Eep throws his duffle bag into the trunk of the rental car, Mouse decides to quickly text her brother: "We're about to head to the airport, should be home in time for work tonight. See you soon!"
"C U 2nite, sweetie. I can't wait 4 U 2 C the outfit I have picked out."
"I am sure you'll look fantastic."
"Of course! ;} Can't wait 2 C U!"
After an uneventful flight, Eep throws himself onto his bed, grabs his laptop & logs onto his online journal.
Got a few hours before work tonight, and I'm way too wound up to sleep. I'm gonna end up crashing SO HARD later. It's been a helluva week. Went with Mouse back to her home to visit her parents' and grandma's graves. Good flying fuck was it cold. I had to borrow some sweaters and sweatshirts from Mouse, which were all like 4 inches too short for my lanky ass arms. It was a good look. Met Izzy's parents too. They seemed to actually like me. I got hugged. Like a lot. Like excessively. Mrs. Anderson actually teared up. It was... awkward. Certainly not what I was expecting. My 1st girlfriend's parents HATED me. With a burning passion. I think her dad would have dumped my body in a swamp if given half a chance. Course, looking back on it as an adult, that was probably one of the things Maddie liked about me. I pissed off Daddy. Pffft! So. Wasn't expecting Mouse to say, here's my weird, underemployed boyfriend & for waterworks to start. I mean, it was NICE. I'm not complaining I wasn't chased with pitchforks. I just... I dunno. I guess I'm just waiting to screw something up. But you know what? Fuck it! Life is cruel and shitty sometimes. Spending the good bits freaking out because they're too good is dumb.
The phone rings & Eep looks over and sees that it's Mouse. "Hey Eep! I know we just say each other less than an hour ago, but I can't thank you enough for coming with me... and, not laughing too noticeably when the photo albums came out."
"Heh. No problem. Although it WAS hard to keep it together at the dance recital pics. You were a very cute bumblebee."
"It's really not fair that you have now seen some of my most embarrassing moments caught on film & I haven't seen any of yours, and, I don't mean the "art film". I want to see photos of your bad haircuts, poor fashion choices... possibly a prom picture?"
"Oh God. I was afraid you were going to say something like that. I, uh, I actually didn't go to prom. We got dressed for it, tux, corsage, the whole nine, went to a indie film fest downtown and then an all-night diner instead. Um, I was kinda an insufferable art fag in high school."
"Damn you, that's adorable. Well, as you could see from the photos, I was a drama/science/nerd weirdo..."
"Adorable? More like obnoxious!"
"So, embarrassing... I still can't believe they showed them to you."
"I, uh, I thought your photos were really cute. You'd have caught my eye in school, that's for sure."
"That is very sweet of you to say, but I probably would have gotten flustered & gone very pale, if you had tried to talk to me. I was pretty shy & quiet, except when I was performing... actually, not much has changed in that department."
"Pfft! You're assuming I would have been able to work up the courage to speak to you. Heh "Flirting" for me in high school would have consisted of me staring at you intensely from across the room. You probably would have called security. The only reason I even HAD a girlfriend was because she asked me out. Looks like not much has chanced for me either." Eep smiles to himself.
"Wait, the staring thing was flirting? Oh man, there was a boy in art class that used to do that to me. I think he's a lawyer now…"
"Depends. It was for me. I was too shy to do anything else. Course, if he's now a lawyer, there's a chance he was just a creep."
"That is very true... he also used to tell me daily at lunch that chocolate was an aphrodisiac & then offer me some chocolate milk."
Eep laughs, "No. Then he was trying to flirt. Poorly. Man, that's almost enough to make me feel better about my 'technique'."
Mouse pouts ever so briefly, "Oh man, I could have had a boyfriend in high school... I feel so sad." She giggles, "Not really, but I'm glad you're here to tell me these things."
Eep laughs, "Ha ha ha! Oh God! DO NOT take dating advice from me. That'd be like asking Casanova how to be in a committed relationship. Or your brother how to behave in an appropriate manner." Oh shit! I gotta ready for work. I've got a tie and vest that need ironing. I figure formal wear'll make me look more intimidating than I am. See you soon!"
"Oh good, that'll go nicely with the schoolgirl outfit I'm wearing. See you soon!"
Eep sees Mouse walking up with her CDs in tow, she is, indeed, wearing a schoolgirl outfit. "Woah! I think you got the attention of every straight guy in a 10 mile radius in that outfit." Mouse grins at him, "Well, there's only one guy's attention that I want." Eep blushes, "Yeah. You, uh, you got it."
