Dani flipped aimlessly through the channels late one friday evening, nothing catching her eye.  It was the usual friday night fodder of baseball, news and dramas she didn't care to watch, and Dani wished she had reconsidered Brian and Joey's offer of a night of bar hopping.  She looked at the glowing green numbers on the vcr.  It was just after midnight, and she wasn't the least bit tired, even though the reason she stayed in was party because she had to work at 10 am.  The other reason had been the presence of Sofie,  her jealousy and constant need to hang off of Brian drove Dani crazy, she couldn't even have a conversation with Brian while Sofie was around without her interrupting them.

    She hit the play button on the VCR and resumed watching Pretty Woman, not really paying attention to the movie, she was too wrapped up in her thoughts.  Living with Brian for the past month had been both good and bad, all the bad coming from the ever growing longing she had for him and being forced to see him be with someone else.   Joey had told her last week that ever since she had moved in Sofie had turned into a hemorrhoid on Brian's ass, always hanging around and totally irritating.  Dani couldn't help but laugh at the analogy, and she tried as hard as she could to like Sofie, but the woman made it difficult.  Sofie hated her plain and simple.    Dani had heard every word of the fight her moving in had caused between Sofie and Brian, from the insults she slung at Brian, to the ones meant for Dani.   She and Joey sat on the couch watching The Simpsons, but Sofie's shrill screams were too loud, even from behind the closed bedroom door.  Eventually Joey yelled at them to shut up, and Sofie barged out of the room speeding off in her little red car in a huff.  Brian had plopped down dejectedly next to them on the couch, none of them saying a word.

    Dani knew Brian didn't love her, she wasn't the type of girl he'd fall for.  Sure she was beautiful, but the girl had no trace of a sense of humor or any real personality that she could see, but of course she was judgmental of the woman standing between her and Brian.  I don't know what he sees in her, she thought to herself as Richard Gere and Julia Roberts shared their first kiss on the mouth.  She sighed loudly, slumping deep into the cushions or the couch and returning to the movie.

        It was nearly 3 am when they came charging back into the house laughing and talking loudly.  Dani turned briefly to look at them, her insomnia was irritating, although The Shining was on TV so she had something to watch.  Joey said 'hi' to her and  took off to the kitchen drinking root beer straight from the bottle, Dani made a mental note to avoid the root beer tomorrow.  Her gaze fell to Brian and Sofie who still stood in the doorway.  Brian had her pressed against the wall, his hands on her hips as they kissed, Dani's stomach flipped and the urge to puke filled her throat.  She turned back around as Joey sat next to her on the couch.  She turned again as Brian and Sofie walked in oblivion to his room shutting the door behind them, Dani sighed quietly and attempted to watch the movie again.  She could feel Joey's eyes on her, and she didn't acknowledge until he thrust a big bag of chocolate chip cookies in her face.

    "Wan-un." He said through a mouthful of cookie.

    "What?"

    "Wanna cookie?" he said more clearly.  Dani shook her head.

    "Ya know I hate these plastic tray things.  What happened to that old accordion shelf thing?" He whined.  "Remember you could reach in and get the cookies way at the bottom, now you have to pull the tray out, open the plastic sealer thing and then get the cookies.  They just don't taste the same this way."  Dani shook her head and laughed, he was so serious.  "Why are you watching this?"  He asked as a flood of blood came from the elevator.

    "Cause it's a good movie."

    "It's creepy. RED RUM, RED RUM." He said in a eerie voice.

    "Don't worry I'll protect you!" She said sarcastically.  Joey smiled and intrusively laid down on her lap, curling his long legs up on the couch.

    "Hey!" She yelled.  "Who said you could use my lap as a pillow?"

    "You said you'd protect me." He said pathetically.  "C'mon Dani, I don't drool.....much!"

    "Oh that's reassuring!" She laughed, trying to get comfortable with his head on her legs.  They both returned to the movie when little squeals and giggles came from within Brian's room.  Dani clenched her teeth and turned up the volume on the television.

    "You hate it don't you?" Joey said.

    "Hate what?"

    "Seeing Brian and Sofie together." Dani stared blankly at the television.

    "Why would it bother me?"

    "Because." He said, shifting around so he was looking up at her.  "Only an idiot wouldn't notice the way you look at him and the way you glare at her."

    "How do I look at him?" She asked.

    "Like you want him to be looking at you the same way.  And don't even try to deny it!"

    "So why doesn't he notice it?"

    "Because he's an idiot!" Joey laughed, turning back around.  Dani couldn't help but laugh as well.  "He'd chose you over her."

    "What are you talking about?"

    "I asked him if he had to chose between you and super bitch who'd win.  And he said you."  Dani didn't even want to know why Joey had asked that to Brian.

    "Well I certainly don't seem to be winning Joey." She said solemnly as another loud laugh permeated from Brian's room.  "I'm going to bed." She said shoving Joey's head off of her and getting up off the couch.

    "But the movie's not over yet."

    "He freezes to death."  She said bitterly slamming the door to her own bedroom.

