At school the next morning, I heard Cole and Robyn arguing in the hall.
"What are you saying Cole? Are you breaking up with me?!"
"Robyn, you slept with Brad --"
"That was forever ago, Cole. We're over that now, right? Put it in our past. We need to move on."
"Maybe I can't move on, Robyn. You've slept with, what, five other guys?"
"Two of them weren't even when we were together!"
"But we were!'t officially broken up, Robyn. Apparently, you don't care about me, just yourself."
"Cole, of course I care about you, silly."
"It doesn't seem like it. Why would you sleep with five other guys?"
Robyn turned away, putting on a hurt face. "They were mistakes. Nothing more."
"Well, you're certainly clumsy, then."
Another charged silence. Cole's eyes flickered to me, standing at my locker, watching the scene. His eyes hardened and turned back to Robyn.
"Robyn. It's over. For good."
"Cole --"
"I have to get to class, Robyn."
I grabbed my books and turned away, glorying in Robyn's pouty expression. He had just broken up with one of the most popular girls in school. For me! This had only happened in my fantasies. I pinched myself, for fear that it was.
Cole caught me in the hall next period. I smiled despite myself.
"Nat, I broke up with Robyn. As you saw," he chuckled.
"Yeah. Cole, it was very sweet of you to break up with her to be with me."
"I don't mind. She was a manipulative bitch anyway." He looked me in the eyes, like he was searching for something. "You helped me see that."
He touched my arm, pulling me closer almost my magnetism. I took a deep breath. Probably shouldn't show any PDA in the halls.
"Nat, I wanna take you to this party on Saturday. As a couple."
"Oh. Okay." I was reluctant; Robyn would probably be there. What the hell.
The party was smaller than the New Year's Eve one. It was calm, for a party. Everybody was lounging in the basement, sipping some beer. Some people were gyrating to a dance song in one corner. I had on my slinkiest pants and my favorite top. And of course, I was on Cole's arm.
Robyn was there, face plastered all over another guy. Upon seeing Cole and me walk down the stairs, she promptly peeled herself away, and tried to look pouty. It just made her look spoiled.
I stayed by Cole's side and she realized why I was there.
"You bitch!" she shrieked, stomping over to me in her absurdly high heels. She was still shorter than me, even though I was wearing Converse. She was quite a short girl.
"Excuse me?"
"So you're the bitch who stole my boyfriend. In case you've been living under a rock this whole time, Cole's mine." She shoved me, hard.
"Hey, hey, hey," Cole protested, trying to mediate. Both of us ignored him.
"Hey, Cole asked me here. You guys broke up, remember?"
"Oh, he always comes back. You can't compete."
"Wanna bet? He's finally wised up to the fact that you're a manipulative, cheating bitch." The band of semi-drunk teens "ooo"-ed at my jab.
"You fucking bitch!" she shrieked and lunged at me. She tore at me clothes, taking me by surprise and shoving me to the floor. She tried to get a good slap or punch in, but she wasn't a very good fighter. Plus, I had more than a few inches and pounds on her.
She finally managed to punch me in the face and that did it, no mercy. I kicked her off of me and gave a good shot to the nose, sending her pretty little face reeling.
She wimped out and stumbled off of me, holding her nose and shrieking, "Butch broke my nose! Fucking bitch!"
I stood up and brushed myself off. "Check her nose," I said calmly. "Don't think I broke it. Didn't hit it hard enough. Come on, Cole, I think we'd better go."
We left the party, and he checked me using his car's lights. He had a little first aid kit that he got out and used to baby me.
"Are you okay?"
"Cole, I'm fine. Robyn doesn't have anything on me."
He grinned, "I like a girl who can hold her own."
He kissed me, wrapping me closer, into his arms. I ran my fingers through his close-cropped hair, savoring the feel. I shifted, straddling his lap. I felt our tongues reach together and intertwine in a dance, finally without any cautions or forbiddens. Finally, I could kiss him without the thought of Robyn Knight breathing down my neck.
The kissing became more insistent. His fingers trailed beneath my shirt, pulling it slowly up. The freedom was intoxicating. I knew that it was soon, but Cole broke up with his longtime girlfriend for me. He escaped her manipulative clutches, for me. My dream guy was sitting there, wanting me.
I pulled my shirt off, exposing my bra. I let my hair fall in a curtain around our faces. It was just us in the world, no one else.
We climbed into the back seat, hands all over each other. Soon Cole had his shirt off and my hands were flying over his skin, feeling every sinewy muscle. He leaned over me, and pulled off my pants. My breathing came faster. It felt like the time. He grabbed a condom.
"Cole."
"What?" he said breathlessly, looking at me with lust in his eyes.
"I'm a virgin."
He stared at me for a moment, and put the condom down. He zipped up his pants and put his shirt back on.
"What are you doing?"
"Natalie, I can't."