The One I Loathe

Chapter 3

I had survived. It was Sunday night and we were leaving tomorrow morning. My weekend mostly consisted of playing PSII in the Jameson’s game room all day long.

I tried to ignore Sophie as much as possible. I admit she had made an effort to be nice to me, but I had no desire to return that emotion.

For some reason, Mom and Dad wanted to see me and Abby in Private before we went out to eat, so we met in the Jameson’s guest bedroom.

“So kids, how have you enjoyed the weekend?” Dad began.

“It’s been fine”

“Alright” Abby and I lied simultaneously.

“Well, the reason we scheduled the get together this weekend was because, we’ll be moving here in three weeks,” Mom finished.

“WHAT?” I exclaimed. They couldn’t do this to me! What about my friends? What about Audrey?

“You see son, my job at home hasn’t been paying as much as we’ve needed lately. So, Bill offered me a
job at his law firm.”

The Jameson’s were now not only going to be their friends, but their employers!

“And you’re taking it?” Abby spoke for me.

“Well, yes! It’ll be a great opportunity and I’ll be making twice as much as I’m making now. So, you might be getting that car we talked about, Trent!”

Bribery! My Dad was using bribery to get me used to the idea!

Mom finally jumped in, “Look kids, the fact is we’re moving and we don’t need your approval. We just hope you two can make the best of this.” she said in her “this-is-not-up-for-discussion” voice

“This reeks.” I mumbled.





They were staying. I couldn’t believe it! Just when things when starting to look up, my dad had the brilliant idea to give Mr. Bennet a job offer!

Thanks dad, thanks a lot.

I needed to call Hilary. I pressed speed dial #7 on my cell phone and prayed she’d pick up. She did thank goodness

“Hilary, they’re staying”

“Oh my gosh, you mean the Bennets?”

“Yes, the Bennets! This weekend has been an absolute nightmare, and now that’s going to be permanent!” I gushed to my best friend.

“Oh calm down! It’s not like they’re going to be living with you!” Thank God Hilary was the voice of reason!

“But they’ve already said they’re putting Trent and Abby into Lincoln High!”

MY High School!

“Oh, great! I’ll finally get to meet the illustrious Trent,”

Sometimes Hilary could be so clueless.

“HIL! Are you not getting that this is a BAD thing?”

“I think it’ll be good for you,”

I shook my head in disgust. My own best friend was a traitor.

“Look Hil, I got to go,” I couldn’t take this anymore.

“Oh yeah, don’t you have a date with Jeremy tonight?”

My parents had agreed to let me go out with Jeremy tonight, while they and the Bennets went out to eat. They said I deserved some happiness after putting up with Abby in my room for two days. And I hardly say I disagreed.

“Yeah, he’s picking me up at 7,” I told her.

“Well, it’s 6:30 now.”

Oh, now that wasn’t funny. But then, I glanced at my digital clock and it read 6:31.

“ACK! You’re right! I should’ve starting getting ready hours ago!”
We said our goodbyes and I frantically picked out a pair of jeans and a white cashmere off-the-shoulder sweater. I decided to leave my hair wavy, and put some stuff in it to make it look at least semi good. I dashed down to the hall bathroom to find my make-up.

In my haste, I ran into a passing Trent. What was he doing out of his fortress of solitude?

He glanced down at me and asked, “Aren’t you a little dressed up just to go out to dinner with us?”
I did not have time for this! Besides, I wasn’t talking to him anyway. Rolling my eyes, I tried to go around him, but he moved in my way. Finally, exasperated, I yelled at him, “Do you mind? I’m trying to put on make up for my date!”

Much to my surprise, he grinned!

“Why?” he asked simply.

“Because Jeremy likes it!” I said quickly, without thinking.

Then his expression changed. It went from amusement to...pity?

“That’s some Boyfriend, you got there,” he said right before walking of in the other direction.

Ugh! He made me so mad! How dare he judge Jeremy before he knew him. I ran into the bathroom and poured out all my make up on the counter.

Then, I looked at the person staring back at me in the mirror. Was she so bad? I thought about what Trent said. Jeremy wasn’t that superficial, was he? I’d prove it to Trent! I shoved my entire make up stash back in the cabinet, and breathed a sigh of relief.

I heard the doorbell ring. This was it. I slipped on a pair of off-white heels, grabbed my purse and ran downstairs. My father had already let him in, so I decided to grab Jeremy and go before the interrogation began.

“Bye Dad! We’re going out to eat, we’ll be back before 11:00, don’t wait up!”

But before I could get out of the door, Dad said,” Make it before 10:00, Sophie. It’s a school night,”
Darn! So close!

“Uh, fine!” Dad could be so unreasonable at times.

“Good night, sir!” Jeremy called as we walked out of the door. We went out to his car, a brand new silver mustang.

“So where are we going?” I asked him.



I shouldn’t have been angry. I really shouldn’t have. And oddly enough, it wasn’t because Sophie got to skip out on the family dinner, while I still had to suffer through it.

I was angry at her boyfriend.

From what I had heard of Jeremy, her parents adored him. But from Sophie’s little outbreak, I could tell he wasn’t all they thought he was.

And even as soon as he walked in, I knew he was only using her. I’d seen his type before. Tall, muscular, blond hair, blue eyed, jock, who could care less about a girl’s personality, just about how good they look standing next to him.

Normally, however, I wouldn’t care; I mean if she wanted to date a shallow jerk, it was her business! But this made me angry, and I knew I wanted to do something about it. Even so, it’s not like I had any sort of claim on Sophie. Or even liked her for that matter!

