Chapter 5

Faith

 

        A few days later, I ran into Logan and Mason on the quad.  So far, I had put my mother off.  We’d cut back on everything in order to save money.  Fortunately, I had paid for my meal plan in advance.  I was actually stealing food in Ziploc bags to bring home for my brothers and sisters.  Fortunately, the college could afford it, even if I did look a little sketchy doing it.  I currently had four sandwiches in my knapsack and smelled like turkey and cheese when the twins came up to me.

        “Hey, Faith!” greeted Logan a little anxiously.  “Great to see you.  You look good.  Really good.”

        “Hey, Logan.  Mason,” I greeted.

        “Hey,” mumbled Mason looking at the ground.

        “How’s computer class going?” he asked quietly.

        “Good-good,” I said.  “Just a lot of one’s and zero’s,” I quipped.

        Logan gave me a confused look.

        “Because that’s binary code.  In computers,” I explained.

        “Oh, yeah!  Right!  Ha!  Duh!” he laughed, slapping his broad hand to his forehead.  “Listen, if you’re not doing anything for dinner…”

        This was it!  He was going to ask me out!  I would’ve rather have it from Mason, but I could totally go out with Logan.  God!  I needed just a nice date.  But about halfway through him asking me, Logan got this horrified look on his face. He was looking over my shoulder and seemed to see something that scared him.

        “Quick!  Run!  Come over here!” he urged, pulling us into an alleyway between buildings.

        We rushed in between the buildings and into some bushes.  I glanced back to the quad, nervously.  Kyle, my ex-boyfriend was walking down one of the paths with a group of frat guys.  It was his usual gang of guys and he was their leader.  He seemed to be looking around.  For us?  Why would he be looking for Mason and Logan?  Kyle came closer to the buildings we were hiding between.

        “What is this all about?” I whispered, trying to keep the mood light.

        “Just hide” whispered Logan adamantly, pushing us further down the alley.  “Just get back!”

        Mason pressed himself up against me, shielding me between his body and the wall.  He hadn’t seen Kyle and seemed to be unsure what was going on.

        “I’ll hide you. It’s going to be OK,” Mason whispered to me with determination. He seemed to think he was saving me from something big.

        Mason had a great body.  I could feel his rippling muscles against my heaving breasts.  I’m not sure what he thought was going on, but I enjoyed his body pressed against mine.  We made eye contact.  He blushed and I probably did too.

        I supposed if we were attacked in some way his big body would protect me.  His body warmth was making me hot.  I could feel my nipples getting hard.  I thought about kissing him, but considering that his brother had just asked me out, I felt that was a bad idea.

        “Okay, I think he’s gone,” said Logan, turning around, and looking at us.  “Hey, what the hell, Mason?”

        “What?  You said to hide.  I was hiding her,” explained Mason.

        “Hide, not rub up against her, you weirdo!” snapped Logan.

        “I thought there was a shooter or something.  I was shielding her with my body!”  Mason reluctantly moved away from me and walked over to his twin.

        “What the fuck was that, Logan?” Mason crossed his arms in front of his chest and glared.

        Logan met his gaze, with an equally icy glare.

        “It was Kyle, Mas,” he said poking his brother in the chest.  “I owe that guy money and I haven’t bothered to get the funds yet. Dill hole!”

        “I’m a dill hole?  You just asked us to hide for something that you did.  Something stupid, I might add,” grunted Mason.  “My brother gambles.”

        “She didn’t need to know that, Mason!” snapped Logan.

        “Well, if you’re embarrassed about it, maybe you shouldn’t do it,” advised his brother.

        “Don’t tell me what to do!” countered Logan, placing both hands on his brothers chest.  “Do I tell you what to do?!”

        “Yeah!  You do it all the time!  And you just told me to hide!  Remember?!”

        “Guys-guys,” I said, trying to cool the situation.  I worked my way out of the bushes and walked towards them.  “Let’s not fight okay.  You’re brothers.  You’re family.”

        “Yeah, man!” said Logan.  “I supported you during your quarterback try out!  How quick you forget!”

        “I didn’t forget!  Don’t put that on me!  How did I forget anything just now?” demanded Mason.

        “You’re always dropping this guilt trip on me about dad,” said Logan.  “I don’t control our parents, okay?  They do what they want.  How am I to blame for them not showing up to your games?  They don’t come to my games either!”

        There were definitely a lot of issues bubbling to the surface with these too.  In a strange way, it made me more attracted to them both.  They weren’t these two-dimension jocks I imagined.  They were both complex and nuanced.  They had family problems like me, albeit totally different kinds of family problems.

        Issues like this can bubble over after a time.  My mother was classic for putting things aside and ignoring it until the problem built and built and just exploded at some inopportune moment.  On top of the fact that she was a hot headed Catholic woman with strong opinions about everything and everyone.

        Logan and Mason were close to coming to blows.  You can just sense it with guys.  They run out of things to say and they just start wrestling and punching.  I didn’t want to see that.  For some reason, the very thought of it hurt my heart.  I couldn’t just stand there any longer.

        “Guys, please, you’re upsetting me.  I don’t want to see you fight!” I implored.

        “Faith, I’m sorry my brother is upsetting you,” said Mason, kindly, turning to face me.  “He’ll calm down in a minute.”

        “Don’t you patronize me!” snapped Logan.  “I’m the one that patronizes you all the time!  Mainly because you don’t know how to have a normal conversation!”

        “What’s that supposed to mean?” demanded Mason, the anger back in his voice.  He snapped back to face his brother.

        “You’re a freak, bro!  That’s what!” said Logan, his eyes wild and hurt.  “Every time I take you out, it’s like an ordeal trying to get you to socialize normally.  I think you might be autistic or something!”

        “Stop that,” said Mason, advancing threateningly.  “There’s nothing wrong with me.  We’re twins, you idiot, if I was autistic, you’d be too!”

        “Not necessarily!  I don’t know the science behind it, but I’m sure it’s possible,” insisted Logan.

        “Well, maybe if you didn’t gamble so much, we wouldn’t be in this situation!  Maybe you've  got a problem, Logan!  Ever think of that?!” snapped Mason, putting his hand on Logan’s broad shoulders.

        “I don’t have to stand here and listen to this!” Logan said, suddenly outraged.  “I’m out of here.”

        He pushed Mason’s hands off his shoulders and stormed off.

        Mason and I stood there shocked.  I never answered about the date or did I?  Were we going out to dinner?  I didn’t even have Logan’s number.  I could also go out with Mason.  What am I saying?  It’s like I’m attracted to both of them.  Oh!  Oh, no!  Oh, no, no, my mother would never accept that!  Doing what Amy did?  Oh, no.  No-no-no-no.  I could feel my cheeks coloring.  I had to leave.  I dashed out of the alley way and down the quad.

        “Wait, Faith!” Mason called after me.

        Logan took off one way and I went the other.  We had both had enough.  Poor Mason was left perplexed standing in the alleyway in the bushes.