Mouse flirtily says to him, "Really, you think the new door guy noticed me?"
"Um. Yeah. I think so."
Mouse giggles, "Oh my, so I probably shouldn't tell you that I wrote your initials somewhere on my person in true schoolgirl style?"
"Um. I have no response to that. Just... Uh… No. It's OK. Um. If I were a different person... I'd have a good, Vincent-y response."
"And, that's why I love you… oh god, no... I mean, ignore that. Um, shit," Mouse gives Eep a quick kiss on the cheek, before heading inside the club.
Vincent brings a drink over to her sister, who is busily getting the next song ready to play, "You're in a saucy mood tonight! Careful, though. If that grin gets any wider, you'll lose all your Goth Points."
Mouse smiles at her brother, "Sorry, I'm in a good mood. I’m really proud of my new remix." She looks over at the main DJ sitting at the table closest to the booth, "Satanica is glowering at me, so I'll behave myself."
Vincent looks over at the older DJ and then back at his sister, "Are you kidding? If it makes Satanica glower, DO IT MORE."
Mouse grins, "Heehee, wait until I take the jacket off. The button down shirt is backless & I have to admit that my cleavage looks faboo in it."
Vincent's eyes widen, "Who are you & what have you done with my sister?"
Eep wanders into the club to grab a glass of water and sees Mouse sitting in her usual corner seat at the bar while Satanica spins. Eep approaches his girlfriend a bit nervously, "Uh... Did you mean what you said earlier in a, uh, love love way, or in a platonic way?" He pales, "Um... God. I think I need to go throw up. I DIDN'T MEAN IT LIKE THAT." Mouse looking a bit flustered, responds, "Umm, I meant it in a funny way, but I think I really do... I just didn't mean to say it like that." She lays her head on her arms, "It's probably too soon. I'm really embarrassed, right now. Please don't hate me."
"No! No, no, no! I don't hate you. Like at all. I, uh... I just don't know what to say. I'm, um... I'm, uh... FUCK. Look, I'm going to go into the alley and smoke a cigarette. Or, like, 50. I don't hate you. Gimme a second and let me get my head screwed on correctly." He heads outside, leaving Mouse feeling foolish and slightly rejected. She signals to her brother, "Can you come over and give me a hug?"
"Awwww. Honey. What happened? I was distracted by Poppy’s hemline. Be right there." Vincent wades through the crowd and takes in his sister's face, "Are you okay?"
"Don't want to talk about it. Just need a hug... I'd go & smoke, but I'm afraid I'd be invading." Vincent hugs his sister, "I have hugs on tap. And if you've freaked out Eep somehow (not hard to do), just go TALK to him." Mouse shrugs, "I know I should, but I honestly don't know what to say. Thanks for the hug, little brother." Vincent squeezes his sister and then heads back behind the bar.
Mouse walks around the corner of the building to find Eep crouched down with his back to the wall. He looks up and sees Mouse, "Ok. Ok. Ok. OK. I'm finishing up my last cigarette, and, um, we should talk about this. But, um, later," He stands up, "We're both working... And I'm not mad. I'm flattered, actually, and, um... I don't know what else to say. We should just talk. But later, right?"
Mouse nods her head, "Ummm, later is fine. I just didn't mean to blurt that out. I totally understand if you don't feel the same way. Oh geez, I'm not helping the matter."
"No! It's fine. It's not that I don't feel, um, something really, uh, you know... But, I'm just... Uh. I don't know. FUCK. Double not helping. Um," He grabs Mouse's arm and looks directly at her, "So, yeah. Later. You and me and a bottle of whiskey. We'll work it out."
Mouse flings Eep's hand off of her arm, "Work it out, really? I didn't just ask to borrow money from you."
"Shit. I didn't mean it like that. God. Fuck. I... Um... Shit. Ok. Um. Look. I really, really, REALLY like you. And, um, when you said, uh... that thing you said. I mean, I'm not gonna lie... It, uh, felt good. Really good. Really, REALLY good. And I, um, just don't know what to say. Cause I think I feel the same way, but I'm kinda retarded emotionally, and don't wanna fuck anything up... And I feel like I'm gonna if I don't behave like a grownup instead of a lovestruck teen. Cause that's what I feel like right now. And I am TOTALLY talking too much."
"Look, this is totally new territory for me. I feel like my heart is going to burst out of my chest every time I see you… I don't normally smile this much except when I see you. After the last few days, I just felt such strong feelings for you that I just blurted it out and, now I feel like I can't go back & that I should just admit it, regardless of the consequences. So, yes I am in love with you. If you don't feel the same, FINE. I'm just tired of being afraid to say stuff." She marches out of the alley and back into the club, leaving Eep standing there wondering what to do.
