My lover, My friend

 I didn't hear from Malcolm the next morning. Even with our relationship being in its current lackluster state, he always at least called and gave me a half-hearted "good morning," before I headed off to work. I figured our days together were numbered and I tried to push the thought from my mind as I pulled into my parking place at the Twinbrook Walmart. I figured that the mundane activities of my workday would be enough to distract me from my disheartened spirit.

I was right about the distraction part, but my day turned out to be anything but mundane. My old friend Donny had worked in the little McDonalds in the Walmart since I first got my job. We weren't open yet and my superior asked me to head to the back and take inventory. Donny just so happened to be there collecting whatever sort of processed meat that they passed off as beef had just rolled of the truck.

 "What's the matter, Abs?" He asked me as his two brilliant sapphire eyes bore into my soul. I wasn't quite aware of myself spilling out my innermost feelings and the less than satisfactory dealings of my relationship. I was so distracted by those two radiant orbs. It was as if I were under a spell. He could've asked for the deed to my house and land and I may well have obliged.

And then I was on him. Our lips melded together with the passion of repressed lovers. I felt as if I had been drowning in a sea of apathy and Donny's lips contained the fresh air that would save my life. Of course I never acted on these feelings while my mother was alive, because she openly despised him. She told me I didn't need to be with "the walmart man," because I was going to be something one day. Irony at its finest.

Even in that passion, I knew this was wrong. I pried myself from his warmth and walked away (after bumping into a few storage crates) without a word.

I didn't hear Donny's voice again until my shift ended at 5:45. I started to walk over to the little corner containing the little burger joint, but he rushed out to confront me in the frozen goods department. How appropriate that this argument over my cold relationship would take place in the coldest aisle in the store.

"Look, Donny," I began and gave him a pointed look as he opened his mouth. By God, I was going to say what I had to say. "No matter what kind of problems we have, Malcolm and I are together, and it was wrong of us to do what we did-"

"Do what we did? You act like we fucked back there or somethin'," He disregarded it as if it were nothing.

"Well, you know damn well that Malcolm's the only man I've ever been with so a kiss means a lot to me. You don't have to physically cheat, it's emotional, too!" I protested.

"Well, you know what? You're too god-damn emotional," He scolded me. "Everyone else has feelings, too. So sorry if I thought I might finally do something about mine. When you quit screwing around and get sick of his bullshit, let me know."

And with that, he was gone, and I felt certain that I had just lost my friend.