by M. A. Lee
“Whatever,” I said, sticking my tongue out at Cole; he unsuccessfully threw another peanut at my head.
“Yeah. Mel, wouldn’t be able to handle all of this,” he joked, strutting around the side of the table to where I was seated next to Kat.
“You two make me sick,” Kat stated as she stood and made her way toward the restrooms.
Cole and I were left alone with only the sounds of rock music blaring from the speakers above. Throwing his arm around my shoulders, Cole took out his phone and began looking through his pictures. “You know,” he began, his eyes still on his phone. “I don’t have any pictures of us. What kind of friend doesn’t have pictures with his friends?” he asked, trying to sound serious through his smirk.
“I guess we just aren’t very good friends,” I laughed back. I closed my textbook; it was clear Cole was not going to let me study today. Pulling me in closer, he lifted his phone and angled it toward our faces.
“What are you doing?” I asked, blocking my face with my hands.
Taking one of his hands, Cole pulled my hand down so that both of our faces were clearly on the screen. “Just smile,” he ordered as he plastered a big grin on his face. Deciding there was no use in fighting him, I smiled looking at the camera. Just as Cole snapped the picture, he leaned in and kissed me on the cheek. I laughed and then, playfully, shoved him away as he fell back against the counter.
He reviewed the picture, smiling as he did so.
“Let me see,” I ordered, trying to catch a glimpse of our ridiculous picture. Angling the phone so I could see the screen, Cole showed me our picture together. Somehow, the picture turned out great. We looked so happy and like we were having fun. A fluttering feeling developed in the pit of my stomach as I stared at the two of us; Cole was kissing my cheek. I smiled, focusing on how happy I looked.
Kat had returned from the restroom and had looked at our picture with Cole. Both of them were laughing and joking. It was moments like these that made me happy I had met Cole. In the time I had known him, he had taught me how to be happy again, and I was feeling myself coming back.
So, when Brody walked through the door, I never expected everything to change. Everything was perfect and peaceful, the same way the sky looks before the atmosphere changes, the clouds darken, and the storm approaches.
I smelled his strong cologne first, the odor was almost a warning. I looked up as Brody sashayed through the door, a smug grin on his face. His eyes instantly traveled to mine, which were full of anger. I hadn’t seen him since the other night when I attacked him at the bar.
“What are you doing here?” I asked, trying to control the hatred in my voice. Noticing my rage, Kat stopped her conversation and hung up her cell phone. She began eyeing me closely.
Walking over to our table, Brody gave Kat a full body glance. “I heard you were slumming it.” Brody sneered. “So, hanging out with trash now?” he asked, laughing.
“Stop,” I demanded and pointed to the door. “You need to leave, Brody. How did you even know where I was? I asked, nervously glancing at Kat.
“Melanie, this is a public restaurant. I just came in to get something to eat and saw you here and thought I would say hello,” Brody mocked as he began flipping through a menu he had picked up from our table. It was clear he was not interested in anything the restaurant had to offer, well anything else other than humiliating me. “Anyway, I wanted to see you and talk about what happened the other night.” he added, a smile appearing on his face. “We haven’t really talked in a long time. I was going to call your apartment, but I don’t even know that number. So I called that small book place you work at and they told me you were off, but some girl said you had told her you were coming here with some friends. Maybe I could take you out to eat and we could catch up. You don’t answer my calls, and I don’t even know where you and Lauren live now.” he added, pretending like he really cared.
I could feel the bile rising in my throat as I held on to the table for support. “Brody, I do not want to talk to you. We are done. There is nothing I have to say to you, so I think it is best that you just leave.”
Reaching over the table, Brody grabbed my arm and held me tighter than he should have. “Come on Mel, don’t be such a bitch. I just want to talk,” he stated, as the frustration reflected in his tone.
“Back off, asshole,” Kat said as she gave Brody a death glare. Even though Kat was petite, she could frighten even the largest and most intimidating men.
Glancing between the two of us, Brody didn’t budge or let go of my arm. Instead, he pulled me closer toward him.
