Текст книги "Painless"
Автор книги: Devon Hartford
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Текущая страница: 3 (всего у книги 32 страниц)
“No he wasn’t!” she protested.
“Was too!”
“No, if you remember,” Kamiko frowned, “once I discovered Ash from Pokémon in the second grade, I forgot all about Elmo.”
"That’s right!” Romeo smiled. “Ash was your very first cartoon crushationship! You were always telling me how jealous you were of Pikachu for spending so much time with Ash!”
“I hated that bitch!” Kamiko grinned.
“Is Pikachu even a girl?” I mumbled, mostly to myself. “I thought he was supposed to be a boy.”
“Ahem,” the cop interrupted. “Anyway, miss, You mentioned a guy with a beard? Who ran off?”
“Yes,” Kamiko said, trying to calm herself.
“And none of you hit anyone, or were hit by those three men?” he asked.
“No,” I said, “we all ran inside Paiute and made sure the door was locked.”
“And who was this cute guy again?”
“We don’t know,” I said a bit too forcefully. “I’ve seen him around campus and in class, but I don’t really know him. I just say hi to him.”
“Yeah, Sam’s too shy to ask him his name,” Kamiko insisted. “I don’t know his name either,” she giggled.
“Which one of you is Sam?” the cop asked.
Waving my hand meekly, I said, “I am. Sam…I am. Green eggs and ham…I mean Samantha. My name is Samantha. Green eggs and hamantha.” I trailed off into a feeble giggle, then grimaced, rolled my eyes, arched both brows and kicked myself mentally for sounding like a schizophrenic Dr. Seussette. At this rate, I was pretty sure the cops were going to order up straight jackets for the three of us. As long as it took the heat off Christos, I was okay with that.
“And none of you know the cute guy’s name?” Tall cop asked skeptically.
Romeo and Kamiko shook their heads.
“No,” I answered meekly.
The cop drilled his eyes into mine for what seemed like an hour. Finally, he adjusted his gun belt and sighed audibly. “Okay. You guys stay put. I’m going to confer with my partner.” He walked over to Stocky Cop and the two of them started chatting.
Two more cops came walking around the corner of Paiute from the opposite direction, followed by two EMTs who were carrying plastic medical boxes. Tall cop nodded at them and waved them over.
“Did I do okay?” Romeo asked nervously.
“Make sure you never break any laws, Romeo,” Kamiko said. “You’re a terrible liar. You’d end up going straight to jail if you committed a crime. And you know what happens to men who go to jail.”
“I know!” Romeo said enthusiastically. “The possibilities are endless! All those desperate men with nothing to do but lift weights and brood all day long. They get all pent up and even the straight guys are forced to seek ‘alternative’ sexual gratification. It sounds like a dream come true!”
Kamiko gawked. “Are you cray-cray, Romeo?”
“Nope. Just gay-gay,” he winked.
“No jail for anybody!” I hissed insistently.
Romeo’s playful expression mellowed into seriousness. “What about those jerks over there? I think they deserve jail. And a rusty shiv up the butt.”
“Maybe them,” I said. “But let’s not talk about it, okay?” I noticed that Tall Cop was questioning Crew Cut. “Now be quiet so I can hear what those cops are saying!”
Their voices were faint, but I heard most of their conversation.
“How many guys did you say jumped you?” Tall Cop asked Crew Cut.
Jumped? Great. Those douche nuggets started this, and now they’re trying to blame us?
“Four,” Crew Cut said.
“And you say they started it?”
“Yeah. They were mouthing off about how SDU Rugby sucks and how we’re a bunch of pussies. We tried to blow them off, but they wouldn’t let up.”
Maybe I was being too hasty. Perhaps Douche Cut Crew Cut was going to do my work for me and lead the cops on a wild douche chase, taking the heat off Christos.
“Can you describe any of them?”
“Not really. Everything happened so fast—”
Even better.
“—But I do remember one guy. Big dude. Had lots of tattoos on his arms. Dark hair.”
Fuck.
Tall cop was jotting this down in a small note pad. “Had you ever seen the guy before?”
