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Jraff lives in Canada, speaks french, drinks too much pepsi and doesn't sleep enough. He's still pretty happy to submit a story, though.

A bottle of something strong

A story in one act.

By jraff

Much thanks to Trayce and my flatmate Alexis

The characters:

BOI, as played by "standard characters";

BOI'S INNERVOICE 1, as played by "Italics";

BOI'S INNERVOICE 2, as played by "Bold";

GIRL, as played by "Standard characters".

ACT 1.

It was dull outside, and I had a bad case of the... Fuck, I don't even know what day it was. I had a knife, but none of the options it gave me were for greater good, and, besides, it wasn't even helping me to kill time, so I threw it away. For minutes I tried different ways of crossing my legs, but in the end, it still felt uncomfortable; the pain was inside, so it was no use fighting from the outside.

I was trying hard not to think about it, but, whatever diversions I attempted to create, I was always drawn back to that discussion we had earlier, just before getting up, just before we'd start our day. Forcing myself to get up, I grabbed my coat and went for a walk. Wandering on our street, I thought "I should've told her. I should've said how much that fucks me." I was now in front of a cafe, so I entered and sat. "Hello, how could you yes, i'd like a latte and... even a croissant, please. No, no consider sugar, thanks. Yeah, you too, something like this? have a good day... I'll show you change Yes, very good, Yeah, I'll show you different. everything's Damn. perfect."

That was unbearable. I had to do something, quick. "Quick, Quick, Think, Quick, Act" was my mantra for that day, but oh God was it inefficient

My latte was cold, so I ordered another one. " ExDamncuse me, can what could I I get some do? more of How to that get it? Thanks back. A lot as before?."

My thoughts intertwining, fine little treading of mudane and essential, of my life as it seemed, and as it was. Underneath my t-shirt laid a pendant she once gave me, saying it was a lucky charm. Unfortunately, letting myself get caught by her charming little self wasn't the luckiest thing, it seems. Of course, it all started cute and fun and gorgeous and warm, but we all know it always starts that way, anyway. As much as we'd want that to be significant, we still know that it doesn't mean anything. Sometimes that bliss lasts only a week, quickly wearing off under the weight of differences we tried to overlook, but ultimately couldn't. Some other times it seems to last forever; I've also been told that it oftens lasts for a hot night, but horribly dies the morning after.

For us though, strangely, those questions were never asked until that morning. Simplicity. It started as a succesion of meaningfull looks from across the room, that were followed by... nothing; we were both with someone else at that time, you see. For weeks, the desire rose, we eyes each other with growing lust, but we never spoke. And, suddenly, Yeah, right, my relationship fell apart, and so did hers, and we found ourselves next to each other in bed, with a great smile on our faces. I never had a second thought.

Without noticing, I had left the cafe and walked my way up to the docks. "Hey, I thought, it would be a shame to be this close But i'm not ready! to the beach without taking a dip." So I walked some more. up to a place where I could safely swim, and dived into the water, fully dressed because I obviously didn't bring a swimsuit. The salty water was soothing, How could this happen? somehow washing the last remains of sleep out of my body, But I certainly don't want her to... waking me up fully. I went back on the beach, and laid back there for some time, letting my soaked clothes get dry enough, while wondering what was next for us.

It was definitively a test. A make-or-break thing. Break! How we'd get through this, Break! I really didn't knew. Break break break! I loved her, Make? and was pretty certain that she loved me back, Make? but we never really thought about such things, But how? so I was pretty clueless about our chances of making it side by side.

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