My Better Half

18 - Back on Campus

I walk across campus to meet Lip for lunch with a smile on my face. This is my first week back on campus since school ended. For the first 2 months, I did my classes online so I could get used to life in Lima. But it's familiar now and I missed Chicago. More importantly, I missed Lip and Blake. They stuck me with some girl named Ava. I stride up to Lip and place my hand on his shoulder.

"Well, finally. I've been waiting for hours." Lip exaggerates.

"Stop lying. You literally text me to meet you here 10 minutes ago." I reply.

"Really? Oh, it's just that you move so slow that I thought I was standing here for hours." he states.

I shove his arm and he laughs a little. We continue walking together as he looks across the quad.

"So, how are the kids?" Lip questions.

"It's still weird to wrap my head around the fact that I'm a mother. They're good. At home with Ron. I miss them already." I respond with a pout.

"God, you sound just like a mom. Well, at least that's what I think a mom sounds like. I wouldn't know." he reveals.

"I can't tell if you're joking to hide your trauma or if you're actually crying for help." I say, my hand tilting in mock confusion.

"Me either. Anyways, what do you want for lunch? I was in the mood for Chinese." Lip reveals.

"I could go for Chinese right now. You want to drive." I inquire as I pull my keys out of my pocket.

"Yeah, sure." he says.

We walk past a group of girls on the way to the parking lot. I hear one of them snicker and I clench my teeth.

"Wasn't she pregnant last year? Oh, bless her heart. She's going to burn, right along with her children." one of the girls mutter.

"I heard she's a fag. Oops, I meant a homosexual." another girl whispers, stretching the word out.

Lip must hear it as well because he turns to me.

"Listen-." Lip begins.

"No, I got it, Lip." I reply.

I walk up to them and they try to straighten their posture.

"What bothers you more? My bastard children or my bisexuality? Because that's what I am, bisexual." I state.

None of them answer and I scoff to myself. Lip tries to grab my hand but I pull it away.

"You want to call me a fag and undermine my children? That's fine." I tell them.

They stay silent once again as I run my hands through my hair and my tongue across the inside of my cheek.

"Just remember that I'm rich and you're poor. So while you're sitting on 65 grand worth of student loans, I'm out of debt. Whisper about that, you bible-thumping, podunk, basic bitches." I exclaim.

I turn to Lip and he's smirking at me.

"Let's go, Lip. I don't want to catch poor." I mutter.

We walk away and I pull my hair out of it's high ponytail, letting it bounce freely down to my shoulders. I hear another snicker but this time, it's from Lip.

"When did you become this bad-ass right before my eyes?" he asks.

"When they started talking about my children. Nobody talks about my children." I respond seriously.

"My best friend's a bad ass. I dig it." Lip praises.

"Shut up. Let's go get Blake and head for lunch."

                                     ———

I park the car and exit my car. Lip and Blake follow close behind as we walk into the Alibi. As I place my keys in my pocket, I walk up to the bar and sit on my usual stool. Kev turns around and faces me.

"Hey, Elena! You're back." Kev exclaims.

"For the week, yeah. I just moved." I tell him.

"Oh, really? Where?" he questions.

"Lima. I got a job and I'm going to live there these next couple of years until I finish school." I reveal.

"Solid plan. You want a drink?" Kev inquires.

"Yeah. Can I get tequila, neat?" I respond with a smile.

He nods before heading under the bar and pulling up a bottle of tequila and a glass. Kev pours me my glass and slides it over to me.

"Thank you." I praise.

He smiles in return before walking away to help someone else.

"Elena, could I talk to you for a minute?" Lip asks.

"What's up?" I query while still sipping my drink.

"You're friends with me because you like me, right? Not cause I'm some type of charity case?" he questions.

"Of course. What kind of question is that?" I respond.

"I was just thinking about what you said to those girls earlier." Lip states.

"You're not those girls. I don't feel that way about you. I promise." I assure him.

"Okay. That's that. Anyways-." he continues before cutting himself off.

His phone began to ring and he pulled it out of his pocket. He answers it and after little dialogue, he hangs up.

"Okay, we have to go." Lip instructs.

"Why? We just got here." I state, followed by a noise of agreement from Blake.

"Amanda's at the house. I don't want her there with my siblings alone." he replies.

As he said that, I reluctantly hop off the stool and follow him out to my car. Blake trails behind us and I climb into the driver side. Lip sits in the passenger seat and Blake gets in the back.

"Why don't you just break up with her? You obviously don't want to be with her anymore." I start.

"Elena's right. You're miserable, buddy." Blake chimes in.

"I can't tell her that. She'll think I was using her." Lip states.

"Weren't you?" I ask.

"No! I actually liked Amanda." he replies.

"Liked being the operative word. You don't want to be with her anymore, Phillip." I tell him.

"I know. I'll break up with her tonight." Lip assures us.

Little did he know, unlike me, that he wouldn't break up with her tonight. Or for weeks.