Love And Other Things I'm Bad At Part 36

Shawna, Dara, and I are not getting along. At all.

We keep arguing about everything: dishes, cleaning, DeathKitty and her dead birds, Oscar and his pacing, the fact that one of them keeps letting Oscar out.

Dara says I never clean the blender after I make smoothies. What? I always do. And how would she know? She's never even used the blender. She's just reaching.

Shawna says Dara doesn't know what clean is, because she hasn't ever cleaned the bathroom since we moved in, while she has cleaned it, like, twice a week.

Which makes me feel bad because I've only cleaned it twice, ever.

I told Shawna she keeps me awake when she studies all night and listens to the TV for "background noise" but blares The Daily Show, so then I want to get up and watch it, and then I oversleep- And then Dara said she can't write here because we're both too loud, and she should have gotten her own place instead of sharing it with us. Somehow it's

all Tobie's fault for moving out, and all my fault for moving in.

So I told Dara not to plan on taking me to the airport on Friday, that I'd take the shuttle van.

"Oh no, I'll take you to the airport," Dara said.

Clearly she wants me to be gone as much as I want to leave.

Still . . . kind of rude, don't you think?

I left the house to go to work at the same time Grant was outside, headed to his car. We waved at each other. I thought he was going to offer me a ride, but he didn't.

Rudeness. It's going around sort of like a viral YouTube video.

10/29.

Just started snowing. Stupid snow must not get in the way of my trip. I need a break from the Fort. Even though I have made up with roomies, tension lingers, like smell from litter box.

In cla.s.s today, found out that Dr. Bigelow's call to action was answered. Not sure with what, though.

"So, it's been planned," the guy next to me in cla.s.s whispered.

"Right." I looked around. "What has?"

"Our big statement," he said. "Our end of semester project."

"And?" I asked.

"And what?" He seemed confused.

Typical stoned, overly-committed-to-the-environment mandal-wearing guy. "It is . . . ?" I urged, waiting for him to fill in the blank.

He looked around furtively. "Oh. Well. I can't talk about it here."

Suddenly, Dr. Bigelow was approaching us. "Is there something you'd like to share with the cla.s.s, Ms. . . . oh, Superfund. I'm drawing a blank."

"Smith. It's Smith," I said. Then wanted to kick myself. Why stress my last name when it was not for a good thing?

"Right, of course, Ms. Smith. Is there something you'd like to share?"

"Well, actually, I . . . I mean, it wasn't me. . . . He said something about a plan?" I said. "I actually don't know anything. I mean, about it."

Great. Now I was admitting I didn't know anything. "Smith, Third Row, Doesn't Know Anything" he was probably jotting down in his notes.

I never did find out what the big plan is.

And it's still snowing. I like s...o...b..arding as much as the next person-maybe even more. Wow. I actually live in a decent place to s...o...b..ard again. The world is like . . . my oyster. My snow-covered oyster.

10/30.

IM'ing with Beth.

crtveg17: Have been up all night. Nervous about the trip.

shoe92gurrl: Why?

crtveg17: Idk. Just am. Stomach hurts. Haven't seen W for a month.

shoe92gurrl: So it'll be fun!

crtveg17: Seems like we argue on the phone.

shoe92gurrl: Do u still love him?

crtveg17: Sure. Sure I do.

shoe92gurrl: Then don't worry. It's just the stress of being apart.

crtveg17: Like u and me. Like how we fight. ;) shoe92gurrl: Constantly. E Ciao.

crtveg17: Ciao. Easy 4 U 2 say.

Snowing again. Airport claims to be open though-flights not canceled. It's been snowing since last night. Dara wants to leave now-extra-early, just to make sure. Fine. Will write more from WI after I get there. If I get there.

Gave Oscar a hug. He walked in circles by the front door.

"If Bryan can't make it here, for any reason, ask Grant, OK?" I said to Shawna before we left.

"Don't worry, it's going to be fine," she said, squeezing my shoulders.

"Maybe I shouldn't go."

