"No, not quite."
"Was it like this?"
"Uh, no."
"How about this?"
"Nope."
"Well fuck me, THIS has to be it."
"Yep, that's it."
"Really?"
"Nope."
"SON OF A BITCH."
Rigging the wiring in cars is tough. Rigging the wiring so your mother's car won't start is pressuring work. Rigging the wiring because she's going to make another beer run in a ten or fifteen minutes is nervewracking. Stopping her from doing it while she is drunk is a service to the local public. I'm serious, my mother would drink, and when there's nothing left to drink, she would get in her car and get more to drink. No downtime to let that sobriety come creeping back in, oh no. She grabs the keys, she stumbles out the door, and she's gone. Not for good, because that would save me a lot of trouble. But long enough to make me concerned how many pedestrians she might've ran over in the process.
Back then, I didn't know shit about cars. Hell, I don't know anything about them now. When people start talking about cars, my mind tends to start trailing off and I start thinking about breasts and sex and meat and fucking and other manly things to compensate for my ignorance in the fields of automobility. The short blonde next to me, on the other hand, knew enough about them to get by. All of this despite her family not owning a car. At least not anymore. I hear cars sell pretty well to them young teenagers looking for that first beat-up jalopy to take for a few spins around town to the local malt shop an--fuck, wrong time period. But yeah they sold their car, but whenever her father drank too much, her mother showed her how to wire the ignition so it wouldn't start, meaning the crazed man couldn't go out and get his drunken-manslaughter on. She was attempting to teach me that art and was failing miserably.
"Damn, we aren't going to make it." I said.
"Nope, probably not."
"Hurry and go hide in the yard, she'll be coming down the stairs soon."
"Always with this, huh?"
"You're not seeing that woman and she's not seeing you. God-forbid what kind of shit would ensue if she knew of your existence, and really... you don't want to meet her."
"Still..."
"So, when are you going to introduce me to your dad?"
"...Fair enough, I'm going."
My lady friend scampered out of the garage down the apartment complex's streets out of sight. She would never meet my mother. Or my brother for that matter. I was a bit secretive about the relationship. I wasn't ashamed or anything, God no. If anything, I was proud that a (then) ugly bastard like me got a girl, but she didn't need to be pulled into my disgruntled family, at least not until things calmed down and subsided. They never did, but so it goes. She had her own reasons why I never met her family, either. It was like Romeo and Juliet, except that there was no family feud, everybody was drunk and abusive, and there's no suicide at the end, only a few attempts.
Well fine, it's nothing like Romeo and Juliet, but you get the idea.
So if a third wheel showed up, who the hell would they be considered? Roseline or what? I guess I didn't think this simile out clearly enough. But there are those occasional moments where you're with your girl and she just impresses you. Some of you people might know what I mean. I don't mean one of those "D'AWWWW ISN'T SHE PWECIOUS, SHE'S SO SWEET AND ENDEARING AND LOVABLE I JUST WANT TO RAPE AND CORRUPT HER INNOCENCE" kind of impressed moments. I mean one of those moments where you're literally speechless of what you just witnessed, and there's a newfound respect of that person there. And no, it's also not one of those kinds of moments where "She arranged this entire party for me? That must've been hard, and I love her hurr durr" either. What I'm talking about are those kinds of moments where you witness her do something that is both impressive, endearing, but malicious enough to instill unadulterated fear into your spine. You will love and worship this woman. Or else.
And these kinds of moments usually come when you're with the kind of girl that's submissive and quiet and soft-spoken and a little boring. Why? Because they're always the ones you least-expected. You might say "Okay, she's tougher than she looks",but you know you've spotted this particular moment I'm describing when what you say is along the lines of "Okay, so there's a dark side here that I've clearly glossed over." It's almost like sucker-punching a masochist. It's shocking, horrifying, and just smacks you across the face out of nowhere and yet it hurts so good that you might just need to change your pants.
***
"So she's really your girlfriend?"
"Is it surprising?" I asked.
"Eh, I guess you would say that..."
"I find it surprising, too. But it's not like I'm going to question it."
"Why?"
"......Is there a reason I should?"
