Thorns

38 - Whitney

Whitney

When the Christmas Holidays came, I was walking in clouds. Rai and I were madly in love and yes, we were having sex all the time. Well, all the time my dads weren't home. The fact that the bakery needed massive work was good in that area. And also, I was able to persuade Rai and his dad to work on the renovation too. And even Nacio went to work. I just wanted them to see that they didn't need the gang to do ok in life. Small steps, I kept telling myself. Baby steps. Once college application started, I was hoping Rai would ask for my help so he could do it also. And then, we could even go to the same college and live happily ever after for four years. After that... who knows?

I was planning waaaaaay ahead, and I knew it. Still, I didn't care. Rai wouldn't know, would he? How could he possibly find out I had already started to file his own college application? He would ask me for that, in a few weeks. Maybe days! I was just being cautious and rational about it. He would thank me later, I was that sure.

"I can't believe you two are still together!"

I laughed at Portia's sourness. She was actually happy for me, us. She told me so, a few days back. But Ian was spending Christmas at his grandparents' house, in California, so she was angry.

"I mean, who da hell spends Christmas in California?!" She grunted, shoving every dress away while she checked the rack "All hideous!"

"I've been checking colleges."

"Oh, really? Tell me you're going to Columbia with me! Pleeeease!" She wined, jumping around, and I chuckled.

"Don't know, yet. I'm actually looking at schools that have great scholarships." I told her, and she gave me a sour look "What? I like people who give back."

"Whit, I think it's time for you to have a reality call: he won't go to college."

"Why not? He'll graduate." I assured her, and she shook her head, sighing "He's smart, P. He can get a great GPA by the end of the semester. I'm sure he can. He's been working harder for weeks, now. We study a lot together, and he actually tutors me! He knows a lot more about Physics and Math than I do!"

"I'm not saying he's not smart. That's not what I meant" She assured me, turning around and leaving the clothing store.

"Well, what did you mean, then?!" I groaned, trotting after her.

The town's Mall was near the football stadium and there was a game tonight, so people were crazy all around us. Men and women, elderly and children, all wearing the red and white jerseys from our team. We were going later, me, Portia, Rai, and Darren. A couple's date without Portia's boyfriend, and a single not-yet-out-of-the-closet-gay.

We had a grab to eat at a sandwich restaurant that was packed. The red square tables around us were full of fun and happy people. I loathed them, now, 'cause I knew Portia would scold me for my doings.

"What I meant was that he's that kind of guy that's proud. You doing stuff for him, makes him feel like you're cutting his balls off."

"Nice, P." I groan, and drinking a little bit of my apple juice "So... You're saying I shouldn't try to get him into college."

"I'm not saying that. I just think you shouldn't plan ahead, and especially shouldn't do that for him." She warned me, while she chewed on her ice cream "I'm telling you, from what I know of Rai, he'll be pissed, and worse, insulted."

Ok, so maybe my best friend was right. I knew Rai too, obviously. That's why I didn't tell him what I was planning. Women have to be smart, and smart women never tell their men what they're up to.