“This conversation is over. Now if you don’t mind, physiology requires my undivided attention.”
“You’re not even going to consider it?” Simon was insulted.
“Shhh…” the teacher hushed him.
Minutes into the lecture I caught Simon eyeing the rose in my bag. I had forgotten about that. No wonder he was trying so hard to get me to go on a date. He probably figured David was a step ahead of him and couldn’t think of another way to gain ground. I felt kind of bad for him.
“Isis, will you consider it?” Whispering, he persisted even with the warning he had received earlier.
Leaning toward Simon, I covered my face with my hand and arm and spoke softly. “I don’t want to hurt your feelings or lie to you, Simon. Just leave it alone for now, okay?”
Simon tossed his pencil on the table with a swift twitch of the wrist. He didn’t say anything else to me for the remainder of the period. Feeling the tension between us, I watched the clock slowly ticking. I was stuck with him as a lab partner till the end of the year—awkward. We would both be uncomfortable for the next three months. I would be unintentionally hurting him—I was already feeling remorse. How to remedy the situation, I did not know.
Finally, class came to an end. David was waiting by my classroom accompanied by Marie Shannon and Jean on either side of him. I paused for a brief moment to examine the cheerleaders’ flirting with David.
They seemed to have it down to an art. The way they found ways to touch his arms or giggle and bat their eyelashes made me feel defective in some way. A small quiver of rage ran through my spine as I saw the long-legged girl’s—Jean’s—fingers running up and down David’s arm. I couldn’t compete with that. I ducked my way out of the room with a group of students, evading them.
“Pardon me, ladies.” I heard David excuse himself. My attempt to subtly flow with the current of kids had failed. I slowed my pace to let him catch up to me—there was no point in being rude.
“Hey,” I said as he joined me.
“Hello, precious.” He tipped his head once. “How was your class?”
“It was okay.” I didn’t feel it necessary to inform him of the discussion I had with Simon. I already had a feeling they were less than amiable toward each other. Why add more wood to the fire?
“And yours?” I asked out of courtesy, trying not to visualize Jean during class interacting with him in the same manner she had in the hall way. The thought made my stomach churn.
“Quite uninteresting.” His dimples creased in as he smiled.
“What subject is it you have?”
“Calculus.”
“That explains the uninteresting part of it.”
David chuckled. “Well, there were some interesting parts to the time spent in class.”
“For example?”
“Your friend, Jean is very—how shall I say this? Friendly.”
The comment made my teeth grind together. I could feel my mouth pulling down at the corners. David noticed my composure. His lips held one of his classic sly smiles, content with my reaction, no less. I quickly reestablished myself and pushed out a false smile in return. I’d be damned if he was going to play this type of game with me.
Our lunch table was full by the time we reached the cafeteria. There was no doubt that the twins were making a real impression. Two jocks and three girls had joined the group at our table. Andy had saved a place for me, but there wasn’t enough room for David.
“Sorry,” Andy shrugged apologetically at David. “They were here before we were.”
“Well…” my mouth pulled to the side, unhappy that
our
table was being taken over. “I guess we can take a booth.”
“You guys go ahead.” Andy put both arms over Bill’s shoulders. “I’m staying with Billy goat.”
David let out a short snort. “Billy goat?”
“He loves it. Don’t you Billy goat?” Andy crushed Bill’s arms and pressed her cheek against his.
“Yeah, sure.” Bill rolled his eyes. “Love it.”
David insisted I stay at the booth and didn’t let me accompany him to get my lunch. He stood restlessly in line keeping his sight on me. I’d swear his gaze was hypnotic. He puckered his lips and blew a kiss in my direction. I looked away from him, pretending not to take notice. I bit down hard on my bottom lip to suppress the giggles bubbling inside me. I scrolled through my phone messages trying to look preoccupied.
My mother had sent me a text message reminding me of the appointment with Dr. Jameson I had scheduled for today. He’d be glad to know I was doing much better since David wasn’t part of my horrific dreams anymore. I could sleep without the use of the prescription medication—that had come in handy after all. I’d have to thank him for being so persistent with Claire. She would’ve taken longer to convince me of taking the pills otherwise.
A salad was placed on the table before me along with a small carton of milk.
“Thanks,” I smiled.
“You’re quite welcome,” He smiled back.
David took his place next to me instead of across the table where I thought he’d be more comfortable.
I held a smooth profile even though I was bursting at the seam because I could see Jean was watching with a flustered face. Man, that felt good! It was silly to be envious of her when I knew this thing with David was an impasse for anyone that wasn’t of his same
species
—for lack of a better description.
“Will I be allowed to drive you this afternoon?” David picked at his salad.
“Oh, about that… I have a doctor’s appointment. I’m riding with Bill and Andy.”
David’s eyes narrowed. “Are you ill?”
“No.” I was hesitant to tell him I was seeing a psychiatrist. I didn’t want him to think I was a nut job. I wasn’t far from it at one point, though; the day he told me who he was in the hallway was very close.
“What is the cause of your appointment then?”
“Nothing important.” I hoped he stopped asking.
“I’m puzzled. Why must you see a doctor then?”
“Ugh,” I sighed knowing he would not stop until he had his answer. “I used to have trouble sleeping. I consult a psychiatrist. It’s Andy’s dad.”
David grimaced. “This insomnia was because of me, was it not?” He put two and two together.
I nodded.
“I am deeply apologetic for causing you that type of trauma. If I would have it to do over again, believe me when I say, I would never do this to you. But please remember, I was obligated to find a means to keep you out. I had no alternative.”
“Why didn’t you do something about it the first time you found me there?”
“Isis, have you ever looked at yourself?” He intently looked into my eyes.
