Wish We Never Started

6

My mind is racing.

What does she mean, "where should I start?"

"I guess start anywhere you want?" I put the phone on speaker and throw it on my bed. I lay back, because this seems like it will take a minute.

"Shannon," she says, "Shannon recognized you immediately at that thrift store thing."

I hear her clear her throat. So far I agree – I also recognized Shannon.

"She said that you have this girlfriend. She comes into the store with you to talk to Diego and she's got the worst temper – at least according to Shannon. You guys will start arguing in front of shoppers. She says Diego is too nice to say anything. Every time you've been there you've left a bad taste in her mouth... she thinks you're cocky or something."

I want to interrupt so badly. Fucking Sofia. I could also give a flying rat's ass about any tastes in Shannon's mouth.

"She also said one more thing... that you were making out with another girl at the party. She told me to stay away from you, basically, because you're a player and a cheater. She saw it first hand."

I sit up out of pure shock, like I am being resurrected from the dead. I grab my phone and hold it right at my mouth, fighting the urge to laugh at "she saw it first hand."

"None of that is fucking true," I tell Sadie, and then I hazily remember the night of the party, and that some of it is actually true, "except for one thing. I did make out with someone. But the rest I can explain."

"Explain," Sadie says as it sounds like she's opening a bag of chips. A few seconds after, I hear crunching.

"Are you eating chips right now?"

"No way," she says with a full mouth.

"Anyway," I continue, "I had a girlfriend, yes. We broke up before the party, so I was single when the making out happened. I thought you guys left way before that?"

"Shannon had to go back in because she forgot her wallet in the inventory room. You didn't see her walk back in? I stayed in the car."

I try to think back to that night, but at the time Shannon supposedly walked back in, my tongue was shoved down Amelia's throat.

"No, I was kissing someone," I tell her bluntly.

"Yeah, she said everyone was locking lips and it was really awkward going back inside. Glad I missed it."

"I'm so sorry to hear that," I stifle back a laugh, but Sadie continues on.

"So, you were single when you kissed the other girl. Got it. What about the other things?"

"My ex-girlfriend, Sofia. Kind of a train wreck. A hot one, though," I am suddenly thinking of the weird passion we had. We hated each other one second, loved each other the next.

Sadie is still crunching in the background.

"Gabriel, you're not helping your case right now," she quickly chimes in.

"Right. Anyway, that was just our relationship. It was like a giant red flag. Kind of toxic, lots of drinking and yelling and sex. That's all I will say about that to spare you the details. Most of the time it just escalated at the wrong times, and you get caught up in the moment."

I pause for a second before deciding to word vomit.

"It hasn't been easy moving here," I begin, "Diego is my best and only friend here after two years, can you fucking believe that? I've got acquaintances, yeah, but it hasn't been the best adjusting," I admit, "I'm used to things a certain way back home. I was used to being popular, having friends and girlfriends, a big family... privilege. Moving here alone has been like one big, sad, lonely culture shock."