“Yeah. I’ve seen him around campus.”
Oh, no.
“Do you recall anything about the other three?”
“Not really.”
I shook my head. Douche Crew Cut was putting all the blame on Christos.
“Sit tight,” Tall Cop said, “while I talk to your friend.”
I saw Crew Cut shoot a glance at his bloody buddy, who was being tended to by the EMTs. Stocky cop was talking to the two new cops. Tall cop chatted with the three officers before he went over to Bloody Face and the EMTs.
Bloody Face was holding one of those quick freeze ice packs to his nose. I had a hard time hearing what he was saying. But I distinctly heard, “He started it,” and, “tattoos on his arms,” and, “I think he goes to school here.”
My stomach knotted.
Then Bloody Face stabbed me in the heart. He said, “She called him Chris. Chris something. I can’t remember exactly.”
Tall cop turned and fired bullets from his eyes directly into mine.
My stomach twisted my remaining internal organs into a wad that dropped down to my toes like lead. I was ready to vomit up my insides, including the bones in my toes. But I resisted the urge to unravel. I kept my innocent face in place and tried to appear as casual as possible.
Tall Cop must’ve run out of eye bullets because he turned back to Bloody Face.
“Those guys are lying,” Kamiko whispered.
“I know,” I said morosely.
With painful clarity I realized that Christos’ confession to me only hours before, the one about him being a criminal and having gotten into tons of fights and trouble with the law was ominously accurate. Bad luck found him, no matter what he did to avoid it. Was he cursed? Was I a fool for loving him? Would it always be like this? Would he constantly be on the verge of getting arrested, or worse, locked away for long stretches? What kind of life was that? I shivered and hugged my elbows to my chest. I needed to think of something fast.
“Officer!” I hollered while waving at Tall Cop.
He was still questioning Bloody Face. I noticed the two EMTs were now kneeling next to the guy who Christos had knocked out and shining a pen light in the guy’s eyes. Stocky cop saw me waving and he nodded to the two other cops before walking over to me.
He had a broad, sullen face and seemed rather gruff. I needed to win him over. Just because these guys were supposed to uphold the law didn’t mean they were going to believe our story over the rugby goon’s version of events.
“Yeah?” he asked. “Can I help you with something, miss?”
“I forgot to tell that other officer something,” I said. I’d been so focused on not saying anything to betray Christos, I’d missed the obvious.
“What?” he grunted expectantly, as if expecting something astonishing, like film footage of the second, third and perhaps fourth President Kennedy shooters.
My plan to win him over was not going well. “When those guys started harassing us,” I said tentatively, “I took a picture of them on my phone and told them I was going to call campus security. Before I could, that guy with the crew cut grabbed my phone and threw it.”
“Where?”
“Where what?”
“Where’d he throw your phone,” stocky cop said impatiently.
“Oh. Over the dining hall.”
Stocky cop turned to look. He frowned. “From here?”
“No. We were standing over there when he threw it.” I pointed.
“You sure he threw your phone?” the cop asked, as if I was suggesting Crew Cut had thrown my car or perhaps an elephant over the dining hall.
“Yes, I’m sure! Do you want to search me? My phone is gone.”
“How do I know you had a phone to begin with?”
A better question was, how did this get turned around on me?
“She did,” Romeo said. “And I saw that guy throw it.”
“Me too,” Kamiko said.
Stocky cop looked between the three of us, doubt curling his lips. Yes, he had the teeth of an ogre, or perhaps a rotten goblin. Take your pick. “Okay,” he sighed heavily, like I was asking him to clean his room for the tenth time. “I’ll go tell my partner.” He walked over to the other three cops and started chatting with them. Tall Cop looked at me again and nodded while Stocky Cop explained things. A minute later, Tall Cop walked back over to us.
“You say that guy over there grabbed your phone and threw it over the dining hall?” Tall Cop asked me.
“Yes,” I said.
“Was that when the fight started?”
“Yes.”
“Between those guys over there, and your friend, the cute guy?”
“Yes.”
“And what was cute guy’s name again?”
