“Do you have any friends?”
“Of course I do!”
“Are you sure? I mean, I have yet to see you actually hang out with anyone in a friendly fashion.” To tell you the truth, I have absolutely no idea how the conversation between Alex and I became my questioning the existence of his social life (even without any major existence of one myself). It just sort of happened, I guess.
“I am positive that I have friends. Here, how about I introduce you to one of them?” Alex replied, texting on his cell phone. For the past hour, we had just been walking in no particular direction. I had texted my mum telling her I wouldn’t be home until a bit later, and she was totally cool with that. Really happy, actually, as I was hanging out with a guy, for once.
“And does this friend of yours have a name?”
“Eddie Ross,” Alex replied. And thus, I ended up in a booth at Swiss Chalet with two teenaged males.
Eddie turned out to be English, and had moved from Oxford two years ago. He had met Alex, apparently, at a rock concert (and they had bonded over their under-agedness, as Eddie is actually only a year older than Alex and I). I guess what I’m procrastinating saying, is that, well, Eddie’s hot. Like, even without the English accent, his messy black hair and bright blue eyes and muscularity and overall punk look, would still be hot.
If I was capable of flirting, he would’ve been the perfect person to flirt with. But, unless Eddie’s the type of guy who enjoyed being compared to the hotness of a piece of bacon, I was out of luck for ideas. He was way out of my league, anyways.
“So, are you going to ask Eddie some complicated question that you already have an opinion on?” Alex asked me over his soda. For a couple seconds I was confused, but then I remembered that when I had first met Alex, I had asked him about his opinion on social expectations molding personalities.
“Of course! So, Eddie, what’s your favorite band?” I asked.
“What!?” Alex exclaimed, although Eddie and I completely ignored him.
“The Killers,” Eddie answered.
“They are quite good. Mr. Brightside is a fantastic song,” I complied. I wasn’t totally lying, I really do enjoy The Killers, but I elaborated just to piss Alex off.
“And you even agree with his answer? With me it was all ‘you’re wrong!’!” Alex exclaimed, and I just laughed hysterically at how distraught he was. This was actually the first time I’d ever seen Alex lose his cool, and it was just so freakin’ hilarious.
“I like your friend,” Eddie told Alex, and definitely made an effort for me to hear it loud and clear.
“She is quite the character, isn’t she?” Alex replied, having calmed down. It was with that that our meals arrived, my burger and fries, Alex’s egg salad sandwich and Eddie’s garden salad.
“You’re going to get fat,” Eddie said, pointing his fork at me. I gasped. Aren’t English guys supposed to me all pristine and gentlemanly? And didn’t he just hit on me?
“Screw you,” I replied, chewing on a fry.
“I’m just looking out for you. If you have this bad of eating habits, I don’t know how long we’re going to be friends for,” Eddie countered, without even looking away from his salad.
“Alex, how do you put up with this ass?” I asked.
“First, you’re making fun of me with him, and now he’s making fun of you and you hate him. I agree with Eddie here. I think this burger is making you a tad bipolar,” Alex snickered, trying to hide his smile.
“Screw you both,” I sighed, turning my attention to the delicious burger that I would eat despite Alex’s and Eddie’s wishes. They, could seriously, go die in a hole.
Silence ensued for a while, partly due to my anger, and partly because we were all eating. It wasn’t until all of our meals were finished that any of us actually said anything. And of course, it was Eddie. I’m pretty sure I already understand how that boy think quite well.
“Rosalind, dear, I think you’re too good for Alex. On the outside he may seem like a lovely, intelligent boy, but deep down he’s just your average American teen. Myself on the other hand, not only am I from an exotic country, but I am also well beyond your average teen. Plus, I’m in a band,” he said. Damn, this boy could switch his mindsets fast, going right from hating on my eating habits to hitting on me. Not that I wasn’t flattered. Because I was. Flattered. I guess I’d done the same thing to him earlier though… so much for understanding him,
“I’m in that band too you know!” Alex interjected, surprising me. Unlike Eddie, Alex didn’t really seem like the type of guy that would be in a band.
“Yes, but you’re the bassist, Alex. No one cares about the bassist. I, on the other hand, am the lead guitarist. The heart and soul of Cantankerous Decadence!” Eddie exclaimed. Based on his utter incompetence of the concept of empathy, I was starting to believe he did not possess a heart.
“Cantankerous Decadence? What kind of a name is that?” I asked, genuinely intrigued by this band of theirs. The earlier anger had sort of faded now, and too an extent, I actually enjoyed Eddie’s and Alex’s company. Eddie’s, only to an extent of course.
“Well, Alex here, is cantankerous, and I, am decadent,” Eddie explained, to which in reply Alex simply sneered. Alex was actually a completely different person around Eddie… he seemed a lot younger to tell you the truth.
“Are you two the only people in this band?”
“Nah, we have a drummer named Lola. She’s cool. Although we don’t have a singer,” Alex replied, finally speaking up.
“I’d like to hear you guys play some time.”
“As you should: we are an extravagant band. Well, only because og me, of course,” Eddie declared. Yeah, definitely no heart there. Pure arrogance. All the way through.
Ember Bound 