We're Still Nerds

14~ Trent and Darcy

          "Why would you ever do anything so stupid?"

           "It was a mistake, I know. But if it makes it any better, she wasn't a bitch back then." It was true, of course. Darcy had once been as sweet as a cupcake. I guessed that, over time, she got moldy. But maybe that wasn't the case. "What'd you do to her?" I asked. Trent gave me a look of incredulousness, his dark eyes reproachful. "I didn't do anything! Her ego just grew to the size of Jupiter, and she thought  she could do anything she wanted. I just sort of... proved that I could do the same things." 

         I blinked in confusion. "Whoa, whoa, whoa. Why don't you just start from the beginning. There's no need to be so mysterious about it." Trent sighed and slumped against the tree. "Fine. Save your questions for the end, child." And he told the whole story. 

         "It all started over the summer between Freshman and Sophomore year. We- our group of friends- had all planned to work at the public pool in Emma's neighborhood, since all the seniors had graduated and quit their jobs. Of course, we got put into shifts with two lifeguards per shift. I was paired with Darcy to work in the morning. I didn't talk a whole lot, and neither did she. But Darcy finally sucked it up and decided that we should at least be friends if we were going to work for hours together. So on the second week of our job, she came and sat next to me beside the pool. 

          "She said, 'You know, I don't think we've ever talked before. I think that should change.' I agreed, and from that moment on, we spend our shifts learning more and more about each other. We were really close friends-- I knew things about her that nobody else knew, and vice versa. We spent time outside of our jobs, at the ice cream parlor, at the park, and at the movies. I actually taught her how to drive, and she taught me some things about drawing. She's an excellent artist, you know. She'll never admit it to you, though.

              "I... fell in love with her. It took the whole summer before I finally admitted it and kissed her. We started dating, and started sophomore year as a couple. We were insane about each other, the way you usually are at the beginning of a relationship. Of course, we became kind of famous at the school after that. You know, the high school sweethearts. Darcy became the queen bee, and her friends made her join the cheerleading squad. Her head got bigger and bigger because of all of the brats she hung out with. And being as beautiful as she is doesn't help either; so many people told her so that she started to become arrogant. 

             "I had to admit it: she was a bitch. But, despite all that, I still loved her. That was a huge mistake, considering she tore out my heart with her perfectly manicured hands. You know that asshole, Alex? Well, Darcy was cheating on me with him for months before I found out. When I did, well, I lost it. He used to be my friend.  I found Alex at school that day and broke his nose. I didn't tell anyone, including Darcy, why I hit him. I was saving that for the dance the next day, the one I was supposed to be going to with Darcy. At the dance, I grabbed Darcy's best friend and kissed her right in front of Darcy. Then I said to her, 'How do you like it?' and left. 

                 "Darcy didn't like it at all. She followed me all the way to my house, and there we were, screaming at each other on my front lawn. She said: 'I think it would be better if you just left school.' I told her I wasn't going to leave because my girlfriend turned into a bitch. That was pretty much the end of our relationship. She left my house. The next day, she got one of her friends to plant drugs in my locker-- where she got them, I had no idea. When I was being handcuffed, she came up to me, looking like she was about to cry, but I didn't fall for it. 'I told you to it would be better if you left', she said. 

                   "I was expelled. Well, sort of. I had to go to a different school for a year, and had a parol officer for a while. I didn't come back to school until this year. Darcy hasn't taken any notice of me, but the hostility's still there. She's just as much of a bitch as she was when I left. That's pretty much it, I suppose." 

                      I stared at Trent for a while, scrutinizing him. "Any questions?" Trent asked, looking very tired. "Is this the first time you've ever told someone about this?" I questioned. He hesitated, uncertainty flickering in the dark depths of his eyes. It was then that I noticed that they weren't black like I'd thought, but a very dark brown. "Yes." I nodded in understanding. It's rare to find someone you trust enough to be honest to. The idea that I was that person for someone like Trent made my chest flutter with pride.

                       The bell rang through the intercom, quieter that it would be inside. Trent jumped up in relief, grabbed his books, and began to walk back towards the building. I noticed that there was relief in his shoulders, and a slight spring to his steps. I didn't think it was to get away from me; it was a large weight off his shoulders to finally tell someone about his secrets. Now, someone knew the truth. "Trent!" I called. He turned hesitantly. "Yeah?" 

                       "Who was Darcy's friend? The one you kissed?" There was a moment of silence before Trent called out a name, and then walked away, going back in the cafeteria. My eyes widened, and I stood there for a minute, soaking in that information. Tinsley. The name was Tinsley.