"Come on bro, you've been sulking in that apartment for a week. Get out here and have some fun!" Chads semi slurred speech indicating he is probably already half in the bag by now. This midnight phone call isn't that first time he has called this week, trying to get me out of my sullen mood.
"Not tonight, bro. I am going to grab some whiskey and pizza, hang around my place tonight."
"She's not coming back bud. Least you can come have a good time with me, I have women waiting for you here!"
"Maybe next week. Have fun, and get a ride home." Rushing to get off the phone before my mood kills his night more than it has already.
"Ok man, just try and cheer up. And for fuck sake get some good whiskey this time; no piss fire water. Love you bro."
"Love you too man."
Ending the call threw my living room back into almost complete darkness again. Since everything in this place reminds me of Emily, I've been spending most of my time here in darkness. Not wanting the memories of our soured relationship to push me deeper into sadness. It's been about two weeks since she moved out of our apartment and into dick heads house. His real name is Bruce something, but ever since she told me how long they have been fucking behind my back I have came up with a list of nicknames for him. Dick head, fuck knuckle, etcetera. Childish undoubtedly but, like my now dark living space, it helps with the day to day coping.
In reality, our relationship was not the best. She hated my slight video game addiction, constant underhanded remarks about my fashion sense being that of a highschooler, and the fact I would rather stay at home reading, having a drink, and or play a video games over going out with her friends getting shit faced and talking down about people they knew or just saw. But it was still companionship, and someone I can share the good and bad days with.
"I need a fucking drink." I say out loud. Slowly raising off the couch with tingling legs. Slowly shuffling, as to not aggravate the pins and needles in my legs, I made my way to my bathroom for an extremely needed piss. Squinting through the blinding bathroom light, I caught a glance of myself in the mirror. A rough looking version of myself stared back at me. Unkempt beard, bagged eyes, greasy hair. "You look like you a hobo smells." I said to my reflection.
The knock on my apartments door surprised me a bit. Who in the hell is knocking on my door at midnight. I didn't buzz anyone up.
The knock came again a little louder.
Maybe if I ignore them they will just go away. My television and lights are off, maybe they will think I am gone for the night.
"Nate." Kats voice came from the hallway. "Can you let me in please." Kat and I meet last summer. I came home from a night of drinking and DnD at Chads. Her, now ex, boyfriend was drunk, shouting obscenities outside her apartment, and kicking the door. While I may have been tipsy, I am pretty sure he was running on nothing but booze. I ended up pulling him away from the door and holding him down while I shouted for her to call the cops. She was afraid he might post bail and come back that night, so I invited her up to sleep on my couch that night. Turns out she is a huge gamer, so we spent all night up finishing off a bottle of whiskey and playing different console games. We have been close friends and gaming partners ever since, having weekly raids and fireteams sessions online.
Grudgingly, I opened the door. Kat is a stark contrast to my mountain man look. A gitty spirited woman that tends to light up a room. Smiling up at me, pushing a bag of groceries towards me, and hold up a bottle of my favorite whiskey.
"You, sir, have been ignoring me." She chastised before ducking under my arm into my living room, turning on the lights. "Two weeks of missed raids, messages, texts, and phone calls." Putting the bottle down, she stared at me, waiting for a reason. I couldn't help but chuckle a little.
"I know, I am sorry. I just..." taking a second to collect myself. "Beck left me."