“Get off of me,” I screamed, smacking his hand with my free arm. I noticed the bar tender and waitress starting to look up and they were unsure if they should intervene or leave us alone.
Before I knew what was happening, Brody was flying backward and suddenly crashed against the hard cement floor. He knocked over a chair and our table shook, causing our sodas to spill all over the table. Cole had appeared and was now standing over Brody, holding him down with his foot as he looked at me.
“What is he doing here?” Cole asked, his eyes glaring at Brody beneath him.
“Do you know this punk with a death wish?” Kat asked as she began dialing a number on her phone.
“This is Brody,” I said, my chest still heaving from anger. “Cole met him the other night.”
Swiftly turning his head, Cole now looked at Brody like he wanted to kill him. His breath began to deepen as his nostrils flared. He balled up his fists. In one swift movement, he picked up Brody with one arm, and stood him upright. “Listen, you better get out of here before I kick your ass. This time I won’t stop like Mel did.” Cole hissed, pushing Brody. The male bartender ran over to us and began yelling for Brody and Cole to leave now or he would call the police. I sort of wished he would, so Brody would be forced to leave me alone.
Refusing to stand down, Brody took a step forward. His face was just inches from Cole’s and he stared into his eyes. Either Brody was cockier than I remembered or just plain dumb, but either way, he was about to start something he wouldn’t be able to handle.
“Sure, I will leave. But I want to talk to Melanie first,” Brody said, never taking his eyes off of Cole.
“That’s not going to happen,” Cole replied, his body tense and firm. I could only see the back of his head, but I could only imagine the glare he must be giving Brody.
“We will see about that.” Brody mocked as he tried to move around Cole and toward me.
“Wrong move,” Cole yelled as he arched back and unleashed a devastating blow to Brody’s jaw.
Brody staggered backward and fell hard against the front wall. He rubbed his jaw, clearly amused. Without warning, he lunged at Cole, and both men slammed together in mid-air. They landed on a table behind where we were sitting. The men went crashing to the floor as they continued throwing blows and screaming. The sound was almost like a bolt of thunder, it both frightened me and intrigued me.
“Stop,” I screamed as a glass went crashing to the floor.
Cole and Brody were now rolling around, throwing punches as they maneuvered around the small space. Both men had blood dripping from their noses and various cuts on their faces, but I couldn’t tell who was hurt more.
I moved in and kicked at Brody’s back as he lifted his fist and attempted to punch Cole in the jaw. Feeling my heel dig into his back, Brody arched his body and yelled out, “You Bitch,” before lunging at me.
Seeing this, Cole used the opportunity to grab Brody around the waist and slam him back to the ground. Now, he had his legs crushing into Brody’s stomach and his hands were held down.
Kat, who had been screaming and talking to someone on her phone, now came running to the commotion and began yelling at them too. She reached to our table and picked up her half full glass of water and threw it on both Cole and Brody.
Both Cole and Brody looked up, clearly not happy about the rain shower they were experiencing. Just as Kat dump
ed the last drop of water on them, the manager of the restaurant appeared.
“What the hell is going on here?” he asked as he rushed over and grabbed Cole who was now using his free hand to punch Brody in the face.
Following the waitress, the tall and muscular man reached down and pulled Brody up in one swift movement. Everyone stood paralyzed as all took in the scene. Cole’s chest was rapidly moving as he struggled to compose himself and catch his breath. Brody, who still had a stupid smirk on his face, wiped at his face, smearing blood on his tee shirt. “You both need to leave or I will have you both arrested.” He yelled, his arms pointing to the mess the men had made in his restaurant.
Growing agitated at the lack of communication and questions swirling around the air, Kat grew impatient. “We will leave, but I still don’t understand what the hell is going on here? Someone better tell me why this jackass came here.” she screamed, throwing her hands into the air.
“This guy,” Brody said as he pointed to Cole, “Jumped me as I was trying to talk to my ex-girlfriend.” he stated, glaring at Cole who looked back like he wanted to kill Brody.
