Langland-Hayes 1

Kelsey Langland-Hayes

Dr. Mattix

ENGL 240

2 December 2019

Happy

A series of ominous clouds begin to mask the sky that displayed a pure blue color just moments

before. Leaning back in the office chair of my apartment, I grab the picture of Dominic and me

on my desk; we both offer our biggest and brightest smiles for the camera. To everyone who sees

it, we seem happy. Setting the picture down, I tuck my knees into my chest and try to steady my

shaky breathing.

“Um, hi, Dom,” I speak softly into the phone.

“What do you need, Shai?”

“I just wanted to see if maybe you wanted to do something tonight. I don’t know...I

thought maybe we could try something more fun and relaxing, but I just don’t know if

you’ll like my idea because I know that you-”

“Really, Shai? You know, it really pisses me off when you beat around the bush like this.

What was so important that you had to call me right now?”

“I’m sorry. I know you don’t like it when I call you right after work. It’s no big deal. I can

just ask you when you get home.”

Gripping the phone with my hand, I try to focus on the picture in front of me. Eyes glazed over, I

stare through it and cannot help but remember that dreadful day. At the time of the photo,

Dominic and I had just gotten into an argument, despite it being our three-year anniversary; we
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could never seem to agree on how much time we should spend together and how much time we

should spend apart. Shifting my view to the darkening clouds outside, I shiver at the sight of rain

releasing onto the parking lot below. Dominic does not respond as I watch the rain pour harder

and harder onto the asphalt below. I can barely see anything outside at this point.

“Is everything okay, Dom?”

Through the phone, I notice Dominic starting to breathe laboriously. The sound of heavy rainfall

flooding through the phone reflects the boisterous sounds surrounding my apartment outside.

The booming thunder makes me jump, nearly causing my chair to flip backward. Realizing that

Dominic still hasn’t responded, my heart begins to pound rapidly inside my ears. I don’t know

whether the rumbling thunder or Dominic’s tumultuous breathing terrifies me more. Attempting

to calm my nerves, I take a few deep breaths in and out. Even if Dominic is mad, I have to say

something, or I could make things worse by making him think that I’m ignoring him.

“I’m sorry. Did I upset you again, Dom?”

With Dominic’s heavy breathing coming to a halt, the screeching brakes and skidding tires break

the silence.

“Dom?”

Suddenly, a horrifying yell comes through the phone. A thundering crash sounds right before the

line disconnects.

“Shaianne, sis, it’s not your fault.” Grace’s gentle touch snaps me back into reality as I

hold back my tears.

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Hunched over in a rotting dining chair at my apartment, my eyes lift up for only a moment,

allowing me to catch sight of Grace sitting across from me with a look of pity enveloping her

face. A twinge of guilt triggers a sharp pain in my chest, and an ever-increasing queasiness

causes the pungent taste of acid to creep into the back of my throat as the dark blue walls appear

to close in around me.

How can she say it’s not my fault? Of course it’s my fault. If I wouldn’t have pushed Dominic,

maybe he wouldn’t have gotten upset. If he hadn’t gotten upset, then maybe he wouldn’t be

unconscious in a hospital bed right now.

“Hey, look at me...Dominic shouldn’t have treated you like that. You deserve better than

this, Shaianne...” Grace reaches across the deteriorating table and wipes the wetness from

my cheeks as the tears slowly trickle down my face.

Is she right? This isn’t the first time Dominic has gotten upset like this.

At girls’ night a couple months ago, he ruined any chances he had of ever befriending my sister. I

had never seen Dominic so angry. I shouldn’t have stayed with him after that night.

Phone in hand, I attempted to send Dominic a message letting him know that I made it to the

restaurant. Glancing up for a moment to ensure my success in heading toward the proper table, I

soaked in Luca’s relaxed formal atmosphere. I managed to find the booth where Grace sat

chatting away with a formally dressed waiter. Plopping down into the warm burgundy-colored

booth, I waved my phone at her to explain my lateness.

“Seriously, Shaianne? This is supposed to be GIRLS’ night! Uh uh, no boys and

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definitely no obnoxiously clingy boyfriends,” she held out her free hand as I quickly

texted Dominic.

“Sorry. Dom just wanted me to check in with him.”

“Every 20 minutes? Seriously? I’ll take it from here,” she stood up and leaned across the

table, snatching my phone from my grasp.

“Grace, please.”

She began to type like her life depended on it, pressed a few buttons, and then handed it back.

Breathing a sigh of relief, I held onto my phone tightly and tried to unlock it, but my password

attempt failed. Clenching my jaw, I tried to unlock it a few more times, but to no avail.

“Well, that’s one way to solve that problem.” Grace threw her head back and laughed.

I laughed along with her, but my laughter came across as more awkward and anxious than hers.

After finishing up most of my food, I was finally able to relax a little bit.

“Isn’t this nice? A night to go out and forget about everything else?” Grace leaned back,

resting her head against the booth.

It is nice. I can’t remember the last time I just had an hour without having Dominic check up on

me; it’s kind of...freeing.

Mimicking Grace, I rested my head against the booth and sighed a breath of pure, utter relief,

closing my eyes for a moment.

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A rowdy crashing sound of dishes disrupted my state, and I popped my head up. A waitress bent

down to collect the broken glass, a flush of red enveloping her face. Analyzing the scene, my

eyes searched for the source of disruption.

Inhaling a quick breath, I bit down onto my bottom lip and sank into my seat.

