English class didn't turn out too bad.
Fortunately, my workload of classes and football kept me from dwelling on Trish too much. I'd never let on how much she'd hurt me. I guess sometime during my senior year I'd fallen in love with her. At first, it had just been fun times, and the sex had been amazing! I never really knew how much I cared for her until after she was gone.
Mom had taken the hurt away, and now I had a dilemma going on in my head. I'd somehow fallen in love with both of them! Trish had hurt me. I wanted to get even with her for what she'd done by ignoring her. That lasted for almost a month.
***
Trish ignored me in class to stay professional. Still, whenever I got a graded paper, it included a little note on the back of one of the pages in red.
"Jason, I'm so sorry! Let me explain what happened." With the address of her apartment.
I sort of wanted to hear what lame excuse she had, but the sting stayed with me, and I kept putting her on hold. Football season was in full swing, and we had a game every Saturday. That was aggravating, too, because I only got to play the last few minutes of a game. And only if we were ahead by two touchdowns. Being a freshman, I knew I'd get my chance someday, but it sucked sitting on the bench when I knew I could play better than the current starter.
Between homework, practice, weight lifting, and sleep, my days were already pretty full. I sure didn't need the stress of seeing Trish! It all sounds good, but the truth was part of my mind was always drifting back to her at times. I would remember one or another time when we had made love. Trish had never been boring during sex! I wrote it off to not having been on a date. That was something I planned on fixing as soon as I could because a guy can only go so long without sex. It was making me edgy, and I needed to take the edge off so I could concentrate on school and football.
***
I guess that's what finally did me in. On the next Friday, when I got my assignments handed back, there was another note.
"Please, Please come and talk to me!"
I decided I would, but it would have to wait until Saturday after the game. Even so, I thought about how I was going to rip her up one side and down the other after she gave me her excuses! I wasn't about to let her get away with it, no matter what she said.
***
I was feeling better after the game. I got to play the last five minutes and threw the first touchdown pass of my college career! It wasn't that spectacular, just a quick shot to the corner of the endzone from the 20-yard line. Even so, it was thrilling, and the roar of the crowd was heaven!
I was in a pretty good mood and headed out to find Trish's place after supper. It wasn't that hard to find and looked like a friendly enough apartment complex as I pulled into a parking spot in front of her building. I went up the stairs looking for #340.
Trish opened the door after my second knock and looked surprised to see me.
"Come on in," She told me, "I'd just about given up on you," She said with a sad look in her blue eyes.
"I've been busy with football and stuff."
"Too busy for me?"
I just shrugged my shoulders and went inside as she shut the door behind me. I headed for the sofa and sat down.
"So, what do you want to tell me?" I asked.
"You want a beer first?"
"Sure, but I can't stay long."
Trish came back with two beers and handed me one, "It's all I have."
It was some brand I'd never heard of, but beer is beer, and I took a sip as she sat down across from me.
"You look good!" She said, "I saw you throw that TD today."
"Thanks, is that all you wanted to tell me?"
I watched the smile run away from her face.
"I suppose I deserve that," She replied, looking sad, "I just wanted to tell you what happened, and why I left."
"I'm listening."
Trish took a big drink of beer and then sighed, "Okay, this is what happened." And she began to tell me her story.
"I was dating this guy in College named Bruce. We dated for my whole senior year, and after I graduated, the only job I could find was at your High School. So, I left California and came out here because I needed the job and experience."
I interrupted her, "I know all that Trish, get to the point."
She looked guilty, "What I didn't tell you when we met was that I was engaged to him."
I was a little surprised, but it didn't seem like that big of a deal, "You never wore a diamond."
"I sort of left it at home while I was in Texas."
"Why?"
"I guess I was having second doubts about marrying him."
"Go on," I told her.
"When you and I got together, I did it because I was lonely and needed someone."
"You used me for sex?" I asked.
"Come on, Jason," She replied, "It's not like I forced you into it!"
She had a point, and I smiled, "No, you didn't have to force me at all."
Trish took a drink and then went on. "So, anyway, as the year went on. Each time I went back home to see Bruce, I kept thinking about you. I was already thinking about calling the wedding off, but my parents and everybody loved Bruce. They had the whole wedding planned without me. My dad is the pastor of the church, and he was so proud I was going to marry Bruce that I just couldn't tell them I was having doubts."
I had to admit the story was getting interesting. I was losing my anger towards Trish and wanted more.
"Go on," I said, "So, how is it you just disappeared?"
"Mom & Dad showed up the night before I left with a U-Haul truck and some guys to load all my stuff. It was like I didn't have any say in it. They just showed up as a surprise, loaded the truck, and I was dumb enough to let them."
"So, you left for California with them?"
"Yeah, I didn't even have time to say goodbye to you. I felt bad, but I figured I'd never see you again anyway. I just let Mom & Dad run my life like they always did."
I finished my beer, "Did you get married?"
"No, that's the best part of this story."
"How so?"
"I'm free at last from them."
"If you have another beer, I'd like to hear it," I asked.
"Sure, I wish I had something stronger," She replied.
Trish brought us another couple of the shitty tasting beers, but it was cold.
"So, what happened?"
Trish drank deeply then started up again, "So, to make this short, here's what happened. Dad and Bruce moved up the wedding date, and he'd even picked out my fucking dress for me!"
"No, shit?"
"Yes, and it got worse. I felt like I was on some kind of train and couldn't get off!"
I was starting to think that nobody could make up a story like this one.
"What happened?"
"I almost got married to that idiot Bruce. I went to the wedding and went through the whole thing until Dad asked me to say, "I do." I just couldn't take it anymore and said, "I don't!" and I ran out of the church in that dress that I didn't even want!"
"No, shit?"