Brakes! I clamped my mouth shut before it could open. I’d almost fallen for the cop’s trick line of questioning. “I told you before, I don’t know his name. Like I said, he’s more of an acquaintance.”
He narrowed his eyes at me. “Do you remember if he had any tattoos?” he asked suspiciously. “Your acquaintance?”
“I don’t think so,” I said, making my best Little Miss Honesty face.
“No,” Romeo added, “he didn’t have any tattoos. I would’ve remembered. Guys with tattoos are hot!”
Tall Cop raised an amused eyebrow. “And you said there were five guys fighting your one friend?”
“Yes! And I have a picture of all five on my phone!”
“But your phone is gone?”
“Yes! I can totally go look for it, if you want.”
“No. Hold tight here until we sort this out.”
Tall Cop rejoined the other three officers. The EMTs had helped the guy who’d been knocked out to stand up. Crew Cut and Bloody Face still sat in the grass. Stocky Cop uncuffed them and they stood up. Stocky Cop gave them what appeared to be a stern talking to. Crew Cut and his buddies nodded solemnly and repeatedly like they were law-abiding citizens who’d been wrongly assaulted for no good reason. When the cops were finished lecturing Crew Cut and Crew, they let the three rugby goons walk across the quad and out of sight.
The four cops walked up to us.
“We’re going to let you three go for the evening,” Tall Cop said. “I suggest you all head to bed.”
“What about my phone?” I asked.
He handed me a business card. “If you find it, give me a call.”
Wow, big help he was. “Okay. So, um, are those rugby guys in trouble or anything?” I asked.
He sighed heavily. “Obviously, the three guys we talked to were in a fight. But we’re missing several of the participants involved. Like your acquaintance. Unless we can round up everyone, there’s not much we can do.”
Great. Those rugby jerks got away with behaving like Upper Division Pricks while the man who had protected me time and time again was going to court in two days and possibly to jail.
How was that fair again?
* * *
CHRISTOS
Flashing reds and blues from a pair of police cars strobed across the pavement when I rounded the south end of the SDU campus and came up North Torrey Pines Road. The squad cars were parked behind Paiute Hall. I noticed them before I got to Adams College Drive, so I decided to drive right on by.
I wondered if Samantha had found her phone. If she had, did I want to ring her up while she was talking to a bunch of campus cops? Better to call her later.
I rode home. The house was silent when I walked inside. Not wanting to wake my grandfather, I slid my motorcycle boots off in the entry foyer and crept up to bed.
I needed to get my beauty rest before my pre-trial in the morning.
Fun stuff.
Chapter 3
CHRISTOS
Gravity had me by the balls and was hurtling me down toward oblivion like a boulder with a rocket pack strapped to its back. Faceless winged demons swirled around me, taunting me, clawing at my flesh, cackling with savage glee. Every time I swung at one of them or tried to grab an arm or a leg, they disappeared in a puff of black smoke only to reappear on my back, scaly limbs wound around my torso in a wicked embrace. Fangs sunk into my neck. I kept twisting and swinging and throwing knees, but there were too many of them. I couldn’t stop the onslaught.
“Christos?”
I flailed awake in my bed. “What the fuck!”
“It’s me, agápi mou,” Samantha whispered. I felt her lay a soothing hand on my shoulder. “I think you were having a nightmare. Was it about those rugby guys?”
“Worse.”
“Do you want to talk about it?”
“Not really. It won’t make any difference. It was just a stupid dream.” My bedroom was still dark. I glanced at the clock on the bed stand. 4:17am. “Did you just get here?”
“No. I’ve been here for awhile.”
“In bed with me?”
“Yeah,” she said softly.
“Are you naked?”
“Yes.” Her voice was sultry and promised pleasant things.
I twisted and slid my arm around her waist, pulling her body into mine. Our taut stomachs kissed, delicious heat radiating from her skin into mine. Her soft breasts melted against my muscled chest and I was instantly hard. Samantha had no idea how completely womanly she was. Even in total darkness, she was incredible.
“Why didn’t you wake me when you came in?” I asked.
