This is a work of fiction. All the resemblances are completely accidental. Don't read it if you are not supposed to. You know the drill. My e-mail is ConcertoInD@Gmail.com if you want to tell me something (insults, praises, and whatnot). Thanks!
- III -
I was amazed when by spring break I almost didn't think of Alex anymore. I was falling head over heels for Sam and at first I was torturing myself about it again - I guess I am masochistic or something - thinking that Sam probably didn't feel the same way as I did and that I was getting myself into yet another devastation pit of feelings. And then one of those days Sam looked at me and rolled his eyes.
"Jesus", he grumbled. "Jake, will you please stop doing this to yourself?"
I blinked.
"What?" I asked carefully.
"I can see your eyelid twitch every time you look at me", he said seriously.
"Oh God..." I sighed. "Sam..."
He sat next to me.
"Jake", he said softly. "If you want me to stop..."
I looked at him in astonishment.
"No!" I frowned. "Sam, Jesus... That's not it!"
"Then what is it?"
I shook my head, feeling my face starting to burn.
"Sam", I muttered and looked away from him. "I guess I just want to see you and nobody else..."
He was so silent that I finally looked at him. I was afraid to see horror in his eyes but instead he just took my face in his palms and kissed me on the lips with his soft warm mouth. From that day I felt complete and happy even though it was really hard to believe at first.
Landon never said anything to Christy and I couldn't bring myself up to tell her. I tried to do it several times but I just couldn't say it. Finally I gave up, figuring that she will find out sooner or later. Or maybe Landon will stop screwing Danetta, I hoped but somehow I didn't believe that. I told Sam about it and he just shrugged.
"I guess telling her would be the right thing to do", he said. "But what she doesn't know, can't hurt her, right?"
I agreed with that wholeheartedly. I mean, Alex is not completely brainless. He would be extremely careful now, right? Ugh, wrong. The shit hit the fan on the last day of spring break.
I was so happy, I felt like singing. I just got three letters - on the same day, can you believe that?! - that said I was accepted at all three schools I applied to. It was unbelievable. I seriously thought that the minute someone else besides Sam and Christy sees my drawings, they will die from laughter. And yet there I was, staring at the acceptance letters. I shook my head and laughed. This was crazy and totally unreal. I thought which school should I go to and then decided to talk to Sam and Christy and also figure out which one would offer me better scholarship. I put the letters away and dialed Christy's number. She answered almost instantly and she sounded very cheerful.
"Chris", I said. "You busy?"
"Nope", she said and I knew immediately that she was eating ice cream.
"Is it all right if I come over?"
She snorted.
"Do you even have to ask that?" she said and I laughed.
"Okay. I'll be there in half an hour or so. I have some awesome news."
"Sweet", Christy said and sighed.
"You just ran out of ice cream, didn't you?" I asked with laughter.
"Yeah", she sounded so sad, it was comical.
"Oh, Bailey..." I sighed. "I'll get you some."
I stopped by the store and got two boxes of cherry and chocolate ice cream. Christy would kill for cherry and chocolate ice cream. Soon enough I parked my car next to her house and this time I didn't even bother ring the bell. I walked in and shouted:
"Honey, I am home!!"
"Come in!" she yelled from the living room.
I went there and she almost fell off the couch when she saw the ice cream.
"Oh my God, Summers", she said with feeling. "I love you so much, you have no idea!"
"You don't love me", I said seriously. "You love the ice cream that I bring."
"Whatever", she laughed and grabbed her huge spoon.
We were watching TV and eating ice cream and it felt great. I told her about my acceptance letters and she hugged me so suddenly that she almost whacked me with her spoon. I laughed and licked the ice cream off my fingers.
"So yeah", I said finally. "Now I am trying to figure out which one will give me better scholarship..."
"Well", Christy licked her spoon. "What if it's the one in Arizona?"
"Then I guess I'll have to move", I shrugged.
"What about Sam?" she frowned.
"We talked about it", I nodded. "A week ago, actually. He said that if I go to Arizona, he'll come with me. The company has a branch there so he'll just transfer."
Sam worked for the same computer company as Matt.
"That's awesome", she breathed and her eyes suddenly saddened. "Oh, Summers... If you go over there, I'll miss you so much!"
"I'll miss you too", I sighed. "But it's not like I'll be going to a different planet. We'll come back for holidays and whatnot..."
