CHAPTER 12: RAINY DAYS AND MONDAYS
On Monday there was a new addition to the lunch table. Sheryl had joined the group and sat next to Colin, Brian grabbed the seat on her other side. "So how did the dance go?" Colin asked Sheryl. "Did I find a suitable escort?"
"You found a terrific escort," Sheryl said with a smile giving Brian's arm a hug. "He was a perfect gentleman." Brian actually blushed a bit.
"Are you guys an item now or what?" Colin asked.
"No, we're just friends," Sheryl said quickly. "I think I need to be not involved with anyone for a while, but in the future...who knows? I do want to thank you for bringing us together for the night; I had a really nice time. You've always taken good care of me," she said softly making eye contact with Colin.
"Well...it was my pleasure; I'm glad things worked out. I hope Seth didn't give you guys a hard time," Colin said.
Sheryl sniffed in derision and said, "He acted like we didn't even exist just like he's doing now," she motioned over to Seth's table. "Actually, sometimes it looked like he genuinely didn't notice us there. Seth has been acting really preoccupied lately, even before we broke up."
"Let's forget about Seth, he's not worth it," Brian said. "What I want to know is why you weren't at the dance? You've been acting pretty mysterious lately yourself Col. Who were
you
with on Saturday night?"
"Uh...I don't think it would be right to talk about that in front of my ex girlfriend," Colin said thinking up an excuse on the spot.
"Oh no, I would love to learn who the mystery girl is in your life now!" Sheryl said playfully.
Colin could have strangled Brian for steering the conversation this way. "Who says I have mystery woman in my life?" He said.
"It's written all over your face dude," Brian said, "and now we know it's not a
girl
but a
woman
. You getting some college tail? No wonder you didn't want to take her to a high school dance."
Oh shit!
Colin thought.
I fucked up!
"Again I point out there is a female present and you are being uncouth," he said hoping to deflect this interrogation.
"And again I point out I'm fine with this and interested in your answer...and you are being evasive," Sheryl said with an impish smile.
Brian and Sheryl were both looking at Colin waiting for him to reveal who was his new love. "I'm sorry, but it's not something I wish to talk about," he said.
"Fine, be that way," Sheryl said in a huff.
"I don't get it," Brian said, "what's so special about this woman that you have to keep it secret?"
"I have my reasons so can we drop it?" Colin said.
"Fine, I give up," Brian said. Both he and Sheryl looked disgusted with Colin for his tightlippedness.
"Look, as a friend, I'm asking you to understand. If I could tell you I would but there are reasons I can't." Colin said.
"Okay, I won't bug you about it anymore," Brian said and after a moment of hesitation, Sheryl nodded in agreement.
"Thanks guys," Colin said. They continued talking over lunch but Colin had a queasy feeling that he had still said too much.
Only three months until graduation,
Colin reminded himself. He and Aileen could make it.
* * *
It was Monday again and the first day of March; the month was definitely coming in like a lion. When Colin left for school that morning he was met by a deluge of rain as he left the apartment complex. The wind howled and blew the cold rain sideways so his umbrella wasn't much help. This didn't help with his current dark disposition. He wished he could have stayed in bed today. The past couple weeks had been inordinately stressful and he just wanted some time to recoup.
Sheryl's assertion that she was not looking to be involved with anyone for a time seemed more and more every day as her way of telling Colin she was waiting for him to take her back, at times she even appeared to think they
were
back together. Despite having agreed not to press the issue of who Colin was seeing, Sheryl was doing just that. She sat with him at lunch every day and at least once a day she would steer conversation in a roundabout way towards his love life. She even showed up frequently at the diner when he was working. She would come in, sit at the counter, and order a Diet Coke or cup of coffee and stay there for hours while he worked. He knew she was still hurting from her breakup with Seth, but it was disconcerting for Colin seeing her all the time and feel she was looking to get back together with him. He didn't want to believe she was stalking him, but what else could he call what she was doing?
It didn't help that he was continually being harassed by Ricky Woods and Dan Blade, another one of Seth's group. They verbally assaulted him and any friends he was hanging out with at the time. Especially when Sheryl was with him he would hear remarks like "seems like Colin don't mind sloppy seconds" or "nice catch Martin, I hear she's only had one previous owner that's driven her". Since Colin
wasn't
going out with Sheryl these taunts didn't bother him personally, but it bothered him to see that they upset Sheryl. They were baiting him and he knew it but Sheryl was in a fragile state of mind all ready and didn't need this. Colin often found himself in a position of having to defend her honor to the point of threatening Ricky, Dan, or whoever else was causing a problem and sometimes he'd end up in detention for his effort. This wasn't helping in breaking Sheryl out of her delusional state regarding their relationship.
