Friday, July 20, 2012

Its a cruel summer



"So you really enjoyed it?" Henry wanted to know as he looked over Josie's battered soft covered book.

She hesitated to snatch her copy of FIFTY SHADES OF GREY from him.

"You know, I read."
  He finally looked up at her as they were sitting at the campus coffee shop where she was on break.

"And?" She waited for his review of the erotic novel.

"I really didn't learn anything." He shrugged and popped the Tootsie Pop sucker back in his mouth.

Josie stared at his black eye. It was looking better. No blood.

"Why would you read this?" She grabbed the book and put it in her purse. It was actually her mother's copy.

"I dunno. Audrey had a copy laying around. I just wanted to see what the big deal was. " He shrugged. "So?"

"So what?" She didn't really read it. Just the sexy parts, she guessed. "I wasn't that impressed."

"Well, you're in love, anyway." Henry's lips curved up. She did her best not to give in when he spoke of Ian.

"Any word from Derrick?" She didn't know if she should ask.

"I think he's waiting for me to heal up, so he can let me down again." Henry told her with a breath of confidence, as if he didn't care.

Josie bit her bottom lip as she watched him. He was truly a good friend. What was Derrick's problem?

"I guess you, know him, too well." Josie decided. She told him how she kicked him. "I didn't think I'd actually hurt him."

"Yeah, right." Henry laughed as if he liked her thinking. His grin was smart as he watched her.

"So, you, met anyone new?" Josie wanted him to move on and not take a second look at Derrick.

"I don't move that fast, Jose." He looked at his purple sucker as if he'd had enough of it, but he put it back in his mouth. Sucked on it a bit more. Then stared at it as if it might be a geometry problem. "Wish I could say as much for Derrick. You know, he gets around."

"What do you mean?" Josie winced as she watched him with the sucker.

"He's got Dorian, on the side." Henry was straight lipped now.

"Dorian?" Josie squinted hard. "What are you talking about?"

"I think he played football. One of those sports.. you do with a ball." Henry sighed. He nursed the sucker.

Josie kept wondering who he was. Derrick never mentioned him. She thought she knew everyone at school, but then again, she didn't keep up with football players. They never interested her.
"I dunno who started it. Maybe they deserve each other. I mean, its just sex." His voice cracked.

Suddenly, Josie thought of Ian. Was that all it was, between them? She didn't see it that way. Ian was her friend. She felt happy with him, in everything they did. She could tell him anything.

"Sorry." She didn't know what to say. "Maybe..maybe it just wasn't meant to be. Maybe, you haven't..haven't met the one, you know, to really be in love with him. The one who's going to make the journey ..so much better...you might even forget where you're going, to begin with." Josie smiled, thinking of Ian.

 "I'm not in a rush, you know." He looked at her then. "I can wait." But she could see the look on his face that he wished Derrick could have waited for him.

7 comments:

  1. Oh, Henry..he's on the right track. I think its interesting he read 50 shades of Grey.

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  2. I'm glad he's got someone like Josie around and his brother and Audrey too.

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  3. I think he'll be OK..I doubt if the 50 Shades of Grey helped.

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  4. I'm glad Josie is there for him.

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  5. Aw, they are pretty cute together. He doesn't need Derrick.

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