Yes, the long-anticipated part three of the West Saga. Sorry it took so long, I needed time for inspiration to pop into my head. :)
So three weeks went by... Three wonderful, amazing, dazzling weeks. I spent most of my free time in Wes' company, and he spent most of his in mine. We couldn't get enough of each other, and frankly, I was okay with it. I still didn't know if he actually liked me or not, but he had said we were turning out to be really great friends. I was a little bummed when I heard that, but I figured since he was spending more time with me than any of my friends ever would there had to be some kind of attraction in there somewhere.
We worked on our dance, too. We had to pick a song and come up with costumes for the winter showcase. We agreed to dance to Come On Get Higher by Matt Nathanson. We still hadn't lost that spark from our first time together. The costume, however, was a mystery. Mona, the Orchesis director, said she'd try and come up with something.
Sometimes after class Wes and I would go down by the library where there was a little mini pond. It was a beautiful spot to just simply go to and play guitar. It became "our spot" even though it was technically a public area. But in our minds, it was set aside just for us. It was our secret little hideout we would go to when we wanted to talk, think, or play music.
It was a chilly autumn day when my life turned upside down. It was the first day we'd had since school began where the temperature was below 50 degrees. I was headed off to calculus, the class Wes and I had together. We always sat next to each other now, since we felt more comfortable in the other's presence. I huddled beneath my coat, not used to the cool air. As I stepped into the classroom and out of the cold, my insides turned even colder than the weather outside.
Sitting next to Wes, in my seat, was a girl who I'd never seen before. She was perfectly sculpted with platinum blonde hair most of the way down her back in a dead straight wave of sunshine. She laughed, showing ultra-white teeth surrounded by pink lips set beneath a button nose. She was everything a guy could want and more. But she could have chosen any other guy...
I walked over to Wes, my heart in my mouth. "So..." I said awkwardly.
The girl in my seat looked up. "Oh, Hi! I'm Lydia."
I nodded. "Wes?"
"Uh, sorry Tia. She just transferred into this class because of dance team practices... They interfered with her old calc class... She kind of asked already if she could sit here. I didn't think you'd mind. Is that okay?"
Well, no. Its not okay at all. How could you be so stupid, Wes!? "Sure. Have fun." I spun on my heel and walked over to the only other empty table in the corner.
Breathe, Tia. I told myself. It's only one class. You still get to hang out with him today after class. That thought kept me going throughout the whole lonely class. I would occasionally glance over and see her leaning in towards him to ask a "question." Fury burned in my throat. Or maybe it was jealousy. Either way, I was feeling something, and it wasn't a nice feeling.
Class ended, and thankfully, Wes waited for me outside the door. But when I stepped outside, Wes wasn't the only one waiting for me.
"Hey, Tia... I know we're supposed to go to Java Hut and study for the calc quiz together, but Lydia needed some help with the negative integrals so I offered to let her join us."
WHAT?!?!?!?! That witch can't ruin this too? Can she!? What was I supposed to say? No, it's not okay, let her fail on her own, she's a boy-stealing soul-sucker? Personally, I was all ready to say my thoughts when I was interrupted by Lydia.
"Thank you so much for letting me join you guys. It's really sweet of you to help me out. I can't fail a class or I'll be kicked off dance team!"
I let my breath go that I'd been saving to speak my mind. "Alright, fine. Let's go." I said unenthusiastically.
Lydia squealed and clapped her hands together. "Yay!! Thank you thank you thank you!"
The torture lasted for about two hours in Java Hut. I was ready to start banging my head on the table when Lydia finally stood up and said she had to go meet her roommate in the UC. I breathed a sigh of relief when she left.
"What's your issue, Tia?" Wes demanded.
"What?" I replied, feigning ignorance. I knew exactly what he was talking about.
"With Lydia, what's your deal? She's a perfectly nice person and you hated her immediately."
"What? No I didn't!"
"Yes, you did."
"No..."
