Page 16 of Plaything

The video was of Jimmy and I walking out of a bedroom. I didn’t need to look; I’d seen it once before and didn’t have to see it again. Jimmy looked ecstatic as he greeted his friends in the hall with half hugs and high-fives. I was a different story. I ambled out of the room, a look of confusion and disgust on my face. As I walked out the front door, my eyes were unfocused, clearly not a part of any reality.

Wyatt paused the video when it was just me in frame, his expression equally disappointed.

He looked at me as I drove. “He wanted a photo to stir up false rumors of you two?” He concluded.

“Yeah.”

He gestured to his phone. “This is horrible. The reporter who wrote it should be ashamed,” he almost spat.

I parked the car in front of the house, and we got out. Each grabbing two bags, we walked to the kitchen. I started separating the things I bought from his.

Aiden was sitting at the counter, on his computer, but I doubt he would listen or care much about our conversation. He probably wouldn’t pick up on the topic, seeing as we were in the middle of it.

I shifted my weight to one leg, helping him pack the groceries. “It’s a false report anyway,” I started.

Wyatt cocked an eyebrow in my direction. “What does that mean?” I can understand his confusion. There was video evidence of us walking out of that room together.

I shrugged. “Nothing happened.”

Wyatt paused by the fridge, stopping his movement to put cucumbers in a drawer. He looked offended. “And he allowed people to spread lies?”

I shrugged again. “Not exactly. Jimmy doesn’t know that nothing happened,” I tried to hint. “So in his tiny pea brain, the reports were true.”

Wyatt crossed his arms, leaning against the fridge as he looked at me. “I’m confused,” he said with amusement in his tone.

I chuckled but cringed, “So was I.” I busied myself with tearing the tags off my heated blanket. “I never corrected anyone because it wasn’t anyone’s business—no one would believe me anyways, and I thought it would be embarrassing for Jimmy that he didn’t know the difference between my thighs and...” I widened my eyes.

Wyatt pressed his lips together as if trying to hold in a laugh. Aiden wasn’t as reserved as he let out a gentle chuckle, holding his head in his hands. “That’s pathetic,” he shook his head.

“Completely,” I agreed.

Wyatt also deemed it safe enough to huff a laugh. “That explains your expression in the video,” he commented. He resumed putting the groceries away. “Hopefully, your encounters after that weren’t as...” he glanced at Aiden, “Pathetic.”

I blushed, his comment making my heart race. Did he just imply he wanted me to have a good sex life? I was still very much a virgin, but that wasn’t something I wanted to admit.

Aiden was giving Wyatt a look I couldn’t read. If I had to guess, it was a ‘hey, maybe don’t talk about a student’s sex life.’ But I didn’t know him well enough to know for sure.

Luckily, before Wyatt realized the implications of his words, like Aiden and I surely did, my phone rang.

I pulled it out of my back pocket, feeling their eyes on me as I answered. “Hello?”

“Are you busy?!” Anna, my very bubbly and eccentric volleyball friend, yelled through the phone.

I raised my eyebrows. “Not really, what’s up?”

“I’m rounding the girls up for a private match. This girl I met at work said she has a volleyball team, and then, of course, I said I’m on one, too. Then she tried to say that hers could beat mine,” she rambled quickly. “Long story short, please come be my outside hitter so we can crush her!” She laughed.

I didn’t have anything better to do. I could use the time away, too; my pollution was returning. “Okay, text me the address,” I agreed.

“Yes! I fucking love you,” she made a kissing sound. “And after, you should come over for drinks; we haven’t hung out in so long.”

I knew she wouldn’t take no for an answer on this. She wasn’t pushy or overbearing; she was just excited and friendly. Anna was entertaining to be around and could make anyone smile.

When I first met her a year ago, I was worried that she was giving too much of herself or putting on a show to get people’s approval. I even approached her about it, assuring her that if always being happy was exhausting, she could take it easy around me.

She was taken aback by my comment but not offended. She thanked me but promised that she was just a naturally happy person, and bringing joy to others made her happy.

Anna was refreshing and authentic, and I was glad to have her as a friend.

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