A Necessary Struggle: Fall Semester

Part 22

Lela knew Trevor was fuming as she watched him cut through the water like Michael Phelps during the 2012 London Olympics. She left The Stallion immediately after Cairo told her Trevor had fled. As she maneuvered her baby blue Mini Countryman over the Austin hills she shook her left foot, her stomach churned and she gripped the steering wheel.

Why was she so nervous? It was just Trevor, the spoiled brat from California that went out and bought a Ford F-250 because Cairo told him Men drove trucks. Trevor, who decided to buy a house in Juniper Cove because the RA said Christmas trees aren't allowed in the dorms. Trevor, who after blowing off class decided to buy an A.

He was irresponsible, late all the time, and procrastinated about the future. Those were the same things that rushed through her head when he slipped his warm hand in hers during the Fourth of July fireworks.

Lela knew he saw her standing at the edge of the pool as he tapped the rim of the pool, flipped over and dolphin kicked away from the wall.

"Trevor!" She called hustling to the other end of the pool. Her bare feet slid over the wet, toasty concrete as she tried to make it to the other end before him. "Trevor!" She called out once more as he freestyled over to her. But he didn't pop his head out the water. He just tapped the wall, flipped over, and dolphin kicked out.

Lela groaned clenching her fist and curling her toes. "Fine! If this is the game you want to play! Then fuck you!" She threw something at him as he splashed in the water. She didn't know what it was. She had too much red in her russet eyes. That was the other thing that pissed her off about him: his cold shoulder, cutting you out when he got mad.

Lela strode through the freshly manicured grass back to the house, "We were just dancing!"

Wetness took hold of her forearm and turned her around. With the brisk speed she was walking and the eager force that he grabbed her she smashed into his hard, moist chest.

"You were dancing?" Trevor's narrowed cerulean eyes illuminated under the moon's hypnotic glow. "With your ass on his dick! You were dancing!" His hand wrenched around her forearm tighter.

"You're hurting me!" Lela shouted delivering a punch to his chest.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to..." Trevor dropped Lela's arm and took a step back. He studied the vividly green grass as Lela stroked her arm. "Are you okay?" He kept his eyes down as he gripped his slick waist. Frustration surged through his robust body like a volt of electricity.

"I'm...fine. "Lela dropped her arm. "Why are you so jealous?" She whispered.

"I'm not...jealous." Trevor's head slowly rose like a stream of water rolled down the side of his face. "I'm not...possessive. I just don't like other dudes dancing with my girl. You can dance with Cairo any time of the day." His heavy baritone rose a little. "Sam. I'm cool with. But Beau mother fucking Mitchell." He gripped his waist tighter clumping the black fabric of his swim trunks in his hands. "He wants more than a dance. I know it! Alyssa knows it! All of TU knows it!"

Lela jumped at the anger booming in his voice. "I don't care what they think."

"Are you sure?" Trevor took another step back digging his hand in his soggy blond tresses. "I can't even be mad at Beau because he didn't know. No one knows. I'm your little secret."

"Then who are you mad at?" Lela knew the answer but asked it anyway.

"You!" Trevor rigidly pointed his hand toward her.

Lela bit her bottom lip. The next-door neighbor flicking on their bedroom light caught her eyes but then she put them back on him; his twitching eyes, crimson cheeks, and bulging forehead vein. "You're not...my secret." She neared him. He held out his hand for her to stop and she did. "I'll tell Alyssa when the time is right."