Page 48 - Provoke Magazine Vol3

Love Lies
CHAPTER 3; NO GOING BACK
Oh, what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive. Sir Walter Scott the rest of the day drug by. Cort- ni came back from class moaning about the first week of her break being trash having to wait on final scores to post. Her number grade had everything to do with which class- es she would be able to keep enrolled in the next semester. From my somber disposition I introduced her to the belief in necessary stress and anxiety. “It’s like, if you stress about it the universe knows you care. It works out for me.” I told her as we sat around the TV watching our shows. “I think stressing is a complete waste of time in this regard. I know I passed. I’m going to cave waiting to find out the exact num- ber. Nothing can change what it is, I just want to get past it. Which leads me to question what you are stressing about? I can tell that you are, and you have definitely given us all the implications that you had a beautiful semester. So, what’s up?” Cortni shot back at me. “Well, that is about where I am with an inner battle.” I said in a low tone as I drifted back mentally to a few hours before with Weston. I had never seen him so annoyed and I believed him to be the calmest of any of his buddies who came around. I was going back through my memory files of nights they had got into shit. We seen it as ‘boys being boys’. Any time there were copious amounts of alcohol and the men outnumbered the women, there was usually drama. Unless it had something to do with their man, girls were drama free. My crew were spectators to this type of action however. We always came for a good time and flew the scene when anything else happened. Our bad boys followed suit when we were uncomfortable. That is why I was having such a hard time understanding who Weston was regarding the story Cooper came home with. I told Cortni about earlier in the day, “He never denied it. I was happy he didn’t lie, but, the entire thing was unsettling for me. He didn’t allow me to address it completely to set- tle my head or heart. It was just ‘it’s none of your business, see you in a month.’” I shook my head and Cortni, deeply enthralled said, “In other words, he never told you what the deal was?” “Yea, basically.” I trailed off not wanting to say what I knew was true. “Coop, remember the night I told
48 Provokeusmag.com
By: Art Frazier
you there was a girl at the bar that was all in his face!?” Cort- ni leaned forward as she recalled the night. “She was a long- haired girl, I have never seen her on campus. That doesn’t mean much but I took note of it. She was all in Weston’s face and I could tell he was put off by it. I nudged Cooper and we watched until he left the bar. He gave her a look that proved she was unwelcomed, so we agreed to leave it there and not for you to “stress” over.” She used the quota- tions around stress for emphasis. I shot back, “Why would you guys not say anything!?” I felt exposed because I was under the impression there were no secrets in this circle of friends. “What were we going to say; hey, Luxe this girl talk- ed to Weston while you were on a restroom break and im- mediately after he dissed her, he found you with a drink?” Cooper asked in complete annoyance. “Well, you were the one who said he gave you a bad feeling!” I raised my voice in defense, of what, I had no clue. “What are you going to do, Luxe?” Cooper asked. “And I saw how close he got to you. That concerns me as well. If he is doing something he shouldn’t, he doesn’t have to get aggressive with you.” She added. I rolled my eyes. “I don’t know, friend. It isn’t like he threatened me, and I have a month to stew over it. I don’t know what I am going to do today. I just want to rest well, go home and love on my family and our friends; see how it plays out. No better time than now to test the theory of it is what it is and not stress myself out about the ultimate outcome. I’m still young, it’s okay.”
“You say that now. Have you even reached out to see if he has left yet?” Cortni asked.
“No, I haven’t.” I responded in a voice sadder than what I actually felt.
I had tossed my phone in my purse on silent and it had been there since he left. I didn’t want to call and try to press the issue when clearly, I didn’t know who I was dealing with. “Go check your phone, maybe he wants to apologize. May- be he has by text or left a voicemail.” Cooper added. I looked at her and I said, “You know, I think you should decide who you believe Weston to be and ride on that. I don’t need you, in addition to myself going back and forth over whether