by Claire Adams
Once class ended, I decided to take out some of my stress and frustration at the gym. I hadn't been there in a few days, due to my course load and assignments. However, I had a few free hours, so why the hell not? It might actually help me to fall asleep that night. I usually preferred to work out early in the morning, as I was usually too tired later on to get in there, but that day was an exception.
The campus gym was pretty exquisite. It was one of those state-of-the-art facilities that had everything you could possibly need to work out with, all in one place, with numerous makes and models. Although there were times where you still had to wait for a machine, it was a rare thing. Usually there was more than enough available for everyone.
One of the other reasons why I enjoyed working out early was because there was typically no one there that early. Most students were either hung-over from the night before, or in class, and didn’t bother with early morning workout sessions. By mid-morning, the gym was a lot busier than it was when I generally came in.
I headed to the treadmills and stepped onto one. I entered all the requirements, and set the speed to allow for a slow jog at first, and then I would increase the speed as I went. I put my headphones on, and got my iPod rolling with some good jams.
I spent those 40 minutes in my own world; this was the time for me to fix all the problems that had been plaguing me lately. I felt at that point that I had my art project under control, and the first month was already complete. At the moment, I didn't have any other big projects coming up, so I could probably spend some time on my own art to get ready for a new show. I wasn't sure when the next one was coming, but it was always good to have a solid collection ready to go at the drop of a hat.
Now, what to do about Jet? The thought of letting him into my world gave me a touch of anxiety. I wasn't entirely sure I could trust him, but that kiss had sparked something inside of me that I wasn't sure I could continue to deny much longer. I was curious about why the kiss had moved me so much. Maybe there was more there to examine between us than I had realized. I didn't want to miss out on something spectacular if it was there for the taking.
The 40 minutes flew by, and my cool down began. I slowed to a fast walk and wiped the sweat off my brow. I pulled my headphones out of my ears, and took a quick look around the room. I had a minute and a half left before the treadmill stopped on its own.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a group of people, guys and girls, clustered against the wall. It wasn't an unusual thing to see. There were always groups of people lurking around, some with no real interest in working out, just there to try and get with a guy or girl. The unusual thing about this group was that they all seemed to be staring at me. They would glance over, and then whisper amongst each other, and then glance over again. I had never seen anything like it before, and I raised an eyebrow at them.
Although I was known around campus as an art student, I was never considered unpopular. I had never been the victim of bullying, nor had anyone tease me or make fun of me. In fact, a lot of people had known my ex, and liked him a great deal. For the most part, people liked me as well, but being shy, I just never immersed myself within a large group of people. That's why I found that little clique’s behavior to be highly unusual.
I gave them an obvious and pointed shrug, as if to say, Hey what's with all the staring? I brushed it off, and started heading toward the free weight area. I could still feel their eyes on me, and my stomach began to turn, as if I knew that they had a clue to a secret that I knew nothing about.
There was a girl lifting weights when I walked over, and she already had her eyes on the group of people as well. She had a quizzical look on her face, and I hoped she didn't think that I was some loser, too. The whole thing struck me as a little bizarre, but maybe I was just having one of those days.
The girl turned to me when I approached, and smiled awkwardly. Yup, she thinks I'm a loser. Wonderful.
I picked up some 15 lb. free weights, and sat down on a bench to do bicep curls. I never lifted heavy weights, I mainly did free weights just to add a little muscle to my body, but I didn't want anything crazy.
“Don't worry about them.”
Surprised, I looked up at her. “Excuse me?”
She pointed to the group, which was kind enough to turn away. “I'm talking about those nitwits. Really classy bunch over there that can't stop staring at you.”
“Yeah ... I'm not really sure what that's about.”
“You don't know? Really? Well, I know we like to think that guys keep their mouths shut, but it's rarely the case. Sorry,”
I dropped the weights as I grew a little annoyed. Was this puzzle day? If so, I had no idea what the hell was going on. “I'm sorry, I have no idea what you're talking about.”
“It's ‘cause you slept with Jet.”
“I did what?”
“Jet's roommate has a fairly large trap, and he was talking about you and Jet getting it on pretty hot and heavy last night after he stopped over at your place. After that, it spread, which is why you seem to have caught the interest of that group over there.”
“I've never met Jet's roommate.”
“It doesn't matter; Jet obviously filled him in on the two of you, and Kyle spilled the beans. It sucks, I know. Guys can be such pigs.”
I stared down at the weights I had dropped, trying to process the information I had just been given. I looked back at the group, which at that point had moved on to more interesting things. They thought I had slept with Jet. That's why they had been staring at me. They were probably wondering why a guy like Jet would sleep with a girl like me.
“I didn't sleep with Jet, though.”
“You don't have to hide it, girl, we aren't in high school anymore. Everyone does it.”
I laughed nervously. “No, that's not it. I seriously have never slept with Jet ever, nor do I intend on it.” The girl looked me over carefully, so I added, “I honestly don't know why those people think I did.”
