Skylar Town: Writing: Habits

Bad Habits

"You'll help me move, right?

"Yeah."

Pause. Then, "What are you doing right now?"

"Painting my nails."

"Are you sure you don't mind?"

"Painting my nails?"

"No. Helping me move."

She shifted the phone to her other ear so she could work on her left hand. She was starting college in a few weeks, and it was time for new habits. "I already said I didn't. Why would I lie to you?"

There wasn't going to be a real conversation tonight, which was fine, because her fingernails were already starting to chip. Just his voice, bright and bouncy again. "Cool. I'll see you tomorrow."

***

"What are you humming?"

She stopped. "Nothing."

"Oh, god, that's Britney Spears, isn't it?"

Yes. "No."

"You're humming Britney Spears!" A grin, a condescending smirk: it's all the same with him.

Why do you care? "I wasn't humming anything. You're crazy. You're hearing things."

"Why would I be imagining Britney Spears songs?"

"Because you want to fuck her?"

"Ew."

She didn't help him carry his books up the three flights of stairs to his new apartment.

***

"This couch is too heavy."

"It's a couch. They're heavy."

"This is the heaviest couch in the world. It's unnecessarily heavy." She wiped her sweaty hair out of her eyes. Long hair was another habit that needed to change, along with her fear of hair ties.

"Which means I can't move it by myself, so a little help would be nice."

His face was red from the sun. He looked hot, and sick, and on the verge of a temper tantrum that those who weren't her would never believe could come from such a mild-tempered, nice man.

"Get your dad to help. I feel like I'm going to throw up."

She sat in the stifling car for a very long time.

***

"You'll help me move, right?"

"Yeah."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes!"

"You don't have to snap."

"This isn't the best time." She needed to get to the gym before it got too late. Bad habits were hard to break when certain people wouldn't leave her alone long enough to do so.

"Sorry."

"It's fine. I'm just busy."

"I'll see you next week."

"Fine."

***

"How did you accumulate so much stuff in two years?"

"I like having stuff."

Understatement of the fucking century. All of her belongings could fit into her car.

"Well, now we have to move it all."

"I can't leave it here."

"There's a dumpster right over there."

He wasn't amused. It was another hot day. Why was he always moving in the middle of the fucking summer?

"I'll take the cat."

"I don't think she'd like that."

"You're not going to take her in the truck. That's stupid."

Pause. "Fine, you take her."

***

"How's the cat?"

"She keeps crying."

"She misses me. I should have taken her." He peeked into the front seat of her car so that the cat could see him. It stopped crying. "See?"

"Fine, then take the damn cat the rest of the way."

"I'm not going to put her in the truck. What the hell is your problem today?"

Why am I even here? I have my own stuff to do and I only agreed to help you because you're my friend and you said you needed it. But all your other friends and your parents showed up, and all your stuff fit into the truck or your parents' car and I traveled four hours to help you and your parents had to invite me to follow you to your new apartment because you weren't even going to and even now you're still criticizing. At least the stupid cat meant I was good for something.

"No problem."

"You keep snapping."

"You keep asking me dumb questions."

***

"You'll help me move, right?"

"When's that?"

"Next Wednesday."

"That's the middle of the week. I have to work."

"You can take the day off. Come on, I need you."

"No. I can't make it. Sorry."

On the other hand, some habits were easier to break than others.

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