Jenci's Troubles [complete-short story]

Jenci's Troubles

Jenci was a perfectly healthy eighteen year old guy: he loved girls and hid some “not so disgusting” men’s magazines under his bed. He was freshly out of college but managed to quickly nab a decent office job because of his good academic record. Like many others he also fantasized about seeing girls and women admiring him as he walked in the street; or of having pretty girls approach him to ask if the bus just passed, as an excuse to talk to him.

“Excuse me, has the bus heading for Ninth Street passed?”

Jenci peeked through his black-rimmed glasses to see the cute college girl standing beside him with her smartphone. He has seen her before, they took the same bus each afternoon but she always got off shortly before him.

“I don’t really know, but the next bus might come soon.”

Jenci sighed and hung his head. He could only wish that it was him who had said the answer for the girl, but sadly enough it was the guy standing on the other side of her.

He told himself that he wasn’t in a rush to get married or build a family—but all his friends already had girlfriends or were even engaged. He was the only one who hadn’t even gone out on a date.

Who would want to date me, I wouldn’t date myself if I was a girl. Jenci thought to himself as he half-listened to the two beside him. The guy seemed so confident when he talked and even introduced himself to the girl, who Jenci suspected had his fancy.

“I’m Nevena,” the girl said, shaking the guy’s hand before glancing at Jenci and casually smiling at him, enough to make him fret about how he look like when he responded with his own smile. In his eyes she was truly beautiful. She looked up with her dark-blue eyes, doll-like face and a sweet smile while her long wavy brown hair was blown by the occasional breeze.

Jenci pushed his glasses up his nose and brushed his long bangs away from his face before secretly glancing at the guy who was by then all-out flirting with Nevena. He looked like what his sister might call a “real man.” He had the kind of muscular build that told Jenci that this was a man who would be able to shoulder his wife and three kids out of the house if there ever was fire.

When the bus arrived the three of them boarded. The guy sat beside Nevena, but he also got off the bus first, leaving Jenci to admire Nevena from the back of his seat until the bus stopped at her destination.

“Bye,” Nevena said turning to face him. He replied with a small smile. She always said goodbye before getting off the bus, making him feel worse about himself. Many might assume that she noticed him a lot but he knew that she was doing it just to be polite.

He looked out of the window and watched Nevena walked away with another good-looking guy who always fetched her at the bus stop. He sighed as the bus move on.

Nevena has enough guys—good-looking-guys— around her. She would never care for someone like me.

“Instead of moping around, why don’t you go and get an image change?” Jenci’s sister told him one Friday afternoon when she dropped by his parent’s house with her family. “I would never have my kids now if I didn’t change my appearance.” His sister continued. “Humans are shallow. They’ll never keep eyes on you unless you look appealing. The problem with you is that you’re not appealing enough! Maybe she doesn’t find you attractive.”

“Thanks sis, you’re a great help,” Jenci said gloomily.

“Okay, okay. I’m sorry for rubbing where it hurts,” His sister grinned shamelessly. “But why don’t you try it? Get an image change, get rid of your glasses and vest, try a more modern fashion. I’m not saying your fashion is bad but you’re so outdated.”