It's Twisted

My Manhood

My stomach is killing me because I didn't have time to eat breakfast this morning, but I refuse to make an appearance in one of the dining halls. Deciding to dodge the crowds I started making my way home to have a quick lunch. I even convinced myself that I wasn't just making an excuse to prevent the odds of me seeing Halley and Ben together.

"Kate! Wait up!" Jared yelled, pulling my wrist for me to stop. Why is it that every time I try escaping, to prevent attention, he finds a way to hold me back and draw attention to us. The handful of people who are leaning against their cars smoking in the congested parking lot focus on us as I jerk my hand away from him. I let out a calming sigh, trying my best to ignore their stares before I start back walking in the direction of my car.

Jared walks alongside me, smartly deciding not to pull me back again. "Where are you going?"

"Home. I'm hungry, Jared! Is there anything else you would like for me to run by you?" I respond, not hiding my irritation anymore, not that I was doing a stellar job at hiding it before.

"Whoa, someone is a bit moody... Is it that time?"

I don't know why I got so upset at him mentioning my monthly visitor because it wasn't that time but I held back my aching desire to kick him in the balls. "No, I'm just not in the mood to report everything I do to you like I'm a little kid."

"Well, you better get use to that." He chuckles to himself. "Didn't you say you were hungry? How about we stop and get you a kids meal and then drop by your place so you can do something with your hair? My next class got canceled." He suggests, tugging at a stray piece of my mane.

"I'm not getting a kids meal."

"Deal." He responded and he led the way to his car. Whenever it was just us he never wanted to drive my car. He said that it's just because he liked his car but I personally thought it was because my rusty 2002 Grand Cherokee has a few minor problems and the last time we rode in it together we ended up stuck in the middle of nowhere for three hours because it had a battery shortage and I didn't have cables.

After the silent walk, and feeling some light drizzles of rain starting back up, he hops in the driver side of his yellow 2012 Jeep Wrangler. The car came to life and we were on the road.

I was barely listening to his story about some party he went to the weekend before when Laurina's number popped up on my phone, the basic ringtone interrupting his explanation on why the "kickback" got shut down by the cops.

I roll my eyes, forwarding the call which Jared picked up on and subtly asked, "How's Laurina?"

I bit my tongue so hard I think I started tasting blood before I could conjure up an answer. "Fine, I guess."

"You need to talk to her, you know. Your dad will be officially married to her in a month and a half and you can't change that."

"Whatever." I glared out the window watching the cars and signs pass by, trying to hold in my frustration.

"She doesn't want to replace your mom, you know? She just wants to be someone in your life besides the most hated person. Cut her some slack."

He was getting very good at reading my mind but I'm pretty sure that most hated spot is currently taken by a friend who keeps bugging me about people being on this hate list I supposedly have. "Why do you always do this? I will work things out with her on my own time and if I don't... So what? So what if she's the most hated person in my life. I have every freaking right to hate her for thinking she could just walk into my life and expect nothing but smiles and rainbows only seven months after my mom died."

"You can't blame Laurina for that, Kate. You're looking for someone to be mad at be mad at cancer." He stopped at a stop sign and looked at me. His stare intensified. "That was two years ago so don't make it seem like your dad just jumped into some random relationship right after the funeral. He worked his way up to it. You even gave them your blessing. Where's the Kate that told me she only wanted to see her dad happy again?" His brown eyes charged with confusion and a dash of hope.