Page 66 of Overachiever
“Tell me what?” Marty demands, looking from one of us to the other. “What the hell is so funny?”
Graham can barely get the words out. “His mom…she’s either the sweetest person…or she trolled him andgot away with itall this time.” It’s hilarious to see him lose his composure because he’s the last of us to usually do that.
Marty glares at me. “Tell me what he’s talking about.”
It’s probably kinder to let him know now. “Dude, think about it. There are no rainbow fish.”
“There are! I had one for years!”
Graham slides off his chair, gasping. “I can’t. I can’t.”
It’s a struggle to keep a straight face. “There aren’t, man. Your mom didn’t want to tell you that your fish died so they kept replacing it, but couldn’t match the color.”
The expression on Marty’s face is priceless. His jaw falls open. “She…they were different fish!”
Graham sits on the ground, holding his sides and fighting for a breath.
“I did forget to feed it a lot,” Marty mumbles to himself.
Tears pour down Graham’s face. “Stop. I’m going to die.”
I move his beer over before he can knock it down. “We’ll just replace you with another boring white guy. He’ll never know the difference.”
Marty snatches up his phone, taps the screen, and shouts into it a moment later. “Mom! How could you? A rainbow fish?” He pauses as she speaks, then answers. “Yeah, you can barely hear me over the sound of my friends laughing at me! Yes, I still believed it!”
The call goes on for a few minutes with Marty demanding answers from his parents. After he hangs up, Graham finally manages to calm down, but every time we look at each other, one of us starts chuckling again.
When it’s getting late and almost time to go, Graham says, “Um, I need to tell you guys…I found a new job.”
“Yeah?” I reply, slapping at a mosquito dining on my arm.
“It’s in Japan.”
My head jerks around, and Marty sits up. “Japan?” I repeat.
“I applied a while back. A friend of mine lives there, and they’re looking for people to teach English to elementary school kids. It’s a great opportunity.”
“For how long?” Marty asks.
“Two years. I’ll get to learn the language, culture and everything.”
“You’re moving to Japan?” I clarify, unable to believe it. He’s never mentioned it before. “When?”
“In about two months. I’m sorry I can’t give you more notice to find a new roommate, but I just got the job offer last night.”
“And you’re sure?” I look him in the eye, and he nods.
“I want some adventure. Something different.”
It’s understandable, and though I hate to see one of my best friends go, I nod back. “You have to do what makes you happy. But you’d better keep in touch.”
“Ugh,” Marty lays his head back. “You suck. I’m happy for you and all that, but just know you suck, and I absolutely will not miss you.”
It’s not like I thought we’d live together forever. That’s what happens at this point in life and while I was aware of that, it’s really striking me now how much things are probably going to change over the next few years. When school turns to full time careers. When partying and living with my best friends isn’t an option anymore.
It’s on my mind the entire time we gather our things and drive back to our apartment until I get a text from Remee.
Remee: Can you come over? I’ve had a bad day.
