Love Doesn't Last Forever

Chapter Six

Love Doesn’t Last Forever

 

By the end of December Brandy had had all the barbarianism she could tolerate and had decided to go back to her old boyfriend. He is in the Army and quite a bit older. Simply being in the Army is intimidating enough, but being a member of Special Forces was too much. I left the relationship without so much as a wince of regret. Suddenly I found myself without a girlfriend again.  Of course Carli had to rub things in by pointing her finger and laughing, “Hey Grubby, what ever happened to LOVE EVER AFTER? Eternity doesn’t seem nearly as long as it used to.”

 I look at her and give her a shove. “Shut up ‘RED’. What do you know about anything anyhow?”

 “I know enough.” She snickers.

 “Well then tell me, if you know so much, who is the perfect girl for me?”

 “Ain’t sayin,” she remarks. “I’d have to kill you.”

 “I’m practically dead already.” I said. “Brandy pretty much stabbed me in the heart. Tell me who you think is the perfect girl for me.”

 “Look dunce head, if you can’t figure it out on your own then I guess there’s no hope for you. You might as well be dead.”

 I shoved her again and said, “Thanks a lot you red headed freak. Why do I bother hanging out with you anyway?”

 “Still haven’t figured it out aye. You really are stupid.” She laughs then pokes me in the arm. “I’m your perfect dream girl, can’t you see that?”

 I laughed at her and pushed her against the lockers, “You’re my perfect nightmare you mean.”

 “All the same,” she said, “I still manage a spot in your dreams, nightmare or not.”

 She had a point, nightmare or not she was there. It was time to find another girlfriend.

 Two weeks passed before I met Jamie, the cutest little freshman I’d ever seen. It wasn’t long before I was head over heels for this girl. She was short, bouncy, blue eyed, and blond, the perfect girl. We dated for the next two months when suddenly she realized upper classmen weren’t so cool after all. I was dropped like a hot potato. It was fine by me, so I pretended. Track season was here and I really didn’t have time to mess with pesky little freshmen girls.

 Of course Carli saw it differently, as she always did. She saw it as another triumphant moment where she could rub salt in my wounds and remind me of her words months earlier; “Avoidance is futile.”

 “Ah gee Grubby,” she commented. “And I thought she was the perfect girl, just not for you.” She laughed.

 She never missed an opportunity to jab me when I was down. By now I was getting used to it, in fact, I expected it. Today I would get even in a mean and cruel kind of way.

 “Oh yea Red, and how many boyfriends have you had in the last year?”

 She looked at me a bit bewildered and answered,

 “I’ve had my share.”

 “Oh really,” I continue. “Name them; name just one.”

 “Well,” she starts, “There was this one guy I kinda liked…but, and then there was…ummm. Well I can’t remember all their names.”

 “You mean you can’t remember any of their names.”  I laugh. “You know why, because there aren’t any, that’s why. You’re so repulsive dogs run away when they see you coming. Boyfriend, ha, I don’t know any guy in their right mind who would even look at you.”

 “OOPPS,” I thought. I may have gone too far this time. I may have thrust a dagger into her heart forever.

 She looks and me with big tears in her eyes. I could feel the heat coming from the fire blazing inside her. She turned and ran smack dab into Paul, my best friend. She shoves him aside and practically sprints away. Before leaving she shouts back,

“You know Grubby, love doesn’t last forever.”

 I stood there rubbing my forehead wondering, “Now what does she mean by that?”

 She didn’t show for class that day. It’s a shame too because I had a great apology note written. I had to write it because, if I had tried to tell her all the words would come out wrong.

 After school I called her and apologized. She accepted and said she shouldn’t have been teasing me about all my failures at romance and love. I agreed and we promised not to let it happen again.

 “See,” she says. “You’re still stuck with me. Maybe love does last forever after all.