Disasterology

Josie looked at Matt with anger in her eyes. All she had wanted to do tonight was hang out with him, watch some boring TV shows, and cuddle, but no. All he wanted to do was go out and play pool with his friends at Johnny’s bar. That’s all he ever did anymore and that left Josie without anyone to hang out with. Matt and his friends were all 18 so they were allowed to go into the bar and play pool but Josie couldn’t because she wouldn’t be 18 until the summer.

“Why can’t we just hang out?” She whined.

Matt grumbled angrily, he was clearly annoyed with Josie and he had been for a while. They had been dating for almost a year and things were rocky between them but somehow they always stayed together. Lately it felt as if she had been smothering him. She always walked into the house he shared with his two best friends Jimmy and Brian, and aired all of their dirty laundry like she didn’t have a care in the world. She’d pick the lock on his room and just wait there for him to come back or just crawl into bed with him putting her cold hands all over his chest just to annoy him.

“Jos, no. I want to hang out with my friends.” He snapped, half pushing her off of the bed.

She picked up her bra and slipped it on giving him a glare, “What am I supposed to do then? I have no one to hang out with, nowhere to go!”

“Go home!” He shouted, knowing that Brian and Jimmy could hear him.

Josie had tears in her eyes as she slipped her clothes back on and grabbed her car keys from the nightstand, “Fine.”

She slammed the door and instantly Matt jumped off the bed and ran at her. He grabbed her tightly by the wrist and slammed her against the wall, lucky he didn’t break the drywall behind her. She hissed out of pain and tried to dig her nails into his hands.

“Let go of me.”

Matt laughed and shook his head at her, “Don’t slam my door.”

He released her wrists and she pushed off the wall trying to pretend like nothing happened as she walked past Brian and Jimmy who were sitting on the couch playing video games. Brian paid no mind to Josie; he had hated her since the moment they met. To Brian she was loud and annoying and didn’t know when to not be a bitch. However Jimmy felt different towards Josie. He loved her like a little sister. He cared for her a lot and wished that Matt and she would get better. Jimmy knew that somewhere deep inside Matt and Josie loved each other to the moon and back.

“Text me.” Jimmy mouthed to Josie as she made her way out of the house.

After a few minutes Matt heard the sound of Josie’s sub and her car peel out of the driveway. He sighed and ran his fingers through his hair, slipping on his jacket and shoes.

“Who’s up to play some pool?” He questioned with a grin on his face as if nothing had just happened.

Brian laughed, “As always, dude.”

Jimmy nodded in agreement and they all got up and headed out to Matt’s cherry red Mustang to head to the bar. On the way Jimmy had texted Josie a few times hoping that she wasn’t doing something stupid. She wasn’t replying to any of his text messages and it was starting to worry him because she was the fastest texter that he had ever met.

“Just dump her, she’s a fucking bitch.” Brian spoke over the sound of the local rock station’s music.

Matt nodded and lit his cigarette not actually listening to Brian. He had been thinking about dumping her for some time, and Brian’s suggestions weren’t really helping.

“There goes Josie.” Jimmy pointed seeing the little pink Nissan drive by.

Josie had tears streaming down both of her cheeks and a cigarette hanging out of her lips. She was listening to Pantera and driving like a bat out of hell. She needed to find a release but she didn’t want to smoke pot anymore since Matt had quit and it really got to him. Josie really did love Matt, she loved him with all her heart but somehow the thought of him hanging out with his friends instead of her pissed her off. She was terrified he’d meet some girl in the bar and realize that he didn’t need Josie.

“Fuck this.” She grumbled, turning a sharp corner and going to her friend, Blake’s house.

Blake was always home, never doing anything, and always willing to hang out with Josie. She mainly knew it was because he had a crush on her since the first time they met two years ago. He was her best friend and also the one that introduced her to pot, spice, and alcohol. Matt was the reason for her habit of smoking Marlboro red 100’s. Right as she pulled up to Blake’s house she saw the familiar dented Pontiac in the driveway.

“God damn it.” She growled putting out her cigarette and getting out of the car.

The Pontiac belonged to Matt’s annoying older sister Amy. She had never liked Amy and intended for it to stay that way. Amy had a habit of screwing around with younger guys and dressing like a prostitute. One of the youngsters she had screwed around with was Josie’s younger cousin Andy. Andy was only 16 and already had a baby with one of Josie’s best friends, Star.

“Hey.” She fake smiled when she walked into the house and saw Amy and Blake sitting on the couch together with Danny and Ben.

Everyone but Amy smiled and welcomed her in with a hello and a hug. Blake smelt like pot, Danny smelt of a little too much deodorant, and Ben just smelled. Ben and Danny were almost attached by the hip. They were “Brothers from another mother.”

“What has you all mad?” Blake asked as Josie sat down on the couch next to Danny.

She rolled her eyes and gave him a look that told him all he needed to know. If Amy was around they didn’t talk about Matt because it would just lead to more trouble. Amy had a big mouth and would twist words until they were just about horrible enough to ruin your life.

“I see.” He nodded and turned his attention back to the TV which was playing some sort of Christmas movie.

“Dude, this movie blows.” Ben coughed out the smoke he was holding in his lungs, and then passed the one hitter to Josie.

Josie looked down at the one hitter and remembered how many good times she had smoking pot with everyone, minus Amy. Blake and Danny were both giving her puppy dog eyes and finally she cracked. She put it up to her lips and lit the end, inhaling a deep puff from it. She held it in until her eyes watered then let the smoke go before going into a frenzy of coughs. Danny laughed and patted her on the back as she pulled the one hitter out of her hands.

“Josie’s problem every time, she always takes more than she can handle.”

Blake nodded and let his eyes linger on Josie for a minute before retuning his eyes back to the TV which had now been turned to Batman cartoons for Ben’s enjoyment. Amy and Josie just pretended like the other didn’t exist and it worked out pretty well until the other left. Then that’s when everyone there would hear about how much one hated the other and so on. Blake didn’t like to hear anyone start shit about Josie but he sometimes would add fuel to the fire just because he wanted her to himself.

“Quit checking your phone.” Danny whispered to Josie.

She sighed and put her phone away knowing that he was right. He hadn’t come out and said it but she knew he meant that Matt wasn’t going to text her tonight. Usually after a few hits she felt better but tonight she just felt that uncontrollable sickness in her stomach. Josie said her goodbyes then drove home to lay in bed and hope that Matt would text or call her, but deep inside she knew that he wouldn’t.

Notes