Chapter 7
True to the song, things never were the same again.
Greg pushed off the staring between Patience and Michael that
night, saying it was a fluke or that he was imagining things. But, he started
acting differently. He paid more attention to what happened whenever Patience
and Michael were together. He didn't try to instigate anything anymore.
Michael still kept changing. Everyone was willing to say it
was because of Patience. She wouldn't take credit for it herself, but everyone
said it was because of her that he was acting the way he was. "You see him that
way, so he's acting that way." Someone told her once at a party. Patience shook
it off, there was no way they could blame her for his behavior.
Even if his behavior was getting worse. There would be two
different girls at different times during the parties. Michael was also drinking
more. The guys on the team had kept telling him that he would get in major
trouble if he got stopped driving home. He just shook them off and drove off.
One night, Patience and Heather staid in. Patience hated
going out with Greg now, because of how he was starting to treat her when they
went out. Heather didn't want to leave her friend alone, so she staid in too.
They sat on their beds, reading books. Patience had pulled
out her copy of 'A Bend In The Road' by Nicholas Sparks, while Heather had a
well worn copy of 'Tangerine' by Edward Bloor. Both hadn't spoken much, and the
extent of the noise had mostly been when a page turned.
"Why won't you agree that you're to blame for Michael's
actions?" Heather spoke up, not looking up from her book.
"How is it my fault if he's becoming a nineteen year old
pimp?" Patience asked.
"Because of how you've always talked about him. You've always
saw him as some egotistical teenager." Heather said.
"Because he is an egotistical teenager. He is used to people
following him and fawning over him." Patience replied.
"You know that's not true." Heather said, still not looking
up from her book.
Patience slipped the bookmark back into her book and looked
at Heather. "How should I know? Every time he's been around me, he's been
flirting. Until now, he's been just dripping with compliments." She said.
"Because he likes you." Heather said.
"Guys always like you. That's what helps girls get into bed
with them." Patience replied, watching Heather slip the bookmark into her book
and set it down on the bed next to her.
"I dare you to act civil to him." Heather said, as Patience
laughed.
"Act civil to him? Isn't that what I've been doing?" Patience
replied.
"Patty, you've been demeaning, you've been mean, you've been
bossy, and yet some times have actually been flirty." Heather replied, listing
things off.
"When have I been flirty?" Patience asked, crossing her arms
across her chest.
"Dancing at the first party we went to, and who can forget
what happened at karaoke." Heather said, watching Patience's face turn white.
"Nothing happened at karaoke." Patience replied.
"Hell yes something happened! You admitted unconsciously to
him that you like him!" Heather said.
"I don't like him!" Patience said, watching Heather pick back
up her book and start reading it again.
"One of these days Patience, you'll realize it. Hopefully
you'll realize it before Michael sleeps with the entire female population of the
university." Heather said, as Patience got up from her bed and pulled a hoodie
out of her closet.
"Where you going?" Heather asked, not looking up from her
book.
"I'm going for a walk." Patience said. "Don't wait up for
me." She said, opening the door, slipping out and then closing it behind her.
****************************************
Patience loved going for walks when she needed to think. It
was either that or take a shower, and somehow going for a walk appealed to her
right now.
So, she was walking around campus, her hands stuffed into her
hoodie pockets, her Nike tennis shoes scuffing against the ground.
Her talk with Heather resounded in her head. Was it possible
that she did like Michael Phelps? After all these months of showing him how much
she didn't care that he had won medals in the Olympics or didn't care that he
had endorsement deals with Speedo or Argent Mortgage, was it possible that she
cared for him?
She sat down near a tree, leaning up against it as she
thought hard. She thought over everything that had happened since she was
accepted into the University of Michigan.
And suddenly, one thing made sense. And, her running shoes
were put to good use.