Mouse looks up to find Vincent standing there with his arms on his hips, "What did you do to Eep? He's looks like he's ready to pass out."
Mouse grabs her drink and takes a sip, "Um, I accidentally let slip that I'm in love with him. I'm an idiot and I may join a nunnery. This ranks up there with your drunken declaration and, sadly I was sober."
"WHAT!?! Wait... What drunken declaration? Oh. Crap. I just remembered. We're just the same, aren't we? Pour a little booze in us and we confess our hearts. You are drunk, aren't you?"
Mouse takes a big gulp of her drink, "I wasn't, but I'm working on it, right now."
Vincent looks over at Eep sitting at the bar, "From the look of the size of the beer in Eep's hand, so is he."
Mouse shrugs, "Well, it was nice while it lasted…"
Vincent pats his sister's arm, "Oh, calm down. You're dating someone who is emotionally retarded. The man blushes when you say "Sex" in his presence. He needs a bit of hand-holding. OK. A LOT of hand-holding."
"I know and that's part of what I love about him. I mean, like. Merde!"
Vincent can't help smiling at his sister, "You're so adorable. You know that?"
Eep approaches Mouse while she's loading up her car, he grabs one of the CD crates and hands it to her, "I, uh, I really don't know what to say. I know what I WANT to say... And it's not that I don't feel the same. I just... Um. I like you too much to fuck this up. And, um... I'm over-fucking-thinking this, aren't I?" She takes the crate from him without even looking at him, "Probably."
"Yeah. You're right. Totally right." Mouse turns to look at him, "Do you want to just call the whole thing off?"
"No. NO! Fuck no. I'm sorry. I really, really... Uh, I like you. A lot. Like a lot, a lot. And, um, I'm just really paranoid. My relationships in the past were really fucked up or ended in a way that's really fucked up, and I don't want that to happen. I mean, my first girlfriend, Maddie, when she dumped me, I...uh... I reacted really poorly. Stupidly. REALLY stupidly. And, um... Wow. This is stupid."
"I know, but I'm not her and that was a long time ago."
"Yeah. I'm an idiot. Look, I'm sorry. I... I'm a fucking moron. I’m sorry. I'm acting like a teenager. Let's just both calm the fuck down, and take a few deep breaths, and start over. I'm not sorry you said it. I... I, um, I think I feel the same way. But, I'm just kinda, um, stupid. And scared. So, um, be patient with me? Please? Don't hate me? I really want this to work. I don't know what to say other than I'm sorry. I really, really am."
"I don't hate you, I don't think I could if I wanted to. I guess in my head, I expected some sort of similar declaration, which was completely unreasonable... I'm sorry. Look, I'm a bit tipsy. I just wanna be held & told it'll be ok."
As he gives Mouse a hug. Eep thinks to himself, Fuck. I’m the world’s biggest dickhead and I've been a dickhead in a public forum. Good. Because I'd just HATE to do it in private. He sees someone walking out of the club that he hoped to God, he'd never see again. Ok. Not freaking out. Not freaking out. Not freaking out. NOT freaking out.
Mouse looks up at Eep, "Are you okay?"
"I'm, uh... No. I'm not OK. I'm, uh... So, I'm not OK. I kinda know that blond guy. His name is Asher. I don't think he recognized me. I'm so, so sorry. I just need to collect myself." And, he walks away, leaving Mouse this time to wonder what to do.
Vincent heads out to find his sister sitting in her car, "Would you stop trying to screw this relationship up just because you're scared and you feel awkward? Of COURSE they're going to get complicated. You're FUCKING GOTHS!"
"I took a chance... I'm glad I did it, but apparently I was the only one who felt comfortable enough to say anything. I just romanticized the whole thing in my head and expected a different result. I'm just an idiot child."
"If Eep has gone all catatonic, there's not much you can do, I'm afraid. Just go home, sweetie." Vincent pats her on the knee and gives her a peck on the cheek.
As Mouse is backing up her car to leave, she sees Eep walking out of the club, she rolls down the window, "Are you done for the night? Do you need a lift? I can take you home, if you want?"
"Yes. Please. If you don't mind. Look, it's not you. I'm so, so sorry. It's just... God. That was someone I hoped to never see again as long as I lived."
Mouse shrugs, "You don't need to explain yourself. I think after my behavior earlier, you get a free pass tonight."
Eep relaxes, "Thank you so much. You really are amazing."
