The object of your affection

 "I don't think they'll make it til Christmas." Jared thought Randy should know. Justin and Carmen's marriage was in jeopardy.

 However, he must have interrupted something, because Randy still wanted to keep the headgear near him (hanging around his neck) so he could play the computer game in his room.

"Why is it so important?" Randy practically grimaced. They were alone. Monica was out with her boyfriend.

"Aren't you going to offer me anything?" Jared needed a drink of something. Although juice wasn't what he had in mind. 

"Why are you so cranky?" Randy went to the kitchen and brought back the juice, as if he would do as he was told, even if he was a bit fidgety. 

"Because my brother is stupid, that's why," Jared said. Justin was just creating problems with Carmen. "She works hard, you know." Jared nodded, wincing in thought as he took a sip of orange juice. "You know," he finally decided. "She's making more money than he is these days." He nodded as if he'd figured this out. "I bet that's what it is."

"So, she's always taken care of him," Randy knew this much. "He doesn't have to do anything, really."

"He doesn't know how good he has it, you know."  Jared landed on the couch then and put down the empty glass on the coffee table.

"I don't know what you want me to do about it?" Randy looked more flustered than Jared, as if he needed to be somewhere else, not here.

"What's going on with  you, man?" Jared looked him over as if maybe his timid ex-roommate was on something.

"Nothing." Randy pouted.

"Oh, it's Monica, isn't it?" Jared shrugged. "Why are you letting her go out with that little shrimp?"

Randy sighed. "I want her to be happy." He was blunt.

"Happy?" He looked at Randy as if he didn't know the meaning of that. Just then he got a text from Nori. He needed to stop by the grocery store for milk and eggs. Yes, she had him on a tight leash these days. He couldn't wander off too far without her knowing. He knew going to a bar was out of the question.