99 WAYS TO ANNOUNCE YOUR LOVE!! (04-28-06)

"Her pink jacket man," Donnie whispered, "It's just so adorable, you know?"

I wanted him to shut up right he freaking uttered the word, “pink.”

But I couldn’t do this to Donnie, friend of approximately 8.5 years. Instead I lazily nodded and shuffled the deck, the familiar fwip noise echoed throughout the empty gym.

“I mean,” Donnie muttered, I think he was afraid the gym had ears, “It’s like, you look into her eyes…”

Right there.

Zoned out right there.

I continued to ignore Donnie, only giving him a nod from time to time. Honestly, the whole ordeal was simply ludicrous. Don’t get me wrong, I was happy Donnie found someone. But to have it to be my pink jacket lass was just not cool.

“Johnny!!”

I looked back to the only thing that could make my day any brighter- Joe, my dear Joe. The kid was like my brother for Christ’s sake, known him ever since I was a baby, besides that, he’s the only one who has an idea of my infatuation with my pink jacket lady.

And idea, mind you, I haven’t told Joe in my own words but he just kind of gets that you know? I swear we can have a conversation and barely speak five words at all.

Joe glanced at the love struck Donnie besides me and back at me.

Still likes her?

I shook my head at Joe.

He’s fucking in love.

See, conversation-and by only one glance.

“Yo, Joe man!” Donnie hollered and he flipped his cards, “What up?”

“Nothing much,” Joe said nonchalantly and sat himself next to me, “What are we playing?”

“Gin Rummy,” I replied and Donnie dealt.

“I mean, wow! She’s just so freaking cute,” Donnie suddenly said.

Okay dude, seriously how random is that? I mean, can’t he shut up about her for five minutes? I already know how cute she is, how tall, the color her hair, eyes. Before Donnie became her personal stalker I was the one who noticed her first.

Yeah, me.

Besides me, Joe started to laugh, hitting my leg as he did so.

God dammit, Joe.

“You know she’s friends with Angie Richards?” Donnie eagerly asked, he placed his ace of spades down after drawing.

“No kidding,” Joe said. The prick was still eyeing me.

“Yeah, I mean, how does that happen you know?” Donnie questioned, “I mean, Angie Richards is so mainstream! She’s like, a goddess among them you know? And then you got her, my pink jacket lady.”

Okay I’ll be honest; I was ready to shoot Donnie at this point.

Joe, being the odd psychic he was, spoken up, “Dude, do you even know her name?”

Time paused.

Reasons why Donnie and I were such good friends? Well if Joe was my brother, Donnie was my God sent twin. Everything we did was so in sync it can get pretty freaky. We have yet to beat each other in paper-rock-scissors yet because of all our ties.

And so now, at this point, I know we were both thinking the exact same thing.

Shit, what is her name?

“Laurell Nguyen,” Joe dully replied and he placed a straight.

By this time I couldn’t exactly care about the King-Ace straight now could I? Instead I stared at Joe with as much intensity my eyes could muster.

You knew her name and didn’t tell me?!

Joe challenged my look.

You never asked, dumbass.

Donnie slapped his hands, sounding an echo throughout the empty gym.

“Why didn’t you tell me her name was so cute?!” Donnie roared, “Damn it, Joe, you’re a bloody genius! How did you find out her name?!”

“It’s called a “yearbook”. You find the picture of the person you want and you look at the name,” Joe replied and he shoved the cards to the side, already knowing Donnie wasn’t going to play him now.

“Laurell…” Donnie repeated, already standing up a knee, “What a glorious name…”

PSH, the hell was wrong with this guy?!

But already he was up and running, the doors suddenly opening. His feet echoed away.

“Damn,” I said and turned back to gather the cards.

However, Joe looked at me with his damn eyes, grinning, taking the deck from me and shuffling.

“Aren’t you going?” He asked.

I didn’t bother looking at him.

We didn’t talk throughout our game of Gin Rummy. I didn’t jump up and run after Donnie, hoping to steal away my pink jacket lady away from him. I had a girlfriend now so I shouldn’t care, right?

No, I sat there, in the empty gym. And throughout the entire time I didn’t realize what exactly I was whispering over and over in my head until Joe called out “Gin” and it was game over,

Laurell. Laurell. Laurell. Laurell. Laurell. Laurell.

And damn Joe grinned, reading me like a book.

END OF CHAPTER TWO

Finished: July 7, 2006.

Thanks for the reviews guys. Yes, this story is a tricky one.