"So, how's everything going with you?" Chris asked Taylor after work at a bar near Chris's apartment.
"You don't even want to know," Tay sighed. "Lucie came to visit and she got mad, and she left, and Casey's mad at me, and my brother's going to side with Casey..." he trailed off, putting his head in his hands.
"That sucks man," Chris replied, taking a sip of his scotch. "I feel for you," he continued, shaking his head.
"Is Greg coming to meet you here later? What time does he get off work?" Tay asked, in an attempt to change the subject of the conversation.
"He had off work for 3 days, so he went to Hartford to visit his sister." Chris replied. "She goes to college there. Greg's there until Saturday."
"Oh, I didn't know he had a sister," Taylor replied. "He must be having a good time there."
"Yeah, it beats working," Chris answered, smiling. "So, how's your brother doing?"
"Ike? He's fine, I don't know how much longer he's going to stay, but it's cool having him. If I wasn't working now I could go home for a few weeks, but you know Casey would never let me take off work now, especially since she got me this job. Maybe I can go home for the holiday week or something. Ike was telling me my sisters grew up so much since I saw them last, and same with my little brothers." Tay sighed.
Chris shook his head. "So how's Casey been since I saw her?"
"Same as ever." Taylor replied. "I think she's getting a new job because she got fired or something when my brother got here. I dunno, her boss gave her two weeks of then changed his mind and she got mad and whatever. I hope she gets a new job soon because now I have absolutely no time at home without her being there since she has off for a while from school and no work, and personally, I can't take being around her this long. You know how she gets all the time. It was the same thing when we were little kids, playing hockey outside my house, before she moved here."
"I can't believe you were friends with her since then," Chris laughed. "I can only imagine you and her playing hockey together then her going off on you for something or another. That girl is something else. I never met anyone like her before."
"That's an understatement," Tay answered, brushing his hair off the side of his face. "She's good though, I mean, she is letting me live with her and she has to deal with me all the time, I don't think that's always easy," he laughed. "I guess I must get to be a pain in the ass."
"Where is she now?"
"She went somewhere with my brother today. They were both already up when I got home this morning. She said she took him for a jog already and then after he got out of the shower, they were going to go somewhere, I don't remember what she said. I wasn't in that great of a mood this morning when I got home. It was way to early to be yelled at, especially by her. Now I'm afraid to go home." Tay sighed.
"Oh, I see how it is, the wrath of Casey," Chris answered laughing. "No man, I know what you mean, don't worry about it, she'll get over it."
"Yeah, eventually," Tay replied, "But with Casey, who knows how long that's going to take?"
"Where were you after work?" Casey pounced on him as soon as he opened the door.
"With Chris, why?"
"You pull shit on me this morning and then when we get home you're not here and I call Josh to see if you're still at work and he says you left an hour ago. What am I supposed to think? That you're with her again? God!"
"Casey, calm down," Taylor told her, shutting the door so the neighbors wouldn't complain about the noise. "First off, sorry I worried you last night. Secondly, I am not a child anymore and I am allowed to do what I want to after work, and it's not your business to always know where I am or who I'm with. I'm pretty sure I'm old enough to take care of myself now. Thirdly, you shouldn't be criticizing me about anyone, considering some people who I don't care to name right now. Four-" Casey cut him off.
"What are you suggesting Taylor!" she yelled. "You have no right to say anything to me about people. I do so much for you! I mean, you do live in my apartment and everything-the one I pay for, and I was the one who offered to let you stay here with me, and, you know what, I'm not even going to get into it, nevermind. I'm going out, I'll be home eventually!" Casey clenched her fists in frustration before storming out the door and slamming it behind her. Taylor sat there, dumbfounded.
"Ow! Taylor! That hurt!" she yelled, throwing down her stick and clenching her side. "What did you do that for!" she glared at him."Dude, you took me down into the sidewalk!" he yelled, taking the liberty of showing her his cut up arm and scraped cheek. "Remember?"
"But you didn't have to hit me!" she yelled at him.
"I wouldn't call it hitting, Casey, it was more like forcefully pushing..." he trailed off, knowing he was going to hear it from her.
"Yeah, forcefully shoving a stick into my damn side on skates! It hurt like none other!"
"Sorry, but you deserved it," he answered.
"What!" she cried, her voice becoming louder than before. "You had no reason whatsoever to hit me with it!"
"Only that you took me into the sidewalk and I cut up my arm and my cheek. Are you blind, or can you see the blood!" he yelled.
"That happens, you shouldn't get worked up over it! Must I remind you that I never complained when I fell into the pavement, even when I got pushed onto my face that time! You're such a baby!"
"Well, getting hit in the side happens too. You should learn not to complain about every little hit you take, it's what happens!" he yelled.
"I hate you so much!" she emphatically shouted, picking up the puck they were using and throwing it at him. "I'm going home!" She glared at him one more time before running to her house. Taylor sighed and began to pick up all the stuff they had left in the street, being reminded once again that he could never win with her.
God, Taylor thought, "We're still getting into these stupid fights like we did when we were 10. What's wrong with me.
"Taylor, are you OK?" his brother walked into the kitchen, a concerned look on his face. "I wanted to make sure she left before I came in so I wouldn't get into the line of fire."
Tay smiled. "It's just like the fights we used to have back when we were 10, it's so fucking stupid." he sighed, as memories came flooding back to him.
"You two were always at it then, I can see nothing's changed since." his brother smiled.
"Yeah," Tay replied, deep in thought.
"Look, how about I take you out for a dinner or something and when we come back, hopefully Casey won't be mad anymore."
"If she's even back by then," he replied.
"I take that as a yes then?" he asked, patting his brother on the shoulder.
"Let's go then," Tay managed a half-hearted smile as his brother took the keys and they left.