Moving on and Moving out

The fight with Emma doesn't resolve itself as I'd told myself it would. We're both stressed, I keep telling myself. Maybe she and DJ had a fight and she felt the need to defend him. Or all relationships have disagreements sometimes. Only what had happened between Emma and I certainly wasn't a disagreement; it was a fight, plain and simple. 

And as another week passed where we didn't speak, I start to believe that our friendship will never be the same. 

Luckily, I don't have too much time to worry about Emma. Work is a madhouse, even with the new assistant. I have been doing spreadsheet afrer spreadsheet, crunching numbers all day with hardly any time at all to do my actual job. I try to explain this to Kent at our end of the week meeting, but he brushes away my concern entirely. 

"There are plenty of other people working here who can help you out if need be," Kent assures me. "And you're getting so much work done."

"But," I say, trying to word this carefully. "I wasn't hired to do spreadsheets. I was hired to write fashion articles." 

"Sometimes job duties change," Kent says. 

"I understand that, but I haven't been able to give any of my time to writing and editing. While I'm relatively comfortable with excel, I don't know many of the advanced formulas," I tell him. I don't tell him to hire someone who actually knows what they're doing, but I want to. 

"Ryan, you're doing a great job," he says, as though encouragement is what I need. As though telling me I'm doing fine will help me learn advanced excel formulas. 

After that, Kent makes it clear the meeting is over. 

So I take matters into my own hands. I finish up my work and then close out of excel. It feels good to look into my old notebooks filled with trends and designers emails. I stretch and get to work. 

At the end of the day I've contacted a few magazines and written an article about spring trends that have transitioned into summer trends. I'm already brainstorming a fourth of July article. For the first time in a while, I feel motivated and accomplished. I leave work with a smile. 

I see I have two texts and for a split second I hope one is from Emma. Nope; one is from Bryan and the other is from Marie. I excitedly read Marie's message. She wants to have dinner sometime soon! We haven't talked much since her announcement, and she wants Kolby and I to meet her girlfriend! I can't help it--I clap my hands in excitement. 

I then read Bryan's message. He wants to go on a date... And he wants to pick me up on his motorcycle! I text him back quickly and say that I'm down, anytime. I've never had a bucket list, but if I did, riding a motorcycle would be on it for sure. I'd just never had the balls to do it on my own. 

Marie sends me another message and asks to meet for happy hour drinks. It's a Wednesday, but what the hell. The last two weeks have been horrible, and I could use a half price beer. 

I meet Marie at Arch City, which has the best happy hour in the short north area of Columbus. Half price beers and pizzas! Heavenly. 

Marie is already seated when I arrive. She looks very pretty in a sundress and wedge heels. I suddenly feel grungy in my post-work jean shorts. 

Marie gets up to hug me as soon as she sees me. I'm surprised. Kolby was always more of a hugger, while Marie was more reserved. 

"It's been ages," she says. "How are you?"

I sigh. "Honestly, not great. So let's not talk about that. How are you?"

Marie beams. Truly, it's as though the sun is shining through her grin. "Ryan, to tell you the truth, I've never been better." She tells me about how the information about Liam's cheating made her realize that she never really loved him anyway, and that led her to realize she hadn't been being true to herself. 

"I'd been so worried about dating Leena--that's my girlfriend--thinking that it was some kind of phase or rebound." Marie explains to me as she sips her beer. "But the more I thought about it, the more I realized I like her for her, not because I needed a change after Liam."

"Marie, that's incredible," I tell her sincerely. "I'm so happy for you. You really deserve it. So, when can I meet her?" 

"Well," Marie takes another drink. "I'm a little nervous, to tell you the truth. I haven't asked Kolby yet."

"Kolby loves everyone," I say, not quite understanding. "She'll want to meet Leena."

Marie nods. "I know, but I'm worried that she'll be jealous."

"Jealous?" I ask incredulously. 

"It's just that we've been best friends for so long," Marie explains. "I'm worried she'll think I'm abandoning her for another best friend."

"I don't think she'll be upset like that," I say. "Kolby loves you, and she wants you to be happy."

I can tell I've reassured Marie a little, but for the rest of our get-together all I can think about is what she said. We've been best friends for so long... 

Had Emma thought that I'd abandoned her for Cam? I hadn't tried to, but maybe she thought I was putting our friendship on the back burner. And now she's doing the same to me. 

Of course, when I get back home, the apartment is empty and silent. I think about texting Emma, but I'm not sure what to say, and even if I did, it couldn't be said through a text message. 

I turn the TV on and walk to the kitchen to grab a snack. I pass Emma's room, and the door is open. Peering in, I'm shocked at what I see-- or what I don't see. 

Hardly anything is left in Emma's room. Her bed is neatly made, but her favorite blanket is gone. Her nightstand is bare, as is her dresser, which is always covered in folded laundry. I check her closet, and it's less than half full. 

Emma has slowly been moving out. 

I know that I have to set things right.