"Tia. I'm not stupid. As soon as you walked into class this morning you've been in a dark mood. I can tell by your body language. You're angry and frustrated. Just tell me why you don't like her."
Well, here goes nothing. "She's too.... perky. Yeah, I know weird coming from me. But it still seems really fake. And she's starting to cut into our study time. I already knew how to do negative integrals, yet I sat here for two hours reviewing something I already knew. I needed to study the other materiel. Plus, I don't like the way she was looking at you...."
"The way she was looking at me? Tia, we're friends, not boyfriend and girlfriend. You don't have to be jealous. So what if she likes me? Maybe I like her too. Besides, she asked me to hang out later and I said yes."
That blew it for me. "Well fine then Wes. Run after her and tell her how you REALLY feel. After all, its not like I care! Go ahead and take her to our spot and show her every song you've ever written. Go do a duet with her. Go and hang out with her all the time and just forget about me Wes. Just forget about me."
Wes was taken aback. "Is that what you think? That she's replacing you?! Tia, you know you're one of the greatest friends I have here."
"Maybe friend isn't at all the title I want Wes. Ever thought about that?"
"What do you mean?"
"YOU asked ME out first. YOU'VE made the time to come and see ME in my dorm. YOU'VE written songs with ME. Maybe there's more than just a friendship, Wes. And I guess you're too blind to see it."
Wes sat in his chair, speechless. I gathered up my things and left him there, still fuming from our argument. Why do boys have to be so stupid and blind?? I've been dropping hints like mad and he never notices a thing. Then this hot Lydia girl comes along and says ten words to him and he's panting over her like a dog on a hot summer day. What does she have that I don't?
-Well, she's gorgeous, and you're just... average. - The nasty voice in my head told me.
I don't care. College guys should be past that by now. Besides, Wes seemed to like me like that before she came along.
-Tell yourself what you like, he's so over you.-
"Shut UP!" I yelled out loud.
Several people were walking by when I shouted. They all gave me weird looks since I was walking alone. I lowered my gaze and walked faster, hurrying along to my destination.
I had immediately thought of Wes' and My's spot out by the library and headed there. It was a place I always associated with calmness and tranquility. A place where I could go and think. So I did.
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I went back to my dorm room after spending nearly three hours just sitting in the grass by the pond thinking and mulling over my situation with Wes. I hadn't come to a decision as to wether or not I needed to apologize, so I held off until I could discuss it with my roommates.
I skipped my afternoon classes, too emotionally wrecked to attend. It was the first time I'd ever missed and I wasn't worried about missing much. I could always talk to the professors. I stared at old pictures of my friends back home, and I listened to music that under normal circumstances would calm me down. But nothing worked. I just sat on the futon in our room for a long time, waiting for someone to come back with which I could then discuss my drama.
Rhyan was the first one back. She saw me sitting on the futon and knew immediately something was up. At that time, I was normally in class. But she didn't ask why I didn't go to class. She just sat down next to me and hugged me. She kept her arms around me for a minute until I finally turned so I could hug her back. We just hugged for a few minutes until I finally decided I should tell her what was up.
"Rhyan..." I sighed.
"What's wrong, hun?" She asked, concern in her voice. "Are you sick? What happened?"
"No, no I'm not sick. Just.... broken. Sort of."
"Go on." She smiled at me for encouragement.
I took a deep breath and told her everything that had happened, starting with calc class this morning and ending with a couple of minutes ago. When I finished, she gathered me up in her arms again.
"Oh Tia, I'm so sorry! I know how much you liked him."
I pulled out of her embrace. "Liked him? I wouldn't be this depressed if I didn't still like him!"
"Right. I know how much you LIKE him. There. Better?"
I smiled, noting her humor. "Much."
"I knew it. No one can get past my humor." She laughed, and I laughed right along with her.
"Thanks Rhyan. You know how to make me feel better." I smiled.
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part four.. maybe coming eventually.
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