Wrecked (29 page)

He
chuckled at the suggestion. “Well, I don’t really know her. There was really
only that one time you and her came over to see the kitties. I guess my
impression is: she’s cool but there’s no way I’d date her.”

“Oh? Why
not?”

“Well for
one—and no offense to her—she seems kinda like one of those pushy go-getter
types. Like she knows what she wants and isn’t afraid to say it or go after it.
It’s an admirable trait but not really my preference. You’re much more
down-to-earth and relatable.”

“Hmm . . .
I thought that’s one of her more endearing qualities—her strong personality.” I
recalled how Daniela was the one who set up the double-date at the Bearded
Squirrel and how she hit on that Phi Kappa Delta guy on Valentine’s Day. When
it came to men, she was often the one to make the first move.

“Maybe to
other girls it’s endearing. I mean, I do know some guys at the gym that are
attracted to that kind of personality, at least initially—it’s a thrill to be
around a feisty girl—but after a while it can get tiring.”

“Umm . . .
isn’t that kind of an insensitive thing to say, Hunter?” I remarked.

He
shrugged. “There’s a thin line between being a go-getter and being pushy just
as there’s a thin line between being arrogant and being confident. You’re
confident and sassy without being pushy. I dunno how you do it.”

I furrowed
my eyebrows. “I mean . . . I get what you’re saying. It makes sense, but I’m
not sure I’m liking it for some reason. It’s almost like you’re saying I’m meek
or passive.”

He
chuckled. “Nah, babe. We both know you’re anything
but
meek.” He rubbed
my arm affectionately. “You’re funny, sweet, polite, you call me on my shit,
and you draw awesome pictures of human-fly hybrids. I’m crazy about you. You’re
complicated but somehow it’s like I get you and vice-versa. You’re unlike any girl
I’ve ever met—when you’re being hard, you do it in a way that doesn’t push me
away. Maybe it’s because I feel that strongly about you, or maybe you’re good
at being hard but soft. Maybe it’s both.”

“Hmm . . .
I guess I’ll take that.”

“Good.
Also Daniela’s afraid of kitten poo. That’s a deal breaker for me.”

I laughed
even as I suddenly felt bad for Daniela. “She’s actually pretty smart you know
and she’s probably not as pushy as you think.”

“Yeah, I’m
sure she’s a great girl. She’s just not the one for me. You are.”

I blushed
and curled into his chest, inhaling his masculine scent.

“But while
we’re on the topic,” he said, “what do you think of Gary?”

I
spluttered a laugh. “Wow, I didn’t think you would ask me that in return.”

“Well, I
did. And it’s a serious question.”

“Don’t
worry about it, Hun,” I said patting his chest lightly. “Gary’s a cool guy but
he’s got nothing on you. He doesn’t ooze raw sex like you do.”

He
grinned. “I’m more than just a piece of meat ya know.”

“You’re so
much more than that. But as a piece of meat, you’re Prime Grade.” I reached
down to play with his cock and I licked my lips to signal to him my arousal. “I
want some more of this meat you’ve got here.”

After
having sex, we spent the rest of the day hanging out with the cats, watching
Bridezilla, and trying to study in between dopamine-inducing sex bouts. It was
another perfect day—one where I felt wonderfully alive and safe. But as night
fell and we finally ran out of condoms, we realized we couldn’t stay nestled
inside the cozy apartment forever. We had responsibilities to the outside
world: classes, training, friends. The pressures of the real world were growing
and we both felt it. After a heartfelt discussion, we finally decided to go to
our classes in the morning. It was time to face the real world again. As
boyfriend and girlfriend.

NEW BEGINNINGS

Daniela would not stop
staring daggers at me in Muller’s class Wednesday morning. It was the first
time I had ever seen her not paying attention to the lecture. I did my best to
take notes, but it was hard with my best friend staring at me.

When class
finished, I hadn’t even gotten my bag out to put my stuff away before Daniela
was on me. “Someone didn’t come home for four nights straight,” she said, her
green eyes expectant. “Quite a vacation you’ve been on.”

“Yeah,” I
said casually, packing my notes and books into my backpack.

“Did you
at least bring me a souvenir?”

I handed
her a pencil I’d stolen from Hunter’s place. It was the same one I’d used to
sketch him and I’d been using it take notes during class. “Here you go. A
souvenir from the illustrious land of apartment 2E.”

She pushed
the pencil back to me. “Alright, Lorrie. Cut the crap and spill the juicy
beans.”

I took a
deep breath, trying to refrain from smiling. “Let’s save some time. Yes, Hunter
and I are dating now.”

She
squealed and hopped up and down. I look around, embarrassed. Several people
were staring at us trying to figure out what was going on.

“I knew
it!” she whispered excitedly. “That’s so amazing Lorrie!”

“Keep it
down,” I whispered back. “People are staring.”

She nodded
and looked around, gradually wiping the smile off her face. The lecture hall
gradually emptied out as I continued to put my stuff away.

“So are
you guys like keeping it a secret or something?” she asked, this time keeping
her voice low.

