She actually runs in a crowd similar to Sky’s, so I’ve met her a few times. As a matter a fact I introduced her to Ryan if I’m not mistaken at some party a month or so ago.
“Rutledge,” she calls out. “Heyyy!”
Krista has that friendly vibe about her too, always smiling. Maybe the fact that she smokes a fair amount of weed has something to do with the smile that’s permanently etched into her face.
“Hey guys what are y’all up to?” I say, and then tilt my head listening to the song playing.
“Listening to The Offspring. Cool.”
She nods. “Yeah. At that party we met while this song was playing. And turns out both of us majorly appreciate the cleverly intellectual lyrics of Dexter Holland.”
I narrow my eyes as I take a seat in the easy chair in the living room. “Wait. Ryan, I thought you said you didn’t like The Offspring anymore?”
“When did I say that?”
“Yeah, I heard you once tell that to Jennifer when she said she didn’t like them. You said you didn’t really love them either.”
“I said I didn’t really ‘love’ them. But I like them,” Ryan says.
I wrinkle my forehead, because I remember the instance so clearly. He definitely left Jennifer—and I—with the impression that he couldn’t care less about the band.
Not that it’s a big deal if he does or doesn’t. The bigger deal is that he’s changing his tastes like a fucking chameleon for Jennifer.
“Who’s Jennifer?” Krista asks.
“I’ve told you about Jennifer,” Ryan says, a little tentatively.
“I don’t recall.”
“Jennifer is…my fiancée.”
“Oh. I didn’t know you had a fiancée.”
My stomach drops.
And granted, Krista is a bit of an airhead, and as I mentioned she smokes a lot of weed. So it’s possible that Ryan did indeed mention Jennifer to her.
But he definitely didn’t emphasize the unbreakableness of his bond to her.
I flash back to the ten minute rule that Ian and Roger explained.
When you’re truly jazzed to be together with someone, you’re going to brag about him or her.
My stomach mixes with conflict.
On the one hand, cheating is never okay, ever. And how Ryan’s interacting with Krista right now is suspicious to me and that’s not okay.
On the other hand, if it breaks them up…
Fuck no, two wrongs don’t make a right.
I wish I could just talk to Ryan man to man, but every time I’ve tried it this term it has been a major fail.
But the way Krista’s shoulders slump when he just broke that news, I can only infer that she is—or was—interested in him that way.
“I love The Offspring,” I say, trying to distract from the awkward moment that just happened. “They were one of the first albums I ever bought.”
“Which one’s your favorite?” Krista asks.
I lick my lips and try to hide my devilish smirk. “Definitely Conspiracy of One. I think it’s a well-accepted fact that Americana is overrated.”
“Whoa, whoa whoa, not true!” Ryan perks up.
My eyes widen. “Those sound like the words of someone who loves a band.”
“Pssh, nah.” He waves a hand in the air. “I just mean, objectively, the experts agree on Americana, I mean.”
Just then, there’s a key rattling at the door, and a few moments later Jennifer comes in.
“Hi there!” she says as she stomps into the kitchen with her boots, and then onto the carpeted living room. “What’s going on?”
Her question comes out in an accusatory manner.
Ryan sits up straighter. I notice he’s already increased the distance between he and Krista on the couch. He’s like a middle school student when the teacher just walked in and now he’s got to pretend he’s someone else. Plus he’s a little high which is messing with his reflexes and responses.
My heart breaks a little bit. Not for Jennifer and Ryan, but because Ryan is a shell of the happy, self-assured man I used to know.
“Just hanging out with Krista and Luke,” Ryan says, almost making it sound like it was my idea for the three of us to get together.
“Hi!” Jennifer waves, then sits down next to Ryan, separating him from Krista. “I’ve seen you on campus. You’re the drug dealer, right?”
She nods politely. The two women could not have more different energies. Krista: laid-back and easygoing. Jennifer: uptight and by the book.
Jennifer cocks her head as she finally notices the music playing. Her lip curls. “Why are you playing this awful album?” Her eyes scan the three of us. I don’t say anything. Ryan needs to take command and tell her.
Finally her eyes land on Ryan. “You’re the one who likes this stupid band. I don’t like them. Their songs are insulting to women.”
If this was anyone else but my best buddy’s fiancée, I’d go off on her right now for that remark. I’m not even sure which song she’s talking about.