We set up a meeting time for her 'audition' tomorrow at my side place in the late afternoon so that we'll be able to sit and talk. I finally end the call and begin double checking some of the files I have when I hear someone outside my door and quietly put my papers away.
"Guy, can I come in," Abby asks, poking her head in.
"Sure, come on," I wave her in with a smile.
"So we haven't talked in a bit," she says and I'm a little confused.
"We were talking at dinner," I counter and she shakes her head.
"No I mean talk, like you let me in a little and I try to help you," Abby begins and I wonder at her reasoning.
"We weren't much for talking about my problems before… okay I wasn't but really aside from another police investigation that is going nowhere I'm pretty good," I explain sitting on my bed at the head on my pillows.
"But that's not all of it. Something is wrong," Abby sits down on the side next to me," You're spending time away from school and we don't know where you are? Then today you talked Brett and the football team into letting Brandon play. I'm just trying to understand what's going on with you."
"I'm handling things my way sis and as for Brandon he and I talked, he asked me to talk to Brett and now Brandon owes me," I say it and she wants to interrupt," We agreed on the terms and that is the end of his and my problems as far as he's concerned."
"And what about as far as you're concerned," she asks and I note Abby is in her bed clothes, t-shirt and cotton shorts.
"When I call in my favor and he does it, which he will," I say it and she's doubtful," then it's over and done with."
"I know better than that… you're up to something," she says it and I raise my eyebrows in surprise," Mom and Dad and everyone else are happy that you're just not moping through the house and waiting to run away but I've been watching you for years and you are up to something."
Stop her, I know she's family but stop her now.
Shhh my friend let me help with this.
"Only thing I'm thinking of right now is the last time we were both wearing pajamas and in my bed. Remember that," I ask and Abby blushes," I know you said never again but I wonder sometimes."
Now Abby is blushing and a little embarrassed as I smile at her before we both laugh. It's a good distraction but there are times I think about her and Beth and the mythical threesome with twins, hey I can dream. Abby leaves me alone to think a little longer before I settle down and sleep before my big day.
School on a Friday is quick as I still only have two real classes that I have to go through and finally I get to coast through the rest of my day save for the final period where I'm alone in the library when a visitor comes knocking… in a manner of speaking.
"Hey Guy," Jenna greets me sitting down in the next cubicle.
"Hello Jenna," I whisper back without looking, I know it's her.
"So Brandon is back on the football team playing, he said he spoke with you and you made it work. Any chance I can get some help too," she asks with a desperate chuckle.
"A couple months ago I would have jumped at the opportunity to help you," I remind her and she frowns.
"We were close, good friends and I trusted you a lot. I know I took you for granted but you read more into everything than what was actually there," Jenna argues and I shrug," I know you haven't pulled your name out of the scholarship and you know one of the people on the decision committee. You could help me."
"Took me for granted? In the one month we were 'just good friends' I spent a little over fifteen hundred dollars on you. Didn't add it up? I did afterwards and I found that I was disgusted with myself for doing it," I state my point with calm annoyance," Now here you are and you want more."
"Please, I know I'm asking for a lot but you still have money and can go anywhere you want. I need the scholarship just like Brandon needs these two games so the scouts see him play and he gets picked up by a good college," Jenna explains her grand plan.
"And I could care about those things but when we were good friends what did you do for me," I ask the question and she pauses to think hard," See that's the problem you just now got to see for the first time. I gave it to you because I thought you liked me…"
"I do like you Guy," she counters but I continue my statement.
"I thought you liked me but you only liked what I could do for you and when I was looking for something in return, something that you could give you hurt me," I want to continue but she won't stop interrupting.
"I was trying to be honest with you not hurt you," Jenna explains and I have to continue again.
"It doesn't matter if you meant to hurt me or not, you did hurt me and then you told everyone that it was all on me. Did you know people were calling me your dog," I ask and Jenna looks down a little sad," So even if we were friends you allowed people to openly mock me and did nothing to stop them. Now you know why I don't have friends."
I resume my work as Jenna sits at the computer next to me wondering what to do or say that will help convince me to drop out from the scholarship. I do steal a few looks at her and she's still insanely attractive despite the simple fact I can't stand her as a person. School ends and I head to my side spot to set up and put my car in the storage garage and remove the rental, I need to get rid of the rental car soon. I have a camera and all the basics set up so that when Lupe and I talk it's very professional, I need it professional so that she believes everything I'm putting in front of her. I'm sitting waiting casually with a video camera set up in the what passes for the living room/dining room/kitchen in the small ass apartment when I get a knock at my door. I check the eyehole and see just Lupe waiting for a response and looking worried about her surroundings.
"Hey Lupe," I greeted her after opening the door.
"Jeff," she asks and I nod," We met at my job."
I welcome her in and note she's in just a t-shirt and jeans with sneakers and a big purse on her shoulder. I have her take a seat on the couch while I take the one living room chair. I point out the contract for the audition on the coffee table and the camera on a tripod.
"Read the whole thing first, it's only two pages then sign and date," I advise Lupe who looks it over.
"So sign, answer questions and follow your requests then I get paid," she asks and I nod.
She signs it with minimal reading, they never read the contracts and after looking it over and seeing everything is legitimate I put it away for safekeeping. I put the camera on record with it focusing on her and not me as I'm off camera.
"Go ahead and introduce yourself," I have the camera next to me to keep her from looking between it and myself.
"Hi I'm Lupe," she says nervously.
"And how old are you," I ask again and she laughs a little.
"I'm twenty," I checked her out and it's real.