The Problem With Love [+18]

7 : Shock

Julian and I hung out a few times after that night. He didn't try to kiss me again, but we did start to get pretty close.

It had been almost a week later when Sydney finally brought up the party to me. It had been at breakfast and we were all sat at the table eating the eggs and bacon Col cooked up.
"You never did tell me how things went with that boy" She said shoveling some eggs into her mouth as she pointed her fork at me. I had tried to push those events so far into my mind so I would never have to think about them again.
"Yes, that boy" Col added to the conversion, not really eating as he moved his attention from the toaster to me. I felt my cheeks turn red as I too stopped what I was doing to look at Col. He didn't really have any emotion clear on his face, just looked rather indifferent. But his tone had been sarcastic.
"It was alright" I said slowly before taking a large bite of my food. I didn't have anything else to add. There was no way I was going to tell them that I got drunk, forgot most of the night, threw up everywhere, and then made out with him in the bathroom.
"Just alright" Sydney asked, bummed I didn't have a better story. I nodded in response and then the topic was dropped. Sydney started talking about how there was pay cuts happening at the pet store she worked at. Col told her she should just quite and it turned sour as she grew more annoyed with him. Most mornings had become that way, Col and Sydney would begin to fight until they made up by making out in front of me. At that point I had pushed all my feelings for Col out the window. He made it rather clear he didn't want anything to do with me. And I had been thinking much more about Julian.
I liked how things were going with him. Sure it was like he was too afraid to touch me sometimes, but I had caught him starring at my lips a few times.
A few days after that morning, I was home alone. Col was somewhere. Sydney was out looking for a new job after being fired from the pet store. I sat curled up on the couch with the phone from the kitchen speaking with Julian. I would sit watching the images flash on the TV with no sound listening to him go on about everything and anything. I would nod my head before remember he couldn't see me and then whispered a 'yeah' in response. He was very good at making me laugh and blush. My heart felt heavy in my chest every time he would laugh back threw the static. I remember thinking how good everything felt, thinking that this must be that feeling all those pop songs are about.
I flinched at the sound of the screen door being slammed back into place. I turned slightly still listening to Julian to see Col in the kitchen grabbing a beer from the fridge. I went back without saying 'hi'. A few seconds later Col flopped down on the sofa, grabbing the remote from next to me and pulling up the volume. I shot him a look but he wasn't paying any attention to me.
"Yeah" I said to Julian when he brought up one of the people from the party, asking if I remembered the brown haired girl. Out of the corner of my eyes I watched Col turn to stare me down. Feeling uncomfortable with his eyes one me I turned to face him, phone still to my ear.
"Who's on the phone?"
I didn't replay to him, but at this point I had stopped paying much attention to Julian.
"Just tell me who's on the phone" Col said again with a pointed look.
"It's not any of your business" I said lightly as I playfully glared back at him.
"I'm not in the mood, Sheryl" It hurt a little bit when he called my by my full name. I went to tell him that it was Julian but was cut off by him saying, "Just give me the phone"
"No" I said as my voice cracked. He said my name again before reaching out to take it from me. I moved away from him by climbing over the sofa and standing by the cut out. Col got up after me and walked over to where I was standing with his hand out. I still refused to give him the phone, I'm not fully sure why I just didn't give it to him. But I was just messing around. It had been the first time he really gave me attention in over two weeks.
Col grabbed the phone away from me yanking a bit of my hair with it by accident.
"Who is this" He said looking down at me as I stared up at him with wide eyes. I didn't understand why he was acting like this. Julian must have answered because Col made a look of disgust before telling him to never call this number again. Then he hung up.
I was annoyed and in shocked because of how serious Col was acting.
"Why didn't you just give me the phone"
"Why did you just take the phone" I shot back at him.
"Stop giving me attitude, Sherrie, or I swear to God"
"Stop giving me attitude" I mimicked, but was cut off by Col hitting me across the face.
I kept my head to the side as I tried to process everything that just happened. Moving one of my hands to my cheek and went to look back up at him. He didn't have any look of regret on his face.
"Stop acting like a child" He sneered down at me, I wanted to tell him that he was being ridiculous. That I was a child. But I didn't I just nodded in response, still in shock.
We went back to the sofa and sat there in silence for a long while. He had it so I was partially laying on him as he brushed my hair with his hand. I was trying to focus on the TV, not the pain not the weird feeling in the bottom of my stomach. I tried to keep reminding myself that I caused that to happen. I was acting like a child, I just wanted him to pay attention to me again. But I didn't want to get hit. Him not apologizing made me think that I deserved it.
"I don't want you to speak with that boy again" Col said at one point, I promised I wouldn't.