Disclaimer: As most of my writings, this is not a true life story. Just a random collaboration of ideas inspired by people watching.
I stood outside, smoking as I typically did before I would go into class to endure another two hour lecture. Maybe I could catch some shut eye if I sat far enough back? I shook the thought immediately out of my head. How could I be so irresponsible? Not to mention Hilary and Nick would never let something like that happen. They talk too much. The kind of people who like to babble whenever there is a break in speech.
I dropped my finished cigarette to the ground and snuffed it out with the sole of my grimy tennis shoe. Le sigh, yet another day. Optimists would say it was one less day of studying or college. I say it's one more day to get through. I took my normal seat in class. Hilary and I kissed in our usual Hollywood like way. Nick waved.
Behind me sat... that guy. What was his name again? Darwin something... oh whatever. There wasn't anything special about him, really. He was a twenty something college drop-out looking for a second chance. Average looks, average wardrobe, average everything. Well, not everything. Darwin was smart. A far cry from all of my classmates. I would even dare to say he was on par with me, and that was threatening. I've never allowed anyone to be better than me at anything academically. He and I had been constantly vying for our professor's approval and secret label of "Teacher's Pet" since the first day of class. I was determined to win, but then again so was he.
'He's not anything like Andrew,' I thought to myself as I pulled out my Five Star notebook and purple pencil. I flipped open the front cover and gazed at the picture my boyfriend and I sitting on the beach, laughing. 'Andrew is perfect. He gives me whatever I want. He's handsome, well off in life, and intelligent. He's perfect, damn it.' I slammed the notebook shut. Poor Hilary must have jumped three feet into the air.
"Bad day?" I heard him say.
I turned around, being sure to flip my hair to make as flashy of an entrance as possible without seeming desperate. "No, I'm perfectly fine. How was your weekend?"
He stretched and looked at me non-chalantly as if to retaliate to my hair flipping. "Worked. Had a couple of beers with my co-workers. Read. You?"
By read, he meant finished the book we had been assigned just last class period. I felt a surge of jealousy.
"I read too." I said knowingly, adjusting my glasses and nodding my head. "I got some knitting done and I made a pie for Andrew."
"For a feminist, you sure sound like the perfect housewife." He said while he winked.
The beast inside me roared again like it did everytime I saw this chump. My eyes narrowed and I opened my mouth to protest. I was interrupted by Dr. Roberts' entrance to the classroom. Being a contender for teacher's pet meant keeping your eyes on the prize at all times. No more time for idle chat with Man of the Year.
"Can you believe that prick?" I exclaimed when Hilary and I were outside. I continued to talk while holding my cigarette in between my lips, which made it increasingly difficult to light. "I mean, come on! He's just trying to press my buttons. What a jerk! I just.... AUGH!"
The cigarette tumbled from my lips. Luckily I caught it.
Hilary smiled and lit up her own. "You two are so funny to watch. There is so much tension between the two of you. You're always trying to make each other jealous."
"Jealous? Ha! I am not jealous of Darwin. He's an idiot." The tip of my cigarette caught fire and I inhaled.
"Like hell." She said when we began to walk away from the Library. "The look on your face when he spoke was priceless. Oh, and bringing up Andrew? Good way to make him jealous too. Way to rub it in his face." She was smiling, which was a relief. At least she wasn't angry about Darwin and my ongoing feud. I wasn't about to lose a friend over this moron.
"Andrew doesn't make him jealous."
"We're not playing a game, babe. You know he likes you. Maybe you don't want to admit it, but deep down you know." She waved to a passer-by. "Hey, what's up?"
"Ick."
"And you like him too."
I choked on my cigarette and coughed up clouds of smoke like a novice. "I am engaged to one of the top law students at this university. I am not looking at other men. Andrew is perfect. Darwin is not. He's a wash-up and a complete jerk." I wheezed.
"Uh-huh." She said as if she didn't believe me. Oh, the cajones on that girl. I'd start a cat fight with her right now if she weren't so important to me.
We walked in silence for a little bit. The air was cold and bitter that day. We walked up to the building where I had my next class. I rubbed out my cigarette on the brick wall. Hilary and I said our goodbyes and just as I opened up the glass doors, I heard a familiar voice.
"Nothing else to say about me then?"
When I turned around, I obviously saw Darwin about 10 feet from me.
"How long had you been listening?" I said, failing to disguse my panic.
"Since we passed the library."
So... basically the whole time.
"You know, some of the things you said weren't very nice," He said, a smile playing on his lips. "Maybe you should make it up to me."
I let go of the door handle and crossed my arms. "Really now?"
He nodded, and grinned boyishly again. "Yeah. You should let me take you out for dinner."
I held up my left finger to show off the one carat stone on my ring finger. My hand then morphed into an obscene gesture as I turned back around.
"Fine. Then I'll settle for a cigarette." He said. I stopped. He approached me, so I fumbled through my coat pockets for my lighter and a Camel Light. He lit it and winked again as he began to walk away. "Thanks, beautiful. See ya later."
I was grumpy for the next four hours, and all I really wanted to do was go back home and sleep for the rest of the day, but I stayed. After all, my other two teachers for the day I had already marked as 'mine'.
I walked out of my final class at about 5:45 pm. My head was screaming from regurgitating too much information. NO MORE. It was already pretty dark when I exited the building. Take a guess who was waiting for me out front by the statue.
Yeah. Him.
I walked past him in a huff, spitting anger at him on occasion. "You know, some would call this stalking!"
"I'm not stalking, I'm curious!" He said, almost running to catch up.
I got to my car very quickly. I stopped walking, did a 180, and stared at him maliciously. "What do you want?" The grip around my bag tightened. Then I realized how alone we were in this parking lot.
His boyish grin faltered, and he looked at me with pitiful eyes. "Why do you hate me so much? Because I'm not perfect?"
My heart shattered. The grip around my bag's handle slackened and it fell to the cement. An undescribably strong force came over me and I staggered over to him. I stood toe to toe with him, and I reached my hand out to touch the side of his face...
...and I pressed my lips to his.
***
Lamest. Ending. Ever.