There were also the physical threats. Sometimes Seth's goons would catch him in the halls and "accidentally" bump into him, one time Ricky and Dan ganged up on him in the bathroom and Colin knew he would have had the snot beat out of him if it hadn't been for William and Kendis walking in on them. Ricky was pissed at Colin for breaking his nose and wanted revenge, but Colin could see Seth's hand behind all of this. It was what he always did; send someone else to do the dirty work while he could claim innocence in any incidents that might happen.
Colin felt it was only a matter of time before he found himself in a dire situation and would have no back up. He knew Seth was just testing him trying to get him to let his guard down with these half hearted attempts to get at him. Sooner or later the real attack would come; Colin just had to be wary and be ready for it when it did. The word had gotten around the school that Colin was on Seth's shit list and people were avoiding him. Even Tedd Silvers, who Colin had stood up for against Ricky, distanced himself. It seemed his circle of friends dwindled down to Moe, William, Kendis, Sheryl and Brian. They were the only ones who would allow themselves to be seen associating with Colin, but at least he still had
some
friends that were willing to stand by him.
However, Brian was becoming another problem all of his own. The reason why he had been free to take Sheryl to the Valentine's Day dance on such short notice was that he recently broke up with his girlfriend, Karen Georgina. Karen and Brian went out for close to a year but in January called it quits. It had been a pretty mutual break up, both of them decided their relationship had run its course, but still, Brian hadn't planned on going to the dance because he didn't feel up to asking someone new out just yet.
Brian took out Sheryl as a favor to Colin but it seemed that after the dance he began to develop feelings for her. Colin was all for the two of them getting together, he thought they would make a nice couple. He had known Brian all throughout high school, but Brian hadn't been part of Seth's inner circle, thus he never got to know him very well. That was until January when Colin rejoined the basketball team and they became closer friends. Colin's estimation of Brian was that he was a good guy and would be good for Sheryl; the only problem was Sheryl was focused on Colin. Everyday she seemed more entrenched in a fantasy that they were back together. It also didn't help matters that he and Sheryl were being teased by Seth's associates as if they were a couple.
Colin could tell this situation was beginning to annoy Brian; it had gone beyond annoying to Colin. Brian was starting to become more distant and while he still sat at the same table during lunch he was usually a few seats down from Colin and Sheryl now. Another friend Colin was losing due to this insane situation.
Colin met up with Moe and Matt as he usually did on the way to school. Matt ignored Colin and walked on ahead of them as he'd been doing since the entire athletics scandal. Moe stayed behind with Colin.
"Pretty fucked up weather today, ain't it?" Moe said.
Colin said nothing, but as usual Moe couldn't take a hint and started running off at the mouth. "I finally got around to seeing that movie
The Butterfly Effect
last weekend. Fuckin' Ashton Kutcher; ruined a perfectly good sci-fi flick. Why the fuck they keep putting him in movies? I'll tell you why. Teenybopper thirteen-year-olds think he's so
dreamy
, fucking ruining things for the rest of us. At least they could have kept him to chick flick romantic comedies, but do they do that? No...they had to put him in a dramatic role. Fuck! I couldn't concentrate on the fuckin' movie cause I kept seeing Kelso playing the role and it didn't match up. Made me laugh my ass off and the fuckin' movie wasn't supposed to be funny! Motherfuckers. You know who they should have cast in that part?"
"Moe, please give it a rest, just for today," Colin said.
Moe was quiet for a brief moment then said, "This fuckin' weather getting you down? I know how you feel. Days like this I don't wanna be out, I just want to stay in bed with my porno mags and jack..."
"Moe! Just shut the fuck up for once! Please!" Colin exclaimed.
Moe shut up but only for another brief moment. "Dude, you are in a particularly rotten mood this morning. What's the matter? Not getting any?"
Colin's eyes shot daggers at Moe and when he saw the look in Colin's face he finally shut up for good. Colin stewed as they continued to walk to school. Moe had hit a little too close to home with his last statement.
Colin thought back to Valentine's Day and how wonderful it was. He felt closer than ever to Aileen after that night. But the following Monday they had to return to their everyday lives and the problems that were still there waiting for them.
Seth was still waiting for his chance to get back at Colin. Aileen understood that just as well as Colin. She didn't fight him on his stance regarding Seth but he could tell she was worried. He did everything he could to reassure her he would be all right but the one thing he couldn't do, the one thing he refused to do was be Seth's lapdog. He wouldn't run from any direct confrontations and he had no fear of those anymore, what concerned him was the indirect ways that Seth preferred to strike. Waiting for the proverbial other shoe to drop was causing a certain tension between Aileen and Colin and putting a strain on their lives.
