So You Think this is ok...

Yes, she had been out of it lately. Surine had been in what you would call a funk, her mother was trying in a pathetic way to get Surine to feel better about abandoning her friend Embry for Jasper Sikes. Nothing worked though, Surine just sat in bed all day. It was summer and beautiful outside, she wouldn't even get up to go to the little coffee shop just five blocks down the road. It was so close she didn't even need to drive and usually a day in the coffee shop, The Black Kettle, curled up on one of their overstuffed chairs with a sketch book in one hand and a grande Asian roasted blend in the other would make her feel a thousand times better. Still she didn't feel like getting up, not even when Jessica came in bothering her about getting up. "Come on Surine, we'll go to the coffee shop. You can even wear one of your ugly patterned dresses with mismatching socks like you've always wanted to." Jessica promised earning an annoyed look from Surine. She was still in her underwear and she turned over in bed not looking at her friend. "This is for your own good Surine, you need to get out of bed" Jessica said ripping off the blankets exposing Surine's tan flesh to the cold air in the room. Jessica grabbed something off a hanger in the closet and tossed it at her. "I'll do you're hair," she added in a way that felt more like a command than an offer. Surine dressed herself all the while giving her friend dirty looks and by the time she sat down to have her hair done she was in an even worse mood. "Ouch, that's attached to my head Jess it doesn't come out" Surine snapped at her friend as she tried to run a brush through the dark bush on Surine's head. "Well if you'd brush your hair it wouldn't hurt so much" She snapped back silencing Surine. They finally walked outside, Surine saw the sun low in the sky. It was way past noon. All the wanna-be poets hung out at The Black Kettle after noon. True Surine was typically always there but she wasn't a wanna-be artist, in fact some of her art was hanging in the coffee shop, a gift from Katy the head cashier who really liked Surine’s unique brand of horror sketches. "Get in the car" Jessica ordered. "Why, It's only five blocks away. We can walk" "I don't walk anywhere after dark and by the time we leave it will be dark, now get in" Jessica ordered more forcefully. Surine got in the white Mercedes and listened to what her kidnapper would say.

They were at The Black Kettle faster than Surine was used to and Surine walked into a scene that she had been expecting but didn’t want to see, the wanna-be’s had taken up the whole shop and though she normally wouldn’t have minded she saw a few of them in her seat, yes a few, she wasn’t happy to see that. Before Surine had a Latin moment on the loser scene kids in her seat Jessica lead her away to a couple of chairs near the little stage where some really bizarre girl was singing badly. "What do you want to drink?" "If I’m sitting here I’d like some straight liquor; get me my usual, ask for Katy" Surine said in a bored tone. "Hey Surine, that’s a cute dress. I haven’t seen you in a while" Tom the other mixer boy said as soon as Jessica walked away. He was only a year older than her and always greeted Surine when she came in. "Thanks Tommy, I’ve just been a little down lately," Surine said staring as the crowd snapped for the girl as she walked off stage. Surine smiled to herself ‘I would snap only because I’m glad it’s over’ she thought bitterly. "So Surine who’s your friend?" He asked Surine shrugged "just my friend Jessica," She replied seeing someone else get on stage to sing. She winced looking back in Tommy’s direction wondering where her coffee was, Jessica was there flirting with him like no big deal. In her hand was Surine’s coffee. Jessica was twirling a strand of her long straight brown hair a true sign of flirtation. Surine scowled ‘by the time I get that coffee this girl on stage will finally have talent’ Surine thought sourly.

"Hey Surine, I wanted to say sorry about the other night" Embry whispered suddenly behind Surine. She turned and smiled moving over in the chair so he could sit down. "Don’t apologize, that’s my job" She leaned on the boy’s shoulder as he sat down. "I shouldn’t fight with my best friend, and I shouldn’t have blown you off. That was wrong on my part and I can never redo it but I hope you’ll except my sorry" Surine stated and though Embry winced when she said ‘friends’ he smiled. "Of course I forgive you, I shouldn’t have yelled so much in the first place." he explained and Surine only shrugged. She looked over at Jessica and Tommy. "You were right you know, The Evening Snow is my best picture." Surine said not looking at Embry. "Do you want to get out of here? The music sucks and Jessica never brought me my drink, let’s go out just me and you" Surine suggested and Embry’s face lit up. "Alright, we can walk to the park. I didn’t bring the car" he said and she only nodded. Surine stood up and grabbed her coffee from right next to Jessica, who was too into her conversation to notice, and she walked to the door with Embry.

"Do you know that I love summer nights?" She asked as they walked "yeah you told me last summer," Embry replied. Surine smiled "they’re just perfect you know, warm and safe. I love the fire flies and the way they light up the sky like a warm Christmas. It’s perfect" She explained dreamily. Embry sighed "what’s with your obsession with perfection? To me things are all the more beautiful with their imperfections. You’re imperfections are what makes you beautiful, the look I see Jasper give you whenever he sees you...he wouldn’t give that look to perfection. He desires you, I know it" Embry stated simply. Surine’s eyes lit up "really? I’ve never been good at seeing through people, I didn’t know he felt that way. Embry walk me home I have to get there and call him" Surine said cheerfully. Embry walked her back and though she seemed distracted with the prospect of calling Jasper, Embry tried to tell her how he felt. They were in front of the house. "Embry you really are my best friend, thank you for everything" Surine said kissing Embry’s forehead, a gesture that she did to all her friends even Jessica, Surine didn’t allow Embry to say anything as she ran inside her house and up the stairs to her room to call Jasper. Embry saw her shadowed in her bedroom window. "Hey by the way Surine, I’m in love with you" He whispered to the darkness as he turned around to head home. His words hung in the air like broken promises and though he might not have thought so, Surine Lynn heard those exact words clear as if they had been said to her very face. The phone slipped from her hand and felt to the carpet in a muted thud. She looked out the window at Embry figure getting smaller and smaller in the distance, she didn’t know what to do and as always when she didn’t know what to do Surine went to sleep.