Misbehave

Tired college seniors, or at least the ones traipsing through the tiny condo, are hardly articulate. “Mumble-mumble food,” Chouji slouches and heads for the refrigerator. “Help yourself. Hinata went grocery shopping a few hours ago,” Temari chirps. I look up and grimace, rubbing my temples. Hinata and I, if we ever get serious, are NEVER having a kid, no matter what she says. Shino trudges in. I’m so tired, and it’s only nine at night. All the people who live here—Chouji, Kiba, Shino, Temari, the baby, Hinata and I--are cramming for tests or checking all syllabi for their classes out of boredom and restlessness.

No, the baby is not. Temari’s a stay-at-home mom. She barely made it through high school. Shino dropped out of college a month into fall quarter. He works two jobs and can more than support Temari and Hatsumomo. I was furious when his girlfriend and the baby moved in, demanding so much space to themselves! Greedy. They charmed Kiba; he’s soft-hearted. Hinata’s like that, too. Temari probably just offered Chouji food. Hn. So, the students are tired but frantically studying.

“Mumble-mumble Akamaru,” Kiba talks to his dog, filling a dish with fresh water. He moves sluggishly, grumbling when water spills over his hands and onto the towel where the dish will go. Akamaru slurps from the dish eagerly, his butt wagging. “Mumble-stutter-mumble Sasuke?”

“What?” I can barely hear her. She clears her throat, raises her head and speaks louder. “What are your plans for tomorrow?” She asks this when she wants to have sex or celebrate something. We had sex last night—oh, our one-year anniversary is in a week, three days after Valentine’s Day. Since they are so close, we only celebrate the anniversary. “Look for jobs, go to the library, go to the bank…place more books on hold, move through class syllabi, call friends, and maybe some other stuff.” Hinata likes details, so I always tell her every damn thing I’ll do. “You still need to call the bank a-and open that retirement thing,” she reminds me as her cell phone vibrates in her pocket. She fishes it out, grimaces slightly and flips it open. “Moshi, moshi,” she answers, and greets her mom. I’ve met her parents. They’re strict, traditional…just like the mom’s sister and her husband. Hinata and Neji are first cousins.

I look at the clock. Nine-thirty at night. Hinata is frustrated. When her mom calls, she locks herself in the second closet. It’s pretty small and there’s not a lot of room for privacy here, what with seven people and a barkaholic, hyperactive dog. She always emerges frustrated, and doesn’t talk until sunrise the next day after these calls. Her parents probably criticize her mercilessly. Mine do. Neji’s do.
I hear Tenten threatening Shino with sharp objects, her bitchy voice carrying through the silence and stress saturating the condo. She doesn’t like that his alarm goes off at five in the morning. Well, he has to go to work to support you, bitch, I think sourly as I scribble down notes. This is my condo. I need to kick them out. My opinion had been overruled and I had surrendered because my friends help me pay rent. I think about how irresponsible Tenten and Shino are with money and shake my head. “Hinata, how many days remain until graduation day?”

“A hundred and fifteen,” she responds almost before I have finished asking the question. I close my eyes and will myself to get through those days. Hinata has a countdown in her mind. She looks at the clock and tells everyone to stop studying. “We all need to sleep, guys.” Books shut with thuds and “good night” is repeatedly mumbled. Hinata locks the door. I turn out the lights.

Sleep.