A Dilemma

Here's my dilemma:

I have next week off. This is amazing. I haven't had a week off in five years. I get days off frequently, but never a whole week (except that dud one in between Christmas and New Year, sometimes, where I am always hosting guests at my house, which is harder work than work).

I decided two months ago that in my free week I would get into my car and head north, to nowhere in particular. My aim was to rock up in small towns off the highways and search for bric-a-brac joints and drink beers with locals, and stay in dodgy rooms above the pubs. I was prepared to drive as deep into the desert as I could.

I told my band about my trip, and the drummer, Mad Irishman, asked if he could come. I decided to say yes because of all the people in the band he would be the best to travel with, and besides, he is handy, mechanically, and could fix the car if something went wrong.

We then realised that two guys (in a band) rocking up in small desert towns looks very gay and so we decided what we needed was a token chick. We invited Miss Flatmate, a 23 year old emo chick (and friend of the band) who was happy to accept and so, for the past two months, that was the line-up of the roadtrip.

In the past three days, things changed.

Miss Flatmate is the housemate of Miss Artist (my former lover, who Melba does not approve of) and The Songstress (my recent squeeze). She is also the cousin of the Songstress. It's how I met Songstress, through Miss Flatmate.

I mentioned here at TSFKA that some things happened between the Songstress and I recently and that I was very happy about this, particularly as I was spending so much time with Ponygirl at work. Well, it hit a wall, and she hooked up with some other bloke and I had given up. But last weekend, I stayed at the house after a night out with Miss Flatmate and caught up with Songstress in the morning. Shge must have enjoyed our breakfast chat because she rang me late Sunday night to say that she had gotten rid of the other guy and wanted to see me again. Anyway, one thing lead to another, and I invited her on the roadtrip and she said yes.

So for the last few days I've been ecstatic... I'm about to go on a fun roadtrip with three awesome people, one of which is my squeeze (we even planned to spend one night apart from the other two, in a swag, out in the desert, under the stars).

But, it has all turned very very sour. See, Miss Flatmate doesn't actually like her cousin Songstress very much. Loves her like family, but doesn't actually like her. Upon hearing that Songstress was coming on the roadtrip she totally cracked it. She argued that she was looking forward to the trip so she could get away from Songstress for a week, and I stuffed it up by inviting her. I argued back that it was my trip and I could invite who I wanted.

Miss Flatmate was so fired up, she actually went to Songstress and told her not to come. Songstress argued, "But Perseus invited me," and Miss Flatmate argued back, "And I'm telling you you're not welcome and if you come I won't speak to you." They then had a three hour fight, bringing up years and years of issues.

I got the call from Songstress at 11pm last night**. She was falling on her sword and pulling out from the trip. She said, "Miss Flatmate has made it clear that she won't speak to me on the trip, so, I'm pulling out." I said, "Bullshit, she's causing all the problems, so I'm prepared to sack her from the trip and have you instead," and Songstress said, "No, because Miss Flatmate has been looking forward to this trip for weeks and weeks and it's all she talks about and so I'm giving her right of way... You and I can go to the desert some other time," (yeah, right, when I have another week off in 2014).

So just when my romance is about to take off again, it's put on the backburner, because of the petulance of a 23 year old emo who hates her cousin. I've been trying to call Miss Flatmate to let her know how unfair this is but she won't answer the phone... and now she's at Confest out of phone reception so I won't actually see her until Sunday when Mad Irishman and I pick her up in NSW. I have a vague plan to not speak to her for the whole week.

Am I right to be pissed off? Or was Miss Flatmate right to be pissed off with me for inviting her cousin at the last minute? I knew they didn't get along that well, but I never realised the extent of it. The fight they ended up having was so bad, I doubt their relationship will ever recover. I doubt my friendship with Miss Flatmate will recover either. I effectively have to choose one of them... a long term friend, or a lover that may not last.

Sigh.

In any case, I shall record our desert trip and post a report when I get back.

**Not the only late night call I got... I also got one from a TSFKA person who I've never actually met, inviting me out tonight to a hotel room in Melbourne to meet up with her and a lesbian. I unfortunately could not make it, but I went to sleep with the fantasy.