Free Summer Boys by Hailey Abbott Page B

spirit was contagious. She half laughed.
    “He invited me to a party tomorrow. For some reason, he thinks we can be friends. I don’t know if maybe he still likes me, or something…” Jamie trailed off.
    “Jamie,” Ella said, leveling a gaze over her cards. “It’s the classic guy maneuver. He wants to have you even when he doesn’t have you. He wants to be broken up, but he still wants you to be crazy over him.”
    Jamie took a sip of Stoli. “Or maybe he still likes me.”
    “Maybe,” Ella said sympathetically, as Jamie took a double swig. “So you’re going, huh?”
    “I said I would. But I don’t know, maybe I shouldn’t have.”
    “Well, look, it’s hard to stay away. I get it. But if you’re gonna be around him, you’ve at least got to show him you don’t need him. You’ve got to show him you’re interested in other things. Guys are stupid like that. They love it when girls act like they don’t want them.” Ella nodded her head wisely.
    Jamie tried to picture herself not wanting Ethan.
    “Ella, I just feel like I can’t breathe,”she said as tears stung her eyes. She felt like such a baby, crying again.
    Ella scooted over to comfort her, and rubbed Jamie’s back gently. “It sucks. I know, I know,” she said.
    Jamie was kind of embarrassed that she was allowing Ella to see her like this, but the vodka had created a soothing warmth in her chest, and the back rub felt good. But what she appreciated most was that Ella was doing all she could to make Jamie feel as ifshe was being understood. After all, Ella was a dumper, not a dumpee. She’d never had her heart broken in her life. Yet here she was, giving Jamie a sympathetic shoulder to cry on.
    A few tears slipped out onto Jamie’s hands and dripped onto her shirt, leaving behind a little trail of misery. Her curly hair stuck to her face. When she lifted her head, Ella turned her toward the mirror near her bed.
    “Nice mustache,” she said.
    They both smiled weakly at Jamie’s reflection, then Jamie wiped the hair away and bit her lip.
    “Ella, you don’t understand. It’s like I can’t see anything but him.” She realized how melodramatic she sounded. “I mean, have you ever felt that way about anyone?” Jamie looked at her hopefully, like a drowning person looking desperately for a life raft. Maybe there was some formula for surviving this, and only Ella had the answer.
    Ella looked thoughtful and a little sad. “Nope. I mean I’ve been, like, infatuated. But I don’t think I’ve ever felt the real thing—you know, love.”
    “I thought I had that with Ethan.…”
    “I know. I’m sorry. Listen, I’ll give you a makeover for the party. You’ll look fabulous, and he’ll eat his heart out.”
    Jamie swallowed, feeling shy all over again.
    “But now you need another cigar,” Ella said winningly, holding out the box.
    “Oh, God, no,” Jamie waved her away. She was already worried the room reeked. She picked up the vodka instead.
    “Bottoms up,” Ella said with a lilt to her voice. “You only live once.”
    They got good and drunk. At least Jamie did. Before this, she had only experienced a good buzz, and when she did, it was usually after 9:00 P.M. But this was a special occasion.
    Ella and Jamie played several hands of cards and then just talked, laughing over old stories. It was the best Jamie had felt in days. By the time it got dark, she and Ella had curled up in the bed and popped in the movie, and soon she began to sober up.
    A couple of hours later, her aunt and uncle got home with the kids. She could hear them walking in the hall, tucking the kids in, and then making their way into the common room, where they turned on the TV. Ella was lying beside her, fast asleep, snoring in the blue glow of the TV as the tape went into automatic rewind mode. Watching her, Jamie noticed a thin thread of drool dangling from her cousin’s perfect mouth, and she snickered a bit. Still, the quiet laugh gave way to silence.