“Come on Courtney I waited all summer break and nothing. Not even a fucking bj.” I stopped Colt’s hand crawling up my thigh. “Colt can we talk about this another time please?” And in another place. We were sitting in the middle of the school parking lot and our friends were on their way over to us. “Yeah whatever,” Colt turned the radio off and jumped up out of the driver’s seat. I followed suit and slapped on my plastic smile, time to face the crowds.
“Hey missy,” Grace kissed one cheek and then the other. “How was your summer?” My smile widened, “that good huh? Did somebody finally loose her v-card?” “No they didn’t.” Colt growled as he slammed the door behind himself. He submerged himself into his sea of friends. I bit my lip and continued to smile. Colt could be such a jerk sometimes. “So what happened? I thought you were going to give Colt a summer surprise?” Grace waggled her eyebrows. “I dunno, I brought the stuff, but I just couldn’t go through with it.” “Well you better hurry up. Because there are loads of girls who would kill to be in your place and Becky Benson looks like she’s lined up next.”
I followed Grace’s gaze to Colt’s locker. Becky was all over him, touching his jacket and running her fingers through his hair. Was it bad I didn’t feel jealousy? I was just disgusted. He let her touch him. He caught my eyes and pushed her off shaking his head and muttering something to her. She scowled and then glared at me. “Don’t let that bitch get to you.” I smiled. My face was tense, I hadn’t realise my smile had dropped. “Yeah, I won’t. She’s been trying to get with Colt for years.” I didn’t tell Grace that they were neighbours and I worried about how persistent she could be.
“Holy smackeroos is that Ms Courtney Bates? Don’t you look nice and tanned?” Molly pulled me into a hug. I relaxed into her hug and a tear escaped from my eye. “I’ve missed you Mol.” “I’m surprised you had time to miss me, wasn’t Portugal what you expected it to be?” I pulled away so I could look her in the eye. “It was great. Too much time with Colt and his family I guess.” “Don’t say that any louder, he’s coming over.” Molly let me go and I turned to see a furious Colt. “Courtney can I talk to you…alone?” I nodded and my girls walked away.
“What the fuck was that?” “Huh?” I was so busy watching Grace and Molly walk away that I didn’t hear what he said. Colt squeezed my wrist until I looked at him. “What the fuck was that? Some little game, to prove I’m faithful to you? I spent all summer with you. I didn’t look, let alone touch any other girls while we were away. I saw you two looking at each other. So if you and Becky are up to something leave me out of it. I’ve had enough.” Colt stormed off and I considered chasing after him. Did he really think me and Becky were some sort of team. I turned and leant against Colt’s car, so my peers couldn’t see me cry. I dabbed my eyes and grabbed my satchel, “deep breaths.” I turned to face the crowds, my perfect smile in place. As I ran after my friends, “hey you guys…wait up.”
“So I know how Grace’s summer was, how was yours Ms Bates?” “Stop calling me that?” Molly called me Ms Bates. Bates was Colton’s last name. She said we were like the perfect couple. We’d get married, buy a big house and have 2 kids, a boy and a girl. I had different dreams of my own. Becoming Ms Bates was one of them once, but not anymore. I wanted to teach and everyone else wanted me to be the wife of football star Colton Bates. Even my own family, I didn’t have an identity anymore. I was Courtney, Colton Bates girlfriend. I don’t think anyone besides a teacher could tell you my last name. “Oh my look at him,” Molly cooed, we all stopped walking. Her eyes zeroed in on someone new. “Who is that?” Grace flipped her hair and stood up straighter. I followed their stares and swallowed. “Not a lot of guys can carry off the jumpsuit look but he kind of makes it work.” I nodded in agreement, though I barely heard her. “He must be a senior right?” “Oh I hope so. I bet he’s a musician.” I nodded again. “Jerk alert.” Two freshmen walked past us clutching their bags and gossiping. “I know. Colt and his friends are such jerks, why anyone would date any of them I do not know.” The girl caught my eye, closed her mouth and hurried past me. “Ignore her Court.” I nodded. “It’s already forgotten.”
