Episode 17: My Misery

I know, I know; I really messed up this time. Joel tells me that he loves me and what do I do? I panic. Then, I played the friend card. I do not know if Joel meant if he loved me just as a friend or not, but, regardless, it still gave me the opportunity to confess my love for him and I blew it. I have been kicking myself every since it happened last weekend.

I knew what I had to do though. I needed to get Joel to say it again. Then I could tell him exactly how I feel. That is why I have called him pretty much everyday. Maybe if I show interest, it will compel him to do the same.

However, it proved to be more of a chore than I had realized it would be. Every time we hung out at Stratler’s or anywhere else over that week, I laid it on thick, but to no avail. I do not want to make Joel sound mean, but he definitely ignored my advances. Maybe he didn’t love me the way I thought he did.

It was a good thing that I was not going to take no for an answer. That’s right! I’m not giving up that easily.

Anyway, remember when Joel and Dustin had their argument? Well that would soon be pushed back to the forefront as it would soon reach its climactic point. Since Jack has been gone, Dustin had no one but us to hang out with and he and Joel had not exactly been getting along. Well, we all had a problem with him, but Joel was the only one that would actually say something to him.

He never would come right out and say it, but he did chime in with a smart remark that would make Dustin mad, which would make him quiet. Needless to say, nobody seemed to mind.

It was eight o’clock on Saturday night when Stacy arrived at Joel’s apartment. John and Tiffany were already there and the four of them had a few drinks before heading out to go downtown at roughly fifteen minutes after nine.

It was nine thirty on Saturday night when Joel, Stacy, John, and Tiffany piled out of a cab in downtown Charlotte and walked into a bar by the name of Stanky’s. When the foursome walked through the door, they quickly scanned the crowded bar to find their friends, Brian, Lauren, and Dustin. John found them sitting in a booth and started toward them, leading Tiffany, Stacy, and Joel.

Upon arriving at the table, the seven of them exchanged greetings and poured into the booth, large enough to fit the seven of them.

I tried to sit beside Joel, but he pulled an evasive maneuver at the last second and switch which side of the booth he was going to sit on and before I knew it Dustin scooted in beside him, which I knew he absolutely loved.

It was not long before Dustin started nudging him and the two were off to talk to two blonde bimbos. So there I was, stuck there, watching the guy I love hitting on another woman.

“Are you ok?” asked Lauren of Stacy.

Stacy did not answer, looking over at Joel.

“Stacy?” asked Lauren.

Stacy finally snapped out of her trance. “Uh yeah, I’m fine,” she said. She then looked back over at Joel.

“Stacy, just go over there and talk to him,” said Lauren.

“No,” responded Stacy. “The time isn’t right.”

“But he is talking to another girl,” said Lauren.

John, who had no previous knowledge of Stacy’s feelings for Joel, overheard the conversation. Luckily for Stacy, he did not pick up on what they were talking about.

That is when I decided to go into what Lauren and I like to call Stealth Mode.

Stacy motioned toward John and mouthed the phrase, “Let’s talk later. I do not want him to overhear anything.”

Lauren nodded and mouthed the phrase, “Gotcha.”

Ok, so Stealth Mode is when we mouth what we are saying instead of actually saying it, but what can I say? It works!

Anyway, the night did not get easier from there. Much to my dismay, Joel and Dustin did not get shot down. I know its mean and selfish, but I was hoping that the guys would strike out and be right back over to the table. However, that was not the case. This only added to my misery.

We did get a good laugh when Dustin apparently made the other girl mad and stormed off. I was kind of hoping that Joel’s conversation would taper off because of this, but it didn’t. I could see that she was very interested in him.

Stacy sat there in the booth, unable to look away from Joel. It was almost as if it was happening in slow motion as everything else sped around it at one hundred miles per hour. It was at that moment that she knew that she had blown it. The only thing that she could take solace in was the fact that Lauren shared her pain. That, and the alcohol was flowing.

Lauren bought me a drink and the two of us started a conversation that I got lost in. For a while, I forgot about all of my problems. Then, I happened to glance over and see Joel and the blonde swapping numbers and my heart dropped.

Then, something very bizarre happened.

As Joel slipped his phone back into his pocket, Dustin approached, making his way back through the people that filled the bar. When he reached Joel and Amber, he pushed passed Joel, almost knocking him down and walked up to Amber.

I do not know what Dustin said, but it did not sit right with either Joel or his new skank...sorry, I mean lady-friend.

At that point, Lauren and Brian noticed that Stacy was no longer listening to them and turned to see what it was that she was now focused on. After the two of them began to watch the scene, John and Tiffany also joined them in watching.

They watched as Joel grabbed Dustin’s arm and turned him away from the girl that he had been talking to all night. Dustin jerked his arm away from Joel and once again engaged the girl. The girl, who obviously wanted nothing to with him, turned and said something to Joel, then left.

“Dustin must be up to his old tricks,” laughed Brian.

“Obviously,” said John.

“What a jerk,” said Tiffany.

After she walked away Joel confronted Dustin. Only Dustin seemed angry. After a short exchange, Dustin turned and walked away while Joel returned to the table.

“What was that all about?” asked John of Joel as he returned.

“Oh nothing,” said Joel. “Just Dustin being Dustin. You know, same ole, same ole.”

“All too well,” said Lauren.

“I do not know why he has to be that way,” said Stacy.

“I’ve pretty much accepted it by now,” said Joel.

“Yeah, yeah,” said John, “He’s an ass. Now tell me about the girl you just met.”

“Yeah,” said Stacy. “Let’s hear about that.”

I wasn’t being sarcastic, I promise. I really wanted to know about this girl and try to read Joel’s opinion of her so I could try and gauge how much he likes her. We did not get too far into the conversation before an obviously drunk Dustin came back and made a scene.

As Joel stood at the table, talking to Stacy and John, Dustin came up and stood quietly for a few moments. It was obvious that he was bothered by something. Brian glanced over at him and asked, “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” said Dustin, glowering at Joel, who did not notice. A few minutes passed before Dustin spoke again. This time he said, “I’m leaving.”

He said his goodbyes to Brian and Lauren, then made his way around Joel without saying a word to him and told Stacy, John, and Tiffany goodbye, then turned and as he walked back by Joel, he lurched forward, striking Joel with his shoulder.

The impact dislodged Joel’s beer from his hand, which fell to the floor. The glass bottle shattered as the liquid spilled and went everywhere. Dustin stopped, looking up from the floor, he and Joel now stood nose to nose.

Brian quickly stood and got between them as John launched out of the booth to grab Joel. By this time, the eyes of everyone in the bar were on the two men as they were being restrained by their friends.

“What is your problem!?” shouted Joel.

Dustin did not say a word. Instead he continued to stare at Joel as he took a few steps back and eventually turned and walked out of the bar.

“What was that all about?” asked Brian.

“Apparently that girl I met,” responded Joel. “He tried to get between me and her when we were talking and I called him out on it, but not in front of her.”

“You two need to stop,” said Brian sternly. “You are friends.”

Joel shook his head. “No. Not anymore,” he said. “I’m tired of the way he acts toward me.”

“You don’t mean that,” said Brian.

“Yeah, actually I do mean it, Brian,” said Joel. “I’m done with that guy.”

The scary thing about the whole situation was that Joel was serious. I have known him longer than anyone and I can say, without a doubt, that Joel meant what he said. It was the end of their friendship.