Isolated Pleasures

“I’m so fucking peeved.”

Alex looked over at his friend as they walked down the empty halls. They needed to stop by Alex’s car before heading to their American Gov. class. “Why the provanity, dude?” Alex asked.

“Oh shut up. You have the mouth of a truck driver sometimes.” Zack scoffed, and Alex shrugged in response. He wasn't wrong. “Ashley never called me this weekend. After she dropped you and Addison off on Friday, we went back to my house because my parents are gone. I ended up going down on her and she suddenly had to leave, then I didn’t get a call all weekend.”

Alex shuddered at the thought of his friend and his sexual escapades. “Well, at least you didn’t give her the benefit of sleeping with you and have her ignore you. That’d be worse.”

Zack sighed as they approached Alex’s car, watching his friend search for his keys in his bag. “I guess, but it still sucks ass to be ignored. I thought she legit liked me.”

“I hate to be that person, Zack,” Alex glanced sideways at his friend, “but I told you so.”

“Just you wait,” Zack said, crossing his arms, “She’ll talk to me today.”

Alex nodded, “Yes, I expect that. I’m just saying, that after she finally gives herself to you, she may not call you ever again.” Zack opened his mouth to speak, but Alex continued. “How do I know this, you may ask? Lets just say guys talk a lot about the girls around here, and I’m a very good listener.”

Zack scoffed again, turning his head away as Alex opened his car door. “Just.. hurry up before we’re -”

Both boys’ attention was focused on the object that had fallen from Alex’s car to the ground. Looking at Zack questioningly, Alex slowly bent down and retrieved the object and turned it over, realizing what it was. There was as small post-it note attached, and he carefully pulled it off to read.

I didn’t forget! Maybe you could drop by one of your favourite albums?
-Addison.

Alex smiled down at the Rolling Stones Exile on Main St. album, leaving his friend astonished next to him. “When did you and Addison suddenly click?” Before Alex could explain himself, Zack continued to rant. “This isn’t fair! You get the attention of the girl you don’t even like, and I get nothing from the girl I give more to?”

Alex furrowed his brow, throwing the CD in his bag. “I never said I didn’t like Addison.” He defended as they started making their way to class. “She’s a nice girl, and she promised to lend me some Rolling Stones albums because I don’t have any.”

Zack chuckled, leaving his friend with a confused expression. “If you keep friend-zoning every chick that takes a sudden interest in you, then I’m going to start believe the rumors that you’re gay.”

“Fuck you, Zack.”

----

When Addison approached her car the next day, she found a surprise object resting on her windshield. She pulled the foreign object from her wipers with a furrowed brow as Ashley continued with her ten minute rant. “I just don’t understand why Zack is suddenly so pissed at me! What did I do?” Ashley sunk against Addison’s beat up truck. “Do you think it’s because he wants me to like, do things to him too?”

Addison shrugged as she recognized the CD in her hands; Blink-182’s Enema of the State album. A smile quickly dawned on her face as she read the tracklist. Ashley sighed as her friend continued to pay zero attention to her.

“I just...I never knew Zack would be a guy that would want me to..” She looked over at Addison, who was currently reading a note attached to the CD in her hands. “Dude, what are you -”

“What?” Addison suddenly looked up, holding the CD closer to her.

Ashley snatched the CD from her friend’s hands. “Enema of the State? You’ve listened to this already!” She turned the CD over, causing Addison to start grabbing for it as soon as Ashley saw the small note glued on. “Oh, and what’s this? ‘To Addison, one of the best punk rock albums in history. Thanks for lending me Exile on Main St.! - Alex.’”

“Give it, Ash!”

“Your crush on him is just too cute, Addy!” Ashley made a childish kissy face as Addison finally plucked the CD from her friend’s hands. “I especially admire the little smiley face he made.”

“You act like a guy has never done that before.” Addison rolled her eyes while slipping the CD in her backpack. “Besides, we only just started talking. I do not have a crush.”

Ashley put her hand up in surrender. “Say what you want, but maybe someday you’ll have a relationship as rock solid as Zack and I.”

“I will never have a ‘relationship’ like you and Zack, if that’s what you want to call it.” Addison said with bewildered eyes, guiding Ashley as they started making their way to class. “But I’m still not going to date Alex.”

“Why not? He’s pretty cool. Plus, he’s hot.”

“Sure, I guess he is.” Addison shrugged, trying to ignore the quick beating of her heart at the lie. She knew Alex was those things, but another guy had stolen her heart years ago. “I’m going to get Connor back soon anyways.”

It took Addison a moment to see she had waked a few feet with Ashley by her side, so she looked behind her to see Ashley staring at her with wide eyes, her feet glued to the floor. Did Addison shock her that much? “You coming?” Addison beckoned with her hand.

“What do you mean you’re getting Connor back?”

“Ash, we have to get to -”

“Addison,” Ashley’s voice suddenly became serious. “What do you mean? You guys broke up, and from your sobbing description, it seemed like he was pretty serious.”

Addison started dragging her friend down the busy hall. “It’s going to happen. I just have to give it some time.”

Ashley ripped her arm from Addison’s grip. “I just saw pictures of him with his new girlfriend online a couple days ago! He’s over you, dude. I’m sorry, but I think - “

“You know what? I really don’t care what you think, because I’m going to get him back. He was one of the best things to ever happen in my life, and I won’t let a relationship that long go down the drain. So … so ..” Addison huffed out an exasperated sigh. “So fuck you, Ash.”

Without another glare, Addison pushed through the crowds of people in the halls, trying to ignore the guilt at the words she just said to her best friend.

Notes