The Odd Couple

Monday was a mess. All I did was worry about seeing Mark in lab. All day. That’s literally every thought that consumed me. I didn’t even really give much thought to the fact that Kenny was sitting in my dorm, doing his homework, eating my food. I could have really cared less about that. Which what the hell, Ken?!

Kenny just showed up out of nowhere. Honest to God, NO WHERE! After I pulled myself together, we sat and talked. Apparently his mom had been in touch with my mom recently (they joined an Essential Oils group—can’t make this stuff up, y’all) and she had said what fun I was having and how well things were with my new boyfriend. He had no idea that we weren’t together anymore. I was just super lucky that he showed up the same day I got dumped.

“Kathleen, look, I know I’ve been a jerk. I know I wasn’t always the greatest to you, but I think you’re the one for me. When I was with Susanna, it just wasn’t the same. She constantly nagged me. She begged me to do things for her. She wasn’t happy just being with me and me loving her. You were.”

I scoffed. “So, you want me back because I’m a cheap date?”

“God! No! You can be so difficult when you’re nervous or upset.” He had a point. The more upset I was, the more disagreeable I became. I guess dating me for 5 years did give him a bit of an inside look at my psyche. “Like that time we were just SO sure you were pregnant only a few weeks after our first time.” He laughed.

It was really dumb. I wasn’t even late. But as a 16 year old, I knew that sex made babies. I had made sex, so I was definitely making a baby. I was on the pill and he used a condom. There was really no reason to even suspect I was carrying a baby. But I just knew it. And I was inconsolable. That only made Kenny more upset. It was a wreck of a day until we convinced his cousin Micah to get a pregnancy test for us. Because, heaven forbid either of us be seen at the 7-11 clear across town buying a test.  We reminisced about our younger, more dumb days.

I had moved, and was sitting beside him. And my pose was much less hostile that it had previously been. He pushed his forehead against mine. It was a thing we used to do. He breathed in heavily. “You smell just like you did the day you broke my heart...” And he leaned in and kissed me. I was such a wreck; I didn’t even try to stop him. We kissed well into the wee hours of the morning. We were just getting reacquainted. Talking and cuddling in-between kissing and hugging.

When it came time to me to leave for class, he said he wanted to take me out that night before he left town. Only in the daylight did this coupling seem odd. Only once the sun was shining did I realize that I had probably done a dumb thing. But, I had bigger fish to fry. Like what I was going to do when Mark and I were sharing graduated cylinders, Bunsen burners, and beakers.

I coerced Ashley into eating lunch with me. Mainly because I knew she wouldn’t hound me like Ree or Yvonne would have. Had I asked either of them, they would have made me look at the deeper issues, and I sure as hell wasn’t in the mood for that. I really did need to catch up with them though. Ashley told me that Chet and Ree finally fleshed everything out and things were going easy. I felt like a bad friend, I didn’t even know. Ashley was officially Rich’s girlfriend. I knew that, but we hadn’t celebrated with ridiculous squeals and insane amounts of gushing that it warranted. I sent them both a text and told them that on Tuesday we would have dinner and they were going to update me on everything. I obviously invited Ashley, but as always—Volleyball.

With a pit in the bottom of my stomach, I approached the lab with an intense sense of dread. How was I supposed to look him in the eye? How was I supposed to focus on whatever was happening? How was I going to do all this while knowing Kenny sat in my room not a stone’s throw away? I sat down at my assigned station and looked around with wonder. I’d beaten him in. That was at least promising. He was entering my turf. I was nodding, assuring myself I could do this, when the professor walked up. “Kathleen?” His voice was generous and a bit sad.

“Yes?” I asked with worry. His face gave me a hint of some awful news to come.

“Mark sent an email saying his father was admitted back into the hospital and he wouldn’t make it to lab. I’m going to group you up over with the girls across the table, Heather and Jaqueline.”

My mouth dropped and my face went pale. His dad. Of course he didn’t call me. Oh my gosh. I couldn’t focus. “I, I think the lunch... I’m going to be sick...” I bolted to the bathroom to throw up. I hated when that happened. I got so anxious that I made myself throw up. I gathered myself enough to go back to my room.

Kenny was waiting blissfully when I opened the door. I began to cry. He took me into his arms and he held me while I cried. I couldn’t compose myself by the time he needed to leave, so he called Yvonne from my phone to come sit with me. He didn’t know why I was so rattled, but he didn’t feel comfortable leaving me alone.

When she entered she told me everything. Mark’s dad’s bleed started hemorrhaging again, but there was nothing serious. She hadn’t told me, because she didn’t know if I wanted to know. I understood her stance. After she updated me, I went to the convenience store and got the biggest container of gummies they had—okay, I got two. And she told me all about Rich. He’s even more adorable than I ever imagined. I was so happy for her. And her happiness helped my sadness dissipate. If only a little. I still didn’t leave my room until Thursday, when I packed up my weekend bag, and drove for home. Where my mom, dad, and Kenny agreed to dote over me all weekend.