Page 32 of Time Loops & Meet Cutes
AVERY: That I was LUCKY he even took a second look at me
AVERY: That ASSHOLE
Despite the dreamy night I’ve had, it doesn’t take long for fury to build up in my veins. I can’t remember the last time I was so righteously angry on a friend’s behalf, perhaps because it’s been a while since I’ve had a friendship like this.
ME: Ugh. He’s a piece of shit. Do you want to come over so you don’t have to stay there tonight?
AVERY: Yeah. If it’s okay with you?
Avery arrives at my apartment half an hour after I do. Her face is red, and I pull her against me and give her a hug.
“I hope the breakup gets me out of the loop,” she says. “It better. If I wake up next to him again, I might be tempted to smother him with a pillow.”
“I don’t blame you. I hope we both get out of it.” I pause. “I kissed Cam tonight, so maybe that’ll work.”
“Really? I thought you’d given up on it.”
“I walked into a brewery, and there he was, behind the bar. We started talking, and…” I shrug. I don’t want to talk too much about me. Avery’s the more important one right now—she just ended a long-term relationship.
“That’s good,” she says. “I hope us both changing our love lives will do the trick. I’d hate to get out of it by myself, only to find you had no idea who I was.” She covers her face with her hands and releases a very emphatic “Fuck.”
“Would some food help?” I gesture to the coffee table, where I’ve laid out bags of sour cream and onion, ketchup, and regular chips. I also have Cheetos and Oreos, since I wasn’t sure what she likes. I stopped at a convenience store on the way home.
She hesitates.
“If I don’t have anything you like…” I begin.
“No, no. Just deciding since I can’t eat everything.”
“You could,” I say. “We could dump some of everything into a bowl.” The time loop has made me think of wacky things that never would have occurred to me before. After all, tomorrow—
Well, it might actually be June 21. I want to move forward in life—and I definitely want Cam to remember me—but I still feel a pang at the thought of having actual consequences and not being able to buy any food I like without a care for the cost.
“Nah, I’ll just stick with the sour cream and onion.” Avery grabs a few chips, then offers the bag to me.
I shake my head. “What do you want to do? Do you want to, um, talk about it more?”
God, that sounded awkward.
“Not now. Maybe tomorrow. You said you’re watchingSuits, right? Let’s do that. Whatever episode you’re on works for me.”
We watch two before turning in for the night. We fold down the futon, and I get some extra pillows and blankets from the closet. She’s lucky I have them; I’ve never had an overnight guest at this apartment before.
“Noelle?” she says. “No matter what happens, I’ll talk to you tomorrow, okay?”
I nod, then head to my room and turn out the light.
What day will it be when we wake up?
13Noelle
June 20, Version 52-ish
My alarm goes off at 6:45 a.m. Though I know what I’ll find when I go to the living room, I check anyway.
Avery isn’t here, as expected. It’s June 20. Again.
Some foolish, romantic part of me feels a keen sense of disappointment, different from the disappointment I’ve felt dozens of times before. I thought that part of me had long been extinguished, but apparently, I was wrong.
