“I’m not gonna-” The followup words could not be dislodged from his throat, and a explosive “Fuck you!” was all he managed, his chest tightening once the words were spat. “Why would you say that? Why the fuck would you say that?” “Because you explicitly told me to warn you when you start doing this,”…
Chapter 9.4
Jodie turned to Avi and cheerfully declared, “That went well.” While they conversed, Mitch snuck over until he was by Jodie’s side. He waited until there was a lull before asking, “Is there any way that I can help out tonight? Since, y’know, the camera thing.” “Dude, just take it easy. Enjoy the show.” Jodie…
Chapter 9.3
Before the set of tapings that evening, Mitch treated Sandy to an anime movie that he was unfamiliar with. While they waited in the concessions line, she explained that Studio Ghibli was Japan’s version of Disney “but better”, and he took her word for it. “Still can’t believe that you’ve never heard of Spirited Away,”…
Chapter 9.2
“Who’s-” he muttered while turning the corner, then stood frozen in the doorway. The last thing he anticipated was Avi, dressed only in gym shorts with his ass in the air, face pressed to the ground, and light sheen of sweat built up on his skin. On the TV was a woman in spandex, doing…
Chapter 9.1
Mitch wandered around downtown Monument, enjoying the fresh air. Earlier that morning, he met up with Nate at Edmund’s Diner for a late breakfast, which was long overdue. It wasn’t that Mitch didn’t want to hang out, and he was remorseful about dodging several requests to get together despite the fact that he lived in…
Chapter 8.5
Sit tight Mitch did, zoning out as his brain made a feeble attempt at processing the last 15 minutes worth of conversation. His body shivered, presumably due to the ongoing combination of no sleep and no food, and he took a few breaths to ground himself from lightheadedness. Avi returned with a glass of water…
Chapter 8.4
Avi followed Mitch down the stairs, then disappeared into the kitchen. Puzzled by this. Mitch hung out in the foyer as he waited for Avi; perhaps he’d misheard something. Seconds later, Avi reappeared with a wooden chair and brought it into the living room. He placed it in the middle of the area rug and…
Chapter 8.3
At some point he fell asleep; when he woke up, the room was pitch black. His head pounded, and he assumed the fetal position. Numbness wasn’t what coursed through his veins, but rather something more like an out-of-range radio station that periodically got reception. Disorientation tinged with vague familiarity. A medically induced coma would be…
Chapter 8.2
After some hemming and hawing, Avi selected a Thai restaurant and Jodie placed the order for the three of them. She gave Mitch a withering glare when he said that he was only interested in a side of white rice, and eventually he compromised by getting some red curry sauce as well. Most of the…
Chapter 8.1
Seconds after Avi pulled into the driveway, Jodie burst outside and hurried towards the car. “How’d it go?” she asked after opening Mitch’s door for him. Before he was stable on both feet, she pulled him into a hug. “Oh, it was great. We’re back together,” he teased, and she lightly cuffed the side of…