The unfolding conversation was with a girl in one of my classes. I can't particularly recall, but it was during the second semester of my freshman year. In fact I can't really recall what ANY of my classes were during that time period save English with a woman I held at great contempt. Usually I can just make some shit up and make a safe or accurate assumption, but nothing comes up. But yes, I was talking with a particularly attractive girl during lunch who approached me at the lunch table. I was immediately on the defensive because... well, WHAT WOMAN IN HER RIGHT MIND WOULD TALK TO AN UGLY MOTHERFUCKER LIKE ME JUST TO SHOOT UP FRIENDLY CONVERSATION? Well that's the hitch; the girl I was going out was for a lack of better term completely out of my league. Seriously, she could've gotten anybody given her looks but chose a disgusting little grease monkey like me. It didn't make any fucking sense to me, either.
"Well... it's just..."
"Out with it, sweetheart." I was getting a bit irked. She had something to say that probably wasn't kosher, but I was getting impatient and I wanted to eat my shitty pizza that tasted like a locker room laundry bin.
"Just wondering... why she would go out with somebody like..."
"Like...?" Then came that thing that every young adolescent hates. That sound that will do a mix of terrible things to a young man. It will infuriate them, it will humiliate them, it will irritate them.
The bubbly High School giggle. That little giggle they seem to fight to keep in. That conniving little snicker that punctures every man's pride like a stray nail on the ground. They cover the smiles on their mouths and frantically look around almost like they're getting ready to shoplift something. It was the laugh where they were going to torture whatever poor bastard they were locking their sights on. And god-dammit, the kinky bitch will enjoy every moment of agony and let every excruciating syllable shoot out of her mouth and burn like drops of acid.
"I mean... look at you." she had a slightly coy smile.
"Piss off and rot, you cunt."
"What? I didn't even say anything." She was stifling her laughter. Bitch, I knew what you were implying, don't pull that shit. She knew that, that's why she left. And when she left, I heard more of those cackles from that pack of hyenas she retreated to. That's the second kind of laughter you hear. Where you hear uproarious guffaws behind you, and you can practically feel the fingers pointing at you in the process. It almost makes a man want to pull a box cutter on a girl's throat and make that laughter immediately evaporate into life-threatening terror.
"Hey."
"..."
"HEY, LUCAS."
"Huh what?" It was Amelia.
"You're bothered."
"Eh?"
"What has you flustered?"
"Huh? I'm fine."
"You're clearly bothered."
"No, not really."
"Your hand." My hand was covered in milk. My grip tensed up around my milk carton and crushed it. Okay, so maybe I was a little upset. But it wasn't her business. WHAT KIND OF MAN DOES IT MAKE ME IF I CAN'T HANDLE THIS ON MY OWN? I didn't say much of anything. I nonchalantly continued to drink my milk despite making a complete mess of myself.
"I have no clue what you're talking about. You're acting hysterical."
"...Hmm." But I think she noticed. She glared over in the direction of the laughing pack of girls and immediately saw the one who was mocking me earlier. Ami knew it was her because as soon as he made eye contact, her laughter immediately stopped, and the smile was quickly pulled off her face. I personally didn't think much of it. I mean, what was I was supposed to think? Ami wass a malnourished, four-foot ten-inch girl compared to a large buxom brunette who ran track. If something broke out between the two, who do YOU think would've won?
Well, that was a stupid question to ask.
Everything was kind of sort of fine the following day. It was burger day at the school, and let me tell you those burgers KICKED FUCKING ASS. Remember when eating Gas Station food wasn't considered a felony in most states? Neither do I, but if there's one thing I have fond memories of, it was the hamburgers at AM/PM. Those things were fucking delicious. Then one day they changed the meat they were made of or lost the secret formula rights to McDonalds or something and one day they became disgusting and selling them should've been classified as assisting customers in attempted suicide. But one theory I like to support is that my school stole all of them, and now serve them at our School every Wednesday. The same ones AM/PM had. They couldn't make new ones, so they're selling all the backstock AM/PM had. Don't worry; they're fine to eat. If there would be any organic matter still intact after a nuclear war, it would be cockroaches and these burgers.
