Page 3 of I Love to Hate You
“Whatever it is, don’t take it out on me, okay?” he says, only half joking.
I cut my eyes over to him. “Does it look like I’m taking it out on you? You know I hate it when you act afraid of me.”
“Everyone’s afraid of you, Maya,” he says. “But at least I love you, too.”
“You don't love me,” I snip.
Eddie sucks his teeth before letting out a loud, exasperated sigh. “So, you'realreadyin a bad mood?”
“Well, let’s see. I woke up to my fatheralreadydrunk in the living room this morning, and he blamed me for my mother’s deathagain, before throwing a beer bottle at my head as I walked out the door. So, yes, I’m in a bad mood …already.”
A cloud of silence forms between us that pushes us both back into our chairs. We stare straight ahead as Professor Lovelle enters the classroom wearing a bright pink dress with white heels that click-clack with her every step. She’s already fairly tall, but the heels make her look modelesque as she walks in and places a stack of papers on her desk.
While Professor Lovelle prepares to start class, I slide down in my chair, trying to bury myself in it. Eddie glowers next to me, twirling one of the golden brown strands of hair sticking out from beneath his backwards snapback. I look over at him but he doesn’t turn to me, choosing to fume instead. While he faces forward, I find myself taking inventory of his face. Why does he have a mustache that extends past the sides of his mouth, but no beard to connect it to? How are his eyes so beautifully blue? How does someone look as though they don’t care about anything without having to speak? It’s obvious just from the way his skinny body slouches in the chair that he doesn't care if he passes this class or not. If Eddie wasn’t allowed to graduate with the rest of the seniors in three weeks, he’d still have a place in his father's successful ad agency in Center City. He doesn't need this like I do. I don't even know why he’s attending Temple instead of Penn State. With our backgrounds and lives being so different, how did we even end up together?
Professor Lovelle begins the class, and my mind drifts away. Instead of listening to her go on about marketing strategy, I remember when I first saw Eddie at a party I attended but wasn’t invited to. I’m not the kind of person that gets offered an invite to every single party thrown by students here. I’ll get a few, mainly the ones being put on by seniors trying to make the most out of their final year, but even those are scarce.
This particular party was one I didn’t even want to go to, but I decided to crash it after my ex-best friend from my freshman year, Amy Sims, handed out invites right in front of me. It was her birthday, and she wanted me to know that she hadn't forgiven me for breaking up her relationship by informing her that she was being cheated on. So she typed up invites like a child, and handed them out in my face all day. I let the first time go, but it was like she was seeking me out, waiting for me to walk by before she handed someone one of those pink, ugly ass invites with a white bow glued to it. After the third instance, I made up my mind that I was going, and the look on her face when I showed up was worth losing our friendship forever, because we both knew she wasn’t going to say anything to get me to leave. All she could do was sulk.
I sat at that party like a bump on a log the entire time. I didn’t have any friends to crash the party with, so I posted up in a corner most of the night, giggling next to anybody who stood close to me when I saw Amy looking my way. It wasn’t until I noticed Eddie staring that everything changed. He kept peeking over his friend’s shoulder to catch a glimpse of me, and I saw the moment his friends caught him and gave him a warning. They were gesturing with their hands and heads, hoping I wouldn't see, but Eddie ignored all of that and approached me anyway.
He told me I was the most beautiful girl in the room, and while compliments weren’t completely foreign to me, there was something in his face that made it hit differently. Most guys brave enough to approach me do it with an arrogance that I can’t stand. It’s obvious they’ve heard about me, so when they finally conjure up the nerve to talk, they add a handful of arrogance and a dash of bravado to prove that they can handle Temple U’s “mean girl.” It’s the most annoying thing ever, and the worst part about it is that I always find out it’s not true.
The three months I've been with Eddie have been … fine. He’s being himself, and while we obviously have some cultural differences, I like that he doesn't try to prove himself all the time. There are moments when I feel like he’s with me because he likes the idea of being “Maya’s boyfriend” more than he actually likes me, but we still manage. Then again, shouldn't we be doing more than managing our relationship?
“Maya?”
My train of thought is broken by the mention of my name, and I look up to see the entire class is turned to face me. The glares of all the students and the professor burn into my flesh as pin pricks stab beneath my skin from the anxiety of not knowing what the hell is going on. Even Eddie is glaring at me with raised brows.
I clear my throat and quickly try to sit up straight. “Umm … what?”
“Care to venture a guess?” Professor Lovelle inquires, her attitude on display as she places her hands on her hips.
“A guess about what?” I ask, causing a few giggles from my right. When my eyes snap over to the girls with the audacity, they immediately stop.
“Ms. Valentina, I’m going to need you to pay attention,” Professor Lovelle scolds, before adding, “I asked you for specifics on how to make marketing strategy work. If you don’t know, at least put forth an effort and try to remember some of the things we’ve talked about in class.”
“I didn't say I don't know,” I snip, instantly annoyed.
My temper flares and I’m ready to let loose. It wouldn't be the first time I’ve gone off on a teacher, but if I get suspended now, I’ll just be forced to spend more time in the house with my father.
Professor Lovelle raises her eyebrows. “Then enlighten us.”
I try to kill her with a glare, but since she doesn't actually die, I look down at my desk while I think about the answer. I don't like being underestimated, I don't like being put on the spot, and I certainly don't like being embarrassed. So I shut all of that shit down.
“The first step is to define your product position,” I begin, “including target market size, structure, and purchasing behavior. Next, you identify initial sales goals in terms of market share and profits. Then, specify year-one price and distribution strategy, and marketing budget. Lastly, you describe ongoing marketing-mix strategy and future sales and profits. That’s it. Does everybody feel enlightened?”
Professor Lovelle looks at me with a smirk growing on her face as the rest of the class finally turns around.
“Good to know you’ve still got it, Maya,” she says. “Thank you. Now, let’s move on.”
Four
~ MAYA~
“For those of you who did not turn in today’s paper, your extension will expire at midnight tonight,” Professor Lovelle shouts as every student in the class begins to stand and pick up their belongings. “So either turn in your assignment online tonight, or carry the weight of a zero all the way to the end of the year, and yes, that does include those of you who are about to obtain your degree.”
Being a professor must be the most annoying thing in the world, because I couldn't imagine standing at the front of a class and shouting at the top of my lungs, just for the students to ignore everything I’m saying as they get up and walk out without as much as a glance in my direction. Nonetheless, Professor Lovelle looks satisfied with herself as we all scurry to the door to get out of the cramped space we’ve been in for an hour. I walk down the steps with Eddie’s toes nipping at my heels, and nod to Professor Lovelle as we exit the room and enter the packed hall.
