There are permanent marks of hatred on my skin.  Absentmindedly I trace some of them with my fingers.  Some of them hold a memory.  Tonight I caught myself rubbing one and I remembered. 

Joel came home that night from work.  Out in front of the house there was a familiar car.  A little red dodge neon.  What is it doing here?  He put his car into park and started walking towards the door.  As he got nearer he saw the door was open and could hear laugher inside.  Slowly he opened the door as if waiting for a big surprise to appear.  None came as he entered the house slowly.  Off in the dining room there was Sara and James talking.  He had not seen Sara for a week.  It was almost three weeks since they ceased any extra friendship activities.  Why was she here was the question.
'What's going on guys?' Joel asked.'Nothing much James was telling me about a customer he dealt with at work.' Sara looked at him as she replied.  Joel kept searching her eyes to find out what was going on but found no answer.  She quickly turned her head back to James to hear the rest of his tale. 
Joel not wishing to interfere with anything started towards his room with a curt, 'I'll be in my room.'He entered his room and closed the door behind him.  Sat down at his desk and started up his computer.  Slipping on a pair of headphones he loaded up a music program and started catching up on the day's news.  While he read the news the occasional memory overwhelmed him and he remembered why Sara and he ceased.  He told her that he was growing attached and wished to be more than friends are.  She said she cared for him but wanted to remain friends.  She stopped calling and being around when he was going to a club.  He just let it drop and figured she would contact him when she was ready.  Now she was here at his house talking to his roommate like they were old friends.  Did she not remember when he told her what an asshole his roommate was?  Many nights when he left the house angry with his roommate she was on the receiving end of the conversation.  When he was finished reading the news and such he noticed an open window on the spare computer next to him.  Mostly he kept it running as a server and for testing network protocols but it appears his roommate forgot to shut down the extra window.  He leaned over and grabbed the mouse.  Clicked on the icon to close it and noticed it was the email program.  He went to close it and saw several emails between Sara and James.  Fighting an evil thought he went and closed it.  Suddenly the pieces fell together.  They talked over email and decided to do dinner together.  Oh well as long as he stayed in his room he would not have to deal with them at all.  If they needed him they knew where he was and if they wished for him to be included they can come get me.  The thoughts of making excuses to do nothing but sit and play a game or two easily outnumbered the thoughts of confronting them.  There will always be tomorrow. 
After a few hours of passing by the time he powered off his computer and started heading to his bed.  Once the computer's fans were off he lay there in total silence for a bit.  Closing his eyes he started to drift off into sleep.  Suddenly a small moan pieced the air.  Then a grunt.  Another moan and it established a pattern that filled the air and was more noticeable without any other sounds to interfere.  Joel sat there listening to their lovemaking for a minute and then got up.  Quickly putting on a shirt and some pants he headed out to the living room.  Once he got out of his room the sounds of the two were louder and he saw they had left the door open.  Closing his eyes and breathing deeply he continued forward to the door.  Quickly putting on his shoes he silently left the house. 
In the room with Sara and James they paused for a moment in their passion as they heard squealing of tires as rubber was burnt off into permanent marks of hatred on the street.