Authors: Stella White
*****
When James knocked at the door to Sedgefield House, it was snowing.
''Look mummy, it's Uncle James.''
''My, my, you two are growing up.''
''Have you brought some Christmas presents for us?'' Harriet asked.
''Harriet, don't be so rude,'' Emily said.
''Yes, don't be so rude,'' little James added. ''Have you though?''
''Who'd have a three year old and a five year old?'' Emily asked James.
''Uncle James is a hero,'' Harriet said. ''Mummy told me.''
Peter walked into the room. ''James, Merry Christmas.'' he said to his brother in law. ''Yes Harriet, Uncle James is indeed a hero,'' he added.
****
THE END
“It’s just a degree; don’t worry about it, you’ll find something good.”
Tiffany wasn’t the best at being uplifting. In fact, she was usually quite the opposite.
“Besides, you have Brad to keep you going
anyway
. When is that guy going to pop the question? You’ve been dating him since you got
here;
I would think almost four years would be enough time.”
She was making a little sense on that second point, but I wasn’t interested in getting married until after graduation. It worked in my favor
anyway
, since Brad hadn’t even proposed at all.
“Tiff, I know it’s just a piece of
paper,
and most places aren’t going to care what it says on it, but I’d like to know what I should aim for at least.”
I sipped on the hot coffee I’d just purchased, wishing it were something a little more alcoholic. Sadly, it was hard to find good parties this late in the year. Too many students were spending their time studying just to make the grade.
“Well, why don’t you just go to a graduate school, be a nurse or something. You’ve always been interested in helping people, right?”
She didn’t know me at all.
“Tiffany, I’d rather go and spend the next three years working to become a lawyer than a nurse. I’ve always thrown up at the sight of blood. Do you even know me at all?”
She laughed in my face. I was getting used to it now, but it still felt mean spirited whenever she did it.
“Lucy, don’t worry about it. There’s still another four months before graduation, plenty of time to decide what graduate schools to apply to, and plenty of time for that man of yours to man up and pop the question!”
I always wished that Tiffany were a little more of a realist. I doubt she
really
had any plans post-graduation. Her parents were wealthy, which gave her a measure of leniency that I couldn’t afford.
“Maybe I’ll check with a guidance counselor
tomorrow;
there are a few tests I can take that might help me figure it out.”
My coffee was cold, another reminder of how fast time passed. There was nothing she could say that would take my mind off this topic.
It enveloped me, as though I were standing in the middle of a desert with a thousand directions that I could walk, but only one would lead me to a town and salvation. But, I always imagined taking the wrong path and starving in the middle of nowhere wishing I’d gone a different direction.
Brad was normally there to hear out all my crazy thoughts and dreams. He was good to me like that, and I was good to him in every way he wanted; which usually meant doing something a little demeaning in the bedroom.
It helped that
he
was incredibly smart. He was almost the top of the
class
and headed towards
a fantastic
graduate school. I was
jealous;
he knew what he wanted.
“Oh, don’t look. Here comes Chris!”
I couldn’t help my curiosity, so of course I looked.
He was something to behold. He was tall and strong, with that perfect V-shaped upper body. His tight white shirt clung to his biceps on the verge of tearing. His gorgeous blue eyes scanned the room as he walked up to the counter to order a drink. It was almost annoying how attractive he was.
“Seriously, Tiff. If you’re so attracted to him, why don’t you
go say
‘hi’ and let him know you exist.”
She stiffened in her seat,
perking
out her breasts. I almost smashed my head
into
the table to
protest
her rather
barbaric
display of attraction.
“Are you joking? He probably doesn’t remember half the people he meets on a daily basis,” she said taking a nervous sip of her coffee.
“Fine, I’ll
go say
hello,” I started before being pulled back down to my seat.
“Seriously, just stay here. Maybe he’ll come this way.”
I leaned back in my seat and stared at the ceiling. A stain caught my attention; it looked something like a giraffe which prompted a light guffaw that exited through my nose.
“What’s so funny,” I heard a man’s voice say.
It was Chris, naturally. He came into view while I still stared at the ceiling. I grasped the table and pulled myself up to
a normal
sitting position.
“Ha, I doubt you’d
really
be that interested,” I said.
“You’d be surprised what I’m interested in,” he replied.
I leaned back and pointed up at the ceiling tile, with the stain.
“I thought it was funny that it looked something like a giraffe,” I
pointed out
.
He looked
up
and let out a small bit of laughter. I couldn’t tell if he was laughing at my sense of humor, or if he was joining in on the joke.
“You’re quite a character, what’s your name?”
“Lucy,” I replied.
“And who’s your friend,” he asked.
“Tiffany!” she blurted out.
Chris stood up tall, and it almost looked like he was flexing a little more now.
“Mind if I give you a call
sometime
,” he said.
Tiffany nodded excitedly. He hadn’t
really
directed his comment at either of us, so it stood to reason that he was asking both of us. Tiffany whipped out her coffee receipt and scrawled her phone number hastily on the back.
“I don’t give my number to strangers,” I said.
“Well, that
’s too bad
,” he said, “it looks like we’ll have to get to know each other better.”
I wanted to think he was flirting with me, but he was looking at Tiffany the entire time. I sipped at my cold drink, and it was as disgusting as I imagined it would be, but the temporary relief
of
having to hold up my end of the conversation was welcome.
