I just want to let the readers know that CHAPTERS 1 & 2 of INTROVERTED EXTROVERT will be rewritten to fit the third person point of view that CHAPTERS 3 & 4 have established. This is the form that the series will continue to have throughout.
Thank you. Feedback is appreciated!
-Michael
Most people take Marc as a fairly simple and straightforward kind of guy. They assume he just takes life day by day, not giving much thought into the past or the future. The truth is, most people are dead wrong. Marc Shwartz is the kind of guy who seems simple, happy, and care-free on the exterior, but is anxious, scared, and deep in thought on the interior. In fact, quiet frequently a thought will invade Marc’s brain and nearly paralyze him.
Most recently it was the memories of his cat, Billy. When Marc was eight years old his father brought home a cat. Marc named it Billy. Billy was Marc’s companion for about thirteen years until he died of natural causes when Marc was twenty. Billy was brown and white and VERY fat. Probably about twenty-five pounds. Almost every significant childhood and teenage memory Marc had was associated with Billy being there, whether it was to lay with him to cheer him up, or just the mere fact that Billy was present at the time. If it wasn’t for the passing of one of Marc’s childhood friends six months prior to Billy’s passing, he most likely would have had a mental breakdown. Marc was recently desensitized to death though.
Annie finally invited Marc over again and this time it was just him that was invited. It was a bad day for Marc though. The rampant thoughts of Billy had left him curled up in a sleeping bag on the floor of his apartment while he listened to Bright Eyes entire catalogue. He told Annie it wasn’t a good day – crazy busy. So, they rescheduled the “possibly a date” hang out to the following day.
Marc never ended up sleeping with Annie that night. They talked, laughed, and kissed until nearly four in the morning. At least until the birds woke up. There was something about the pleasure in knowing that he could make it home even when he was black out drunk that always filled Marc with delight the next morning when he woke up in his bed, or on his kitchen tile. In this case it was his kitchen tile. Marc awoke cold and stiff with a half eaten slice of pizza in his direct lane of vision. He sat up for a moment, scratching his head and greeting reality. After a long piss he transformed the half eaten piece of pizza into a bundle of mush in his belly and went back to sleep. This time in his bed made for a queen.
Several days had passed since Marc spent any time with Annie. They met up for a brunch one afternoon, but it was utterly platonic. They awkwardly reminisced on college memories and spoke about recent movies they both had seen. On his walk home, Marc only thought about that night Annie kissed him. He couldn’t believe he didn’t just bring it up at the brunch. That would have released all of the awkward tension, or so he thought.
When Marc arrived home, sunk into his couch, and took a few hits from his bong he thought that he’d be temporarily free from the anxious thoughts of Annie that have been consuming him all day. That wasn’t the case. He now worried that Annie was just drunk that night they kissed. It was just a one time thing, because she was drunk. She doesn’t really feel that way. Marc had to get to the bottom of this. He had to figure this out, but first… he had to watch Doctor Who and eat pizza.
I know that I have been late to the next installment of Introverted Extrovert, but I will be posting CHAPTER 3 right after this post.
I just want to discuss an update and a few issues.
The point of view and tone of Introverted Extrovert has been a bit confusing. It started out as first person, but slipped in and out of second person her and there. I apologize, I’m still trying to figure out the correct format for this story and these characters.
When I post CHAPTER 3 you’ll see that it’s entirely in the third person POV. This is how I will continue writing the entire series. I feel that I can express what I want in the boundaries of this story in the third person. It will be a bit confusing momentarily due to the quick switch from chapters 1 and 2, then to 3, but as the series goes on it will just become a norm.
Thank you! Feedback is appreciated!
I was already standing by myself in the kitchen, beer in hand. Synth pop blared from the living room where all the sexually curious singles danced the night away. I caught myself spacing out a few times. I’m in this room with people in every direction, but my mind is elsewhere. I thought about how a massive earthquake could kill us all in a matter of minutes. I thought about how I wish I were in a band. I thought about how delicious the espresso’s at Julias Cafe are.
I was almost on beer number three when Jennifer finally noticed I was here. ”Marcy Marc! Oh my god. Finally, you’re here!” She slurred. I was extremely excited to see her, but I had to keep calm to avoid seeming too desperate. “What’s up? I’ve been here for awhile.I already got a buzz goin” I smirked.
Jennifer led me to a back porch where all the stoners were relaxing, and of course Annie was there. “Hey Marc” She politely said. There was something different about the way Annie said hello to me. It wasn’t desperate, or flirty sounding at all. I must have sounded crazy when I said hello back like I’d never met her before.