It was business as usual. We were eating outside near the overhang in the yard. My lady brought up the Dreamcast, which to be fair, sounded like a kick-ass system when it came out nearly 6 years ago, but it wasn't God's gift to humanity. Discussing Phantasy Star Online was always interesting, though. She even managed to get my brother and I some sweet weapons she had no use for. But that conversation halted when she noticed that girl from yesterday go into the bathroom.
"I'll be right back." she said as she stood up.
"Hmm?"
"Bathroom."
"Oh, alright."
I knew she wasn't going to use the bathroom. Although I didn't really know what to expect, nor did I care. If she was going to aggravate a situation and possibly make it worse, all the better for me to have something to lord over her head after the whole incident with the fire and the mormons at the Hollywood Video. It was a bit unnerving, though; she was in there for a long time. A very long time. The brief 30-minute lunch period was almost over. She eventually came out and sat back down, a bit disgusted that her food was cold.
"You were in there long enough, weren't you?"
"Don't ask."
"I don't think most people would ask what a woman does in the bathroom."
But I didn't have much time to talk, as the warning bell rung and henceforth told me to get ready to get my ass to class. We talked about meeting up after school at the Rite Aid, but I had to get home quickly so that was out of question. Oh well. She left and I made my way to class. Before I did though, I saw that girl from yesterday leave the bathroom. She looked different. I couldn't quite describe it. It might've been the pale skin, the lifeless eyes with no hope left in them, or the look on her face that seemed to project the message that she just watched a loved one get raped. I didn't much care, so I headed to class. She stopped me.
"Oh, Lucas, about yesterday..."
"Hmm?"
"Sorry about that, I shouldn't had said something like that."
"Oh." It caught me off guard. "Uh, err, thank you?" Her solemn expression didn't change. She just left, and that was it. It was actually pretty fucking creepy; I wasn't aware if I was even talking to somebody alive just a moment ago. What the Hell did that short little woman do?
* * *
It got even more unnerving the next day. That girl was in my second period class. It was hard to not notice the girl was in clear distress for the entire class. Almost like she had a fever. She was breathing heavily, sweating a bit and having a bit of trouble speaking. Even the teacher asked her if she was sick. She said she was, but she didn't want to miss class. Oh, it was almost admirable. At some points she almost seemed like she was going to break out into tears.
"Alice, are you sure you're feeling alright?"
"I-I'll manage..." she weakly uttered.
"You should consider going to the nurse."
"No, I'm f-fine..." Her voice cracked a bit. As soon as the class was over, though, she was out of there. She fucking bolted to the bathroom at the speed of a lightning strike. I saw Ami sitting at the lunch table eating today's disgusting meal, salad with lard and vinegar vaguely disguised as dressing.
"......"
"Hmm?"
"....You."
"Hmm?"
"......What did you do?"
"Hmm?
"WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO?"
"Nothing of importance."
"......Really." I said. She stood up.
"I need to go use the the bathroom." She said. I sighed.
"Alright." And so she walked off into the bathroom. It was for about ten minutes before she walked out. She sat back down and started eating again without saying a word. Minutes later, the girl walked out, in tears and made her way straight for the school office.
"I guess she's going home early." I said.
"I guess."
"She's been acting odd for the past day or so."
"You don't say." There was a long pause. Then something rare to cross my girlfriend's face showed up. It was a smirk. A slight remnant of a smile. A vaguely smug look. If she had a mustache, she would be twisting it in some Machiavellian or sinister manner.
"......You're a sexy bitch, you know that?" I smiled.
"I know." She said it in a monotone voice, but that look was still on her face.
And that girl never talked to me ever again. It was like a funny game because whenever she was being spunky and loud and obnoxious, it would be like somebody unexpectedly knifed her in the back whenever Amelia walked by her from that point on. She was like a diabolical shadow always hovering nearby.
And as much of a turn-on as it was to know my girlfriend got revenge on my behalf and did it with cold and psychotic precision, it did one very important thing. And I believe is that it made me more afraid of Amelia than that girl was. She put the fear of God into me, because I had no clue what this woman was capable of.
And I never figured out what she exactly did, either. I asked, she wouldn't respond. It was something that didn't happen in her book. And honestly, I think that was best. I think some things are just best left unknown.
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