22. Montana
twenty-two
Montana
The last couple weeks have been great. The football team has been on a winning streak. Rocky still hasn’t talked to his parents about what he overheard about Johnny…and Johnny has been around, but he has been keeping his distance. I don't know if it’s a good or bad thing.
Classes started a few weeks back and I’m loving them. Having Dallas from the hockey team in my graphic arts class isn’t so bad. He seems like a good guy from what I can tell. And when he talks to me, he asks about Autumn but doesn’t bother me. Thankfully, I don't have any of the bitch brigade in my classes either.
The weather is getting cooler, and I’m loving it because fall and winter are my favorite times of the year. Tights and flannels or sweatshirts are my favorite along with my black rose combat boots.
Autumn and I are meeting up for lunch today since the guys have weight training. We grab our food and find a table outside to sit at.
“How is your bucket list coming along?” she asks me.
“Great, I have a few more things to check off, but I’ve checked off three already. I don't think you want to know which ones though,” I say, wiggling my brows and she chokes a little on her drink.
“Warn a girl next time, won't you?” she says while laughing.
“Sorry,” I reply, choking out a laugh.
“I want to find my mom's best friend, but I don't even know where to start, if she is even in the state or not.” I sigh and continue, “I’d also like to do karaoke soon, we should go out this weekend and do it.”
“This weekend is the guys’ bye week, so it's the perfect time to go out and have some fun.”
“It will be! Let’s do it.”
“So, my birthday is coming up and I want us to do the candlelight trolley ghost tour. We can check it off your list. I’ve always wanted to do it, and now this gives me a reason to do it. I’ve never really done things on my birthday with friends, so if you don't want to, that’s okay,” Autumn says.
“Oh my god, no way! Of course, I want to spend your birthday with you. Okay, we will make it a whole to-do. I’ll plan it and it’ll be so much fun! Don't worry your pretty little head about a thing. I’ve got this,” I say and bop her nose with my index finger. We’re nearing the end of September so I have a few weeks to plan a birthday gathering for her and I couldn’t be more excited to do it.
“Do you still want to work out together later?”
“Yes, should we go to the gym or at the park today?”
“Park. It's so pretty out, and it's not too hot.”
“Sounds good! I'll meet you at our spot later.”
“You got it! See ya.”
“See you later, girl.”
We get up and go our separate ways for our classes. This is my last class of the day and one of my favorites—business marketing. I love it because of the projects that Professor Coleman gives out. I love them because they can be added to your portfolio if needed for after graduation.
I take a seat where I usually sit—in the middle of the first row, because I feel like if I sit anywhere else, I won't pay attention. This class is usually pretty full because Professor Coleman is an easy teacher and he’s easy on the eyes too. If you’re into that sort of thing. I mean, I love reading about the forbidden-ness of being with a professor, but he just reminds me of my uncle. Ew.
I'm just playing with a graphic design program on my laptop when I hear the one person I don’t want to. I look up to see Addison has joined this class.
“Nice of you to finally grace us with your presence, Miss Montgomery. Take your seat.”
“Just my fucking luck,” I grumble under my breath.
I go back to doing what I’m doing on my phone, trying to ignore her very existence, when I hear, “Can you move your stuff, I’m trying to sit down.”
“Actually, this seat is saved for someone else,” I say without even looking at her.
“Oh yeah? Who.”
“Me,” Talon says from behind her.
She turns around and looks up at him and rolls her eyes.
Talon sits down so she has to find another seat. I look over at him and I’m thankful he is taking this class with me. If I had to sit next to Addison, I don't think we would have made it through class without her pushing my buttons.
This girl needs to get a life. I don't understand how some women are the way they are over a man. If Rocky didn’t want to be with me, it wouldn’t have been the end of the world. There are plenty of fish in the sea. This college has over 54,000 students but she's stuck on one. I don't understand it. She's not an ugly girl, but her ugly personality doesn’t make her desirable. You would think people who are in their twenties would do better.
“Alright everyone, this week's project is on the board. I want it by Friday. I will be pairing you off in the next few days for your final project. Whoever you are paired with will be your final partner— and no, changing partners will not be permitted. Keep an eye out for your partner pair through email.”
Why do I feel like I am not going to like who my partner is?
“Remind me why I took this class again?” Talon groans beside me.
“Because if you want to take over some responsibilities with the team, you will be a bigger asset if you actually learn something in college.” I smile at him.
He rolls his eyes at me. “Yeah, yeah you sound like Atlas,” he groans and throws his head back.
I’m working on a project for my portfolio, and I cannot keep the smile off my face for how much I love what I do. I’m working on a book cover for a book I read and loved. It’s about a hockey player who is dating his best friend's sister. It’s one of my favorite books and I am having fun remaking the cover. The original cover is purple, so I’m still using purple, but the design is totally different—it’s nice and subtle. The book is about a hockey player, Max and Evie, his girl, so the cover I’m designing is them with their hands held up to the rink glass, but they are kind of in the background—it's called line art. She’s wearing his jersey with ‘Harmon’ on the back and his number.
I have a smile on my face as I'm looking at the book cover that I created.
“You are scary good at this,” Talon says as he nods to my work on my computer.
“Thanks. Hey, we wanted to sing karaoke this weekend since it's a bye week. Are you down?”
