Girls' Outing

Mendel

Getting to know me this year, it may seem to some people that all I care about is my psychology degree. And I'm not totally denying that (of course college is important, and I'm working toward it every day), but nobody really gets the deeper side of me. I don't just care about giving people guidance and therapy. I care about people.

Specifically, Marvin and Trina. Not together, not like, as a couple, but the two of them are the ones I see the most often outside of class and the ones I think need me the most. They both went through a breakup not too long ago, and are simultaneously dealing with the new experience of Marvin getting a boyfriend, as well as starting school together. I understand it. I understand it all.

But why won't they talk to me about it?

Trina opened up to me at first, but now it seems like there's nothing more for her to say, even though with all that went on it's impossible for there not to be anything. I sometimes wonder if she just doesn't want me as her psychiatrist anymore. But then, what does she want me as?

It's no secret that I like her. To me, at least. I've known for weeks, and as much as I feel shame for liking my best friend's ex-girlfriend, I can't stop myself from feeling the way I do. And unless I'm crazy (which I probably am anyway), I can see that Trina likes me too. At least, a little.

I just wish that I had guidance as well. Because even though I'm great at giving advice, I'm only eighteen, just like them, and I get confused sometimes too.

I'm lying on the couch in the library thinking about all this late Wednesday evening. I should probably just head to my dorm and get some sleep, but I'm too busy here in the library.

From my spot, I see two men come in talking. I can't hear what they're saying, but one of them looks familiar. No, both of them do. One of them is Marvin, I can tell in the dim light. The other one was helping that drunk girl at the party. That's right— Whizzer.

"Hey, guys," I call, still lying down. Marvin jumps at the sound of my voice. "I didn't know you two would be by here."

He runs a hand through his hair and sighs. "Mendel. Hi. We're just trying to get some studying done because there are too many distractions in my dorm."

"Namely, the bed," Whizzer says, flicking Marvin's head playfully as they sit down. Marvin turns and glares at him.

"I wish I had a bed to lie on," I whisper from the couch. Neither of them reply, so I stand up and trot over to their table. "What are you studying?"

"Ways to get you to stop talking," Marvin quips.

I back away. "Okay, point taken. I'll just sit at the table near you guys." I pull out a chair, but take it over to their table and sit down anyway. "It's Whizzer, right?" I ask the boyfriend. "I think we saw each other at the party."

"That's right," he answers with a nod. "And you must be Mendel."

"Don't humor him, Whizzer," Marvin tells him irritably. "We have a lot of work to get done."

Whizzer shrugs and looks back at his paper, uninspired. I glance around. The lights in the hallway are off, so the library isn't lit up through the wide glass window the way it usually is. A dim glow from the cloudy, almost black sky outside casts over the room instead. It's kind of gloomy, and it's no surprise that we're the only ones in here.

Marvin looks up, noticing I'm still there. "Mendel, could you go? We literally have hours of work."

"We could do something else that takes less than an hour," Whizzer remarks.

"I told you to stop bragging about that."

"I can help you with your work," I speak up. "Just tell me what you need."

He picks up his paper and smacks me in the head with it. "I need you to leave us alone!"

"Jesus Christ, Marvin! Don't assault him." Whizzer takes Marvin's hands away and looks at him. "Calm down for a second, please. Mendel, you can stay. I don't think we'll get anything done tonight anyway."

Marvin puts his head down on the table in defeat. I smile, happy at least someone's being tolerant of me.

"Anyway," Whizzer continues, brushing his papers to the side, "I haven't heard much about you yet."

"Yes you have," Marvin mutters, his head still on the table.

Whizzer ignores him. "How are things going with you and Trina?"

I freeze. Is it that obvious that I like her? Did Marvin tell him? Does Marvin know? Do I just radiate "I have a crush on your ex-girlfriend" energy? Or maybe he means as friends. I take a breath and reply. "Things are going well. Well. She's still dealing with her things about the breakup. It was a while ago, but seeing Marvin again— not to mention seeing him with you— has brought back all sorts of feelings for her. That makes sense?" I ask.

He nods. "Yeah, but I meant like, have you boned yet?"

"Whizzer!" Marvin's head shoots up from the table and he stares at his boyfriend in disgust. "That's not something you ask. That's never something you ask."

"No," I put in. "No, we have not. We're not even together." I wring my hands hesitantly. "I like her. But I'm too scared to ask her out."

Marvin exhales. "I knew you liked her. I guess I can't even be mad." He picks up his school papers and puts them aside. "Okay. So, I get it. Asking out someone you like is tough. Take me and Whizzer, for example—"

"I was the one who made the first move," Whizzer cuts him off.

"I know. I'm trying to say to Mendel, it was hard for you. Especially since I had just gone through a breakup—"

"Which I didn't know about. Also, it wasn't hard. It was easy. You were the one who was a mess."

His face goes a little red. "I wasn't a mess."

"You still are a mess," I tell him, "and that's okay."

Marvin stands up and holds his hands in the air. "Can everybody stop?" he demands. "This is not a fun night. I just want to go back to my room, do some work, and go to bed to prepare for the long and tiring day of school tomorrow. How about we all just do that?"

