all I need is a quiet riot

 Melvin didn't know when Caitlin left. She probably needed to be in her own bed so she could actually sleep. After all, he'd had a fitful night. Actually, he hated himself more. It was one embarrassment after another with Caitlin.

And she'd cleaned his apartment too. What was wrong with her?

When Cori showed up with food, he couldn't turn him away. Actually, Cori was there to report everything about the pizzeria to him.

"Sorry, about today," Melvin promised he'd be there tomorrow.

"We all need a day off," Cori said he didn't think Melvin rested enough. "You drink way too  much caffeine."

"So that's what this is," Melvin did his best to eat the sandwich and soup Cori prepared for him.

Melvin felt numb and ancient. Maybe he was truly sick or just sick in the head.

"Caitlin hates me," Melvin stated as if it were a fact.

"Are you sure?" Cori wanted to be hopeful, "She didn't beat you up, or anything, right?"

"So." Melvin was down. Nothing could make him feel any better, not even Cori's kindness. "You know, I didn't come all the way out here to Nebraska because I wanted too."

"hmm, I just always thought you were from here," Cori went to make hot tea as if Melvin needed some. That's when Melvin told him he was from New Jersey.

"The garden state?" Cori cut a lemon and plopped it in to Melvin's hot sweet tea.

Melvin shrugged back, wishing he had someone who enjoyed making tea for him like Cori did.

"It's kind of a long story," Melvin was straight lipped as if he didn't really want to tell it.

Cori made himself at home at the little dining table where Melvin took another bite of the sandwich. It amazed him that Cori somehow made bread at his pizza place.

"How long of a story is it?" Cori grinned as he took a sip of tea. He said nothing about Megan.

"I..I guess it would be boring," Melvin sipped his tea. "I mean, you and Megan seem to have it all."

"We're friends," Cori looked at him blankly.

"Caitlin says she wants to be friends," although, it didn't really feel that way to Melvin.

Cori scratched the back of his neck as if he was waiting for him to get on with the long story. Melvin was certain Cori wanted to get back to Megan even if they were just friends.

Melvin sighed, not wanting to think about how it all began back home with his family. "I..I was supposed to marry this girl from Cicily."

"Cicily?"

"Yeah, daughters of Cicily..something like that." Melvin shrugged as he went back to nurse his hot tea.

"You're Sicilian?" Cori looked at him blankly.

"Supposedly," Melvin told him he'd never been there and didn't speak the language. "No way was I gonna marry just some girl, like that. I mean.. she's pretty and all but I..I couldn't." He shook his head. He nursed his bottom lip as if that was the beginning of the end. 

"Huh." Cori leaned back in his chair and winced as if this would take a while to digest. "People still do stuff like that?"

"Hell yeah." Melvin squinted as if no one was going to mess up his world. But they had. He was here now. "I wanted to leave there, anyhow."

"Oh." Cori nodded.

"I mean, I..I was never a good student, but I  helped out at my uncle's pizzeria even if I didn't like it. I just..well, he knew of a friend and well.." he sighed ever so deeply. "This is like a last chance or something. I just wanted to meet somebody like Caitlin, you know. She's different. She's not like one of those groupies you meet at a show or a bar. She's...well, cool in her own way."

"Look, you gotta stop bringing yourself down," Cori mentioned Tommy and how people were asking for his punk rock stuff.

"But..but that's not really  original, is it?" Melvin didn't want to get his hopes up.

"Who knows, I bet Caitlin might like hearing about it," Cori smiled as if he was the connection Melvin needed. He'd fix this with his roommate. Some way.