“Who’s we?”
“Wouldn’t you like to know? Just kidding, Rocky, Xander, Autumn, and I,” I say with a big smile on my face.
“Yeah, sounds good. I'll come. I have to make sure you don't get too drunk,” he says with a big smile on his face.
“Sureeeee,” I drawl out and continue, “You sure it's not the hot curvy brunette who’s also coming.”
“Shut up.” He bumps my shoulder.
“You have got to be fucking kidding me,” I groan over the email from Professor Coleman. Of course I would have freaking Addison Montgomery as a partner. “Is it too late to drop this class?” I whine.
I look over at Rocky where he’s sitting across from me, licking his rocky road ice cream. Holy fuck, how am I getting jealous of an ice cream cone? Why does he have to look so sexy in a backwards hat with his Ray Bans? It’s effortless that he looks this good. That fitted black shirt with his tattoos peeking out makes him look extra sexy today.
He looks up at me and smirks because he knows that I’m thinking I want to devour him.
“Killer, you aren’t one to run away, you can handle her. I don’t know why she became someone I didn’t recognize once we started dating maybe it’s a fluke.” He shrugs.
I purse my lips and take a sip of my root beer float. “I know you’re right, but she’s annoying,” I mutter and pout.
“Well, maybe she’ll surprise you.”
“Yeah, I'll give her the benefit of the doubt, but if she kills me, I'll haunt you for the rest of my life.”
“Baby, has anyone ever told you that you are dramatic?”
“Moi? Never.” I wink at him.
We laugh as we finish our ice cream and continue chatting. It’s been great these last couple of months.
His parents come back next week so he will have a sit down, and he wants me to be with him. I'm nervous that the first time I'm meeting them, it's for a personal family matter. But, if he wants me there, then I'll be there for him. He means everything to me, even if I haven't told him my biggest secret.
I'm sitting at the coffee shop where I’m supposed to meet with Addison. I got here early so I could get the table I want so I can leave if needed. I am not dealing with her narcissistic ass if she turns into a nightmare. I’m sitting scrolling on social media when a shadow cast in front of me and I look up and she's here.
“Hey, am I late?”
“Nope, I just got here early.”
I put my phone down and wave my hand telling her to take a seat. “I don't bite.”
Sighing, she says, “Look, I'm sorry for being a royal bitch to you. I didn’t mean what I said. I was just jealous, and I was actually thicker growing up and was made fun of and literally did the same thing to you that was done to me. Will you forgive me so we can move past this? We don't have to be friends, but I really am sorry.”
“I forgive you.” Do I believe her? No. Will I give her the benefit of the doubt? Fuck no, I don’t trust her as far as I can throw her.
She tells me about what she wants to do when she graduates. I didn’t think she wanted to work in public relations. I mean, she would be great in it, she's pretty scary when she wants to be. She was in the same class just at a different time, and she switched to an earlier time which is how we ended up in the class together.
“Okay, so for this project we need to create a social media aesthetic for an author I’ve never heard of nor have read her books. I'm not a big reader. I have seen them, so I know how they look, but other than that I'm not much help.”
“That's okay, this is actually right up my alley. I love reading and I have read the book that we’re supposed to do the project on, it’s one of my faves. So, if you want, I'll give you a list of pictures to pull and then I'll create it, so it's like we're doing it together. Unless you want to read the story. It’s really good and heart wrenching.”
“I really don't like to read. I’d rather watch a movie, to be completely honest.”
“That's understandable. No worries, I'll make a list for you and then you can send them to me, then I'll create the aesthetic for the project with the pictures you pick.”
“Sounds good. Want to exchange numbers and you can send me the list?”
“Sure.” I give her my number and she text me to have hers.
I'm still skeptical of her, but maybe this is her way of turning over a new leaf. Maybe, what Rocky said was true. Hopefully it doesn’t bite me in the ass.
“Again, I'm sorry for how I acted towards you.”
“I won't say it's fine, because words hurt. We can move past it though.”
“Thank you.”
We sit in a comfortable silence for a moment before she speaks again. “So, what brought you to Stonebridge? If you don't mind me asking.”
“Well, I'm from here originally, but went to Ohio State for college with my high school boyfriend because he got a football scholarship. On my birthday this year, I found out he cheated on me…with my best friend. So, I left and came here.”
“Damn, that’s brutal.”
“Yeah, after my parents died, I kind of got really depressed and gained a lot of weight and he used that as a reason why he cheated. So, when I left, I got back into working out, kind of to get a revenge body, but I found myself the more I did it and I took my power back from him, and I actually love my curves.” I shrug, then add, “My weight shouldn’t define my worth, the person I am or the reason I’m being loved properly. It was a cop out for being a shitty human being on his part.”
“Damn, does he still want you back?”
“Yeah, he’ll text me here and there, but I'm better than going back to someone who would cheat on me. That's not love. I know my worth, and now, so does he.”
“Damn, girl, you are badass. I wish I was more like you. I let people define my self-worth, and until this moment I didn’t realize that.”
“Look, I know we didn’t get off on the right foot when we first met, but there is someone out there who will want to be with you and only you. I'm sure you’ll find him.”
“Yeah, maybe you’re right.” She gives me a small smile.
You know what they say: keep your friends close and your enemies closer.