The Bubble

Life must be easy when you ignore the rest of the world.

Let's get to it then. I can't remember if I've mentioned Richard Cranium (RC) since the reboot. So, if I have, you get another gentle reminder. 
A few years ago, I ruined a relationship because I thought that RC wasn't interested in anything more than friendship. Silly, silly me. My boyfriend didn't trust him, I didn't think my boyfriend should tell me who I could and couldn't be friends with, we broke up. As it turns out, RC was not simply interested in friendship. But shortly afterwards, he moved to one of the most God-forsaken places on the planet: Alabama (cue the shudder).

Somehow he convinced me to come visit him. I think I convinced myself it was a good idea because 1. I was due for a vacation, 2. I'd never been there, and 3. it would be warmer. 1. That did not qualify as a vacation, 2. I wish I'd never been there, and 3. it wasn't. I flew out there, he didn't have any money (no exaggeration...he sat at the airport bar waiting to pick me up and I had to pay the tab), and he was just kind of a jerk the whole time. He wanted to spend the entire time drinking (also no exaggeration...he would start to pull out a bottle of liquor as soon as he woke up), was fine with spending all of my money, and had no concept for anything but what he wanted. 
In the end, I had a seriously terrible time and he owed me $400. 

The next time he came home to visit, he wanted to see me. But he'd brought a girl home with him for half of the trip, so I didn't jump at the offer. I did ask for the money though. He didn't appreciate that, and I'm sure he called me many unkind names, I don't remember anymore. It does sound like something he'd do, though. So I didn't see him, and I didn't get the money. 

Not too long ago, he told me he would be visiting and we should catch up. He had a girlfriend, I figured it'd been long enough, and I had a tiny glimmer of hope that I might get my $400. 
But I also wasn't going out of my way to see him, which really became apparent when I wasn't feeling well but he thought I should just drop everything and drive half an hour to see him. I repeatedly told him why I didn't want to (it was getting late, I didn't feel well, I had to work the next day, etc, etc.) and he just kept pushing, oblivious to everything I said. He finally let up after he called and I got quite upset and had to explain the whole autoimmune thing. Which is always a ton of fun. 

He tried again a few more times, but I was out of town with Tee. Finally I told him we could hang out, and suggested getting a drink after work. He then told me he wasn't allowed at bars. While visiting, he got in a drunken bar fight. He called to "explain" things to me. He was in a bar fight (I don't know the details)...he broke up with the girlfriend that night and apparently got a domestic violence charge for shoving her away from him. Then he said that he was trying to get his golf clubs out the trunk of her car and she wouldn't give them up, so he threatened to break her windshield wiper. And then, he did, so he got another charge for that. He was then placed on a tether because he lives out of town and was considered a flight risk. 
I'll admit that I felt kind of bad for him, solely because he just makes things so difficult for himself. Earnestly, I told him we could figure out something to do for the next day. 

The next day, after a short conversation, he told me he missed me. You've probably guessed by now that I talk to myself a lot, and I don't keep my feelings hidden well. So, as I'm sitting at work, my facial expression, gestures, and words ranged between disbelief, amusement, and annoyance. I asked if he had meant to send the text elsewhere, to which he replied negatively. He added a winky-smiley-face. I may have thrown up in my mouth a little. I almost couldn't believe he was trying to pull this crap. So I made a joke about how he must really have been bored the past few days. He apparently felt the need to explain himself and told me I'm one of the few girls he still talks to that he hasn't known since he was little; I reminded him that he has known me that long. Then he tried to spin it, pointing out that a lot of romantic movies have the leads knowing each other from childhood. Oh, gag. I told him I didn't put much stock into those movies, and he told me he's a huge romantic. (He must have been referring to the time Alabama when we stopped to get snacks and he got me a rose. From a gas station. With my money. Soooo romantic.) 

Next he asked me to let him take me to a movie. I was done with it. I asked if he knew I was seeing someone. He did. I cut right to the chase: "So you know that's not going to happen, right?" He feigned innocence: "What? A movie with a friend?" I pointed out that he'd just been talking about romance, and he said it was just a joke. I ignored his calls and texts, then later told him I was just in for the night. 

Today, he texted and asked if I'd be able to give him a ride to the airport. Nope. I work. Like an adult. I asked how court went; his parents shelled out a bunch of money to settle and get the charges off his record. No wonder he's a man-child; they keep bailing him out and paying off his debts to society. Too bad my $400 isn't on that list.