“Well they think that because Kyle told them. Kyle isn't the kind of guy that goes around telling lies, so I'm guessing that for whatever reason Jet told him you guys did the nasty, Kyle exposed it.”
I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Some guy I had never met was going around campus telling everyone that I had slept with Jet last night. I was going to strangle Jet when I got my hands on him.
“That son of a bitch.”
“Yeah, guys are pricks. I typically try to avoid them at all costs. Just not worth the headaches.”
I put back the free weights, no longer in the mood to finish my workout. I had to get the hell out of the gym and away from the stares I was getting. “Well I appreciate you giving me the heads up, but I have to go now, and murder someone.”
“Yeah, no problem. Good luck.”
I hurried out of the gym, avoiding eye contact with anyone. I wondered how many people knew―how many people were gossiping about my wild night with Jet. What a prick. I headed across campus to my apartment, and unlocked the building door. I made a quick dash up the stairs and burst through my apartment door. I was happy to see Julie there.
“You are never gonna believe what happened to me today.”
“What? What happened? Who pissed you off?”
“That idiot! I should never have trusted him.”
“Calm down, Natalie, who are we talking about here?”
“Jet.”
Her eyebrows rose. “Jet? What happened with Jet?”
“Absolutely nothing happened with Jet, that's the whole point. But that's not what he's telling people.”
“Whoa! Okay, start from the beginning.”
I told Julie everything, from the visit to our apartment the night before, to the kiss. I even openly admitted to liking the kiss, and looking at future possibilities with Jet. I explained to her how I had freaked a little and sent him packing. I then explained the situation at the gym, and about the group of people staring at me, whispering. I told her how some strange girl had
to enlighten me on the topic.
“Oh my God, Natalie. I'm so sorry.”
“It was beyond humiliating. They were just staring at me. I felt like an idiot.”
“They’re morons, Natalie. Like, who does that? We aren't in high school; why do they care if Jet slept with someone?”
“It's ‘cause it's me. They were probably trying to figure out what the hell he saw in me. Believe me, I was wondering the same thing.”
“Come on, Natalie, I know you are upset, and you have every right to be, but you are just talking crazy now. You are gorgeous; look at that hair alone.” I started laughing. “No, I'm serious. You're obviously beautiful. Those were just a bunch of tools that were jealous. A bunch of girls who got dissed by him at some point, that's all.”
I went for the heavy liquor that time. Screw the wine bottles. I went into the cupboard and took out a bottle of whiskey. I took out two snifter glasses, and poured a generous amount into both of them. I added ice, and a small amount of Coke, and stirred it a little. Julie watched with her mouth hanging open.
“Natalie, it's like 2:00 p.m.”
“Do you have somewhere you need to be?”
Julie laughed, “No, I guess I don't.” She took the glass I handed her, and took a sip. “Whoa, this is a stiff one.”
“Yeah, I wish I could have said the same for Jet,” I laughed. “I didn't even get to find out. I think that's what pisses me off the most. He didn't even put a valiant effort into getting me into bed before going around and telling everyone we did it.”
“Look, you don't know the whole story. Maybe he was trying to save face, and didn't realize it would go public. You have been pretty hard on the guy.”
“Save face, my ass. He's just like every other guy I know, and here's the proof of it. Just when I actually started liking him, he goes and does exactly what I thought he was going to do, and that's be an asshole.”
“I'm actually surprised. He seemed to genuinely like you.”
“That's how they trick you. He didn't like me. He's just the same as all the others. I tried to tell you that right from the beginning, and you kept trying to get me to hang out with him. And now this.”
“You're blaming me?” She looked dumbfounded.
“No! This is my own idiocy, trust me.”
“Maybe you should talk to him. See why he did that.”
“No thanks, I have no interest in talking to him again.”
“Sorry, girl.”
I held up my glass of whiskey before drinking it. “Let's just get shitfaced together.”
We laughed together, and I once again tried to drown my sorrows in booze.
Chapter Twelve
Jet
I felt good that night, better than good. Actually, I felt alive. A few of my buddies and I were doing a little pre-drinking at my apartment before heading to the club. They were a great group of hilarious guys and we always had a blast out hunting for the ladies.
“Hey, guys finish up your drinks. I'm calling a cab; let's head out.”
It was probably another fifteen minutes before the cab showed up and we all piled into it, ready to hit the nightlife.
I hadn't seen or heard from Natalie in a few days, and it was probably for the best. I had decided to give up trying with her, and move on. She clearly wasn't interested in me, and I couldn't keep beating a dead horse. I still thought about her, though; she really did mess with my head. It was frustrating thinking about her sometimes. I felt like I had failed in winning her over, and I hated failing at anything. I really just wanted to be near her.
That was the past talking, however.
Tonight I was ready to find some new squirrel.
The cab pulled up to the destination of choice, and we got out, and headed to the door. The doorman did his standard checking of IDs and we paid the appropriate cover charge, and in we went. We walked up the stairs to the higher level, and as I turned the corner with my friends, there sat this red headed stunner at the bar with her friend, Julie. The sight of her caused me to stop in my tracks, and one of my buddies behind me bumped into my back. He saw where I was staring and said, “Hey, man, you already did that. Find someone new.”