Before anyone else could speak, I ran my hands through my hair and wiped away a tear. “Shut up, Brody.” I screamed as my anger began coursing through my veins. I couldn’t take it any longer. “You both are idiots. Brody, you have no business being in here and have no business talking to any friends of mine.” I glared at him as he cupped his jaw in his hand, rubbing a bruise that was already appearing. He stared at me, almost confused that I managed to yell at him with such anger and force, I could feel my body shaking. “And you,” I said, as I pointed at Cole who had a smug look on his face as he watched me berate Brody like a child. “You shouldn’t have hit him. I could have made him leave.” I raged, unwilling to stop and listen to anyone. Smalls and Kat stood close, their bodies almost acting as a barricade for Cole.
Stepping forward, Cole brushed Smalls and Kat aside as he came only inches from my face. His breath burned into my mouth as his chest heaved rapidly under his now torn tee shirt. He was struggling with something deep inside, I could feel his frustration radiating through his skin as it threatened to make contact with me. He began to speak, punctuating every word and syllable with such care, I felt myself take a step back with fear. “I am done.” He growled through clenched teeth. Then without warning, he walked past me and out the door. I was too afraid to turn and see him go. I was too afraid of what his words meant.
Allowing a few stray tears to escape, I watched Brody grab his phone and wallet off the floor. They must have fallen out of his pockets during his scuffle with Cole. Walking to me, he began to open his mouth but thought better. He just offered a wave as he too walked away from me. In that moment, I realized two men had just left me for good. Two men, whom my feelings for varied greatly, had just broken my heart, again.
***
I couldn’t take my mind off the pained expression Cole had given me just two days ago. I had hurt him, even though that was the last thing I wanted to do. During my morning class, I barely heard my professor as she lectured on Socialism in our current society. In the afternoon, I had been so distracted by my own thoughts that I was sent home early because everyone thought I had the flu or something. I had only heard from Cole twice since that day. Both were in text messages, and they were hard to get a good read from. He had asked me how I was and then simply wanted to know what I was doing. The conversations had been short and curt. No friendly joking or harmless flirting involved. Not talking to him had left me in a sort of fog, unsure of what I should or could do about the damage I had caused.
I walked home, feeling helpless and just wanting to curl up in my bed with a bowl of popcorn and watch Netflix. Unfortunately, Lauren was home too, and, of course, she had already made plans for both of us.
“Oh good, you are home,” Lauren welcomed me as I walked through our apartment door. I could smell something burning in the oven, and as Lauren waved smoke around the kitchen, I knew I must be right.
“What is burning?” I asked, throwing my bag on the couch and walking into the kitchen.
“Nothing major. I just burned some cookies I was making for Isaac,” she said, pointing to a plate of crisp and black cookies.
“Okay. Well, I am going to bed.” I said, grabbing a bottle of water out of the fridge and trying to escape before Lauren could interrogate me.
“Hold on,” she snapped, running in front of me and blocking my exit. “Isaac and Cole invited us over tonight. We are both going,” she snapped, emphasizing the we part of the sentence.
“Nope, not tonight,” I argued back. “I don’t feel good and I just want to lay in bed.” I moaned as she took my hand and led me to the living room sofa.
Watching me closely, Lauren didn’t buy my act. She knew something else was going on. “Tell me the truth, Mel. I am not going to leave you alone until you tell me why you are upset and look so terrible.” Lauren was persistent and I knew she wouldn’t let up.
I glanced at myself in the mirror by our door. Lauren was right. My hair was in a messy bun and my white dress shirt was wrinkled, and sticking out of my khaki pants.
“I’ve just had a few rough days,” I said, trying to fake a smile. “But I am fine, just tired from school.”
Smacking my arm, Lauren opened her mouth and began to speak sharply. “Melanie. I am your best friend. I will not be lied to. Tell me the truth now.”
“Fine. Brody found me Saturday when I went out with everyone and he and Cole got in a fight.” I said.
“Yeah. Isaac told me about that.” Lauren said.
