The Short Story I Wrote For My Creative Writing Class

Landy Hite

“And Then The Night Got Worse”


Caitlin took one last look at herself in the mirror before deciding that she looked good enough for her first date with Kurt. She congratulated herself on the perfect ensemble; a long shirt she wore as a dress over leggings showed the curves she was proud of without feeling like a slime ball. And her hair. Gosh, her hair just looked gorgeous with its soft curls perfectly framing her face. Caitlin thought she couldn’t look better. If Kurt didn’t just buckle in love with her in this outfit, he never would. She dashed back into the living room/bedroom/kitchen of her studio apartment to grab her purse and coat before turning out the only light in the apartment. She reached down and scruffed the mini-mane of her cat, Sergeant Tibbs.
“Bye Sarg! Don’t wait up for me!”
Caitlin walked outside, slamming the door behind her. As she struggled with the barely-passes-as-a-lock deadbolt her phone started ringing.
“Unbreak my heart! Say you love me again! Undo this hurt that you caused when you walked out the door and walked out of my life. Uncry these tears!”
Just when Toni hit the high note, Caitlin was able to coerce the deadbolt locked and flipped open her cell to answer the call. “Hello?”
“Hey Caity, it’s me.”
The low pitched airy voice on the other side of the phone caused Caitlin’s knees to buckle. She immediately blushed and bit her lower lip as she propped herself up on the doorframe. It was Kurt. Suddenly, and without asking it to, Caitlin’s voice got quite and breathy.
“Oh, hello you.”
Caitlin couldn’t believe the way this boy made her act, let alone feel. Caitlin was convinced that tonight would be the night that they would kiss. There’s nothing better than a trip to a rice pudding bar and a dollar rental to set the mood for the perfect first kiss. First, Kurt would tenderly brush the curls out of Caitlin’s face. And then, with the perfect amount of everything, Kurt would press his lips on hers and she would melt into happiness. Caitlin realized she’d wandered off and there had been a long silence in the conversation, or rather, lack there of. She stomped her foot to bring herself back to reality.
“So what’s up?” she said in an attempt to erase what she just said and how she said it. Not to mention that pause.
“I have some bad news. It turns out I have to work tonight.” Kurt then released a great sigh of anger.
Caitlin was hopping up and down on the inside knowing that he was as excited about the date as she was, and that he was disappointed he would have to cancel.
“Oh bust. That totally sucks… does that mean we can’t go out on our… I mean hang out tonight?” Caitlin was pleased with her attempt at hiding her coexisting disappointment and overjoyment.
“Yeah. I mean, unless you wanted to come hang out at work with me. Do you?” Kurt said with the tiniest bit of hope and anticipation.
Caitlin wanted nothing else in the world right now than to hang out with Kurt at work, but she had seen enough chick flicks and read enough relationship books by so-called gurus to know not to sound too needy or willing.
“Hmm…” she said as if this was a choice she seriously had to consider. Caitlin paused as she pretended to weigh the pros and cons of the situation.
“Only if you want to. I mean, you don’t have to.” Kurt said sounding more discouraged than Caitlin had ever heard someone sound before.
Oh no, she had weighed her options too long, she had hesitated a tad longer than she meant.
“I do!” were the words she said on compulsion.
“Oh cool. Awesome. So I guess… I’ll see you later?”
Of course he would see her later. Kurt could see her anytime he wanted, all he had to do was nothing.
“Totally.” Caitlin said before hanging up.
All the excitement of the phone call with the most amazing guy she’s ever met made Caitlin need to pee. She shoved her key back in the deadbolt and jiggled it around to try to get it open. No dice. Having just moved in, Caitlin hadn‘t learned the sweet spot of the key to lock and unlock the door with ease. She tried turning it the opposite direction to see if with the extra momentum the key turn. Nope. Caitlin tried the key angled up, then angled down. Pushing while turning. Pulling while turning. Kicking while turning. Complete and utter failure at all attempts.
Concerned less with getting back into her apartment, and more with the pressure building in her bladder, Caitlin started running with intense purpose toward the leasing office which she knew had a public restroom. Being on the complete opposite side of the office didn’t cross her mind when she made her decision to run there, all she could think about were waterfalls and rivers and other running water mechanisms. Suddenly the distance struck her with an unfortunate reaction. Completely caught off guard and with the bouncing up and down motion from the running, Caitlin slowly but surely started to pee. She stopped abruptly and crossed her legs squeezing them together as tight as she could.
“Don’t pee, don’t pee, “ was her mantra and she inched toward the building. There was a loud noise and having all her energy focused on not peeing it took Caitlin longer than it should have to realize it was a car. Then it took her and extra moment to realize why they were honking. Caitlin was standing in the middle of the road, blocking traffic.
Caitlin took a deep breath and made the only choice she knew she had. She uncrossed her legs and took normal strides to the sidewalk. With each step she took a little more pee ran down her legs and into her brand new suede boots. Finally, with an empty bladder and a full heart, Caitlin made it to the sidewalk and up to her apartment door.
“At least the night couldn’t get any worse.”
She put her key in the lock and turned it too forcibly to the left. And then the night got worse. With a snap, Caitlin held in her hand exactly one half of her house key. The remaining half was wedged into the keyhole. She walked defeated to the edge of the walkway and sat on the curb. She had three calls to make and wasn’t sure which one to make first. She decided to start with the most unpleasant.
“Hey Kurt,” she said, eyes welling with tears. “So, I won’t be able to go over there tonight. Something came up.”
After saying goodbye, Caitlin let go of her emotions and just cried. When the waves of tears subsided she called the locksmith to rescue her. And then she made her last call.
“Lily? It’s Caitlin. You know how we said that thing, about peeing our pants.”
“That if one of us wets our self the other will… you know.”
“Yes. Well, it’s time.”
Without any more talking Lily proved her best friend status and peed her pants.
“It’s done.” Lily replied.
Then Caitlin and Lily laughed.