“You were sleeping so soundly, I didn’t want to disturb you.”
“Yeah, my body must’ve crashed after all the adrenaline from the fight was gone.” I kissed her softly on the lips and felt the tip of her tongue tease mine. “Mmm, but you definitely should’ve woken me.”
“You’re awake now,” she said. “I didn’t miss my window of opportunity, did I?” she giggled.
“Gee whiz, I don’t know. Let me check.” I rolled on top of her, skin to skin, and wedged my fingers under her ass, lifting her hips. Her knees parted freely and I slid between her legs. My cock was already throbbing, straining to be inside of her. I grabbed it in my fist and teased the tip against her. “Damn, woman, you’re already wet.”
“What did you expect,” she joked. “I’ve been lying naked next to you for like two hours waiting for you to wake up.”
“Did you touch yourself?” I asked suggestively.
“No!” she cried.
“Why not? It would be pretty damn sexy for me to wake up while you were getting yourself off next to me.”
“You’re such a perv, Christos!”
“Really? Why? Because I like the idea that you’re so hot for me that you can’t even wait for the real thing when I’m sleeping inches away? Sounds pretty damn hot to me…”
“Come here, you caveman,” she giggled.
I planted my arms around her shoulders and lowered my mouth to hers. Our tongues snaked together as desperation fired down my spine.
“Yeah, definitely should’ve woken me sooner.” I slid myself slowly inside her waiting warmth. “Fuck, agápi mou…”
We made so much noise, I couldn’t hear those demons until long after we finished.
* * *
SAMANTHA
The scent of sex tickled my senses as I sighed pleasantly after making love to Christos.
I snuggled into Christos’ arms. I couldn’t get close enough to squeeze the unfinished business of his trial out of the way. I wanted to talk about it. I also wanted to forget about it and never mention it again. But it wasn’t going anywhere. The heat of our infinite love could not burn it away, no matter how much I wished it would.
I considered Christos’ feelings. Would bringing up his trial make him feel better so he could get it off his chest? Or would enjoying the comforting afterglow of our intimacy best soothe him into restful sleep? I didn’t know.
Inadvertently I heaved a huge sigh. I couldn’t help it. My indecision was driving me nuts. I was a terrible girlfriend.
“What is it, agápi mou?” he asked.
“Nothing.”
He chuckled. “Come on. Tell me. I admit I ran out of your apartment somewhat hastily earlier tonight.”
“Is that an apology?”
“It is. I apologize for bolting. But I’ve got all this heavy shit weighing down on me. I’ve got to get up and go to my pre-trial in a few hours.”
“What’s a pre-trial, anyway?”
“More legal bullshit before the actual trial. The D.A. and my attorney tell the judge what’s going to happen at the trial, what they’re going to say in court. But mainly it’s my chance to officially accept a plea bargain, or turn it down.”
“What’s that mean?”
“The D.A. is giving me a chance to plead guilty in exchange for a shortened sentence.”
He was talking about it like it was a news story that was happening to a total stranger. But this was real. Christos was going to court. Worse, I really didn’t know anything about it. So far, all he had told me in the last twenty four hours was that he had punched a guy out and the trial was on Valentine’s Day. Beyond that, I was totally in the dark. Not knowing anything made it somehow more frightening.
I asked, “Are you going to plead guilty?”
A heavy silence filled the room.
I’d watched TV shows about court in the past, I’d seen news footage of people in court, but none of it was real to me. It was always happening to someone else. In fact, the most memorable courtroom scene I could think of was the one at the end of the movie Legally Blonde. Somehow, I didn’t think Christos’ court experience was going to be candy-coated with a bunch of laugh track moments starring Reese Witherspoon.
“We don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to,” I said.
“It’s okay. I’m going to plead not guilty.”
“Wait, I thought you told me you hit some guy?”
“I did.”
“Doesn’t that mean you’re guilty?”
“No, because it was self defense.”
“Oh.” I hadn’t expected that. The way Christos had described it initially, I’d thought maybe he’d had a bar fight or something equally stupid. “Now I’m confused.”
