Captivated

The Jacket

****

          My new books burned my arm muscles. The slit clean pages weighed almost a thousand pounds. My feet trudged the unfamiliar path to my dorm. My first class started in twenty minutes. Great. Maybe Jessica decided to play mom and made breakfast. I doubted it.

          The tips of my fingers were numb by the time I made it to my dorm. I huddled the books to my side giving my right arm ability to open the door. I drop the books. They lay in a scatter around my feet. On my bed Jessica is sprawled out face down, behind her, dark curls damp with sweat, is Ray. He turns towards me cursing. I feel the blood rush towards my cheeks as I grab my books and leave the room. I hear Ray shouting my name as I walk to my car.

          My jeep is waiting for me when I enter the parking lot. I climb into it while throwing the books into the passenger seat. I am silent. My body is in a numb state where I don’t know what to feel. I knew what kind of person he was, so why do I feel so… empty?

          I drive around for a while before pulling into the main section of the university. I walk in, grabbing an apple before making it towards the class. Inside rows of people are lined up before the professor. There is only one seat left in the classroom, the seat beside Ray. I straighten my shoulders, the classroom is dead silent. I glance at my phone noticing that I am ten minutes late. Everyone stares at me in awe, and that’s when I notice I’m still wearing Ray’s jacket. I didn’t get the chance to change because of the accident earlier. Everyone stares at me. What’s the big deal? It’s just a sweatshirt.

****

          Every once of guilt I felt for her is now gone. She walks towards me, her hair in curls behind her. Everyone stares at her astonished. I could see why too. The little freshman wearing Dean Raider’s jacket, not only is she a freshman, but she is the first woman in the century to have one of his belongings! What did I tell her about wearing it in public? Gosh, what is it with women and having to disobey all the time? She sits in the empty chair beside me. Her shoulders are straight and she doesn’t look at me once. Her eyes are on Mrs. Clark who is also stunned with shock.

          “What the heck Elizabeth?” She still doesn’t look at me.

          “What? I didn’t have time to change, my room was occupied.” Her facial expression remains straight.

          “Oh.” Dang it Ray you’re losing this argument! I hate what I’m about to do. I hate is so much that I will probably punch myself in the face later. I stand, the whole room watches me.

          “I told you last night that I had nothing to do with you.” I turn toward the crowd, my voice echoes through the room. She finally looks at me. “She snuck into my house last night asking me to do her. I declined and she stole my jacket!” I look down at her. Her face looks so broken that I want to stop, and tell everyone that I am kidding, that I just want to hold her. But I don’t. “Not only are you a little whore, but you’re a thief too.”

          She stands, shaking her head. “I thought you were different.” I barely heard her. She turned to leave; before she left her chair I caught a small glimpse of her bruises. I am such a jerk.