Envy

Friday

“Babe, my toes are green.”

He stared towards the floor, blinking a few times to possibly clear some invisible dust hindering his sight. The tips of his toes were green, from the curved horizons to the top of his nail. He shook his head, and looked again. Still green.

“Babe.”

A zombie moan emerged from the bed, and she sat up, hair in burnt tufts from too many uses of her flat iron as she attempted to rub the sleep from her eyes.

“What time is it?” She yawned, glancing towards a clock she could barely see.

“Look at my toes. Do they look green to you?” He shivered as he wrapped his wet towel around him tightly, slapping his leg onto the bed as she sent him a death glare.

“It’s 5:30, Colin. Five-thirty. I don’t have to be awake for another half hour.”

“Can you just look, please? I’m freezing and I still have to get dressed.”

She huffed, grabbing his still-damp foot and tugged him closer, sending him hopping towards the bed. She squinted.

“I don’t see anything, babe. Maybe you stepped in my art supplies again; you know acrylics are hard to get out of everything.” She flopped back into the bed, curling herself into the deep blue duvet. “Is the heat even on in this place?”

Colin shrugged. It was probably nothing.

Sunday

His shins were gone.

Well, not really. Colin stepped out of the shower, wiping the foggy mirror with a soaked hand, leaving streaks across where his face finally came into sight. He stretched, yawning as he curled his toes against the plush bathmat, and lifted his leg upon the toilet seat to dry it. But he stopped short, blinking his eyes. His shins, their usual pale color gone, were now a faint Kelly green. Again he blinked his eyes.

And still they were green.

He was a little annoyed now. Melissa loved playing little pranks on him every once in a while, like the time she dyed his chef’s coat pink for Valentine’s Day. It was probably the only time he ever saw his coworker Anthony laugh, his old grey eyes nearly shut as he leaned onto the counter for support. She probably put something in his lotion when he wasn’t paying attention. He started checking everywhere now, from his underarms to his back and everywhere in between. Colin was clear besides his legs, looking like an awkward combination between cauliflower and broccoli. It couldn’t be the lotion, then. Maybe she did it while he was asleep?

He shook his head. He’d have to talk to her about it later.

Tuesday

Colin’s mind raced as he scrubbed dishes, the chaos of the kitchen a dull background noise as waiters and waitresses waltzed in and out with new and old dishes.

He knew he shouldn’t have done it, but it was a moment of weakness. He shouldn’t have touched her phone; he should have just minded his business; he should have kept on watching TV while she was in the shower.

Should have, could have, would have; didn’t.

Dishes clinked into the soapy water as Anthony carefully passed by, adding more to the pile than what he had already finished. Colin shook his head, attempting to focus on his job instead. The text messages, however, replayed in his mind like a broken record. Melissa’s phone had gone off, and kept ringing incessantly. They had the same friend group, and her phone was always open. Colin figured it wouldn’t hurt to take a little peek. He was wrong.

B (1 New Message)

4:34 PM: Sounds like a great plan… I always knew u were so smart

B (1 New Message)

4:35 PM: How do u even come up w/ this stuff… u never fail to amaze me

Melissa amazed him. He knew she was smart. Who else could have possibly thought the same thing? His heart raced; all sorts of worst case scenarios began to fill his bloodstream like a virus only he had. He took a deep breath, and scrubbed the dishes harder. He failed to notice the tips of his fingers, in which the slightest of green tints had appeared.

Friday

“Colin, why on Earth are you wearing a turtleneck?”

Anthony glared at him, the older chef staring at his neck as Colin chopped some onions. Colin cringed. He didn’t think anyone could see it from underneath his chef’s coat.

“Ah, this old thing? I’m starting to feel a little sick or something- must be going around. I have chills to beat the band.” Colin laughed nervously, moving onto mushrooms as Anthony continued to stare. He could see he didn’t believe him, but breathed a sigh of relief as he moved on. Colin scratched at the itchy wool, pulling it down to reveal the ever-growing vine of green that began to creep up his neck in the reflection of his knife. Quickly pulling it up again, he shook his head, and continued to chop.

Would Melissa really cheat on him? After everything they’d been through; he could see their future in his head from day one. A future now overshadowed by a fog that filled his head, making him more and more dizzy as he chopped harder and harder. What was she doing now? Was she with him, whoever it was? The fog cleared, and a false memory slipped into his head. He could see them together, in his house, in his bed; the thought shot through his heart, breaking him as he chopped harder. The knife soothed him, looking as beautiful as ever as he moved from vegetable to vegetable. It fixed him, making him whole as he broke down internally. Maybe it could fix this. He’d find out later.

. . . . . . .

Colin silently slowed to a stop outside the house, his heart racing as he could see all of the lights were out. She should be home, he thought to himself; she’s probably upstairs. With him. He could see it, as if he was standing outside the window. He was holding her, whoever he was; caressing her, loving her, just like Colin used to. He wasn’t good enough, apparently. She tossed him to the curb like yesterday’s trash. He would be putting them in the trash after he was finished.

Slipping the beautiful silver streak into the inside of his jacket, Colin locked his car and made his way towards the front door. He could see the headlines now: SOUS CHEF SHREDS GIRLFRIEND AND HER LOVER- telling the tale of a man scorned; a man who’d worked so hard; a man who would not be made a fool any longer.

Colin wrapped his fingers around the doorknob, his heart calm. He was content.

He opened the door.

“SURPRISE!”

The blasts of confetti hit his face, and Colin was stunned. Friends and family gathered around, laughing and clapping as a cheesy birthday banner read HAPPY 25TH YOU OLD FART! His mouth dropped, and Melissa came into view.

“Happy birthday, baby!” She kissed him, hugging as birthday streamers screeched and more confetti was thrown. He couldn’t move. His birthday? How could he forget?

“Babe, look who made it!” Melissa grabbed him by the shoulders, spinning him around to meet the grinning face of his cousin Brian. His childhood best friend, Brian had moved to California in his teens for college and decided to stay in the melting sun and sandy beaches.

“Happy birthday, bro! Get over here, I missed you, man!” Brian grabbed him, pulling him into a bear hug as the shock wore off.

“Brian?”

“I mean, that’s me, in the flesh! Mel set it all up; twenty-five on the twenty-fifth, that’s got to be pretty memorable. You got a good one there, man, don’t let her escape!” Brian laughed, and Melissa rolled her eyes.

“Thanks, B, let him breathe a little. I can’t believe you forgot your own birthday! Let’s get that jacket off.” She grabbed his coat, pulling it off of his shoulders before he could object. The knife slipped out, the ringing echoing as it snapped in two.

“What the hell is that?” Melissa picked it up, and she laughed. “We have too many already babe, just leave these at work next time! You could have gotten hurt, you psycho!”

Colin breathed, releasing the tension ballooning inside him as he made his way into the party. He picked up a cup, poured himself some soda, and cheered.

His hands weren’t green anymore.

Submitted August 03, 2018 at 03:06AM by potatocrochet https://ift.tt/2vdEsXj