Fringe Benefits by Valerie Frankel

Author:Valerie Frankel
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Penguin Group US
Published: 2010-03-01T00:00:00+00:00

Stella suggested going to Lester’s after work, but I begged off. I really wanted to be alone on my first night of freedom. To treasure the privacy of the apartment. Test my solitude mettle. Besides, I was dead tired after a double shift, and I had to get up early to go to Friends tomorrow morning.

Planning my dinner menu of a pint of Heath Bar Crunch and a bag of microwave popcorn didn’t take long. I chose my DVDs carefully: a double feature of Team America: World Police and South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut. I thought about opening one of Dad’s bottles of wine, but that definitely didn’t go with ice cream, so I stuck with Diet Coke.

I ate my junk and watched my junk. About halfway through the second movie, I realized I’d probably be doing pretty much the same thing even if my parents were home. Only, they’d be watching the movies and sharing the pint with me. If Noel were here, we’d be rolling on the couch, the ice cream left to melt on the table, the movie flickering away, unwatched.

The pang came. Not for my parents (although I conceded to appreciating them more in absentia). I missed Noel more that night than I ever had. I decided to sleep on the couch. The bed—where Noel and I had passed many divine afternoons—would be big, empty and lonely.

Turned out, the couch was short, lumpy and itchy. I slept decently anyway.

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