There and Back Again Lane

The clock read 3:14 am.

Katerine hates it when she wakes up earlier than she is supposed to. She hates it even more when she’s in someone else’s arms, in someone else’s bed with no immediate idea as to how and why she ended up there.

The mini-movie in her mind shifts to auto-playback mode.

Play first sequence.

Outside it had been pouring. Morr’s place was warm. Mattresses all over. Pillows and blankets, too. Dionne Warwick on the black box. Everything felt nice. What was the point in going home?

The sneaky glass was passed around way faster than it should have been. Morr looked tired but was happily repeatedly filling the lone glass up. Brigitte was loud as laughter. The new recruit and Katerine’s guy best friend, Luis, was armed with one-liners. Alfred was secretly bothered by something, someone, far away. And Katerine? Katerine, was simply silently amused.

Lazy talk– Work. School. Life. Loves. Friendships.

Towards the end, it all came down to friendships. Friendships all five of them could only imagine having. Friendships that strangely worked out more than perfectly fine. (Like this.) And finally, friendships once meaningful gone sour.

Next sequence.

Brigitte and Katerine in tears. Seeming toughies revealed weak by alcohol and suppressed pained sentiments. And presenting Morr, Luis, and Alfred — resident bullies turned simpaticos.

End.

The clock now read 5:31 am.

Katerine is studying Luis’s face. Boys do look funny when asleep, don’t they?

Luis has a pretty face, though. Perfectly symmetrical. Aquiline nose, long-lashed eyes. Katerine used to be in love with this boy, though not for his face. She was never one to fall for beautiful faces. Make her feel alive, make her forget the time and the rest of the world, and her heart is in your hand. She quietly turns away from Luis. It just isn’t like that with him anymore.

She felt him kiss her hair lightly. She froze momentarily then proceeded to fake slumbering. It is not easy to be fully awake when your eyes are supposedly shut. It is especially harder to sleep-pretend when you have a thousand thoughts running back and forth inside your gin-soaked brain.

This boy is still waiting for her.

Katerine is biding her time.

Look, it’s almost morning.