Chapter 7

 

I didn't know what the hell I was supposed to do about Betsy.

I wanted to just show up at her house and try to tell her that I didn't mean anything that I said and if she wanted to fuck me senseless, I'd let her.

But I wasn't that type of guy and I knew it.

I was in a piss poor mood the rest of the day and avoided Rico as much as I could. It was a good thing that he stayed the hell away from me as well. I didn't know what I'd say to him.

Actually, I did.

I'd probably say nothing. I'd probably just keep ignoring him or just shrug it off my shoulders, because that's what I did. I was the constant good guy. The one who always tried to avoid a fight.

I woke up the next morning and showered, wishing I could somehow wash away everything. Not just the grime that never seemed to leave the house, but the fucked up situation I seemed to find myself in.

As I got out of the shower and got dressed, it dawned on me that I really would be out of here in a few months. Maybe, then, I could start new. Maybe, then I wouldn't be Short Stack. Maybe I'd be something different. Until then, I didn't need to worry about a girl and whatever the hell effect she had on me. It was time to live up what little time left I had in school and not let the world bother me.

 

***

 

It sounded cheesy as hell, but I actually enjoyed going to class. I was a Mass Communications major and, unlike most of my friends, already had a job lined up working for a TV station in the Chicago suburbs after graduation. I could have just coasted through classes, but there was something I really enjoyed about hanging out with a bunch of people with similar interests and talking about something I actually knew a hell of a lot about.

My Broadcast Management class was across the quad from where my house was. I didn't mind the long walk, especially since the never-ending Illinois winter was finally over and I could actually enjoy the sunshine.

I expected to just walk through the quad and get to my building. What I didn't expect was to see Betsy.

Usually she was vibrant when I saw her. Bubbly and full of life. But not today.

Her head was down and her hair covering most of the side of her face. Instead of any bit of revealing clothing, she was in a plain, pink t-shirt and yoga pants. I thought maybe I was overreacting and she was just going to the gym.

Or, maybe, I'd really hurt the girl's feelings.

"Hey, Betsy." I did a little wave as I approached her.

"Hey, Short Stack," she mumbled.

She didn't stop walking. She just kept going, with her head down.

I should have left her alone. I should have just minded my own business and headed to class, like I planned, but something else pulled me back in her direction.

"Hey, Betsy!" I turned around and jogged to catch up, until I was right beside her.

"Yeah?" She barely even looked at me.

"Uh..." I rubbed the back of my neck. I didn't think of what I was actually going to say when I walked back up to her.

"How about those Sox? They have a game tonight."

She arched an eyebrow. "I'm not really into baseball."

"Oh. Yeah. I guess I should have asked that."

Damn, I sucked talking to girls. I never knew what to say, or what to do with my hands, so I just found myself blabbering and raking my fingers through my hair, until all the gel was out of it and it turned into a huge afro.

Betsy finally stopped and let out a deep sigh before she looked up at me. The whole side of her face was swollen and her lip and nose were different shades of blue and purple. It looked like she tried to cover it up with some make-up, but it just sat on top of the bruises.

"Look, Short Stack, you're a nice guy. Almost too nice. I'm not the type of girl that you want to hang around with. I'm not the type of girl that goes for nice guys and I'll just end up ruining you."

I took a step closer and shook my head. "You're not going to ruin me. You aren't going to ruin anything and the fact that you think that about yourself is heartbreaking."

"I don't think that. I know it. It's always been this way. I'm the girl that guys call for a good time, not to take home to their parents for Christmas. I'm okay with it. If I have to deal with guys like Rico, I do it. He knows our relationship and what it is and what it isn't. He doesn't expect some perfect girl from me and I don't expect him to be some great guy. It's just how it is."

I opened my mouth and then closed it. I didn't know what to say. How the hell was I supposed to have a comeback for that? This beautiful, sweet girl was just okay with being treated like shit?

She smirked. "See you around, Short Stack."

She turned to keep walking, but I grabbed her hand. I didn't know what I was going to say, Hell I didn't have anything to say, so I did the only thing I could think to do.

Slowly, I pulled her toward me and put my hand on her cheek, running my thumb along her bottom lip. Her eyes slowly closed as I leaned in and pressed my mouth to hers, sealing what words couldn't.

All those years of waiting and wishing, I had her and in that moment I could forget the world and get lost in her lips.

But as quickly as the kiss started, she broke it, placing her hand on my chest and pulling back. She bit down on her lip before shaking her head. "I'm sorry," she whispered.

Before I could get a word in, she'd turned on her heels and ran in the other direction, leaving me standing there, speechless, and really late for class.