Tuesday, June 2, 2009

out there somewhere

When Kal told him that Charlotte had gone off with Derrick, Rosco just about lost it.

"SHIT!" All he could say for five minutes before he said "FUCK!" for the next ten minutes.

"How could you let her do something like that?" Rosco couldn't settle down. "I HATE HIM! YOU KNOW!"

And when Rosco called Charlotte, he got her voice to leave a message. He was so mad. He was afraid to say anything.

Rosco stomped off down the street and finally walked all the way to Gordy's. It was the middle of the night, and there he was beating on Gordy's apartment door, but Gordy finally came just in his briefs and let him in.

"What's the matter?" Gordy asked sleepily.

"Do you have something to drink?" Rosco was thirsty from his little tangent.

Gordy went to the fridge and grabbed a bottle of cold water. Rosco sat on the couch and drank from it for the longest time.

"Charlotte's gone off with Derrick." Rosco said very slowly.

Gordy rested his hand on the back of Rosco's neck and gave him a squeeze.

"You have to remember, Charlotte is not Emily." He told him. "Besides, didn't Derrick think he was dating Crystal, anyway?"

Rosco shook his head.

"Charlotte's mad at me." He said it quietly knowing everyone was asleep. He wished he was asleep too.

"I'm sure she'll get over it by tomorrow."

"But she wanted to go to Adventureland." Rosco sighed.

"I'm sure you two will figure out a time to go, sometime this summer." Gordy assured him.

"No, we won't." Rosco nursed his bottom lip. "She has to work. I have to work." He started to cry then. Real soft tears. "I fucked up bad."

"Rosco, don't say that." Gordy sighed. "She'll understand. You'll be OK."

"What if something happens to her with...with Derrick?" Rosco winced.

"Just get some sleep, will you." Gordy went to get him a pillow and a quilt for the couch. Gordy took off his sneakers and his socks then. Gordy was right. His feet were tired. It had been a long night. Rosco wrapped up in the quilt and and rested on the pillow while Gordy went back to bed. He heard him on the phone then with Kal. There was nothing about Charlotte who was still out with Derrick.

Rosco found himself praying then. It was the simplest of prayers. He didn't pray often, but he did tonight out of comfort, he supposed. He laid still, listening for sirens in the distance. Every siren made him squeeze his eyes tight shut. He hoped it wasn't Charlotte. He felt a little selfish after awhile. Then he prayed for strangers, drunks driving cars, jilted lovers and little children dreaming everywhere and finally sleep set in.

5 comments:

ellie said...

aw..rosco. Gordy's a good big brother, too.

simon n josh said...

I'm feeling for Rosco. I really loved the last paragraph.

sid and violet said...

I'm glad Gordy let him in and all. Yeah, I liked the last part too.

Anonymous said...

I really liked the last part:)

diane said...

I can't believe I almost missed this one. Good thing I checked. Man, I really feel bad for Rosco. He's a good egg.