Sophia was still giving me dirty looks all week. Joey was the middle man between us and since Sophia wasn’t listening to me I was using Joey as my messenger. I was over her, I think I had been over her for years but she was one of my best friends. Breaking up was necessary in the sense that I didn’t like her the way that I liked Skylar. However Sophia broke up with me because she assumed that Skylar and I were getting together. She just couldn’t get it through her mind that I could hang out with a girl and be faithful. Though when I think about it now, I’m not sure how much longer I could stay faithful.
Skylar had a different effect on me. She actually listened to me, and she made me laugh. When I was around her my heartbeat was faster, my mind raced, my stomach did flips…. I don’t remember ever feeling that before. Regardless of my feelings for Skylar I didn’t act on them; not when I was with Sophia and not since she had made a scene in front of everyone. Even after that scene I didn’t eat lunch with Skylar. Instead I ate with Joey and a few other guys that we had joined. Sophia now hung out with her posse and they all would turn their attention to me once in a while with dirty looks.
“I’m done!” I stood up and emptied my tray.
“Dude I would’ve ate that.” Joey spoke up eyeing my empty tray with disappointment. “Do you want me to talk to her?”
“No I’m done with that. She can think whatever she wants to think. I don’t care.”
Classes went on numbingly. I waited as I always did. Taking my time to meet up with Skylar and get a ride home since I was off of work today. I wasn’t sure why I was waiting. I had been doing it before so that Sophia wouldn’t see who I was driving with because at the time I hadn’t wanted to hear her incessant chatter. Now I was doing it out of courtesy so I didn’t continue to hurt her. Tomorrow I would just go about my business and prove I didn’t care. Tomorrow.
Right after this declaration to myself I saw that Sophia was running down the halls out the front door I hid in an adjacent hallway so she wouldn’t see. Guess I would have to work on the not caring part more. That’s when I saw something I wished I could take back. Skylar waved my way to get my attention but as I viewed the parking lot I saw Joey in his convertible with Sophia. They weren’t talking…they were making out. Hardcore, to the point that it looked like a soft porn. My stomach churned as I watched her hands grabbing at him and I was ready to use my strength to its full advantage.
Walking over there I was just inches from his car when Skylar ran over trying to divert my attention.
“Michael!” She pulled at my arm but I pushed her away.
“Enjoying yourselves.” I shouted at them as they quickly broke apart.
Sophia jumped back, her face a bright red. “Michael. I–”
“You what. You assume the worse of me and you jump on my best friends lap.” If this was a cartoon I would guarantee that smoke was coming out my ears. “How long has this been going on?” I yelled.
“Man, I-uh.” Joey looked down at his dash as Sophia elbowed him in the ribs.
“It’s not your business Michael. Why don’t you take your new girlfriend and leave us alone.” Tears clouded her eyes.
“For the last time Skylar and I didn’t do anything. Can you get that through your empty head. So while you enjoy sucking each others face off I’m going to reevaluate the fact that neither of you are my friends. Your just posers.”
“Man I swear, we didn’t mean to hurt you. It just happened.” Joey got out of the car trying to rest his hand upon my shoulder.
With force I grabbed his wrist pressing it against his back as I pushed him up against the hood.
“If you tell me how long you’ve been screwing around behind my back I won’t break your wrist.” I seethed through my clenched teeth. “Don’t lie to me Joey, you owe me more than that.”
“Let him go Michael!” Sophia screamed but I ignored her petty wail.
“Since the summer, when we were at camp together.” I let go of him. He had betrayed me for over 3 months.
Suddenly I felt empty. Like I was off the hook. These weren’t my friends. They were just insignificant people who’d been acting with me all along. Letting go of his arm I stormed off with Skylar trying to keep up. Before getting into the car I turned around abruptly grabbing her in my arms only to be pushed away.
“You too.” I cursed under my breath.
“Michael wait, it’s not like that. I just-”
“Save your voice. I’m sure Joey wouldn’t mind keeping you on the side if you want.”
Her jaw dropped open and she was speechless. I punched a minivan parked next to her. The windshield and both the driver side and passenger windows broke falling into pieces on the ground. My fist print was right above the driver side tire. The alarm went off and Skylar motioned for me to jump in her Hummer as she spun the tires and took off.
Sitting in her driveway she took off her seatbelt and grabbed a wad of napkins from the council. I cowered away from her touch and she looked at me as if I was the most annoying thing on earth before I let her see my wounds.
“Michael– it’s healed already.” Looking down I saw her wiping off the blood that hadn’t dried yet and I couldn’t see where the blood had come from. This was my life now, whoever I was.
Writer Daze 