Short Story Sunday

After work, I rushed home to get changed. Riley said she’d pick me up at 10:30 and the clock on my nightstand said it’s 10:15.Tonight is my first night out as a free woman, so I threw on an outfit that he never let me wear in public; a mini skirt and a blue midriff baring tank top. Then I overloaded my makeup, another thing he wouldn’t approve of. Tonight is my personal screw-you-outing. Too bad he wouldn’t see me.  I should be happy he could no longer tell me what to do, but the girl in the mirror looking back at me wasn’t smiling. Her eyes looked dead.

My hand paused on the doorknob when the hallway floor creaked. Pressing my ear up to the door, I listened as Momma walked down the hall and out the front door; starting her nightly drinking routine right on schedule. I rushed to the window to see who gave her a ride to the bar tonight, a silver Taurus pulled out of the driveway, Rob’s car. Rob was one of Momma’s many drinking buddies.

As I watched the Taurus drive away, a blue Kia pulled up. At that moment, my phone started singing. My heart stopped at the sound; it was his ringtone. No longer able to control my body, my hands flipped open my phone. “Hello,” I whispered. Clearing my throat, I tried again, “hello,” I said louder and more clear.

“Hey I was just calling to see how you’re doing?”

See how I’m doing? Umm hello you broke up with me last night. How do you think I’m doing? To him I said, “I’m great, never been better. In fact I’m going out tonight with some friends.” Calling Abby a friend was way over exaggerating the truth, but he didn’t need to know that. Riley walked up the porch steps.

“That’s good. Where are you going?”

I opened the door before Riley could knock and held up my finger to let her know I’d be right there. “To a party.” And just to be petty I said, “I’m wearing a sexy outfit you’d never let me wear. Because I can do that now since we’re you know, just friends,” sarcasm dripped from my mouth.

He didn’t say anything at first. I thought maybe he hung up. He used to do that when we argued. “If you want to dress like a whore,” he said in a low-pitched voice, “that’s your problem.” Did he just call me a whore? My face grew hot.

“You’re right that is my problem.” Riley honked her horn telling me to hurry up. “Well I’d love to stay in chat, but I have people to see, alcohol to drink, and boys to makeout with. Goodbye friend.” I hung up before he could say anything back to me. My phone immediately began ringing again. I hit ignore and turned it off.

“Wow chica you look hot!” Riley said when I climbed into her car.

“Thanks.” My heart still beat rapidly from his phone call. How dare he call me a whore? He’s the one who broke up with me. I know it was for someone else, even if he denies it. At first I wanted to go to the party to forget him, now I wanted to drink to prove that I can do what I want. He’s no longer the boss of me, the stupid pig.

“So you want to tell me what’s going on?”

“What do you mean?”

“Come on Lexi, you don’t drink.”

“How do you know,” I raised my eyebrows.

Riley sighed. “Because I’ve worked with you for three years and I’ve never known you to drink or go to any parties for that matter.”

“Yeah. Well, things change. So where’s this party anyway?” I asked, trying to change the subject. Riley just stared at me with her big brown eyes. “Ugh, fine we broke up, okay. I just want to have some fun and forget about him for a while.”

“I’m sorry. Do you want to talk about it?”

“Not really.” I looked out the window, watching the streetlights pass, my way of saying I’m done talking.

“The party’s  at Ryan’s brother’s house near OSU campus. And let me tell you, he has some H-O-T roommates. A few seconds with them and you’ll forget all about what’s his name.”

“Sounds perfect.”