“I just feel bad about how I reacted.”
“Well then, you will just have to make it up to him.” Lauren announced as she pulled me off the couch and drug me to my room where she dressed me and then fixed my hair. By the time we got into the car, I felt like I had been sucked into a wind tunnel.
“Just tell him you are sorry,” Lauren hissed as she walked through Isaac and Cole’s front door. Ever since Lauren and Isaac had been dating, we had found that their house was almost a second home to us. It was strange how comfortable I usually felt walking through their door without even knocking. Tonight, though, I didn’t feel so comfortable.
“I don’t think it will matter,” I whispered back, not wanting the guys to hear me. I could hear their voices coming from the kitchen. “Plus, Cole is probably sick of babysitting me anyway,” I argued.
“You really are naive, aren’t you?” Lauren asked as she arched her eyebrows in a way that meant she thought I was crazy. “Cole is crazy about you.”
Laughing, I threw my head back, dramatizing the motion for effect. “I don’t think so,” I protested. “We are just friends. He is becoming a good friend, but just friends.” I added, emphasizing the word friend.
Shaking her head in frustration, Lauren only smiled. “Mel, some days I just wonder how someone so smart could be so dumb. When you finally clear all that fog in your head and begin to see clearly again, and when you become the old Mel, my best friend since forever, you will see what I see.”
“What?” I asked, confused about what she meant. “Lauren, I may not be back to my old self completely, but I can see clear enough to know Cole and I are just friends.”
“Sure,” she said rolling her eyes at me. “If you all are just friends, then tell me why you are so worried that he is mad at you?” She crossed her arms and stood tapping her foot, waiting for me to respond.
“I told you, he’s my friend. I can talk to him about Alice and the wreck. He understands how I feel. Besides, I would cry if I thought you were mad at me too. It’s just what I do.” I replied, crossing my arms, too, for affect.
Sighing, Lauren laughed. “Whatever you say, Mel. That boy wants to take you to his bed and do all types of dirty things to you,” she said, her voice full of laughter.
I could feel my face blush as the images took over my brain.
Grabbing my hand, Lauren pulled me down the hall and to the
kitchen where Cole was seated at the kitchen table, wrapping his hand in a bandage. Isaac stood by the counter, sipping a beer as he shook his head at Cole.
My eyes began to fill with tears as I realized Cole was hurt because of me. Unable to stop the tornado of emotions that were brewing, I felt myself begin to shake as the sobs came. Looking up, Cole saw me, and his brows furrowed first in curiosity then to anger.
“What happened?” he asked, pushing his chair back and stalking toward me. He placed a hand on my face and wiped away my tears. His voice was thick and scratchy as he talked.
“I am sorry.” I wailed, throwing my hands around his neck and hugging him. “I should have made Brody leave the moment he started taunting us. I didn’t think anything would escalate, I didn’t mean for you all to fight,” I continued, my face now buried into Cole’s shoulder.
Noticing his hand again, I couldn’t contain my sobs. “Oh no, your hand,” I wailed.
Laughing, Cole smiled. “Stop worrying. I hurt my hand at work today. No big deal, just a little cut,” he said, showing me the marking on his hand.
Patting my back, Cole soothed me, asking me to stop crying. “I am not mad at you,” he began, cupping my head in his hands and forcing me to look up at him. “I am mad at that asshole who hurt you. He deserved to get his ass kicked.” Cole growled as he watched me closely.
“That’s what I have been telling her,” Lauren chimed in as she stood next to Isaac, taking sips of his beer.
Checking her watch, Lauren quickly reached for her purse. “Our movie starts in thirty minutes,” she said, pulling Isaac. They left and I realized Cole and I were alone, again.
“I can leave if you have plans.” I said, taking a step toward the door. Lauren had set me up. She knew if she left me here I wouldn’t have a choice but to stay here with Cole. And, since Cole was always at Isaac’s, her plan worked.
“I don’t have plans.” He said. “You want to hang out and watch a movie or something?” he asked as he plopped down on the sofa.