“Chris,” the barista shouted while placing a drink on the counter.
“Pleasure meeting you two, maybe we’ll talk later.”
He sauntered off to his drink to
be joined
by a couple other rather fine specimens of manhood.
“I’m freaking out, Lucy,” Tiffany started to say, “He has my number! I hope he calls. I hear he’s amazing in bed.”
“Says who,” I asked.
“Says nearly every girl that’s gone to a football game this season,” Tiffany replied.
“Thank god I didn’t give him my number. I’m perfectly happy with Brad.”
Tiffany tossed her drink in the bin behind her.
“I don’t know how you can drink cold
coffee;
it’s not right.”
“It
’s hard to deny
something you already have,” I replied.
“Well, you should start learning that sometimes, it’s better to enjoy new things you might hate. You never know what you’ll find you like.”
“Are you saying I should break up with Brad?”
She started laughing.
“No, I’m saying cold drinks are
terrible,
and I want you to buy me something I haven’t tried, yet. You did say that you’d buy the coffee if I helped you figure out where to go
after
college.”
“If only you were helpful,” I said as I stood up and headed towards the counter.
2.
I wasn’t exactly living with Brad, but it felt like I was. I spent more time at his modest apartment than I spent in my
own
room. He didn’t seem to mind at all.
“Hey Brad,” I said walking into the apartment.
Nobody responded. I dropped my things on the couch and started thinking of ways I could surprise him. I wondered if he’d like me lying in bed, waiting for him to return. Or I could make his favorite food and give him something to enjoy, first.
I couldn’t decide so I just went with a classic. I started to strip down, leaving a small line of clothes that led toward the bedroom.
He usually would get revved up by the time he
entered,
and I’d be ready to surprise him. But, when I opened the door to the bedroom, I was the one surprised. He was already here, and he smiled brightly at me.
“Hey, babe,” he said.
The only thing covering him was a blanket, and it looked like he had just left the gym as a thin sheen of sweat covered him.
“Looks like you wanted to get things started quickly,” I said, removing the last of my clothing and maneuvering towards the bed.
“Oh, you know it,” he replied.
I started to climb
onto
the bed until I heard a noise behind me. I spun my head to find the source. A girl, whom I didn’t recognize, was tip-toeing from the closet.
“Are you kidding me?” I said.
She started to move a lot faster, carrying her things with her as she sprinted to the exit. She was quick, and there was no way I’d catch her. So, I turned back to the real culprit.
“Brad, what the hell?!” I shouted.
“Okay, I can explain-”
“Explain what?
There’s a naked girl carrying
her clothes down the hallway.”
“Yeah, but it’s not what it looks like,” he replied
“What does it look like,” I asked sharply.
Brad studied my expression and realized there was no way he’d be getting out of this. His silence said enough.
“I thought so,” I said as I started to get dressed.
“Lucy, can we just talk this out?” he pleaded
“Sure, start talking,” I said as I seethed with rage.
He paused a moment, trying to get his thoughts together.
“Okay, I met her about a week ago. She’s a transfer student, new to the campus. I was showing her
around,
and she started coming on to me,” he said.
“So you decided it would be a good time to sleep with her?” I asked.
“It’s not my fault.”
“Goodbye, Brad,” I said, angrily.
“Wait, Lucy!” he shouted at me as I flung the front door open.
“What,” I said.
“Okay, you have every right to be angry. I messed up. I hope we
can, at least,
talk about this soon. I don’t want to lose you,” he replied sheepishly.
I fumed with rage just looking at him. But, the memories of all the great times we’d had together were also there. The nights we’d held each other during the rain; the days we ate ice cream and cookies until we couldn’t stand up, all those memories were there.
I wanted to hit him for the slap in the face he’d just handed me. He didn’t even have the guts to own up to his mistake and
accept
his punishment.
“Brad, I’m a forgiving person,” I said.
His tenseness seemed to
relax,
and he exhaled out. A smile started to form at the corner of his lips.
“Not this time, though,” I added, “I thought that you were a great guy. It turns out I was wrong.”
I slipped on my other shoe at the door and tried to sort out my attire, straightening what I could, but my brain was too rattled to manage.
“I’ll
come get
the couple things I left here when I manage to calm down. Goodbye, Brad.” I said.
I walked away in a fit of rage. He didn’t have anything to add, and that was good. I don’t know what else I would have said, but I know it wouldn’t have been nice.
Twilight was falling over the campus, and I would have to sleep in my
own
bed tonight. It had been a while, and I wondered what my roommate was doing.
What I
really
wanted to do was break something.
3.
A sock on the door only meant one
thing;
Tiffany was getting laid. What else was I to expect from one of the most promiscuous girls on campus?
I remembered there was a bar just down the street that we used to visit on Friday nights from time to time. I couldn’t remember the
name,
but a drink just sounded good right now.
Even though I was angry at Brad, it was incredibly hard to keep my thoughts off him. He was the dumbest guy I knew, giving up so
easily
on such a great relationship for
a fleeting
one night stand.
I wondered who the girl was. Was she prettier that me? Was I just not that interesting anymore? Had we
really
told each other all our stories and
become
a boring couple? I couldn’t fathom whatever reason he had. Maybe it was just his
twenty-two-year-old
hormones taking over and ruining the one good thing he had.