"I know", Christy nodded. "But I'll miss you, Jake..."
It was almost six in the evening when Christy asked me if I could give her a ride to Alex's place.
"Matt's car is in the shop", she said apoplectically. "So he borrowed mine."
"Sure", I shrugged. "No problem."
We got into my car and I looked at Christy carefully.
"So how are the things between you two?" I asked casually while I was driving down the road.
"It's great", she smiled. "Jake, I am so in love with him, it's crazy!"
Took all my strength not to cringe at that.
"I mean, you don't feel the same way about him anymore, right?" Christy asked quickly and I grinned.
"No, Bailey", I said and stopped on the red light. "Landon does nothing for me now."
"Thank God for Sam", she muttered and I laughed.
She was totally right though. Sam was my salvation. I couldn't believe how whole I felt with him. It was like suddenly there was no gap in my soul and all the puzzle pieces fit neatly together.
Finally I pulled into Alex's driveway and turned the car off.
"Thanks, Jake", Christy smiled. "Hey, do you wanna come in and say hi to my boy toy?"
At first I almost said no, thanks. But then I decided that Christy will misinterpret my unwillingness to see him and she'll think that I am still crazy about Landon. So I sighed and said "Sure". We got out of the car and walked to the front door of Alex's house. Christy tried the door knob and grinned when it turned easily.
"Let's sneak up on him", she said.
Suddenly I wasn't sure of the fact that Landon wasn't completely brainless.
"Errr..." I said uncomfortably. "Maybe you should just yell for him... I mean what if you... I don't know... Scare the crap out of him?"
Christy laughed softly.
"That's the idea, doofus", she said energetically. "Come on!"
Oy, this better be uneventful... We tiptoed upstairs and Christy swung the door of his bedroom wide open. I could tell that she was about to yell "Surprise!!" but then she just froze on the spot and I closed my eyes. Oh God... Landon was brainless. He was butt naked and he was doing something - that I tried to forget immediately - to Danetta who was also completely naked. Alex was wearing a latex glove and suddenly I had a flashback of the night when Christy and I watched Fight Club together. Remember that scene when Brad Pitt and Helena What's-Her-Name are having sex and Pitt is wearing a yellow rubber glove? Yeah, that exactly what it reminded me of.
"Christy!!!" Alex looked like he was about to be electrocuted any second. "Oh my God!!! Christy!!"
She hasn't said a single word. She turned around and walked away. I almost punched Alex then but I ran after Christy without even glaring at him.
"Chris, wait!" I finally caught up to her outside. "Wait!!"
She stopped and looked at me and I winced when I saw her eyes. There was no pain in them, no tears, no shock. They were completely empty. I pulled her towards myself and kissed her hair. Right now I wanted to kill Landon with extreme violence.
"Come on", I muttered and got her in the car.
I pulled out of the driveway and the door of the house swung open and Alex ran outside. He was wearing light blue jeans and nothing else.
"Christy!!" he yelled and ran towards my car. "Wait!! Jake, please!!"
I stopped the car and rolled the window down. He got closer and I looked up at him.
"Get the fuck away from her", I said quietly and he just blinked. "Or I will run you over with my damn car!"
"Jake..." he muttered. "Christy, please..."
I slammed on my gas pedal so hard that my engine barked at me. I was thankful that there was nobody on the street and I didn't hit anything.
I drove to our with Sam apartment and the entire way there Christy was completely silent. She just stared out of the window without even blinking. When we got to the apartment, I got out of the car and Christy just sat there without moving. Son of a bitch, I thought bitterly and opened her door.
"Come on, Bailey", I said softly and tagged on her sleeve.
She slowly got out and followed me inside looking like she was sleepwalking. Sam was at home and his eyes immediately became tense and narrow the minute he saw Christy's blank expression. He looked at me with a silent question in his eyes and I just nodded. Yup, she found out. Sam pressed his lips tight and went into the kitchen. I sat Christy down on the couch and she couldn't look any more indifferent.
Sam brought a bottle of scotch and three short glasses from the kitchen. He poured some for me and I drank it without even wincing. He poured just a little into another glass and carefully handed it to Christy.
"Drink, Chris", he said softly.
She took the glass and obediently drank. Then suddenly she coughed and squeezed her eyes shut. She almost dropped the glass but I managed to get it just in time. Christy opened her eyes finally and looked up at me.
"Jake..." she muttered and started to sob.