Garfield

Louis: 2

Louis

I don't know why I did it. I was done sleeping with that girl at work (Rachel) who liked me. I wasn't planning on going out with Garfield. I wanted to spend the day with her at that mall Garfield was telling me about but she ended up leaving early. It actually had sounded like a good idea, just...not with him. But she left at about four o clock. I don't know, I guess I felt sorry for him and had nothing better to do so I called and told him to meet me there. I had a feeling Garfield had never dated, so I was doing him a favor. Plus to me I was just helping out a crazy friend, at least that's what I would say if anybody asked.

I was sitting in the food court, my hands clasped together under my chin. I could see him coming from by the door. He looked like a hippy with all that jewelry on and...The f**k is with that hoodie jacket? Isn't he like, twenty eight or something? Oh my gosh. I was embarrassed already but it didn't show. I had on my poker face. I sighed. He had this ridiculous smile on his face like he was so f*****g happy. I ran my hands through my hair. I felt bad. Maybe I had made a mistake. He thought I was his savior and I wasn't. I was just a dying guy trying to get some relief! Life is short, f**k it, and he was making things unnecessarily complicated. But he was a good guy and I didn't want to hurt him. I felt like this was my fault.

"Hi!" he bawled out as he reached my table. It made me jump. Jesus Christ I thought to myself. A thousand gallons of cologne burst into my face. Good Lord! I tried to prevent myself from coughing and my eyes were getting red.

"Hi" I said dryly. I was kind of annoyed at his unorthodox greeting. "Well...Sit down" I looked away from him.

He sat. Uggh, God that stupid smile is still on his face. I couldn't look at him. "How are you doing?" I asked him, stretching my lips apart in a smile-like position. I checked out his hideous outfit once more. Well, it didn't seem like anyone was staring at us. "So, what do you want to eat Garfield?" I tried to make the date as boring as possible so he wouldn't want me.

"Well...I'm trying to lose weight so, make that a McDonalds double cheeseburger and fries with like, I dunno, some nuggets at the side or something. Ooo and a McFlurry! I just love those! And uh...a diet coke" He smiled.

I just stared at him for a while. "I'd like a salad. Here" I gave him some cash

"Oh, no...um, It's on me" He said cheerily and then walked off.

Garfield just sat there gobbling up the food. I just stared at him while I picked at mine. Then all of a sudden he stopped. "What?" he said, his mouth full of food. I shook my head. His enthusiasm was staring to scare me, but I couldn't help but succumb to laughter at the sight of him. He laughed too and without realizing it I was looking into his eyes. I quickly looked away.

"You know something?" said Garfield

"What?"

"I don't know what made you feel "spontaneous", but you're right. Life is short. We should just forget about all this drama and have fun. Go on adventures, share stories, be true to ourselves, you know? Do you have any dreams, or like a bucket list or something?"

I looked at him "I used to want to be a doctor"

"Really?"

"Really, but if I try studying medicine now I'll be nearly forty by the time I'm finished"

"Um newsflash, you'll be forty anyway" he laughed

I laughed too. He had a point

"I think it'll be fun if we do it together"

"What?"

"The whole spontaneity thing" He smiled at me

I smiled back without realizing it. Then I looked at my watch. "It's nearly time for the movie, let's go" I said.

I kissed him there, in the dark, after the movie. Then when we were about to leave I said "Hey"

"Yeah?"

"Maybe being spontaneous means not being, you know, tied down. Finding different lovers, trying everything."

"Is that really what you want?" he said. Then I thought about it. He was onto something. I was doing what I thought I should do. Having fun, taking risks, doing a bunch of stupid stuff. But I wasn't doing what I wanted to do. If I were to die soon would I really be happy with myself? Like he said, I'd be forty anyway, and even if I didn't make it to forty, I'd be wasting the little time I had left playing the fool. And then I let something slip out that shouldn't have

"I...wanted to have a family someday"

"That sounds amazing" he said

"Yeah, a...normal family"

"Oh..."

There was a long awkward silence as I saw his face crumble and sensed his heart was doing the same. Then I said something else I definitely shouldn't have.

"You know cause, that's probably the only thing my parents would approve of, but, anything could happen"

He smiled excitedly and that was when we parted ways. That was also when I got the call from Rachel. That was when she came over again and we did it again and she spent the night. And it was also when I told Rachel I wanted her to be my girlfriend. I just didn't have the courage to break the news to poor Garfield.