Page 18 of I Love to Hate You
“Why are you still messing with that girl, man?”
“I don't even know, bro,” I reply to Simon as the two of us stroll through Philadelphia Mills mall.
I shove my hands into the pockets of my Eagles hoodie and face Simon in front of a Hot Topic that has teenagers pouring in and out of it like a line of ants. The two of us impede the flow of traffic, forcing people to move around us while we have a conversation. Simon is wearing an all-black hoodie that he somehow still manages to look massive in, so I doubt anyone is going to say anything.
“I mean, you said it yourself that she wasn’t someone you would bring home to your mama, right? Now she wants you to beat up some girl on campus and get thrown under the jail. Man, if I was you, I would get as far away from her as I can. Unless, of course …”
“Unless of course what?”
“Unless the pussy is that good, bro! I don't know. You tell me,” Simon quips, laughing at himself as a family of four walks right in front of us, the father glaring over his shoulder before thinking better of it and snapping his head back around.
I laugh and turn to start walking again. “You’re a fool. It honestly isn't even all that. She’s too much of a pillow princess.”
“Wait, what is that again?”
“She just lays there, bro. That’s all she wants to do is lie there while I do all the work,” I complain maybe a little too loudly for how many ears are around. “Now, part of me is into it because I’m all about doing all the work, but there’s levels to it. I want to be in control, but when we fuck it’s like trying to control a dead person. I physically have to take her leg and move it this way, and then move her arm over here, then bend her knee. It’s like fucking a warm blow-up doll.”
“Damn! I didn't know you were into necrophilia,” Simon says, instantly laughing at himself.
“Fuck you,” I snip, grinning. “I’m just saying it’s not all that. The only thing she has going for her is that she's hot as fuck. That red hair gets me every time.”
“Ah. Fire crotch.”
“Bro, what is wrong with you?” I bark, before descending into laughter. “The point I’m trying to make is that I like seeing her beneath me, but the dead fish routine is trash”
“I feel you. How’d you meet her?”
“At some party,” I answer. “I had just finished checking some kid for bumping into me on my way in, and when I looked up she was staring hard. Honestly, I think she's just attracted to my attitude. She was obviously teeming with lust when she saw me tell that guy off. I think being with me makes her feel like she has a pass to say whatever she wants to people, and that shit is annoying. This other girl, though.”
“The one Amy wanted you to beat up?”
“Yeah. She’s on something different.”
Simon and I reach the giant food court that’s filled with tables and chairs. Bodies of all sizes scurry in all directions, bumping into each other as people rush to get in line to order food, while others try to focus on not dropping their trays as they navigate back to their tables. The whole place is a mess, but it’s the spot to be in if you're just looking to hang out and people watch, which is what Simon and I are all about.
We find our way to an empty table and sit down. From this spot, we can see everyone coming in through the giant automatic doors to our right, while having a clear view of everyone walking around to our left. It’s the perfect vantage point to see everything.
“Okay, hold on. I thought you said you didn’t like the other girl. What’s her name again?” Simon says once we’re settled.
“Maya,” I reply. “And Idon'tlike her. She has such a fucking attitude all the time, and I don't like the way my stomach feels when I’m near her. She gives me ulcers.”
“Damn. That bad, huh? What does she look like?”
“She’s about the same skin tone as me, but … she glows.”
My eyes drift down to the table as I remember seeing Maya for the first time in the cafeteria, and then the second time during the career fair. My heart flutters as my skin heats up, and the furrow that takes over my brow is one of confusion because I can’t define what I feel when I think of her.
“Her eyes are hazel,” I go on, “and her hair curls all the way down to the middle of her back, but you barely notice because her face draws so much attention. Her nose is perfectly proportioned and her lips … her lips cast a spell that makes the world reverse its spin. She always smells good and her face is perpetually in a scowl. She’s intimidating, but … man, I can’t stand that girl.”
By the time I’m done talking, Simon is staring at me with raised brows.
“You sure about that?” he asks.
I frown. “What?”
He lets out a soft chuckle. “Nothing.”
“Right. Well, anyway, I’m just ready for the whole thing to end. Four years is a long time, and I’ve had enough of going to Temple U and dealing with all the BS. I’m ready for whatever comes next, and if it doesn’t work out, I can count on you to let me get down. Right?”