Dani set her alarm clock as she sat down on the bed, crawling under the covers and attempting to fall asleep, but with her insomnia and now the thoughts of Brian in her mind she didn't know if she'd ever sleep again.  The light music that played next door in Brian's room suddenly got louder and Dani groaned.

    "He's having sex in the next room." She said incredulously, getting up off the bed and digging around for her walkman.   Dani unwound her earphones and quickly crawled back under the covers, turning up the volume until she couldn't hear them anymore.  Sleep not coming peacefully.

        Brian awoke early in the morning to the sound of laughter.  He crawled out of bed and made his way towards the kitchen where Dani and Joey sat at the table laughing hysterically. He looked at them questionably and just went to the refrigerator, pulling out a carton of milk and pouring a glass.  They continued to laugh without pause.

    "Okay, what's so funny?" Brian finally asked.  Joey cleared his throat and attempted to relay the humor.

    "We were just discussing if the Rice Crispies guys hang out with the Keebler elves.  Or if Snap Crackle and Pop live in one of those tree houses the Keebler guys make cookies in, cause they don't seem to have a place to live.  Then Smurfette here," He said gesturing to Dani, "...wonders if the little leprechaun from Lucky Charms hangs out with them too, but I let her know that elves and leprechauns never hang out because of their nasty little habit of cheating at poker."

    "Strip poker." Dani said and the laughter returned, Joey pounding his fist on the table trying to prevent milk from coming out his nose.

    "Somebody stole me lucky charms." Joey said in a bad irish accent, another round of laughter beginning.

    "Okay." Brian said, still confused, getting up from the table.  "I thought you had to work Dani?"

    "Yeah I do." She said finishing her cereal.  "So, where'd Sofie go." She said with a bite in her voice.

    "She left earlier, she had an appointment or something." Dani nodded and walked past him to put her bowl in the sink.

    "So I'm leaving to go to the school, do you want a ride to work?" He asked.

    "Nah, Joey's giving me a ride." She said and left the kitchen.  Brian sat down at the table and watched Joey eat a second bowl of cereal.

    "What?" Joey finally said through a mouthful of rice crispies.

    "What's up with you two?" He asked.

    "What up with who two."

    "You and Smurfette?"

    "Just something we were laughing about. .... Ya know, Smurfette was the only chick that lived with all the guy smurfs, she had to be their whore.  You had to be there, it was funny."

    "I guess.  So..."

    "So what?  Nothings going on.  We're buds, she's cool." He said, "Besides, what's it to you?"

    "She's MY friend Joey.  I told you she's off limits."

    "I've been a lot better a friend to her than you've been." Joey said rising from the table.

    "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"  Brian said getting in Joey's face.

    "I just mean you've been all wrapped up in Sofie.  You didn't even say two words to Dani last night.  I invited her out with us, I talked to her when we got home, I actually acknowledge her existence when Sofie's around."

    "Sofie's my girlfriend, she has been for awhile, why is she an issue with you now?"

    "Because you could have something a lot better if you opened your eyes." He said.

    "What do you mean?" Brian asked, but before Joey could answer Dani came back into the room.

    "Okay I'm ready let's go." She said to Joey.   He gave Brian a passing glance as he walked out of the room, opening the front door and letting Dani out first, not saying a word and leaving Brian and his question alone in the house.
 
 

    "He's jealous Dan." Joey said flatly as they drove towards her workplace, breaking the silence in the car.  She looked over at him incredulously.

    "Brian?"

    "No, Darth Vader. Yes Brian."

    "What's he jealous of?"

    "He thinks something's going on between you and me."

    "Really?" She said in surprise.  She had been purposefully cold and quiet towards Brian this morning, but last night's thing with Sofie had bothered her, and she took it out on him, even though he didn't really do anything.    But him being jealous about Joey, that was just weird, although she had sensed their tension when she came back into the kitchen.

    "So what'd you tell him?" She asked.

    "That we're friends.  I think he was really annoyed at the inside jokes and stuff, that you are supposed to be his friend, not mine." He laughed.  "That Smurfette thing really bothered him."

    "So he's just jealous that we're friends?" She asked.

    "I think it's more than that Dan.  I mean, he seemed worried that you and I might hook up or something."

    "Oh great, so not only does he NOT want me, he doesn't want anyone else to have me either.  I have to see him with Sofie day and night, I get to hear them have sex in the next room, yet apparently I can't get involved with anyone." She fumed.

    "You heard that huh!?" He said nervously.  "I was hoping you wouldn't."

    "I don't go deaf when I enter my room Joe." She snapped. "It's the next left."  Joey pulled into the turn lane and waited for traffic to clear.

    "I'm sorry I brought it up." He finally said after making the turn and pulling into the parking lot of the building she worked in.

    "Don't be.  I'll live. Thanks for the ride, I'll see you later." She said getting out of his beat up Buick Regal, or the pimp mobile as he liked to call it, and making her way into the building.  Joey watched her go inside, he could tell how upset she was and the fact that Brian was the cause of it only made him angrier.
 
 

Lyrics Taken From:
"Everything You Want" Vertical Horizon
Written by: Matt Scannell
© mascan music (ASCAP) and Maverick Music/W.B. Music