Day 252

Writing exercise – a short-lived romance…

…

Their love felt real, right at the moment, even though they never used the word.

Jack thought it was the day that would never happen.

Jennifer was just glad that she had finally shrugged off Damien. This thing, whatever this thing was, had become a breath of fresh air to be loved by someone unconditionally. Perhaps it was love, of a sort, but it was too soon, and she was still in aftershock.

Jack’s friends called it a rebound, and he was an easy target. Allen was even more pointed; he told his best friend she was using him.

They were sitting together at a table in the dining area at Uni, supposedly to talk over what had just happened in the previous class, or what didn’t happen, but they had caught sight of
Jennifer some distance away with a bunch of her friends, girls that Allen called mean.

So had Jack until that fateful day when she came to him and told him her relationship with Damien was over, and then she started to cry. At first, he thought they were crocodile tears, but then it seemed real.

However, as Allen had said it would, it had not developed into anything meaningful; they would just ‘hang out’ and, as much as she professed to like being with him, she still hadn’t accepted a first date invitation.

Allen, being blunt, said she was looking for something better.

Now, looking at her across the great divide, he had to agree.

“I mean, seriously. Not one date in three months. And if that girl is even remotely still heartbroken, then I’m Superman.”

Theye watched her, laughing, animated, the queen bee among her friends, no doubt at all who the leader of the pack was. It was not hard for Jack to agree with Allen; one of the more telling points was that Jack was never invited when she was out with her friends.

“Well, if nothing else, I have a wannabe superhero friend.”

“Look, if you want any further proof, go over there and put her on the spot. I’m happy to write you the script because I know exactly how that’s going to go, and you know it too. It’s time to stop thinking you have any sort of a chance with her.

Then she turned, perhaps in response to a remark that one of her friends made, and saw Jack looking over at them.

“Oops,” Allen said. “Busted.”

She turned back, and they heard laughter. Not to be paranoid, but I suspect they all thought i was chump of the month.

Then she shrugged, changed her expression, and came over.

Both of them watched her, that distinctive style she had, like she was the queen, and everyone should get out of the way.

Jack guessed in that moment, his heart broke.

A minute later, she was standing next to where Jack was sitting. A glance over at Allen, who frowned at her, then she turned back, not so much as acknowledging his presence.

“Hi to you too, Jen.” He knew she hated that name.

She then turned back. “You are a little shit, Al. I don’t know why Jack gives you the time of day.”

Jack could plainly see that it wasn’t going to work if she could not accept his friends as hers too. The reasons why this wasn’t going to work were mounting up.

“I don’t know why you’re still leading him on.”

It was like I suddenly became an extra rather that the co-lead.

She turned back to me. “Let’s go, Jack. You should really really reconsider who you hang out with.”

“I have.”

“It’s about time.” She gave me one those what I labelled ‘come hither’ looks.

“Have you ever liked me at all, Jennifer. I mean what is this we have going, because it is not a meaningfoul relationship between two people who care about each other. I care, but I think, no, I now believe, you don’t. But i get it, Jennifer, I really do.”

“What are you talking about?”

“We don;t move in the same circle. You hate my friends, and I hate yours. it’s clear you don’t want me near that mean bunch or they might just tell me a few home truths. Or do what they do so well, and that’s make my life a misery. Too later, it’s already there. You were the one ray of light, but it seems that’s been extinguished.”

“What do you mean? I’ve always liked you.”

“And that’s the point. About now, in any other meaningful relationship, you would feeling something else. “

“Is this about going on a date? Well, that’s easily fixed. I’m free now.”

“You can really see yourself living in a smalled cramped apartment with 2.4 kids and a dead end job? Because that’s where this is heading. I might, if I’m, lucky get a reasonably good paying job, but you shrug off your studies, barely scraped through the first year, and this year…” I shrugged.

Someone I didn’t know, but who seemed to have a very good idea of what Jennifer was about, had told me what they called ‘home truths’ about the girl I idolised. It seems she was not worth the effort. I guess that short conversation was also weighing on my mind.

“It’s a date, Jack, not a proposal. Are we going?”

“I can see that it’s just a chore, so no. I don’t think it would be worth the effort. For you it’s just a free lunch.”

“You think I’m that shallow?”

“No. That would require you to have some feelings. Damien said that I should not get any grandios ideas about you because you belong to him. You’ve had your respite. I have to say, though, you taught me a very valuable lesson; not to want what is unobtainable.”

“Are you breaking up with me?”

“No. That would imply we had a thing together. We’ve never had a thing, Jennifer, I just had unrealisting aspirations. This is simply leave, laughing, and saying, ‘what a chump’. But, as a parting gesture, I did you a favour. I gave the teacher in charge of acting classes where he could find the best actress he’ll ever have in his class.”

“You are breaking up with me?”

Her expression changed to one of surprise, even shock. I didn;t think she was capable of it, or this was just one of her acting moments.

I shrugged again. “Call it whatever you like. You can go now, go tell your friends the chump wised up. I want to spend some time rubbishing your friends with Allen. Bye, Jennifer.”

It was with all the courage I could muster, and with an aching pain in my heart where i was sure it had shattered into pieces. As she turned around and left, Allen gave me the ‘I told you so’ look.

“Well, I’m as surprised as she was,” Allen said, after she disappeared back into the cafeteria. “For just a second, perhaps a little less, I thought she was genuinely surprised, but then, there is nothing genuine about her. You did the right thing, Jack. Plenty more fish in the sea.”

Since we were thousands of miles from the sea, that seemed to me to be a very bad analogy.

“Not for me.”

“Look, you loved, and you lost. It least you were given the change. I’d give my right arm just to be where you are right now. Get over it, and move on.”

He was probably right.

…

©  Charles Heath  2025