“Dom, what’s going on?” I dug my nails into the booth, holding myself in place.

“No. Don’t even start with me. You think it’s funny to ignore me and text me this?” the

whole restaurant went silent.

Extending his arm, Dominic handed me his phone. Scanning down through the messages, my

eyes darted left and right until I sucked in deeply. After reading through the messages, I realized

that Grace didn’t just lock my phone; she messaged Dominic: “Sorry, Dom. Can’t talk now;

girls’ night. ;)” Attached to the message was an image of the waiter Grace had flirted with before

as he walked confidently to the table, smiling directly into the camera and furrowing his brow.

“Dom, you’re not going to believe this, but it’s actually kind of a funny story-”

“I said NO! You did this to yourself, Shai. YOU are the one who decided to ignore me.

YOU are the one who’s sending me pictures of some attractive waiter and teasing me

with messages like this! Is this what you call a girls’ night?” he looked me up and down

as I tugged at the edges of my dress.

“Dude, chill. Can you not take a joke?” Grace grits her teeth.

“You think it’s funny for her to taunt her boyfriend? Ha, I guess I should’ve known it was

a bad idea to let you go out with this tramp.”

Biting down harder, I caused my lower lip to tear open ever so slightly and release the bitter taste

of iron into my mouth.

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“Sis. You’re seriously going to let him talk to me like this?” Grace’s eyes started to turn

bright red.

Averting my eyes from her, I grasped tighter and tighter onto the booth. Suddenly, I heard a rapid

shuffling across the dark wood floor and then a loud slam as Grace ran out of the restaurant.

Paralyzed, my eyes darted around the room and caught the pitiful stares of the audience as I

searched for a way out.

I shouldn’t have stayed with him after that night. Why did I stay with him after that night?

“I don’t know, Grace. Maybe you’re right…” I clench even tighter into the wooden

exterior of my apartment’s antique dining chairs.

“Of course I’m right! Dominic shut you down before you even told him what you

wanted, and the storm was out of your control. It’s not your fault he got mad and got in

an accident. If anything, he did this to himself.”

“But I should’ve listened to him, though; I knew he didn’t like it when I called like that,”

my head lowers to the mound of snotty tissues on my lap.

“Sis, no one should EVER talk to you like that. There’s no excuse for it.”

“I know, Grace, but it’s not anything new. He’s always been like this; I shouldn’t try to

change him. I knew he was like this when we met, so I guess I agreed to this.”

“But you don’t have to agree to this anymore. You can leave.”

My heart drops to my stomach, and I feel a tightness in my chest.

“I-I-I can’t think about this. I can’t bear to imagine my life without him...I would be

alone.”
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“Is that so terrible? Shaianne, he’s holding you back from truly living.”

Grace pops up and tightly balls her hands into fists.

“He called me a tramp for goodness sakes!” she clenches her jaw and blinks multiple

times in succession.

“Okay...I’m sorry. I know you’re upset. It’s my fault...If I would’ve just messaged him

and explained the situation, none of this would've happened.”

“Sis, I sent the message, NOT you. And I know it’s not ideal, but maybe the fact that

Dominic is in the hospital right now and, you know, unconscious is a sign that you should

end things.”

“Um...well...if that’s what you think is best, maybe I should end things with Dom...”

“There you go! It’s time to MOVE ON already.”

The blaring sound of the landline interrupts our conversation. Hopping up, I rush over to read the

caller ID. My body tenses, but I try to seem as relaxed as possible, shoving my hands into my

pockets. Grace arches her brow at me and leans forward, making the chair creak.

“Um...er-it’s nothing,” I scurry back over to my chair as the phone echoes through my

apartment.

“Are you serious? You hardly ever allow calls to go to voicemail.”

“Yeah...um...it was just Mom. I’m sure she just wanted to check in...”

Averting my eyes from hers, I refocus myself on the mound of tissues and begin to pull on the

edges of the soft white material.

“So...you really think I should move on...?”

“YES! I think you should leave him alright, and I know exactly how you should do it.
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When Dominic wakes up all delirious and confused, you pretend you don’t know

him and completely ghost him. It’s perfect!”

“Okay...If that’s what’ll make you happy...I just want things to be okay...” I continue to

slowly tear the edges of the tissues, stacking the tattered slivers on top of each other.

“Nothing in this entire WORLD would make me happier than you dumping this jerk once

and for all,” a beam of light from the dusty window peaks through the curtains and

spreads across Grace’s face.

“Whatever you want, Grace. Whatever will make you happy...”

Grace reaches down and grabs her purse and keys.

“Not to cut things short, but I’ve got to get back and finish some work...I’ll see you

later?”

My half-hearted smile bids her goodbye.

“Ah, this is just perfect. Could this be any more perfect? So perfect,” Grace continues to

mumble to herself as she passes through the threshold of my apartment door.

Sure. It’s perfect, Grace. Just perfect.

Leaning all the way over, I watch through the windows as Grace’s car pulls out of the driveway.

After her car passes the apartment, I jump up and run over to the landline, snatching it up. The

phone rings just for a moment, and then there’s an answer.

“Hello? This is Shai; I’m just returning your call...Sorry, this is Shaianne Sole. Um...I’m

calling about Dom, er-Dominic Price. He’s awake?! Could you please let him know that I’m on

my way to pick him up? Thank you...Um...yah, I can do that. Whatever will make him happy.”