Movie Starve

I was driving home from work when the text came in. Aww. It was from my love, Lil’ Chuckie. “Cuddle tonight?” it read.

Though I was excited to reply, I was also flying down the freeway, and figured I had better wait until I was l at a stop light to do so.

I was feeling pretty beat up, having just worked my second shift at my job, after spending an entire year working online. Like the rest of the world, I was now used to sitting on my fat ass eating grilled cheeses and drinking Trulys all day in my pajamas. The salad I had for lunch earlier hadn’t been nearly enough. Although one would beg to differ, after hearing the audio clip I accidently sent to my man, after dropping my phone on my lap while eating it. He forwarded it to all his friends… Chomp! Chomp! Chomp!

Very embarrassing.

Anyway, back to my story.

Although Chuckie and I had known each other for many years, we had just started dating about six months prior. As you all may remember, I had a hard time picking myself back up after my breakup with The Prince, during the height of the pandemic.

At first Chuckie had been a breath of fresh air, well more like the air wafting from an overflowing neighborhood garbage bin in mid July, but still, different none the less. And after half a year of celibacy, mounting this doll-sized man was just what my poon-tang needed. I’ll have to tell you more about that later. Tonight’s story is about our breakup!

When I arrived to the red light at the end of the freeway, I returned Chuckie’s text, “I’ll be home soon, I can come by in a bit if you want me to.” I noticed my phone’s battery was only at 8%, and the cable that was supposed to be charging it didn’t seem to be working. I finished my drive home. I wanted nothing more than to make a gooey sandwich fried in butter, but I was willing to wait to eat, if it meant the possibility of a good romp and some takeout food.

I walked in the front door of my apartment, took off my work uniform, and looked longingly to my bed. It was very inviting. Just then, another text came in from Chuckie, “Do you have red food coloring?”

“I don’t know, I might.” I replied, heading to my kitchen cabinet to take a peek. “Can we pick up some vapes tonight?” I asked.

“We’ll have to go tomorrow. I’m shooting some clips for the movie with Sterling,” he said.

Instantly I was annoyed. Now don’t get me wrong. I didn’t have any issues with Chuckie’s friends or his pastimes. I mean, you don’t even know how many hours I’ve waisted writing these stupid stories that nobody reads. I’m not a hypocrite! What I did have a problem with, was how he chose to delegate his time.

The last way I wanted to spend my evening was laying in his dog hair ridden bed alone, while he was playing “actor” with his buddies on the patio all night. Plus, I had just bought some rose gold hair coloring I was anxious to apply.

After locating a bottle of red die, I sent another text, “Do you still need the food coloring?” I waited about five minutes, but there wasn’t a reply, so I sent another. “Do you still want me to come by?” I was reluctant to hop in the shower and pack an overnight bag without a confirmation. Instead, I opted to repaint a couple of my nails why I awaited his response. When I finished, I took at look at my phone to see a text still hadn’t come in, so I sent one more. “Hey! I asked you some questions…”

“Come whenever, filming,” Chuckie finally responded.

“I’m hungry. When do you think you will be done?”

“Just come over.”

I let out a sigh and texted back, “I don’t want to sit around while you guys film, my darling. If you think you will be done soon I will, but otherwise I’m just going to eat here.”

I waited a few more minutes, but he didn’t respond. I had to make a decision, “Fine. I’ll shower and come by.” I was getting hangry! I grabbed my overnight bag and filled it, then found a pair of clean pajamas to put on after I bathed. I looked to the mirror in horror. My face was greasy, my eyeliner had smudged under my eyes, and my lipstick had been smeared from wearing a mask all day. I was going to have to fix my face too, great.

When I was all through, I looked to my phone to find a notification of a new text.

“Whatever,” it read.

I rolled my eyes as I messaged back, “You better feed me.” Reluctantly, I grabbed my things and walked out to my car. Once inside I started the engine and plugged my phone in to charge with a cable I had brought from my apartment.

“I have stuff for me to eat here, and I wont have any money in my bank account until tomorrow.” Chuckie responded.

My frustration was growing, as I noticed both his irritating text, and my phone unable to accept the charge at the same time. “Then I shall feed you, I’m not ordering for just myself. I’ll buy.”

“It’s okay honey, I’m fine.”

I debated going back inside to make a sandwich, but it was already starting to get late. I just wanted to get over there. Fifteen minutes later, I arrived to my destination. Chuckie was outside playing “movie maker” with Sterling and their mutual friend, Dweller. I approached them with my phone in hand. “Hey I need go in and use your charger because…” but before I could finish, someone hushed me and Chuckie mouthed, “I love you.” I shook my head, as I made my way inside. Once I entered Chuckie’s room, I sat my things down at the usual spot, picked a caseless pillow up from off the floor, and plugged my phone into his charger. It was working, but slowly. I laid on the bed watching my phone screen charge. I was overcome with exhaustion and beginning to feel how sore my body was. Once my battery had hit 15%, I went onto Amazon to look for car chargers.

Almost a half hour had passed by the time Chuckie made his way in to greet me. “Hi honey,” he said, “Oh my back hurts so much. I don’t know what I did to it,” he continued, while pushing his back my direction. Now usually I would take this gesture as a cue to give him a massage, but quite frankly by that point I was over it. I needed food and rest.

“I have some cream you can put on it,” Sterling shouted from the living room. “You do?” Chuckie, asked, hopping up and skipping out of the bedroom. I continued my charger search. A few minutes later he returned. “Thanks dude!” He shouted to his friend, once again he took a seat next to me. “What are you doing?” he asked.

“My phone isn’t charging. I don’t know if it’s the phone, car, or the cable, but I brought a different cord to the car and it wasn’t working either. I charged my phone at home before I left, but it doesn’t seem to be holding the charge for long. I just finished paying that damn thing off this month too!”

