Geri loves gems. She lives her life by their vibrations. Need a dose of self love? Rose quartz is for you. Need some extra luck? Aventurine. Need help with fertility? Emerald, baby.
“I’m not looking to get pregnant, Geri,” I say, shaking the dice in my hand to get ready to roll again.
“Yah, I know. What I’m trying to say is that- ok, new idea.” Geri takes the dice out of my hand and throws them behind her. She reaches for my hands across the Game of Life and looks eerily direct into my eyes. It’s always startling when anyone really sees me.
“If you could change one thing about your life, what would it be? Just one thing that would make it better. Even a little bit.”
Her hands are so soft. I rub my thumb over her smooth skin as I think about it. I look away and around my small, barely furnished room. I think about the roommates that make my life a living hell, but the rent is cheap and so I deal… Sometimes surviving is all you can hope for when you’re on a limited budget in Los Angeles.
“Everything. I’d change everything.”
Shocked, Geri asks, “Are you sure? There has to be something worth keeping as is.”
I look back into her eyes and hold her hands tighter, hovering above my small car and $0 bank account on the game board… not too different from real life.
“Yes.”
Geri lets go of my hands and reaches into her big slouchy hobo bag. She pulls out her keys. “Come on. Let’s go.”
~~~
I really didn’t want to leave the apartment, but I also didn’t want to be there with my cranky, anti-social roommates either. And while Geri’s driving can scare me at times, I went with her anyway. Even if this is another wild gem chase, at least I get to be in her company. Cheerful and hopeful. I love how she believes change is possible. I’d love her goodness to rub off on me.
She pulls into a corner strip off Cahuenga Blvd, into a tiny parking lot, and we head toward a hole-in-the-wall gem shop. Before she opens the door, she looks back at me with great seriousness, “Whatever you do, let me do the talking.”
While we’ve been friends since I first moved out here about a year ago, I’ve never seen this side of her. The “I’m-in-the-business-of-gems” side. She always finds a way to toss out gem facts into any conversation, but this… this was a whole other level. Ultimate “Gem-mafia” levels.
She pulls out identification and shows it to the owner, “Hi Marge, got any Mol–”
“Shh. You know better than to speak its name in broad daylight,” Marge nearly runs over to the windows to lower the blinds like a drug deal is about to go down.
Marge looks me up and down as if she just noticed me. Geri answers her unspoken question, “Don’t worry. She’s good. She’s with me.”
…What is happening?
Marge locks the door and walks over to a giant framed portrait of emerald gems. They sparkle and shine as if they’re staring in a porno. I feel a little lust looking at their beauty. Margie swings the frame open to reveal a safe. “I keep the good shit in here.”
Ah. That’s normal.
Geri walks over to her, and I awkwardly tag along, nestling up beside her. Our shoulders touch.
Marge messes up the code to unlock the safe twice as her hands are too shaky. It makes me wonder if Geri is her best customer and if she’d ever think to open it for anyone else. Finally, she gets it right and the door pops open. Marge pulls out a shiny wooden box and sets it on the open glass counter.
She takes a handkerchief out from her pocket and dabs the sweat from her head. She gives us one more chance… “I’m telling you, this shit’ll turn your life upside down.”
Geri nods and Marge disappears into the backroom.
“Are you ready for your life to change?”
Heck yeah.
I’m so in awe, I only think I reply out loud.
Geri opens the box to reveal a red velvet satchel inside. “Now I don’t like to touch these gems because the frequency is so high. Only touch the one you’re drawn to.”
I stand up straight, and nod enthusiastically, forgetting to use my words again. I didn’t want this gem before, but now, it’s the only thing I’ve ever wanted.
My hand caresses the velvet of the bag as I move to reach inside. But Geri stops me- “There is no going back… Once it begins, Moldavite cannot be stopped.”
Okayyy.
I slip my hand into the velvet bag and feel around without looking. Perhaps it’s the rebel in me coming alive, but I touch all the gems. Geri notices and looks a little worried, but says nothing. I pull out a little gem, worried that the reverence Marge and Geri has shown these gems are out of my price range.
Geri visibly relaxes when she sees how small the moldavite piece is. I like knowing I affect her.
She closes the satchel and puts it back in the box to close it up. Marge returns to lock it all back up, “I hope you know what you’re doing.”
~~~
Geri drops me off at home and tells me she’ll see me this weekend for our beach day. I can’t wait. I love the beach.
Before I get out of the car, she leans over to help me put my new moldavite necklace around my neck. It sparkles in the sunlight. Almost like her green eyes.