“The District Attorney is going to try to make me look like a bad guy. Like I started it for no reason. My attorney has to convince the jury that it was actually self defense, that the other guy started it.”
“Did he?” I blurted. I slapped my hand to my mouth. I shouldn’t be doubting Christos like this. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said that. Of course the other guy started it.” I meant it. Every time Christos had ever fought someone in my presence, the other guy had started it.
“It’s okay, agápi mou. Yes, the other guy started it. Despite all the shit I’ve done in the past, I haven’t started a fight in years.”
“So tell the jury that. Tell them you don’t start fights.”
“It’s not that simple,” Christos sighed. “There’s all these rules about what constitutes self defense and what doesn’t. It’s different in every state, and I don’t understand half of it myself. That’s what my attorney is for. But I do know that we have to prove that the only option I had in that split second moment was to defend myself.”
“Was it?” I asked.
He looked at me thoughtfully. “Without a doubt,” he said confidently. “I had no choice.”
“Then you’re going to win!”
“That’s my plan.” Christos stood up from the bed. “I need a glass of water. Do you want any?”
“Sure.”
I heard the faucet running in his bathroom and he returned a moment later with a glass.
“Thanks.” I took the glass and sipped at it.
“Hey,” he asked, “what happened after I left you guys back at SDU?”
I gulped down several swallows of water. Did I want to tell Christos that, aside from his trial, those rugby jerks were now blaming him for starting the fight? Not really. “Oh, uh, Romeo called campus security and a bunch of cops showed up. What happened to the two guys who chased you?”
“I have no idea. I hopped on my bike and ditched them. That was the last I saw of them. Did you get your phone back? I tried calling you.”
“Eventually. After the cops left, Romeo and Kamiko kept calling my phone while we looked around behind the Dining Hall. It took forever, but we found it in some bushes.”
“Sorry it was such a hassle. Those rugby buttplugs were a bunch of Upper Assmen.”
I giggled. “Is the upper ass like a high quadrant of the anus near the colon? Or is it someone who’s taking advanced courses in assery?”
“Both,” he chuckled. “Hey, if your phone is all banged up now, and you need money for a new one, let me know. I feel like I owe you.”
“Thanks, Christos. You don’t owe me. Those guys were to blame, not you. Anyway, if I need a new phone, which I don’t, I’ll pay for it,” I lied. I didn’t have any cash to spare, but I didn’t want him worrying about yet another thing.
“You sure? Are you getting a quarterly bonus from Grab-n-Dash?”
“Yeah. My boss promised me a free ICEE,” I grinned. “I’ll see if I can use it as a down payment on a phone.”
Christos and I crawled into bed after I finished my glass of water.
I had no idea what the next 48 hours would bring, but for the moment, Christos was in my arms, and I was in his.
* * *
CHRISTOS
Thoughts of my pre-trial had me wired and jolted me awake before Samantha. I showered and dressed as quietly as possible. I don’t think I’d put as much effort into going out on hot dates as I was for going to court. There was something fucked up about that.
After I shaved, I examined my shiner in the mirror. Nice. Black ringed in red. You couldn’t miss it. Loved it. I grinned at myself. My upper lip was redder and fuller than usual, but I didn’t think anyone would notice. With my rugged good looks, maybe the judge would attribute it to a recent collagen injection. Yeah, right. While the bruise didn’t say, “This guy went twelve rounds with Mike Tyson and lost,” it did say, “This guy fights more than most people.”
I considered bugging Samantha for some concealer, but then I remembered she’d worn progressively less and less makeup since we’d met. If she had any, it was at her apartment, and I didn’t have time for a detour.
Whatever.
After buttoning my shirt, I knotted my tie in the mirror.
“Sexy,” Samantha said, standing in the bathroom doorway. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you dressed up before. Or clean shaved.”
I flashed a cocky grin at her while cinching the tie up to my collar. “You like?”
“I love,” she smiled as she walked up behind me and slid her hands over my chest. “Do I get to see you with the jacket on?”