“Sounds like you need a new phone.”

“I’ve only had this phone 2 years! It’s in perfect condition otherwise. Those damn manufacturer’s do this on purpose! It’s like they set it up so you have to buy a new one just as you pay off the old. It’s a fucking scam.” I said.

“What kind of phone do you have?” Chuckie asked me, “Is it an iPhone?”

“No, it’s…”

“A Samsung? Samsung’s don’t do that! They are quality phones,” he scolded. “If it was an iPhone, then I’d say ‘yeah.’ Their batteries are meant to die out. It must be your car charger. You need to get a fast charging plug for your car.”

“I’m looking at them now. What did you want to do about food? I’m super hungry. You don’t want anything? I’m happy to buy.”

“I’m going to see if I can get Sterling to buy. He owes me for doing this movie, anyway.”

“Okay. How long are you filming for tonight? I tried asking you over text.”

“I don’t know. We still have a few more scenes to shoot.”

“Okay, because I was planning on doing my hair tonight,” I said.

“Then just go home! GO HOME!” Chuckie shouted.

Before I could respond, both Sterling and Dweller were in the bedroom with us. Dweller handed Chuckie an expensive imported beer and opened another for himself. I eyed them enviously.

“Asterisk wants to get food,” Chuckie said to Sterling.

“We can get food,” Sterling responded. “What do you want?”

“Asterisk, what do you want?” Chuckie asked me.

“I don’t really care. I’m fine with whatever.”

“Well, you know there are only two places I want,” Sterling said, “The burger place or Kabob Corner. We don’t have to order delivery, I can pick it up.”

“We had Kabob Corner two days in a row,” I said, looking over to Chuckie for support, “They had a ‘buy one, get one free’ deal, so I ate it for two days and sent some over here too.”

“They have a special?” Sterling asked?

“Asterisk doesn’t eat red meat,” Chuckie informed Sterling, “Burgers are out… it has to be a place that serves chicken or fish. Asterisk, pick somewhere.”

“Okay, there is the Hawaiian place, but I don’t think Dweller was a fan. Hey Dweller,” I said, “What was that really good kabob place you ordered from on New Year’s day?” Dweller looked like a dear caught in headlights. I could tell he was uncomfortable being included in the conversation. Sterling gave me a hard glare, as if to say my mere presence was intruding on his plans for the evening. “Sterling it was so good, the meat fell apart in our mouths. But I am fine with Kabob Corner again, I’ll just order something different this time.”

“You just said you were sick of it, Asterisk,” Sterling reminded me.

“Yes, but that’s because I had two chicken platters. I can get hummus or something else instead.” Secretly my mouth was watering for a side of their fries.

The room grew silent and Dweller slipped out of the door seemingly unnoticed.

“Did you get a charger, Asterisk?” Chuckie asked me.

“Yes.”

“It has to be fast-charging.”

“I know, I got the one you recommend.”

“Well, I’m going to go shoot the scene then,” Sterling said, his patience growing thin.

“Wait man, what about food?” Chuckie asked.

“I was going to get food, but you two started in on another conversation,” Sterling replied.

“If it’s an issue, I can just order on my own. I didn’t realize you would be shooting all night, or I wouldn’t have come by,” I said.

“Yes, Asterisk, order on your own. I think that’s best,” Sterling said.

Chuckie seemed almost scared of his friend, as he turned to face him, “Asterisk was texting me while we were shooting, I didn’t read what she said. I just replied, ‘Whatever.’ You know what, this is my fault, this is my fault dude! You told me ‘No phones!” I should have put it away.”

My eyebrows scrunched up, and my jaw hit my tits, “What the hell Chuckie?” I asked. “You told me at least twice to come by!” I pulled out my phone and began reading his texts to Sterling.

Chuckie didn’t like my honesty one bit, “Sterling, go shoot your scene. I don’t need you involved Asterisk’s and my conversation!”

“You involved me, dude!” Sterling yelled to Chuckie.

“Go downstairs, shoot the next scene with Dweller, I’ll be down in a minute.”

I sat there processing what had just occurred. Once I had regained my composure, I started gathering my things, “I’m just going to go home.”

“That’s fine, go! Do what you always do. Leave,” Chuckie shouted.

“Okay,” I shrugged, then I reached in to give him a hug goodbye, but before I could, he threw his arms up and stormed away from me. When I was halfway out the door he shouted, “Should I walk you out?”

“No it’s cool. I’m fine.”

I opened my car and started to crawl inside when I heard Sterling call out in a sarcastic tone, “What’s up Asterisk, you going?”

“Yup. Have a good night.” I pulled out of the driveway as fast as I could, tears already streaming down my cheeks and cried the duration of the drive home. Once inside my apartment I crawled into bed and pulled the covers over me. I was now too upset to even consider food. All I could think about was how the person I thought loved me, literally set me up to look crazy in front of his friends.

A little while later a text came in from Chuckie. It was just one word, “Sorry.” I started to reply but then stopped. I didn’t really have anything to say, so I just said, “I’m out of words.”

A second later he responded, “Okay. Well I had a terrible day.”

“I really don’t care, I will never let anyone treat me like that again.”

“Okay. What does that even mean? Are you breaking up with me?” he asked.

“I’m way too old to be telling a man how to treat me.”

“Same here if you really think about it. Sounds good. Good luck out there.”

“It can’t get much worse,” I said.

“Cool, have a good life. I have too much going on to deal with you anyway,” he said.

“Looks like you have plenty of time to read my texts now.”

“Well, we only shot one more scene. It’s too cold out and I don’t want to get sick.” <– We live in Southern California and he really said that.

“You can stop texting me now.” I replied.

“Sounds good.”

Could have been worse, I guess. I mean at least he didn’t hit me.