I shook my head. I really was an idiot. But he was right about one thing. I was there to find someone new. We headed to the opposite end of the bar to avoid any awkwardness. The two of them glanced up at us but quickly went back to their drinks. I noticed Julie whispering in Natalie's ear while looking at me, and I hoped to hell something wasn't brewing up between them. I just wanted to have a good time without any drama.
We grabbed some drinks and headed to the dance floor, because that was where you picked up girls. I grinded up against a particularly foxy blonde, and she melted into me like butter, and it was just that easy. We swayed together with the music, but I still couldn't help but glance a few times at the bar to see if Natalie might be missing me. She had her back to me though, and seemed to be in a pretty deep conversation with Julie.
The blonde, whose name escaped me at that point, turned to face me, and wrapped her arms around my neck. She pushed herself very close against me, and I felt some movement in my pants. Her lips found mine, and the next thing you know, we were making out on the dance floor. It looked like my night was shaping up pretty good. Her tongue lost itself in my mouth, and things were getting pretty heated between us. She tasted sweet, but there was no spark there. Nothing like what had ignited between Natalie and me, but that's okay; this was just for one night. I would never see this girl again after that. We continued to make out, and it suddenly struck me that Natalie could be watching us. I stopped kissing the blonde immediately, and glanced at the bar. Natalie and Julie were gone; they had completely left the bar. Had she seen me making out and stormed off? Had I been too insensitive by moving on right in front of her even though we were never a thing?
I looked down at the blonde, who had a confused look on her face. I smiled; she was really pretty, and I decided that I wanted to see more of her.
“Do you want to come home with me?”
She nodded eagerly. I grabbed her hand, and I whisked her off the dance floor, heading down the stairs of the club. This was going to be the girl who would help me forget all about Natalie, and make me feel really good. I didn't bother to say goodbye to my friends. They knew where to find me; they all had phones. No one worried much about each other, as the game was to find someone to take home, not to end up going home with your buddies. That was typically classified as a bad night out. No one wanted to go home alone, especially if you were the only one.
We left the bar, and I felt the cool night breeze hit me as soon as we got out the door. It was refreshing after being inside the hot, stuffy club. I put my arm around the blonde, and held her tight as we headed down the street. I heard a scream as we got further down the street, and I thought I saw a few people further down as we got closer. Then I realized that it was Natalie and Julie. To my horror, I saw the guy who was clutching on Natalie, trying to rip the purse from her arm. He swung and hit Natalie across the face, loosening the purse from her grip.
“Hey!” I shouted.
The guy took off running, but I wasn't about to let him get away. I let the blonde go, and took off after him. I tore past Julie and Natalie, and kept a steady pace. He wasn't in very good shape, because it wasn't long before I caught up to him. I leapt at him, tackling him to the ground. I felt the air whoosh out of him.
“Get the fuck off of me, man.”
“Oh I'm gonna get off, alright.”
I turned him over and punched him square in the face. Blood spurted from his nose, and sprayed on my shirt. I punched him a few more times before I stood up. Once I did, I kicked him in the ribs until I heard a crack. The guy howled in pain.
“I suggest you get the hell out of my face. If I were you, I would think twice before touching another female.”
The guy rose slowly from the ground, and I watched him carefully to make sure he wasn't going to make another move.
He hobbled down the street and I almost regretted not beating him to death. I picked the two purses off the ground, along with anything that had scattered from them. I carried them back to the girls, and realized awkwardly that my little blonde friend was talking to Natalie.
Natalie looked up at me. She looked so sad that it almost broke my heart. I noticed that blood was seeping from her lip. When he had hit her, he must have split her lip. I should have killed him after all. I looked back down the street to see if I could still see him but he was long gone.
“Are you okay, Natalie?”
She nodded, tears welling up in her eyes, and then falling down her cheeks. “Thank you for getting my things.”
I looked over at Julie who seemed a little calmer. “Are you okay, Julie?”
“Yes, he came out of nowhere. It all just happened so fast.”
“That's so terrible.” We all looked over at the blonde as she spoke, and I realized once again how terrible it was that she was there with me.
“Can I take you two home?”
“Ummm, I thought we were going back to your place,” the blonde said to me. I wished to God I had not decided to take her home with me. I noticed Natalie roll her eyes, with a stellar look of disgust written all over her face.
“Look, sweetheart. It's not gonna happen after all. I need to make sure I take care of my friends here. So why don't you either go back in the club or catch a cab home. But either way, you're not coming home with me.”
The girl's mouth hung open. She was pissed, and I couldn't really blame her. She spun around and marched herself back to the club. I watched her until I saw her go inside; I didn't need to deal with another mugging.
“Nice.” I spun around when I heard Natalie's voice. She was watching me carefully, not in the least bit impressed.
“How about you guys come back and stay to my place for the night? That way at least I know you made it somewhere safe.”
Natalie snorted despite her condition, but she held back whatever it was that she wanted to say to me.