“Sure.” After giving her a quick kiss, I walked into the bedroom, pulled the jacket off the hanger, and slipped it on. I buttoned it and smoothed it down. “There.”
“Wow, Christos, I knew you could pull off ruggedly sexy like no one else, but damn, I think you put that guy from 50 Shades of Grey to shame!”
“I think my shiner adds that hint of street danger that the 50 Shades guy was missing.”
“Definitely,” Samantha purred. “Do I have time to shower?”
“What do you mean?”
“Before we go?”
I arched an eyebrow. “We?”
Her face sunk. “Don’t you want me to come with you?” she asked meekly.
I sighed and walked over to her. I grasped her arms and looked her in the eyes. “Agápi mou, it means a lot that you want to come with me. But this is just the pre-trial. Nothing is going to happen today. It’s going to be a lot of boring talk from the lawyers about technical details, and which arguments they’re going to use. Shit like that. Besides, you have classes, right?”
“Yeah, I guess. But I want to be there for you.”
“You’re here for me right now, agápi mou. I promise, you won’t miss anything.”
“Promise?”
I kissed her gently on the lips. “Promise. Now, I gotta run out the door. Don’t wanna be late for court. You still have your key, right?”
“Yeah,” she sighed.
“There’s food in the kitchen if you’re hungry. Take anything you want.” I kissed her again and went down to the garage and hopped in my Camaro.
* * *
SAMANTHA
After Christos left, I showered, dressed, and went downstairs. I opened the refrigerator in the kitchen and stared at the contents. Who was I kidding? I couldn’t think about eating when Christos was going to court. I gently closed the door and nearly jumped out of my skin.
Spiridon was standing right there.
“Oh!” I gasped. “I didn’t hear you come in.”
“Good morning, koritsáki mou,” he said. “My apologies. I didn’t realize you were still in the house.”
I was always amazed by how much Spiridon looked like an older, silver-haired version of his blue-eyed grandson. Spiridon’s eyes still shone as brightly as Christos’. I had no doubt that Spiridon had been quite the ladies’ man in his day and I suspected he still was, but I had yet to meet any of the women who most certainly were pursuing him. I knew he went out in the evenings all the time, but I wasn’t quite sure where he went or who he saw. Christos had hinted frequently about the women in his grandfather’s life, but so far it was nothing more than juicy insinuations.
“Would you like me to make you some breakfast?” he asked.
“Oh, no thank you. I don’t have much of an appetite.”
“You have to eat something, Samoula. You can’t go through an entire day without food.” Spiridon pulled out a loaf of olive bread and spread soft cheese onto a slice. He handed me the plate. “Try this.”
I took a bite. The cheese was salty and very peppery. It had some kick to it. It went great with the olive bread. “What kind of cheese is this?”
“You like?” he grinned.
“It’s delicious!”
“It’s called Kopansti. A friend of mine imports it from Mykonos.”
“Wow, it’s so good!” I chomped another bite and savored it. Somehow, the Manos men always managed to set me at ease, as if everything in the world was just right, and every moment was a decadent celebration of life. I hadn’t had an appetite five minutes ago, but now I was ravenous. “Can I have another slice?”
“Certainly, koritsáki mou,” he said, spreading more cheese on a fresh slice of olive bread. “I take it Christos made it home safely?”
“Yeah. Safe and sound.” For now, I thought. I knew his pre-trial wasn’t supposed to be a big deal, but I felt a doomsday clock ticking down to Valentine’s Day on Friday, the day of his actual trial. Lameness. Could I petition to have Valentine’s Day pushed forward a day? Probably not. “Spiridon?”
“Yes, Samoula?” Spiridon smiled.
“Do you, um, ah, I feel like maybe I shouldn’t be asking this, but do you, uh…do you know about Christos’ trial?” I was afraid maybe he didn’t know and I was going to break his heart, but I also felt like I was stuck in the dark on this whole trial topic, and I needed some emergency support.
His smile faded. It didn’t turn sour, like I could imagine my mom or dad doing, after which yelling and condescension would commence. Instead, Spiridon looked sad. “Yes, koritsáki mou, I know.”