I race inside, up the three levels of stairs, straight into my room, passing by a cloud of pot smoke and yesterday’s macaroni and cheese on the stove. I quickly kick my clothes off and onto the floor. I stand in front of my full-length mirror in my skivvies staring at the moldavite around my neck.
When does it start working?
Do I have to do something?
I hold it in my palms for a heart to heart.
“Hi Moldavite. You can work your magic anytime. I’m ready for my better life. Better job. Better money in my better bank account. Better relationships. Better body. I’m ready.”
…
Nothing.
As there’s a knock on the door, it immediately opens. I grab a pillow from my bed and hold it over my nearly naked body. “Excuse me!”
“Nothing we haven’t accidentally seen before,” my roommate says.
EXCUSE ME?!
“You haven’t been around when we’ve been home, and vice-Versace or whatevs. We’re, uh, we’re…” He can barely get his words out, he’s laughing like he’s stoned. He probably is. He often is. “Our friend, Jones, is moving in and we’re giving him your room.”
Um, what?! “What do you mean? I’ll be sharing a room?”
“Uh, no. We thought you’d just, like, leave. You’re not even on the lease, so… We didn’t think you’d care.”
…
“Jones is in town now, but he said we should give you at least a week to get the heck out.”
Thank god for Jones, I guess.
I don’t even get a chance to say my piece, but it doesn’t feel worth fighting for either. My roommate walks away, snortling.
“Can you please close the door at least? I’m in my fricken’ underwear here!” I shut my own damn door, then grab my jeans to pull them back on. They suddenly feel three sizes too small. I can’t get them past my thighs. I’m feeling a panic attack coming on, distorting my perception. I kick the pants back off and focus on my breathing while my mind continues getting fuzzy.
This is not my first panic attack. When they come on, I know to keep each step super simple.
I need out of here. To do that, I need clothes.
The sundress my mother sent me in a small care box is still in my closet with a tag. I rip the tag off and throw it on over my head. Not one for girly frills, I focus on not flashing my ass around town while I’m already freaking out.
I grab my bag and reach for my phone to toss in. But as I do, I hear an email notification.
Dear Employee #2448,
Congratulations on your one year work anniversary at our call center! Unfortunately, with the economy on the downslide and the recent loss of clients, we won’t be able to employ you any longer. We know this down sizing may come as a shock and feel out of the blue, but if it’s any consolation, we enjoyed having you on our team.
…I wish I could say the same about being on their team.
Shit. Homeless. Unemployed. All within 5 minutes.
I text Geri to see if we could bump up our next hang out sooner as my life is falling apart. Three dots appear as she types her reply. My heart races hoping she says yes.
“I’m on a date.”
Jealousy floods my veins and for a moment I forget everything else. A feeling creeps over me, leaving me unsettled. Those three beautiful dots pop up again. She has more to say and I wait.
“But it’s not going well. Pick me up!”
Yes. No problem! On my way!
~~~
It took an hour drive to reach the beach, but we had it all to ourselves as the moon appeared over the horizon and its reflection danced across the ocean waves. With no blanket, we sit in the sand. The sand feels weird against my bare thighs under my dress. With my luck, I’ll have sand stuck up my ass later.
“Why didn’t you tell me you had a date?” I ask, but regret asking instantly. I guess it’s really none of my business.
“I don’t know. You needed me, so I focused on you. That’s what friends do.” She smiles her goofy grin.
“What am I gonna do?” I ask, resting my head on her shoulder.
Geri reaches over to my necklace and fixes the moldavite to hang center. “It’s already working.”
“What if this is just my luck and has nothing to do with moldavite?” I ask.
She gently pushes me up to sit straight so she can look into my eyes. Eerily direct. I can’t get enough of her. “Moldavite is powerful. It’s said it can be a mystical stone that brings luck and wish fulfillment. You said you were ready for change, and babe, change is rocky.”
I hold the moldavite in my hand, hoping it’ll unleash the courage I need to do what I want to do. I feel a power flow through me, a vibration that’s gotten louder since the first day I met her.
As my hand caresses her cheek and she leans toward me, our lips closing in, I know this is not the moldavite.
A Little About The Writer:
Cassie grew up a shy and anxious kid in the rural midwest who desperately wanted to hide the fact that they were super weird. Now they write joyfully weird comedy to encourage people to embrace who they really are. By day, they write for animation and develop for places like Disney, CN, WB, and others. By night, it’s a toss up if they’re making a podcast, comic, games, or if they’ve suddenly disappeared spurred by wanderlust. Legend says if you ran a DNA test, it would show Cassie is 40% coffee and 60% cat.