Perfectly Hopeless

Arnold raised a powerless eyebrow at Jason. Jason shook his head, refusing to offer any suggestion. He stood up. “I’m outta here. You’re going to get us arrested. Grow up, Jake, she’s moved on. And it’s pretty clear why…you’re an asshole.” Jason shook his head, and started walking down the cobbled path to his house. He only lived a couple blocks away.

***

Fly

He cursed under his breath all the way to the door.

The kitchen light came on just as he expected. It was his mother.

“How was the Hop? Where’s Tori?” His mother looked past him to the door. “Was that your girlfriend peeling out of here at such a late hour? Fly

Fly

His mother smiled. “Good for you.”

Before he could fill her in, Sandra came through the door, her hair was flat from the humidity, and her heels were dangling from her fingertips. She let them drop on the kitchen floor, pulling up a seat. “Hey momma. Hey Fly

Fly

“How was the dance, Sandra?” Their mother asked.

“Fine. I danced with Clinton a couple times.” She started, plucking the bobby pins from her hair as she rattled on about the dance. “Jake Summit showed up. He didn’t even wear a dress shirt. Can you believe the nerve of that boy?” Sandra tossed the last pin on the tabletop and then let out a laugh. “And who let Henri wear a bowtie?”

Fly

“Henri?” She asked. Her eyebrows knitted together angrily. Sandra stood up, wishing she hadn’t said a thing about the bowtie.

“Henri said he was going to bed. Henri should be up in his room.” Their mother said, but her words only echoed through the room.

Fly

“Why didn’t you tell me not to say anything?” Sandra hissed, horrified she had ratted Henri out. If she would have only thought a little harder it would have made sense, nobody knew Henri was there. But it was too late now.

Fly

Sandra gasped. Fly

***

Henri’s phone chirped.

He fished it from his pocket. The glint from the moonlight caught his attention before he looked at the text message. All below the window of the yogurt stand lay shattered glass.

“Shit.” Henri muttered to himself, he slowed to a stop at the deserted yogurt hut. Beer cans were scattered all around the tables. But there was nobody in sight. He wondered who would do such a thing. There wasn’t very much crime in Portwood, it was a safe place to be.

He kicked at the glass with the toe of his shoe and checked his phone.

It was Maven.

Tonight was the greatest night of my entire life. You’re the best, Henri.

He gri

You mean I didn’t scare you away with my weird dance moves?

Nothing weird about it. You were perfect. Goodnight, Henri. And good luck tomorrow. I will see you as soon as I can ok?

Henri nodded. Happy to know someone he cared about would be by his side after all was said and done.

Ok. Thanks. I’ll text ya from my bed if they allow it. Dream of me, ok?

I couldn’t think of a better kind of dream.

Henri hesitated on sending his next text, but he was feeling kind of gushy.

I know love is something you feel jaded by, but I really think I am in love with you. And if for some reason I never am able to say so, now is the perfect time.

He couldn’t be sure the surgery would go the way he wanted it to. He didn’t want to close his eyes without ever telling Maven how he felt. He wasn’t one of those people who believed you could fall for someone in the matters of weeks, but he knew she was the person he could love for a lifetime. Life was just forcing him to be honest a little sooner than he wanted, but it didn’t matter to him, he had a feeling it was something he would always want to say to her no matter where they were in their lives.

***

Jake stumbled from out of the brush. He zipped his pants. And right before his eyes was the one person he didn’t want to see.

Henri looked up, startled Jake was even there. He thought he was alone. That undoubtedly explained the broken glass at the yogurt hut.

“Henri.” Jake slurred, using the picnic table to make it over to Henri.

Henri shoved his phone into his pocket. “Jake.”

“Henri, why you ru

“Heading home right now.” He looked him over. His eyes were bloodshot, his hair disheveled. It all proved just how intoxicated he was. Henri wanted no part in it.

“No, no. Why don’t you stay?” Jake patted the picnic table. “Sit. I’d offer you a beer, but I drank them all.” Just then Arnold appeared from the brush. Henri noticed he looked more aware of his surroundings than Jake did. Arnold’s gray eyes clouded with concern at the sight of Henri. He knew Henri shouldn’t be there.

“Hey, Henri. I am really sorry about the window. Jake’s just a little drunk.” He sighed. “Maybe I could pay your family tomorrow for the damages.”

Henri nodded. “It’s not my yogurt hut. But I’ll be sure to let them know that it was an accident.”

Arnold nodded, turning toward Jake. He grabbed him by the arm. “Let’s get you home.”

Jake pushed Arnold, hardly bringing himself to standing. “Everyone wants to tell me what to do.”

Henri’s phone chirped. This caught Jake’s attention. Henri refused to pull the phone from his pocket. But that didn’t stop Jake from waiting for him to make a move. “Are you going to check that?” Jake said, pointing toward the phone.

“Nope.” Henri replied casually. Suddenly his phone was ringing making matters worse.

Jake stepped forward. “What’s wrong, Henri? You don’t want me to see you talking with my ex-girlfriend?”

Arnold stepped in between the two of them, trying to diffuse the situation. “Jake. Home. Now.” He tried his best to push him the other way. But Jake was a lot bigger than he was. He had pushed him around since elementary school. Jake shoved him in a flash, knocking him into the table.

“Arnold you go if you’re so worried about going home.” Jake pointed at Henri’s cell that hadn’t stopped ringing. “Do you want me to answer it?”

Henri shook his head. “It’s probably just my cousin checking to see where I am.”