Gym Junkie

“Thanks a lot,” I shoot at him as I throw my bag onto my desk. “Where did you go?”

Rourke looks at me, deadpan. “Excuse me. In case you didn’t notice, your Hulk of a gym junkie boyfriend was going to punch my lights out.”

I roll my eyes and drop into my chair.

“He’s fucking crazy, Tully,” he mutters. “He must be on steroids.”

I pick up a pile of files, drop them onto my desk, and they land with a thud. “Well, you won’t have to worry about him anymore.”

“Why?”

“Because it’s over. I ended it.”

He looks at me flatly. “Does he know that?”

“He does now.”

He frowns and gets this stupid look on his face.

“What?” I snap.

“Does he fuck as crazy as he acts?”

I twist my lips and nod.

His eyes hold mine.

“And, your point is?” I ask.

He shrugs and goes back to his work.

“What?” I snap.

“It’s been a long time since I saw a man get that passionate about anything.” He begins writing something down on his file.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” I frown.

He shrugs. “I don’t know what it means, but I know that I never saw Simon get the slightest bit jealous of you. We could go out all weekend and have sleepovers and everything.”

I stare at him. “So?”

“Well, that dude nearly ripped my head off just because I was sitting with you.”

I stare at Rourke for a moment as my mind tries to catch up with his thought process. “I don’t understand what you’re trying to say.”

“I’m saying I would give anything for someone to be that passionate about me.” He looks at me flatly.

I screw up my face in disgust. “Then go to the gym and hang in the toilets, if you’re lucky, might come and fuck you up the ass.” I shake my head. “It would not surprise me one little bit.”

He rolls his eyes. “Why are you so dramatic?”

“Because I’m getting back with Simon and I don’t need this shit.”

Rourke gets out of his chair. “Whatever.” He takes his files and disappears downstairs to the other lab. I turn on my computer and stare at the screen.

Why the fuck did I change gyms?

I walk out of the elevator in my building and up the hallway towards my apartment when a door opens. A girl with black hair comes out into the corridor. She’s wearing old fashioned, un-matching clothes. I saw her the other night when she was talking to a girl downstairs in the foyer. She’s quite pretty underneath her horrible styling.

“Hello,” she says to me.

“Hi.” I smile and walk past her.

“I’m Meredith.”

I turn to face her. “Hi, Meredith. I’m Tully.”

“You just moved in this weekend?”

“I did. Do you live in that apartment?” I ask to make conversation.

“Uh-huh. My mother pays my rent because she doesn’t want me to listen to her having intercourse with her boyfriend anymore.”

I blanch. What the hell? Okay, that’s just way too much information. She would be my age or close to it; at least twenty- four. Why the hell does her mother pay her rent? And why would she want to hear her mother having intercourse?

Sick.

I force a smile. “Really nice to meet you, Meredith. I have a lot to do, so I’ll see you later.” I turn and begin to walk down the hallway towards my apartment.

“Tully?” she calls.

I turn back. “Yes.”

“Do you want to be my best friend?” she asks hopefully.

“Erm.” I pause for a moment. What the hell? “You want me to be your best friend?”

She nods eagerly. “I’ve never had one before. I ask everybody, but nobody wants me.”

“Oh.” She must have problems. She looks so hopeful, smiling goofily at me.

Empathy wins. “I already have a best friend. Her name is Callie, but you can be my friend too, if you want?” I shrug. “We can all be friends together.”

Her eyes widen with excitement. “Really?”

I smile, feeling like I’ve done my good deed for the day. “Yes, really.”

She nods as she pretends to play it cool. “Okay, I’ll see you around.”

I smile. “Okay.” I turn away.

“I’ll see you around because now we are in a gang together.”

I hesitate for a moment as I crease my face up. “Not really a gang, though, is it?”

“More like a wolf pack?” she asks excitedly.

“Sure.” Jesus, what the hell? “See you later then.” I turn... again.

“Ah-wooooo!” she calls out.

I turn to see she has her head back and is howling like a wild dog.

“We could have a wolf call,” she says. “For our wolf pack.”

I stare at her.

“You know,” she adds seriously. “In case someone gets into trouble, we have a wolf pack call.”

What the hell have I gotten myself into here? Does she think this is The Hangover movie? “See you later, Meredith,” I say.

She howls again in response.

Fuck me.

I rush to my door, quickly dart in, flick the lock, and lean on the closed door behind me.