Chapter 3: A Date
Melanie
I wake up the next morning in Chresanto’s bed (obviously, since I slept there.) Puppy, however, is not in between us. I sit up, frantic. Chris is already awake and sitting on the edge of the bed. “Where’s my baby?” I ask him.
“Huh? Oh, uh Bella has him downstairs.” He says, texting away on his phone.
“I think I wanna name him Rocky. Roc for short. Watcha think?” I ask sleepily.
He laughs. “Roc, as in my name?”
“Yea.” I smile. He’s the one who got me the dog, after all.
“I like it.” He looks behind his shoulder at me for a quick second and smiles.
I leave him and go downstairs to see my baby. Bella’s playing with him on the couch. She sees me and smiles apologetically. “Sorry… Chris had him down here earlier and he’s just so cute i-“
I laugh. “No it’s okay. I get it. He’s irresistible, I know.” I sit next to her and pet him. “I decided to name him Rocky.”
She looks at me. “That’s cute. You’re very lucky you know? To have a guy like Roc in your life.”
The way she says it makes me blush and look down. “I’m lucky to have all of you in my life.”
“No, Melanie, I don’t mean it like that.”
I focus on the dog, because I don’t like where this is going.
“You know you two belong together, right?”
“Bella…”
“No, I’m serious.” She laughs. “I know we aren’t exactly close, but anyone just glancing at you two can tell, so I’m kind of confused as to why you haven’t gotten back together. Even I can see the attraction between you two.”
“It’s not happening.” I laugh nervously. “We both agreed it’s just better if we stay friends.”
“Alright.” She says and sits back on the couch. She hands me Rocky. “It’s just that if I had a ‘friend’ that gave me a puppy for a late birthday present, AND he just so happens that he’s a boy AND I just so happen to be in love with him… We would exactly stay ‘just friends’ if you know what I mean. That’s all I’m saying.” She gets up and goes into the master bedroom (where she and Jacob are staying), leaving me absolutely speechless.
On cue, Chris comes downstairs, freshly clothed and smelling delicious. He’s smiling at me, but all I can do is stare at him. “What?” He asks, innocently.
“Nothing.” I say to him. “Do you know what’s on the agenda for today?”
“Ummm, I believe we’re going to six flags. Jacob bought some tickets yesterday.”
“Cool! Sounds fun. I haven’t been there in forever.” I give him a fake smile. I can’t stop thinking of why we can’t be together and how I forgot how much it actually, physically hurts.
“Hey uh, invite your friend Maria too? Please?” He winks.
I laugh, but it’s a fake one. My stomach actually drops when he asks that. “Her name is Mariah, dumbass.”
“Oh, my bad. But yea invite her.” He laughs and then goes to the kitchen to get some food.
--
Mariah meets us at the amusement park. When I see her, she has on this tank that has a pattern cut into the back and short shorts on, and her Canon 6D camera is hanging on her neck by a strap. (she’s a photographer, and I rarely see her without her camera). I’m immediately annoyed. Even though I basically have on the same thing, I can’t help but get pissed off. Even the small little fact that she brought her camera here annoys me. And the fact that Bella planted that stupid idea of us together in my head annoys me. And the fact that I’m annoyed annoys me. I don’t want to be jealous, and I don’t want to be annoyed with my girl, and I don’t want to be annoyed on a potentially great day.
