Page 17 of I Love to Hate You
Amy scoffs. “Well, I’ll tell campus police. Better yet, I’ll just call the cops. I’m not just going to donothing.”
“Are you kidding me?” Maya barks, vacating her place on the wall and stepping toward Amy, who backs away. “You want to call the cops on me for this? God, Amy, you’re such a bitch. I can’t believe I was ever friends with you.”
“We were never friends. You were just some loser who held my pocket everywhere I went.”
“You’ve got a lot to say for someone who just had their face smashed against the wall,” Maya snips.
A smile begins to form on my face, but I wipe it away as I walk toward Amy.
“Let’s just go,” I tell her. “I don’t know what’s going on with you two, but we’re too close to graduation for this. Soon, you won’t ever have to see each other again. So, let’s go.”
Amy and Maya stare at one another, and I can tell from the look in their eyes that their dislike isn’t a joke. They really can’t stand one another, and if I don’t force them apart, Amy will keep talking until Maya puts hands on her again and gets herself thrown in jail. As a person who has issues with my own aggression, the last thing I want is to see Maya go to jail over something so petty just because she doesn’t have a problem with violence. Every person in Strawberry Mansion is just as aggressive as Maya is right now, so I understand.
The two of them keep trying to kill each other with dirty looks, but Amy finally relents.
“Fine,” she says, before adding, “Just stay away from me, Maya.”
“Go fuck yourself,” Maya fires back automatically.
Amy starts to reply, but I take her by the hand and lead her away. Once we reach the parking lot, I look over my shoulder and see Maya still staring at me, but she doesn’t stay long. She turns on her heel and walks toward her own car.
“God, I hate that bitch,” Amy says when we reach her car, which she leans against for support.
“What’s the deal with you two?” I ask. “There’s obviously some history there.”
“We used to hang out, but that ended a long time ago when she became a raging bitch. Now, she’s just an asshole who goes around picking on people for no reason. Being a bully might get a pass in high school, but we’re about to graduate college. Like, get over yourself already.”
I nod along. “I feel you, but maybe she’s got some issues at home that make her lash out. Where’s she from?”
“Who cares? There’s still no excuse for that.”
“You don’t seem to have a problem withmebeing violent. We both are aware of my reputation around here.”
“You’re different. You’re a guy.”
I frown hard. “How does being a guy make it different?”
“Why are you taking her side?” she barks.
“I’m not. I simply understand how someone’s background and home life can affect how they act.”
“Fine. Then why don’t you go fuck her then?” Amy bellows, before snatching her car door open and dropping inside. She starts the engine before closing the door, giving me time to lean in.
“Why are you acting like this? I just had your back over there.”
“I don’t know … I just … my head hurts, okay? I’m all flustered, and I just want to get out of here. Thanks for getting her off me, but after all of that I’m just not in the mood to hang out right now. I’ll call you later.”
I think to stop her. Part of me wants to tell her that everything is fine, and whatever isn’t fine can easily be cured with my dick in her mouth, but I realize that may be a bit crude. I don’t want to give away the fact that I see her as nothing more than my fuck buddy. She is who I use to relieve stress, so it wouldn’t bother me if she used me to relieve hers now. Nonetheless, I decide to let her go. Watching her drive away won’t bother me in the least.
“Okay,” I respond. “Hit me up when you feel better.”
She nods, adjusts her rearview mirror, and quickly drives away. I watch her turn out of the parking lot before heading for my own car, but as I walk, my mind wanders to uncharted territory. Each step brings images of everything I saw when I was face-to-face with Maya. I think of her skin, her fragrance, her eyes, her mouth, and the way her hair framed her face. I think of how my heart raced from being near her, and it nearly makes me stumble, because I don’t understand the unanswerable question it puts in my head. It plays on repeat in my mind like a skipping CD and I can’t shake it away.
If I just said goodbye to Amy, why is Maya the one I’m still thinking about?
Fourteen
~ KENDRICK~
