Again?

“Um, can I borrow you for a moment?” She has that look.

“Don’t ever use my lines…. I suppose,… it depends. Am I going to need a lawyer?” Like he has enough of a backbone to say no. She’ll be the death of him yet.

“Shut up. I’m serious. Please?” These are the eyes he fell for the first time.

“What? Have some coffee.” One of these days he’ll remember she doesn’t drink coffee, but not yet. Her birthday is next week, maybe he’ll ditch class as a present. More for himself than her, but she won’t notice- ah, fuck it.

“No. thanks…. God… this is hard. Do you have to look at me like that?”

“Like what?” He really has no idea what she means. He’s tired, this is weird.

“Like that. You never used to seem so… bitter. I just…”

“I’m tired. I’m hung over. I’m fighting off a cold…   I know I look like shit, fine. I think I’ve earned the right to be bitter. What do you want?   You filed a restraining order when I hadn’t seen you in three weeks. Your mom broke up with me over the phone for you when you didn’t have the decency or the nerve or the whatever.”

“I wasn’t thinking that. I’m trying to apologize for the whole court thing, okay. I know that was wrong.”

“Hey, you got what you wanted. Now go away.” he really needs more coffee.

“I just want to know one thing. Why did you lie?”

Was she always this dramatic? he thought he had better taste than that. “What?”

“In court, why did you lie? You owe me that much.”

“You got what you wanted and I don’t owe you a fucking thing.”

“I can’t believe you, you’re such an asshole.”

He wonders if she practices that incredulous look in the mirror. “Fine, you’re right. It’s all about you. I hate you and I’m gonna kill you as soon as I get around to it. It’s on my list after paint the car, but I’ve been planning that since 1986. You probably have nothing to worry about, happy?” She’s trying to drive him to it, some wierd kind of suicide. He’s starting to wish he WAS a homocidal maniac.

“I never thought you were trying to kill me. You just scared me… I’d marry you if you got some counselling.”

“Like I want you back.   You gotta stop smokin’ crack, it’s bad for your brain.” Don’t panic, he thinks –  this is not happening. Smile, open the door, act natural, class starts soon and it will all be over, at least for today.

Again with the look… “Wow, you still open doors for me, what a gentleman!”

“Chivalry isn’t dead. Just resting comfortably.”

“Aw, I don’t know why I ever broke up with you.”

“Sarcasm doesn’t become you, you’re a psychotic bitch and I stopped putting up with your shit.”

“I am not a psychotic bitch!”

“Fine, whatever you want. This is only as hard as you want to make it. It’s all you. It’s always been about you, it’s as hard as you want it. okay? You want a truce, leave me alone, okay?”

“Fine.”

“Fine.”