Embarrassment/2

The Boyfriend
Sid looked out of the window, to watch Jenny as she walked down the street. But - what was this? Why was she walking up to that Merc? And who was this guy getting out ... opening the front passenger door for her ... kissing her on the cheek and helping her in ... Sid had to turn away. Did he have any chance at all? Was there any point in his trying to change, in becoming a new person?

No. There was no reason. But then, he kind of had to. Because he had just promised himself that he would.

"Well, since Jenny went through all the trouble of scheduling me some counselling, I'll probably have to keep going to see Jensen," he told himself. "And maybe when it's all done, heck, who knows, maybe that Merc guy would have abandoned her by then? So I'll still have a chance."

Moments later, he realized that he really didn't stand any chance. But desperation made him follow her out of the bar. He ran the last few steps to the car.

"So... what now?" asked Jenny, a bit irritated.

"Erm... Uh..." Sid didn't know what he was doing. He was trying to indicate to her that this third person didn't fit the equation. However, he had no idea how to communicate that.

"What's the matter, Sid?"

Sid felt his face go red again. Was he sweating? He felt out of place.

Oh, come on! What was he supposed to say now? He blurted out, even though he regretted it instantly, "Are you two boyfriend and girlfriend?"

Jenny's face morphed into a weird expression, if there was a way of mixing a snicker with a expression of shock and one of disappointment, that would be it. "What!?" she asked him.

"You heard me!" Sid felt an unexpected surge of bravery...it made him feel dizzy.

She pointed to the driver, "He's my father! We were going to visit my aunt Charla!" Sid then noticed the driver was considerably older than Jenny was, "I'll pretend I didn't hear what you said, by the way," she told him, and turned her back.

She sat on the car's left seat, and glanced one last time at Sid. To make his humiliation more complete, Sid heard her father asking her if he was "the therapy guy". Twice. Because she apparently was too distracted hating Sid to hear the first time. She answered with a quick yes and told him to go already.

The Telephone
When Sid arrived home the answering machine was flashing. "Hi Mum," he said to no-one in particular, ignoring the message in favour of scouring the fridge. He settled down in front of some late-night TV with a grilled concoction of bread, cheese and tomato salsa. Most of it was on his shirt when woke with sore neck and shoulders at around 5am. Shakily, he stood up, allowing the food to fall onto the carpet and staggered to his bedroom.

Two hours later, he woke to the sound of the telephone. He had the feeling it had been ringing for some time. "Hlmph...," he said. He tried again. "Hello." His voice was deep and cracked.

"Sid! Where have you been? Why don't you answer your messages?" Oh God, it was Tammy. She was the last thing he needed right now.

"Hey Sis," he croaked. "What's going on?"

"It's Mum, you prick. She's in hospital."

"What for?"

"She fell trying to change a lightbulb or something. She was on the floor for hours, apparently. A neighbour spotted her."

"Oh my God, is she alright?"

"If she hadn't got the light on she'd probably still be lying there, Sid. Honestly, you are such a waste of space. Why didn't you go over and change it for her?" his sister told him, as if the accident was his fault since he didn't use his far-seeing powers to discover her mother needed a lightbulb changed, then he didn't drive all the way over there to change the lighbulb and come back. Her sister always did this, and the problem is that it always worked.

He put his head in his hands, letting the phone hang away from his face for a moment. "I don't know," he thought. And he didn't, that was true, and now he was feeling guilty. He didn't know what to say.

"Just come over here, will you?" the voice at the other side of the line told him after his moment of silence. He barely talked with his mother the last month, he didn't think she could die of falling to the ground, but he knew that old people do have the reputation of being fragile. His mother, moreso.

His sister, on the other hand, didn't have the reputation of being fragile, but she had a fond spot for their mum.