"What? Go already," Shawna argued. "G.o.d. If someone as hot as, like, Wittenauer, was waiting for me, I'd fly myself."

"How would you do that?" Dara asked.

Shawna glared at her. "It's a saying. And you know, if you want to catch a flight anywhere like Seattle while you're at the airport, feel free. I have a ton of studying to catch up on."

Outside, Grant was attempting to shovel the sidewalk. Asked where we were going. "Uh, the airport. Going to Cornwall Falls for the weekend."

"Oh. Wow. Well, good luck," he said.

"Is that all he has to say? 'Good luck'?" I complained to Dara when we got into the car.

"What do you want him to say?" she replied.

I don't know, I thought. Don't leave? Don't risk your life? I love you madly?

But that was wrong.

TWO HOURS LATER.

It's snowing. A lot. Not sure we will make it. Not sure airport will be open if we do make it. Traffic moving at one mile per hour. Every once in a while, someone comes along going faster than that, has to put on brakes, and slides off into median or down into ditch.

Trying to reach DIA to find out about flight. DIA? More like DOA. Dead on Arrival. Or, lack of arrival.

Cell service not working.

Radio talking about winter weather advisory. Upgraded now to blizzard warning.

Our arms collided as we both went to grip center armrest in fear.

Barely moving. I keep trying to make small talk that dies instantly. Kind of like we might.

We've made it about a mile so far, I think.

Cars in ditches.

Winds.h.i.+eld wipers caked in ice.

Radio is advising everyone to stay home. Well, uh, kind of late for that.

"I don't want to die!" Dara just screamed as she put on the brakes and we slid sideways.

G.o.d. So dramatic. It's only a little skid.

BACK HOME.

I ended up making Dara trade places with me, and I started driving because I know how to drive in snow. Well, so does she, but she had a case of temporary insanity.

We got off I-25 finally and ended up in a diner in Loveland, which is normally, like, a 15-minute drive from here; took us 3 hours.

We ate pie and gathered strength to drive home. Thought I was going to have to give Dara a good-natured slap in the face and yell, "Snap out of it!" Girl needed to breathe into a paper bag to keep from hyperventilating. She who is so cool about everything. I felt bad for her.

Couldn't get through to Wittenauer to tell him I can't make it because flights are all canceled; airport is closed. We came home and for some reason, Bryan was here. He and Shawna were watching a movie together when we walked in. They seemed surprised, but not all that surprised, to see us.

"OMG, what are you doing here?" asked Shawna. "Are you guys OK?"

"Didn't you watch the news? People are dying out there!" Dara said.

"And how did you get here?" I asked Bryan.

"I left really early," he said. "Grant's been over here twice to see if we heard from you."

"Oh?" I asked. So he did care, at least a little bit. "Well, uh, what's the bag for?" I asked Bryan when I saw his duffel sitting by the door.

"Well. Thought if I was coming all this way, I should be prepared to stay over," he said. "With the weather and all."

Warning lights were firing in my head like shooting stars. He and Shawna. They were hooking up. It was deja vu all over again.

"But I was gone, as far as you knew," I said, narrowing my eyes at him.

He nodded. "As far as you knew, yes."

I had to puzzle over that for a while.

"Courtney! You asked me to take care of Oscar. You didn't say where."

"I didn't? Well, wasn't it obvious?" I said. "At home."

"No. Not with Sterling and his allergies, no."

"Courtney!" Shawna yelled. "Don't you appreciate what Bryan did? He drove through a blizzard to get here. For Oscar."

Bryan nodded. "Yup. Plus, Grant posted something about a party at his house tomorrow night-"

"Hold on, hold on!" I cried.

"What? You didn't know about the party?"

"No, not that. You just said Grant posted something? Where?"

"Twitter. Didn't you know that? You should totally follow him. He's funny," said Dara.

Grant posting something? Since when?

"You should go tell him you made it back," Shawna said.

"Right. Right." I opened the front door and Oscar bounded outside after me. We made it halfway there before I thought to myself, What if Kelli's there? What if I walk in and they're snuggling together in front of the fire? Not that they have a fireplace. I actually don't know.