CONTINUED FROM Y070709 (Part 3of4)
Her face looked like she just saw the nastiest character in a horror flick. The only difference was she was looking at mine. “What happened to you. You look busted up?”, she asked. “That’s the fashion of the day, baby. Do you like it?, I replied in a muffled tone battling with the gauze on my lips while trying to mask my head on encounter with the side table.
“Do you like it?”, I asked “Are you kidding me? I’m worried about you. Did you get in a fight?”, she asked as she carefully inspected the bandage on my lips. “Baby, you already said you’re worried. I don’t want you to worry any more than you are. Let’s not talk about it now.” I was trying the best that I can to wiggle out of the conversation. I knew that I had to tell her a white lie to keep my cover. But as in any lie, it will more than likely grow into a bigger lie because then, I’ll have to think about some sort of sophisticated cover-up. That's always what ends up happening.
We were on our way to school. In high school, getting an injury is a somewhat of a badge of honor if you know how to spin it properly. Of all the corporal pain that a person can experience or inflict on a living thing, sending someone to the hospital is one of the all-time fantasies of any male who is going through puberty. And doing it after a fight is at the top of the male food chain of hormonal consequences. I knew that I was going to be asked the question and so I rehearsed my answer a few times before I went to school.
“Hey man, what the hell happened to your beak? Did someone serve you an asphalt sandwich?”, Smith, the biggest of the group asked me while laughing. “No, gentlemen, the name is Jimmy Joe Jim Jake.” “What do you mean? You had a fight with a redneck named Jimmy Joe Jim Jake?”, he shouted back. “Nope”, I replied. “Four guys just came out of nowhere. They wanted my wallet but I told them that I needed my wallet more than they did so they jumped me. One guy ended up with a broken collarbone, another left a few of his teeth on the street and the two others ended up in the hospital. You should have seen this one guy. I kicked him in the nuts so hard that his hair stood up and wax actually came out of his ears”, I responded as I stood there in a machismo pose.
That was pretty much all I needed to say to get a reputation around school. Off course, at some point I’ll have to back up what I said so I’ll have to expand the story by actually hiring Jimmy Joe Jim Jake. But if I had to break into the “Pot Syndicate” I’ll have to make some people think that I’m dangerous - even a little crazier than most of them.
I was too busy telling the long tale to the guys that I didn’t notice she was feeling a little left out. She was staring at me – boiling inside. Then it started. “So you’ll tell everybody else in school but you wouldn’t tell me, huh. What boyfriend you are” she roared at me. She walked off with the body language that told me she felt more than a little dejected. I started to run after her and started explaining as I walked backwards. “Baby, I told you I don’t want you worrying about me. Plus, women don’t like hearing about testosterone stuff like this anyway, right?”, I asked.
“I’m not like any other woman. I want to know everything about my man and it’s your responsibility to tell me. Do you understand me? I can’t be with you all the time”, she replied while stopping at the middle of the corridor and within ear shot of other students.
Are we fighting?, I asked to slow her down. “Yes, we are”, she replied. “You realize this is our first fight, right. And I must say you look beautiful when you are mad. I’m not saying I want you mad all the time. But this time I’ll agree and own up to my fault. I apologize for not telling you before I told everyone else”, I said groveling.
She just stood there with her hand on her hip tapping her right foot. “That’s right. You are to be punished so you’ll never take our relationship for granted ever. I’ll tell you your punishment after school. Pick me up at the library entrance. Don’t be late.”
“Do you like it?”, I asked “Are you kidding me? I’m worried about you. Did you get in a fight?”, she asked as she carefully inspected the bandage on my lips. “Baby, you already said you’re worried. I don’t want you to worry any more than you are. Let’s not talk about it now.” I was trying the best that I can to wiggle out of the conversation. I knew that I had to tell her a white lie to keep my cover. But as in any lie, it will more than likely grow into a bigger lie because then, I’ll have to think about some sort of sophisticated cover-up. That's always what ends up happening.
We were on our way to school. In high school, getting an injury is a somewhat of a badge of honor if you know how to spin it properly. Of all the corporal pain that a person can experience or inflict on a living thing, sending someone to the hospital is one of the all-time fantasies of any male who is going through puberty. And doing it after a fight is at the top of the male food chain of hormonal consequences. I knew that I was going to be asked the question and so I rehearsed my answer a few times before I went to school.
“Hey man, what the hell happened to your beak? Did someone serve you an asphalt sandwich?”, Smith, the biggest of the group asked me while laughing. “No, gentlemen, the name is Jimmy Joe Jim Jake.” “What do you mean? You had a fight with a redneck named Jimmy Joe Jim Jake?”, he shouted back. “Nope”, I replied. “Four guys just came out of nowhere. They wanted my wallet but I told them that I needed my wallet more than they did so they jumped me. One guy ended up with a broken collarbone, another left a few of his teeth on the street and the two others ended up in the hospital. You should have seen this one guy. I kicked him in the nuts so hard that his hair stood up and wax actually came out of his ears”, I responded as I stood there in a machismo pose.
That was pretty much all I needed to say to get a reputation around school. Off course, at some point I’ll have to back up what I said so I’ll have to expand the story by actually hiring Jimmy Joe Jim Jake. But if I had to break into the “Pot Syndicate” I’ll have to make some people think that I’m dangerous - even a little crazier than most of them.
I was too busy telling the long tale to the guys that I didn’t notice she was feeling a little left out. She was staring at me – boiling inside. Then it started. “So you’ll tell everybody else in school but you wouldn’t tell me, huh. What boyfriend you are” she roared at me. She walked off with the body language that told me she felt more than a little dejected. I started to run after her and started explaining as I walked backwards. “Baby, I told you I don’t want you worrying about me. Plus, women don’t like hearing about testosterone stuff like this anyway, right?”, I asked.
“I’m not like any other woman. I want to know everything about my man and it’s your responsibility to tell me. Do you understand me? I can’t be with you all the time”, she replied while stopping at the middle of the corridor and within ear shot of other students.
Are we fighting?, I asked to slow her down. “Yes, we are”, she replied. “You realize this is our first fight, right. And I must say you look beautiful when you are mad. I’m not saying I want you mad all the time. But this time I’ll agree and own up to my fault. I apologize for not telling you before I told everyone else”, I said groveling.
She just stood there with her hand on her hip tapping her right foot. “That’s right. You are to be punished so you’ll never take our relationship for granted ever. I’ll tell you your punishment after school. Pick me up at the library entrance. Don’t be late.”
TO BE CONTINUED
(Analyst 147X)
