A Guy Like Her

Bro, Brag, Sahn, Tiger, Player, Mate, Buddy, Man

Chapter Fifteen
-Bro, Brag, Sahn, Tiger, Player, Mate, Buddy, Man-

There wasn't much time for self loathing as I changed my clothes, took my make up off and put my wig on. Taylor had quickly made himself comfortable next to Kathy on her bed as soon as we walked through the door, and although he looked like he had absolutely no intentions of leaving anytime soon, I still didn't want him waiting on me so I rushed my way through my transformation.
"It still freaks me out that you can change genders so easily," Taylor said as I wiped my eye with a make up removing wipe.
"Freaks me out too, I just love it. It's completely insane how well she pulls it off," Kathy agreed with a grin.
"I'm not sure if that was a compliment..." I frowned as I studied the mirror. I swiped a scentless lip balm over my lips.
"Watching you do assignments is boring," Taylor whined at Kathy as I pinned my hair up. "Go to YouTube, I know an awesome video where this guy scares the crap out of his girlfriend." Kathy laughed at him and shoved him away.
"As exhilarating as that sounds, I've been putting this assignment off already to hang out with you when I was meant to be laying low with 'Lockie'. Get used to this sight," She told him, gesturing with her hand at the laptop screen. "It's not going anywhere, any time soon." Taylor groaned loudly and dramatically like a child that knows that if they make enough fuss, their parents will give in to their demand.
"You're. Such. A. Nerd," He announced rolling over on the small bed and shoving his head into the pillow. "I bet seeing how look it takes to suffocate myself to death is more fun then watching you do that assignment," he grumbled from the pillow. I huffed to myself in amusement as I grabbed my wig.
"More fun for both of us," Kathy agreed, mumbling under her breathe. Her attention remained solely on her laptop though and Taylor was bored with his own shenanigans by the time I had my wig firmly in place. He had pulled out a small toy car from god knows where and was driving it around Kathy's shoulder and chest making stupid car noises. I turned around finished and happy with my boy looks in time to see him drive his toy car over Kathy's boobs and make it crash and tumble through her cleavage, over her stomach and down to her lap, making appropriate exploding and blowing up noises as he did.
"Ready to go, man-child?" I asked him, planting my hands on my hips, looking at him.
"Oh god, yes," Taylor groaned, throwing himself off Kathy's bed. "Laters babe," Taylor threw over his shoulder and opening the door.
"Bye guys," She replied distractedly.
"I'll probably stay over at Jakes tonight as 'Lockie'. He probably thinks I'm dead, He hasn't seen me all weekend," I told Kathy and she gave me a half assed reply, still studying her laptop. She was finally able to do real work without NASCAR happening all over her body.

Taylor and I walked back towards the car park.
"Where is Robbo's car?" I asked, slowly.
"In the car park, that's why I was there in the first place," Taylor told me and I nodded. Even after having breakfast with him, I still knew very little about Robbo.
"How do you know him?" I asked, curiously.
"He turned up with Darko one day," Taylor shrugged and it left me with more questions then answers.
"Who's Darko?" I asked, slowly.
"Guy I met on the orientation day," He answered easily.
"...And his name is actually... Darko?" I asked slowly.
"Nuh," Taylor laughed. "We got trashed after the campus tour and woke up the next morning, he was passed out next to some chick that did the tour with us and when she woke up, she kept calling him 'Darko'. It's just kind of stuck with everyone else. I think his real name is Josh or Jarryd or something."
"Why was she calling him Darko?" I asked, slightly amused.
"No idea. Never asked her why," he shrugged, seemingly unfazed.
"Does everyone get a nickname that you hang out with. You call me Walters, Jake is J. Random tour guy is Darko..." I trailed off, feeling my point was made.
"Rule forty one, given the event that you forget a name; bro, brah, sahn (son), tiger, player, mate, buddy or man are acceptable to recover yourself. Last names are preferable, but as long as it sounds friendly, you can pretty much call anyone, anything," he told me. "More often then not, people get their names from what I associate them with, but also they get introduced to me with their nicknames," he finished his explanation with a shrug as we walked towards a car with its hood up, showing its engine and the front half was hoisted up on jacks.
It was a beast of a car, I didn't have to know much about cars to know that. It was old school, not a bright, shiny, sleek piece of imported crap. It was solid and reliable looking, except the fact that I knew it was broken, but in proper working order it was a car that would make an entire group of guys turn mid conversation and stare like neanderthals. A pair a legs were sticking out from under the engine that we're covered in light dirty denim.
"Brah," Taylor exclaimed, kicking the base off Robbo's sneaker. I heard metal hit the concrete and both Taylor and I quickly took a step back as Robbo scooted out from under the car.
"Hey guys," he greeted, sitting up, hugging his arms around his knees. "I was wondering what took you so long." Robbo looked me over for a moment, scrutinizing me. "Please tell me the reason why you're here is because you know the difference between an engine and the ass end of a dog," he pleaded and I laughed.
"The engine is the one with fur and a tail, right?" I asked sarcastically and he groaned as he pulled himself to his feet.
"Surrounded by god damn rookies!" he sighed. "This children, is called a car," he exclaimed gesturing towards the car, "to make it move you need one of these bad boys," he waved his hand over the engine.
"We're not complete morons," Taylor glared at him.
"Could have fooled me," Robbo bit back with a mischievous smirk. I was guessing, had Taylor been a couple years younger and a girl, he would have stuck his tongue out to Robbo indignantly. Taylor just rolled his eyes, however. "Where was I?" he asked himself. "Right, The engine. Don't touch or fiddle with anything I don't tell you to touch or fiddle with, 'right?" Taylor let another indignant grunt out and I nodded. "Alright," he sighed to himself. "Taylor, jump under the car with me, Lockie, can you grab the light and shine it through, so we can see better?" he asked and we went about our tasks. The two boys disappeared under the car and I heard Robbo giving Taylor instructions to 'hold this' and 'pass him that'. I was stretched right over the engine, almost to the back of the engine, right near the windshield. I was glaring at my arms, generally judging how stupid and short my arms were as I had to basically lie all over the engine to reach that far.