Annie and I talked for hours. Even after It got too cold and everyone went inside, I was still on the porch with her. It felt like I was talking to a whole new Annie. We talked about our post-college lives, day-to-day thoughts, and our aspirations. It wasn’t until Jennifer poked her head out to tell us that everyone was playing Kings that we went inside. There was a moment before Annie and I stood up to go inside where we made serious eye contact. Both in silence, we leaned in and kissed. She smiled, grabbed my hand, and took me inside.
I really just wanted to stay inside and watch Doctor Who. I was halfway through a pretty epic episode when Jennifer texted me.
Marc! Come to Annies. Everyones here! Lol.
Part of me lit up with excitement when I read the text. The other part of me let out an audible sigh. I had just smoked a bowl, because I thought I wasn’t going anywhere tonight. I don’t do well around other people when I’m high. I always feel like everyone’s making fun of me and I get inside my own head too much. So much to the point where I just sit by myself on a couch somewhere and think really hard about minute things. I had to go to Annies though. I knew by reading the text that Jennifer was drunk.
I’ve wanted to see Jennifer naked since I first met her in freshman year of college. She knocked on the door of my rank smelling dorm where I was busy playing Grand Theft Auto III and I had to do the most cleaning i’ve done all year in a matter of ten seconds before opening the door.
“Hi. My name’s Jennifer. I’m your neighbor.” She said in a high pitched, welcoming tone.
“Oh…uhhh hello. Hello. Hi. My name is Marc. Marc Shwartz.” I struggled immensely to utter.
“It’s a treat to meet you, Marc. Would you happen to have a screwdriver I could borrow for a jiff? Stupid Ikea furniture, ya know?”
It was words like “treat” and “jiff” that really stood out to me. She enunciated them with a hard southern drawl. I thought about this for a moment, until I’m pretty certain she thought I was crazy.
“Are you alright, dear?” She sincerely asked as I stared blankly right through her.
I suddenly remembered that I was in the middle of a conversation with another human being.
“Sorry. Yeah I’m fine. Uhh… yeah I have a screwdriver. One second.”
As I dug around under my bed for a screwdriver I thought I’d never use, I somehow gained the courage to try to get to know Jennifer. Probably because I wasn’t facing her.
“So, are you from the south or something?” I asked oh so politely (not).
“You betcha! Grew up in Dalles.”
I handed her the screwdriver. Ignoring the fact that my hand was shaking from nervousness.
“Here you go.”
“Thank you so much. I’ll bring it right back for ya.”
“You can just keep it. I’ll never use it.” I said with a self absorbed smirk.
She stared at me for a second, completely silent. I began to shift my eyes left and right. I swear I felt the first inkling of sweat drip down my cheek.
“I’ll just bring it back when I’m finished. Southern kindness. I can’t help it.”
And just like that, Jennifer from Dalles walked the 10 feet down the hall to her dorm room. I hated to see her go, but I loved watching her leave.
Jennifer became one of my best friends throughout college. It was Annie, Michael, Jennifer, and I. Always together, doing something idiotic. But since college ended I haven’t seen much of Jennifer, or Annie. I still see Michael quite a lot though. Probably too much.
Anyway, I got dressed to go to Annie’s. As I walked the busy streets of downtown Seattle I thought about how this could possibly be the time that Jennifer realizes her love for me. She’ll see me tonight and it will be different from the thousands of other times she’s seen me. Something will spark in her brain that will scream: LOVE, LOVE, SEX, CUDDLE, LOVE. As always I knew that I had to steer clear of Annie. She’s always so touchy feel with me when she drinks. I could have hooked up with her years ago, but my standards are way too high. I really should stop complaining about not getting laid.
I walked up the steps to the apartment with my head down. I could hear the shitty nineties music blaring from inside. I thought way too long on whether I should knock, or just walk in. I decided to just walk in.
I’m going to be starting an ongoing series on this blog. The series is called:
Introverted Extrovert (Confessions of a Skinny 20-Something)
The series will follow a 20-something named Marc Shwartz. He lives alone in a studio apartment in Seattle, Washington and like the title says he’s a classic case of an Introverted Extrovert. Marc is taking life day by day and just trying to cope with life after college. He has a lot of friends and he’s desperate to fall in love, but is stunted by his shyness once things begin to get intimate.
So yeah that’s a short synopsis of what the series will be, but I’m not really entirely sure what this is or where it will go – but that’s the point of it. This is a journey that I’m going on every week with this character.
I hope people actually read it.