Were we
keeping it a secret? We hadn’t really talked about it, but I guessed it would
get out soon enough. Still, I didn’t want to broadcast our involvement to the
world immediately.

“I don’t
know,” I answered. “I guess not. But I still don’t like people being in my
business.”

“I can
understand that. People are going to find out eventually though.” She finished
packing up and slung her bag over her shoulder and I did the same. We left the
lecture hall and headed over for our usual post-psych Starbucks mini-date.

I walked
behind her and out into the cold winter air. The sky was the kind of brilliant
light blue that only comes around in a cold place during winter. Seeing the sun
for the first time in a few days cheered me up even more.

“So,”
Daniela said, breaking me out of my spell. “There’s this party I’m going to
Friday night. You should come! Oh, and bring Hunter.”

I thought
nervously about going to a party that weekend. All I really wanted to do was
curl up with my new boyfriend and hang out with him and the kittens—maybe for
four more days or even four weeks. “I don’t know . . .”

“Oh c’mon!
I haven’t seen you in almost a week and you’re gonna bail on me just like
that?”

I suddenly
felt bad for wanting to ditch her; she was a good friend and the eagerness in
her expression indicated she really wanted me to go with her to this party.

“Alright,
alright,” I said, yielding to her guilt trip. “I think I can go, but I don’t
know about Hunter. We only just started dating, I don’t feel like I can drag
him to parties yet.”

“You have
to set the rules early!” she said, smiling mischievously. “Plus I bet he’ll
love it. Free drinks and hot music. Who wouldn’t love it?”

“I don’t
know. I’ll ask him, but I’m not promising anything.”

She turned
to me and shrugged. “Okay, just let me know. When are you seeing him next,
anyway?”

“He
actually wants to see me tonight. We’re having dinner in the dining hall
together.”

She
smiled. “You guys were together twenty-four seven for four days straight and
don’t need a break from each other? He must really like you. Lemme guess, then
you’re going back to his place to hang out with the kittens?”

I blushed.
“I think we’re going to my room, actually.”

Her eyes
widened. “Even better. Get ready, because I’m going to ask you details about
how he ‘hangs out,’ if you get my drift.” She winked.  “I’m just giving
you a pardon for a few days because I know you’ll clam up.”

“Daniela!”
I yelled, my face even hotter than before.

“What? If
my best friend is dating a guy as gorgeous as he is, I’m getting the details!”

The
righteousness of her expression made me laugh. I’d have to deal with her
inquiries about Hunter’s sexual prowess when the time came, but at least she
was giving me a momentary reprieve. Her interest in the “details” made me think
of them myself. The truth was, I couldn’t wait to get him back in bed.

We parted
ways at Starbucks. I opted against getting a coffee, realizing I had time for a
nap before my drawing class. When I got back to my dorm room, I went straight
for my bed. It felt kind of strange to be back in my room after sleeping
somewhere else the previous few nights. As I dozed off, I thought about seeing
Hunter that evening. It was the only thing on my mind.

My phone alarm chimed and I
dragged myself out of bed just in time for class, which went smoothly. Drawing
was just about the only class that was going well, schoolwise. I’d intended to
get work done at Hunter’s but we ended up studying Sex Ed more than for classes
we were actually taking. I decided to spend some time studying at the library
before dinner so I could begin to dig myself out of the rut I’d gotten into
with my classwork. After grabbing my first coffee of the day, I walked into
Wheatley Library ready to get to it.

The best
place to study when you really needed to get stuff done was the cubbies located
in the stacks, so that’s where I went. The strong stench of old book smell
greeted me; I knew a lot of people liked the aroma of book paper, but I wasn’t one
of them. I found a cubby, put my bag on the desk, and checked my phone. It was
five-fifteen—I had almost two hours before meeting Hunter at the Barnyard.
After putting on my headphones and starting my Taylor Swift mix, I got to work.

I’d been
at it for almost an hour when my mix ended. I put my headphones on the table,
wanting a break before moving on to another playlist. It was then that I heard
my name from somewhere in the stacks. Putting my pen down on my page of notes,
I remained motionless, listening quietly.

“They have
to be dating now, right? I mean she’s
always
over there. I heard she was
even there on Valentine’s day,” a girl with a high-pitched voice said.

“Yeah,”
said another girl with a lower voice. “I don’t get it though. I mean I guess she’s
cute, but she’s not exactly super hot or anything, and she is such a debbie
downer. Sure, I get it, your parents are dead, it’s really sad. I’m not blaming
her, but come on! He deserves better than that.”

My jaw
tightened as I listened to these two faceless girls gossip about me. Apparently
it hadn’t gotten out that Hunter and I were dating. If it had, these two girls
would certainly know.

“I’ll bet
she just gives really good head,” the high-pitched girl mused.

“I don’t
know, I’m sure Hunter can get a blowjob anytime he wants.”

“Yeah, but
maybe Lorrie can do special tricks with her tongue or something.” She paused.
“Or maybe she’s just willing to do absolutely anything?”

“Like
what?”

“I don’t
know, just think about it. Like really dirty porn star stuff.”

The
lower-pitched girl giggled. “I haven’t really seen much porn.”

