13
Sophia
“Y
ou know what this means, right? Dinner with his mom?” Marcia said. As she spoke, she was nibbling from a box of raisins, which Sophia knew would comprise her breakfast, lunch, and dinner for the day. Marcia, like a lot of girls in the house, either saved her calories for cocktails later or made up for the extra cocktail calories from the night before.
Sophia was fastening a clip in her hair, just about ready to go.
“I think it means we’re going to eat.”
“You’re being evasive again,” Marcia noted. “You didn’t even tell me what you two did on Thursday night.”
“I told you we changed our minds and went out for some Japanese food. And then we drove to the ranch.”
“Wow,” she said. “I can practically imagine the whole night unfolding in high detail.”
“What do you want me to say?” Sophia said, exasperated.
“I want details. Specifics. And since you’re so obviously trying not to tell me, I’m just going to assume that you two got hot and heavy.”
Sophia finished with the clip. “We didn’t. Which makes me wonder why you’re so interested…”
“Oh, gee, I don’t know. Maybe because of the way you’ve been flitting around the room? Because when we went to the party on Friday night, you didn’t freak out even when you saw Brian? And during the football game, when your cowboy called, you wandered off to talk to him, even though the team was just about to score. If you ask me, it seems like things are already getting serious.”
“We met last weekend. It’s not serious yet.”
Marcia shook her head. “No. I’m not buying it. I think you like this guy a lot more than you’re saying. But I should also warn you that it’s probably not a good idea.”
When Sophia turned toward her, Marcia dumped the last of the raisins into her palm and crumpled the box. She tossed it toward the garbage and missed, as usual. “You just came off a relationship. You’re on the rebound. And rebound relationships never work,” she said with complete assurance.
“I’m not on the rebound. I broke up with Brian a long time ago.”
“It wasn’t so long ago. And just so you know, he’s still not over you. Even after what happened last weekend, he still wants you back.”
“So?”
“I’m just trying to remind you that Luke is the first guy you’ve gone out with since then. Which means that you haven’t had time to figure out what it is you really want in a guy. You’re still off-kilter. Can’t you remember the way you were acting last weekend? You freaked out because Brian showed up. And now, while in this emotional state, you’ve found someone else. That’s what rebound means, and rebound relationships don’t work because you’re not in the right frame of mind. Luke isn’t Brian. I get that. All I’m trying to say is that, in a few months, you might want something more than simply, He’s not Brian. And by then, if you’re not careful, you’ll get hurt. Or he will.”
“I’m just going to dinner,” Sophia protested. “It’s not that big of a deal.”
Marcia popped the last of the raisins into her mouth. “If you say so.”
Sometimes, Sophia hated her roommate. Like right now, while driving out to the ranch. She’d been in a good mood for the past three days, even enjoying the party and Friday’s football game. Earlier today, she’d gotten a big chunk done on a paper for her Renaissance art class, which wasn’t due until Tuesday. All in all, an excellent weekend, and then, just as she was getting ready to cap it off in just the right way, Marcia had to open her mouth and put all these crazy thoughts in her head. Because one thing she knew for sure was that she wasn’t on the rebound.
Right?
The thing was, she wasn’t simply over Brian, she was glad about it. Since last spring, the relationship had made her feel like Jacob Marley, the ghost in A Christmas Carol, who had to carry forever the chains he’d forged in life. After Brian had cheated the second time, part of her had checked out emotionally, even though she didn’t end it right away. She’d still loved him, just not in the same blind, innocent, all-consuming way. Part of her had known he wouldn’t change, and that feeling only grew stronger over the summer, and her instincts were proven right. By the time they’d broken up, it felt as if it had already been over for a long time.
And yes, she admitted she’d been upset afterward. Who wouldn’t be? They’d dated for almost two years; it would have been strange if she hadn’t been upset. But she was far more upset by the other things he’d done: the calls, the texts, following her around campus. Why didn’t Marcia understand that?