"No, you spastic. Not that wrench, the other one!" I heard Robbo exclaim and smiled to myself.
"They're all the, god damn, same. What the hell is the difference?" Taylor demanded as I heard metal hit and scrap the concrete.
"Clearly they're different sizes therefore needed for different situations," Robbo sighed, sounding exasperated. "Swear to god, you did four years of dress making in high school, right?" He asked.
"Get stuffed!" Taylor exclaimed, clearly offended. "I was a sports freak, not stupid dress making," He grumbled.
"Would you two just get a divorce already?" I demanded, although amused. "You're giving me a headache."
"Shut up!" They both exclaimed in defence at the same time and I couldn't hold in the laugh that escaped.

Actually this wasn't the first time I had helped to fix an engine. Trent had, had to help his dad fix one of the tractors on the farm one day and I had pretty much done the same as I was doing now. Standing around looking pretty being the shining light on the situation... Although really, in quite a few situations I was hardly a shining light for anybody at the moment, in fact, I was beginning to burn bridges before I had completed building the next one, essentially gambling everything I had that I could pull the rabbit out of the hat. Although there were several hats to choose from and only one rabbit, I was ruining lifelong friendships to chase people I was completely lying to. I wasn't naive enough to believe that if everything crumbled around me, I couldn't pick it up again. I wasn't a fifteen year old in a Taylor Swift song, but it would suck majorly. I didn't know anyone here, really. I was starting fresh and having to go back to square one wouldn't be ideal. Especially if I had given up Trent and everything I had with him to see how this panned out. I was confused and having major self doubt and it was just about now that I would talk to Trent and he would tell me how to handle it... like that could happen now. I was essentially alone on this one, navigating through the situation with nothing but a crazy boy-mentor, a roommate that I was beginning to think was as wild as she was smart and the tub of ice cream I knew I had in the freezer in the room. That was more than most people got though, right? In all reality, my whole self esteem support system could be wrapped up in something stupid like a pet or an inanimate object. If I really needed, I had girls back home that I could ring up, should life get too incredibly difficult. Trent and I had been inseparable, but he wasn't my only friend.
I still missed Trent though; I didn't need to explain anything more than the immediate situation to him, when I needed a shoulder to cry on. With everyone else, I had to jump through hoops of explanation before I could get to the point. Trent understood immediately, just like I did for him. I hardly had to glance at him to figure out his mood or his opinion on something. I could read him like a Jane Austen novel. He was familiar and reliable and Trent. My Trent. He slept until one in the afternoon on Sundays and snuck me a beer on my sixteenth birthday from his parents bar fridge. He threw water balloons at me on the first day of summer every year since we were nine and had a completely stupid and hilarious phobia of lady bugs. He was ridiculous and sweet, funny and pouted like a champion when he didn't get his way, but I always knew if I kissed him softly enough, his pout would disappear. I missed him so much. This sucks.

...The self pity choo choo train now loading on platform two, stopping all stations...

...woo woooo!