Phew. One obstacle out of the way. “Are you worried?”
“Yes,” he said softly. “As many times as Christos has been in court, it never gets easier. There’s little I can do but pray for him and hope that the jury sees the good boy I know my grandson to be.”
“Yeah,” I sighed thoughtfully. “Are you going to go to the trial?”
“Of course.”
“Why didn’t you go to the pre-trial today?”
“Because, based on my experience, it’s largely a matter for the lawyers. But I will be at the trial on Friday.”
“Oh.”
I sort of felt left out because Spiridon knew all the details. But it made sense. Christos lived with him, so I’m sure he’d told his grandfather about it awhile ago. But I felt hurt that Christos hadn’t told me. I wanted to be supportive in any way that I could, but that was impossible if he didn’t include me in the process. I sighed to myself and shook my head.
Spiridon patted my shoulder. “It’s okay, Samoula. Christos will be fine.”
I hoped so. But the tortured look in Spiridon’s eyes ignited the smoldering worry that had been twisting my guts in knots for the last twelve hours.
* * *
I drove to campus along the Pacific Coast Highway, slumped over the wheel of my VW. Class was the last thing I wanted to think about today. Worse, today was Sociology 2, starring my sleep-inducing Professor Tutan-yawn-yawn, and American History 2, where I always managed to draw cartoons in my sketchbook while conveniently avoiding putting notes in my laptop.
I contemplated bailing on class entirely. One of the perks of being a college student. But what was I going to do if I didn’t go to class? Fret? Wring my hands together?
The beach was visible as I drove out of Del Mar. Too bad it was foggy and gray and I could barely see the ocean. Not much of a beach day, otherwise I might very well have parked my car and strolled down with my towel so I could lay out and catch some rays. Tanning under the buttery San Diego sun always soothed me.
Stupid fog.
The light at Carmel Valley turned red and I came to a stop. This was the intersection where I’d first met Christos last fall. I’d driven through here a hundred times since that day. The view of the beach never got old. I was so lucky to live in San Diego. I swear, it was a crime that people had to live anyplace else in the country. I felt bad for my parents, who were still stuck in the arctic urban wasteland of Washington D.C. It was probably snowing there right now. All I had to contend with was a little fog. The thermometer on my dash said sixty degrees.
A little fog wasn’t so bad.
I reached for the Venti Americano I’d bought at the Starbucks in Del Mar. They didn’t have a drive thru, so I’d had to park and it had taken forever. But today, I didn’t care if I was late for class.
Not like that first day when I’d spilled my coffee everywhere. I shook my head and smiled. I’d been such a spaz that day. I remembered that fat guy behind me who’d been yelling at me.
Bitch…
He’d called me all kinds of crazy names.
Slut…
And he’d practically bitten my face off, he was so mad at me for holding up traffic.
Whore…
What a tool that guy was. Thinking about all of it now brought back Taylor Lamberth and Damian Wolfram, and the roller coaster my life had been for three long years. Was it ever going to stop? I felt like I’d left some crazy loop-de-loop behind me in D.C., but now I was headed into six more.
Agápi mou…
At least I had Christos to ride with me through life’s twists and turns. Christos…
I started to tear up. I wiped my eyes, no longer worried about smearing the mascara I never wore anymore. My life had changed so much in the last six months. But was any of it for the better?
The light at Carmel Valley Road turned green and I drove the rest of the way to SDU.
* * *
I pulled into the parking lot on the north end of campus and searched for a space. The lot was packed with cars. I turned down yet another aisle and spotted an open space. As I drove toward it, a black Mercedes whipped around the corner at the far end of the aisle and raced for the space. I was closer and reached it well ahead of the Mercedes. The slick black car screeched to a stop as I was turning into the space, jamming its nose in the way of my VW.
“Hey!” I shouted. “What are you doing! This is totally my space! Move your car! I was here first!”
The Mercedes revved its engine. I couldn’t see the driver because the overcast sky painted the front windshield over with a light gray glare.
I held my ground in my VW. This space was mine by right. First come, first served and all that.