“Use your
imagination then.”

There was
silence. I felt my heart pounding in my ears and my stomach wringing itself
out. Listening to these two girls talk about me was excruciating.

“I guess,”
the second girl said finally. “Doesn’t really matter. I bet he’ll lose interest
soon.”

“I agree.”

That was
it. I had to get out of here or these girls were going to drive me crazy. The
way these girls were talking about me like I wasn’t worth Hunter’s attention
was pissing me off. I packed my stuff up hastily and walked out.

As I
walked toward the exit I saw the two gossiping girls. One was blonde, the other
brunette, and they were both sitting down in front of a book shelf. The blonde
locked eyes with me and did a double-take. “Hi,” she said. I scowled and kept
walking, trying to ignore what those girls said about me.

I got to
the elevator and hit the button to go down to ground level, thinking I’d just
spend the rest of my studying time in a study room at the Student Union. In the
back of my mind, I guess I’d known that Hunter was well-known on campus so
going out with him would have people talking, but coming face-to-face with it
had made me feel sick. People could be so awful to each other.

I got another coffee at
Starbucks and tried to study for the next hour, but it was very unproductive. I
couldn’t concentrate. All I could think about was the tone those girls had
taken talking about me. It didn’t even sound like they were trying to be nasty;
they just sounded confused. They were wrong about why Hunter was dating me, but
it shook my confidence all the same. Seven o’clock couldn’t come soon enough.

Eventually,
evening came. I left the Student Union and walked over to the Barnyard to meet
Hunter for dinner. As I stood in line for a tray, my appetite disappeared,
replaced by nervous energy. Should I talk to Hunter about what those girls had
said? How would he respond if I did? We had an argument before about me
listening to gossip, and I tried myself not to listen to it, but dammit did
gossip always seem to follow me and then linger on my mind afterward. My pulse
starting to quicken, I ground my teeth and took a deep breath.

I grabbed
a tray and put a modest serving of potatoes and turkey on my plate along with a
dinner roll. It was probably more than I’d be able to eat, but I could give it
a try. After grabbing a soda to drink, I looked around to see if Hunter had
beaten me here. When I saw him, I was lucky to hold onto my plate.

Hunter was
sitting with the same girl who had been cozy with him the last time I’d seen
him in the Barnyard.
Ada
. This time, however, she was sitting across
from him. Did Hunter invite her to
our
dinner? Or did she invite
herself? I wanted to turn and run, but instead put my shoulders back and walked
as confidently as I could toward the open seat next to Hunter. I had nothing to
be ashamed of. I approached and she locked eyes with me.

Hunter
followed Ada’s stare. His face lit up when he saw me, causing a warm bubbly
feeling to emerge in my midsection. I felt myself relaxing immediately. Being
around Hunter was so comfortable and felt so right. I took a deep breath and
sat down next to him.

He smiled
at me. “Lorrie!”

“Hey
Hunter,” I said cheerily, returning his smile.

Hunter
gestured to Ada and me, in turn. “Ada, this is my girlfriend Lorrie. Lorrie,
Ada.”

The fact
he’d immediately called me his girlfriend boosted my confidence. He knew how to
make me feel good. Ada plastered a big fake smile on and tilted her head. “So
nice to meet you, Lorrie.”

“Hi,” I
said politely.

“Sorry it
was last minute,” Hunter said. “But I saw Ada at another table and invited her
over so you guys can meet. Clear up some confusion.”

“Yeah,
sorry about that whole banana thing,” she said, waving her hand dismissively.
“It wasn’t serious. We were just goofing around.”

“Ah, I
see,” I replied awkwardly, unsure what the proper response to that was. I noted
a subtle hint of insincerity in her voice but I wasn’t certain enough to
address it. “No worries.”

“Well, I
already ate and now I’m gonna go study,” Ada said, clearly uncomfortable with
the situation. “It was nice to meet you, Lorrie.”

“Oh, you
don’t have to go,” I offered, trying to be nice.

“No, no,
it’s okay. I have to be somewhere and I’ll let you guys enjoy your dinner. Bye
Hunter.” Ada got up and left.

“Yeah,
sorry about that, she can be a little cold. I also want to apologize to you
again for the banana thing.”

“It’s
alright, Hunter. I was pissed off before, but I think I’m over it now. I know
how much you care about me.”

He smiled
warmly and hugged me to him. “Good, I’m glad to hear it.”

I paused
to consider Ada’s odd tone. “Does she still have feelings for you, Hunter?”

“Nah, we
dated for a little over a year up ‘til sophomore year. We have history, but
that chapter’s closed,” he reassured me. “Remember how we had that discussion
about Daniela and pushy-types? Well, Ada pretty much fits that description.”

“Really?
She seemed kind of nice . . .”

“Trust me,
we’ve had some bitter arguments.” He shook his head. “But whatever, we’re cool
now.”

Feeling
better about the awkward start to our dinner and the whole Ada situation in
general, I began eating and so did Hunter. I was in the middle of taking a bite
of my turkey when I spied him looking at my food longingly. His own plate was
filled with basically just meat. Where were the carbs?