"We all go to your dorm?" Whizzer asks. "That sounds a little suggestive."

"Could you please stop making everything an innuendo? Thank you."

Whizzer leans back in his chair. "I'm not tired."

"Then stay here with Mendel. I don't care. But I'm going. The fuck. To bed." He picks up his papers and storms over-dramatically out of the library.

Whizzer and I watch him go. "Is he okay?" I question cautiously.

"He's been doing this a lot lately. I think it's the stress getting to him."

I don't know what else to say. Whizzer and I aren't extremely close yet, actually we basically just met today. But if I do eventually ask Trina out, we'll each be dating a side of this broken relationship that, while both parties want to forget it, is still fresh in their minds and that of their psychiatric helper.

"I should probably go back to my apartment," he says after a moment. "I live off campus, and it's dark out now, so..."

I nod. "Go ahead. But, uh, I hope to see you again soon, Whizzer. Whether that be for counseling or just friend talk." He looks a little confused, so I add, "I'm a psychology major."

"Okay," he answers slowly. "Good to know. Thanks, Mendel."

"No problem."

After he leaves, I'm the only one at the table, and in the library at all. It's sort of peaceful— not lonely like it was when I was lying on the couch. I've definitely had my share of human interaction tonight. I'm going to sleep.

Cordelia

"Are you almost ready?"

"Almost," I call. Charlotte came over early and we're going out for breakfast together, because we just feel like it. I at least wanted to look a little nice, though, so I'm in the process of doing my makeup. Not too much, just covering my eye bags and making my eyelashes darker— blondes aren't usually blessed in that area. I finally finish up and meet her outside the bathroom.

"I hope you don't mind," she tells me as she picks up her purse from the couch, "I invited my friend, Trina. I know this was supposed to be a date but she texted me last-minute—"

"That's totally fine. But wait, isn't Trina Marvin's ex? Do you think he'd be uncomfortable with us spending time with her?"

Charlotte shakes her head. "He shouldn't care. It's not like we're his property." Which is true. "Besides, Trina needs someone, and it'd kind of be a dick move if I told her we couldn't be friends because her ex-boyfriend said so."

"Good point," I say. "Well, it'll be nice meeting her."

"You've already met her. Sort of," Charlotte adds. I frown, and she elaborates. "Remember that party back in October? Trina was there, and we saw her for a moment. Although you were drunk and practically falling asleep in Whizzer's arms by then."

I feel my face flush. "Why didn't you tell me we were going out with someone whose first impression of me was drunk me? Drunk me is a terrible impression."

"Don't worry, at least I told you before we met with her. And hey, I asked you to be my girlfriend after all that." She smiles. "So you must have done something right."

I'm feeling a little better by the time we get to the place and meet Trina. I don't recognize her at all, which I guess makes sense because I was blackout drunk. But she doesn't seem to hold that against me, and despite the fact that she's obviously distressed over the ongoing Marvin situation, she's really nice.

"So how long have you been going out?" she asks us as we're walking in. It's warm, and a nice change from outside. The place itself isn't too classy, but I'm sure the food is good.

"I think she asked me out... when was it? October?" Charlotte glances to me for confirmation, and I nod. "Right. We dated causally for a while I guess, and for a month now we're... exclusive."

"Exclusive," I repeat. "I like that word."

"Me too. That's why I said it."

"Well? We should order," suggests Trina, sliding into a booth. "I've never been to this place before."

"Neither have we," I admit. "We kind of just go to a random breakfast place each weekend. Sometimes they're good, sometimes they're straight-up shitty. That's the fun of it."

Trina shrugs. "I can work with that."

We look at our menus, find some things that look decent, and order. Then we start talking again.

"How long were you and Marvin together?" I want to know.

"About a year. But I don't want to talk about Marvin. Or Whizzer, or Mendel. This is a girls' outing. Right?"

Charlotte's brow creases. "Oh, wait a second, I remember Mendel. The guy you've been talking to— he was that condescending psychology major, wasn't he? Man, he got on my nerves."

"She said not to talk about them," I whisper.

"It's fine," Trina tells us. "He's actually been really helpful to me through all of this. Although I guess eight months later 'this' is long gone and I should just let Marvin move on. I should just let myself move on. Why is it so hard?"

I purse my lips. "I don't know."

"Sorry. We just met, and I shouldn't already be venting to you about how messed up I am."

"Do you have feelings for that Mendel guy?" I ask. Trina shakes her head, so I look at Charlotte, who shrugs.

"Whatever," Trina sighs. "It's a girls' day. No more talking about men. How about we just wait for our food to come?"

So we wait. I try to think of something I can say to comfort Trina, but considering I just met her, it isn't that easy. So we wait some more, our food gets here, and I think we're all feeling better by the time breakfast is over.

Trina turns to Charlotte and smiles. "This was great," she says, even though judging as a future caterer, the food was mediocre. "Thanks for inviting me out here. Thank you both. I really needed something like this."

"Of course," Charlotte replies warmly.

"Anytime," I add.

We get our things sorted out, work out the pay, an before we know it, we're going our separate ways. I can tell this outing, though brief, did well for Trina, and the thought makes me smile.

I hope we get to do something like this again soon.