I kept silent, listening for the rest of his explanation.
“You’re gorgeous. Fit for the god of gods. You are unending beauty to the tips of your fingers.”
The hair on my arms rose as he gave his interpretation of me.
“You’re exaggerating.” I shook my head.
He looked at me like I was crazy, nodding his head—gazing.
“What?” I said softly.
His hand carefully swept the hair out of my eyes and to the back of my earlobe. He cupped my face and closed the gap between us nestling his nose next to mine. I felt my heart in my throat, beating at full speed.
“No.” I restrained him, raising my right arm against his chest.
David moved slightly back, staring deep into my eyes. “You’ll be the death of me. I swear it.”
The remainder of our lunch hour was quiet. For some reason, I thought about Gabriel. I felt guilty for thinking of him while I was sitting next to David. But I realized he—Gabriel—was still buried somewhere inside of me. I felt like I was cheating on him, although we were through months ago. It was strange to suddenly have Gabriel in my thoughts when David was a perfect distraction to everything around me. So perfect in fact, that I wished I had let him kiss me after all. I could kick myself. I was such a prude.
I reminisced of the day he pressed his lips against mine outside of the nurse’s quarters—his act taking me completely by surprise. His caring for me was already so apparent, and of it I was fearful. Then I came back to reality.
I knew there would be nothing beyond a kiss that would hold us together. I decided I couldn’t be with him and I knew why. I would rather keep him as a friend than have the fear of losing him forever, engraved deep in my conscious. How depressing.
Maybe, I should’ve agreed to go out with Simon to assert myself that Gabriel was over and done with and that my fate was not pointing toward David. But I’d be using Simon for closure, which wasn’t fair to Simon and probably not a good idea, anyway. I didn’t want to give Simon motive to think I wanted anything other than friendship.
The last class of the day rolled in slowly. As the teacher spoke, David sat quietly observing me from the other side of the room, his hand in a fist under his chin. His leg shook intermittently, as if desperate for the lesson to end.
Eryx sat cross-armed staring dismally at the notes on the chalkboard while everyone else, except for David and him, copied the lesson onto their notebooks. I wondered if their knowledge of American government and economics was so great that they could sit back and still pass the course. If they could, what was the point of being enrolled in school? Then I remembered the reason behind their sudden appearance in Los Fresnos. Me.
I didn’t see the necessity in their attending school, however. David had told me it was to observe me, but it had been as his mother had advised me all along—to pursue me. As I got to know them better, I found David and his brothers were very set in their ways. David wouldn’t have only settled for being in the same town as I was. Now that I noted that detail about David, it wasn’t surprising that he would have enrolled in the same school as me, and the twins along with him.
Eryx dropped his head back and sighed in relief when the final bell rang. He strode out of the room without waiting for David.
I started getting my stuff together, throwing it in my bag. David walked over to me and squatted, placing his chin over his crossed arms on the desktop.
“Allow me to accompany you to the medic,” he stated rather than asked, in a serene tone. “I promise I won’t behave.” He pulled the semi-wilted rose he had given me that morning out of my tote and set it on the desk.
My lips curved in a half smile. His greater attributes were chivalry, cunning, wit and humor. He killed me with all of them. I sighed deeply before turning various shades of crimson when I realized the way I was looking at him—agape. I closed my mouth and looked away from his blue-eyed gaze.
“I’m meeting my mother there,” I told him. “I don’t need an entire audience present.”
His nose wrinkled briefly and then he smiled. He helped me with my bag and we walked together to the parking lot.
Midway through the parking area, Galen walked toward us and spoke something in Latin. Galen’s tone sounded concerned. David’s façade became ominous as we approached the group.
“What’s wrong?” I asked David, but he remained silent, his jaw tight.
We joined the rest of our entourage, and it was then that I realized why Galen had stepped out from the circle to speak to David. Gabriel was there.
My eyes widened when I saw Gabriel. He looked different—pale and thin. His eyes were bloodshot and there were dark circles under them. His clothes were loose and wrinkled. His hair uncut and untamed. For a minute I thought he might be sick. A sudden flurry of nerves ran through my arms. I hadn’t spoken to him in months and remaining friends wasn’t in my plans. I’d have never gotten over him if we maintained contact.
Tension was in the group when we joined them. Andy looked worried along with Bill. David’s face hardened even more so when he saw Gabriel’s arm on Bill’s shoulder. Galen and Eryx looked as if they were ready to spring at David at any given moment.
“Hey, sweetness.” Gabriel took a step toward me. David pulled me back instinctively.
“Hey,” I said sourly. I felt my eyes dampen. Suddenly, I was full of rage—mad as hell to have this idiot in front of me. He had the insolence to end our relationship by typing it out rather than speaking. Coward!
“David, can you drive me today?” My voice was partially broken.
“My pleasure.” David’s smile beamed.
“Wait, Isis,” Gabriel requested. “Can we talk?”
“No,” I said rotating my body and heading to David’s car.
Gabriel hurried to meet my pace. I turned to face him with angry eyes. Behind Gabriel, I saw Eryx and Bill talking to David who was green-faced. Galen held David by the arm, constricting his movement forward.
“Go!” Andy mouthed to me from the sidelines of the conversation the brothers and Bill were having.
“I don’t have anything to talk to you about.” My voice was hoarse with fury. I was on the verge of tears. I wanted to tear his heart out. I wanted him to feel the same pain I had felt the day he sent me that message, bringing the relationship to its end without explanation.
“Isis, I just want to say… I’m sorry. I’m sorry I didn’t know what I was doing. I miss you and I want you back. We can work this out. Long distance relationships happen all the time.” Gabriel reached for my face.