Then, she came out. She’d chosen not to wear any make up. I knew she wouldn’t skip an opportunity to prove me wrong! Still, as much as I hated to admit it, she looked good. Where was that plastic girl, I’d known?

Then I noticed Jeremy’s expression when he looked at Sophie. He was disappointed.

Jeremy wanted that plastic girl back. Right then, I knew it wasn’t going to be a good night for Sophie.



“Big Joe’s Burger Barn!” I exclaimed in horror, as Jeremy pulled up to the near dilapidated location.

“Yeah,” he said “I wanted someplace where there wouldn’t be a crowd”

Jeremy had been acting funny the whole car ride there, and now ‘some place that didn’t have a crowd’?

I hoped this didn’t mean what I thought it meant. Despite my better judgment, I followed him inside.

Big Joe took our orders and left. Jeremy was right, there wasn’t a crowd. We were the only ones there, except a fly who kept coming back…with friends.

“So,” Jeremy finally said “What’s up with the new look?” He asked while gesturing at me.

“New look?” I asked.

This is what I feared. My conversation with Trent echoed in my mind.

“Well, I didn’t have time to do my hair or-“ I tried to explain when he cut me off.

“So, I’m not important enough for you to at least try to look good around me?”

No! He couldn’t be saying what I thought he was!

“No, I didn’t say that! I’ve just been busy with the Bennets and all…”

“Well my girl should be more preoccupied with me than anything else!”

THE JERK!

“This may surprise you Jeremy but I have a life too!”

Now I was MAD.

“Well, if that’s so important to you, then I might as well not be in it,”

“What are you saying?” I asked even though I already knew.

“We’re breaking up,” He said, hardly sounding remorseful.

I knew it.

“Fine! I wouldn’t want to date an egotistical jerk like you anyway!” I yelled at him while trying to hold back tears. I stood up and ran out the door.

I hated Jeremy for being a shallow jerk. I hated Trent for being right about him. But most of all, I hated myself for falling for all of Jeremy’s lies, for changing so much for him. I didn’t cry, though. I was to mad to cry.

I ran for about 10 minutes when I realized my feet were killing me. I pulled off my heels and ran barefoot for another ten minutes, until I suddenly realized that I didn’t know where I was. I had crossed and intersection earlier but I didn’t see which one, and now I was in an unknown neighborhood with houses that had broken shudders, chain link fences, and signs that said “BEWARE OF DOG” on them.

“Oh, no!” I said out loud.

Suddenly all these dogs started barking at me. Now, I was never one to be afraid of dogs, but in this particular neighborhood, I was.

On an impulse, I started running when I suddenly rammed into a tall body.

I screamed with all my might. I was NOT going to die this way!

Then, I heard the body speak. He covered my mouth and said, “Sophie! Calm down! It’s me, Trent”

He dropped his hand and moved under the street lamp so I could see his face. I’d never been so happy to see that face.

“How’d you find me?” I asked him.

“Well, we decided not to go out to eat tonight and just stay home. When, 10:00 rolled around and you weren’t home, your parents started to worry, so I found you cell phone and Jeremy’s number. I called him and asked where you were. He told me how you had run out, and that he followed you until the intersection at Madison and 5th and decided that could find your way home from there,”

“What a jerk,” I mumbled.

“Tell me about it,” Trent agreed then continued, “So, I figured you’d keep going straight and run into the “Shaded Pine” neighborhood. So, I borrowed you dad’s car, and told him I’d bring you home. So here I am!”

“Wow,” I said, stunned that he’d go to all that trouble for me.

“Are you ok?” He said more quietly.

Not thinking, I threw my arms around his neck and started sobbing and telling him how scared I’d been and how Jeremy dumped me. Right then, all my hate turned to sadness. Strangely enough, though, I didn’t feel one bit awkward pouring out my soul to him. I completely forgot that I vowed to hate him!

When my sobs were under control, I stepped back from our embrace. Had he held me too? I hadn’t noticed. Finally, I looked at him. I probably looked like a half drown rat by now.

Then he did something I wasn’t expecting. He reached his down and brushed a newly fallen tear from my cheek and his hand lingered there just a nanosecond longer than it needed to be, and I thought for that nanosecond that he was going to kiss me. The strangest part, though, is that I would have let him.

Yet in that instant, he dropped his hand said to me, “I’d better get you home.”

He was quiet the whole trip. I had completely forgotten about Jeremy. All my thoughts were on Trent. Why had he come to get me rather than my one of my parents? Since when did he care about me at all?

“We’re home,” I said finally as we pulled into my driveway.

“Yep,” He said as he got out of the car.

“Thanks for rescuing me tonight” I said.

“Not like anything better to do,” He said sounding rather annoyed.

Unbelievable! One minute he was about to kiss me! The next it’s like I had Leprosy! That was it. I was going to forget all about that almost-kiss. Despite what I might have though, Trent didn’t care about me. And, now I didn’t care about him either. I never would.

As I walked through the door and saw my parents faces, I was immediately shoved back into reality.

I was so dead.




How could I have done that? I should have never insisted to Sophie’s dad that I go find her. What was I thinking? I wasn’t! That was the problem. I let my emotions control me way too much!

It’s just that when she threw her arms around me and started crying…well! What else was I supposed to do but return the embrace?

That’s when I lost myself. She finally looked up at me, all red and puffy. She’d never looked more beautiful. And despite my brain saying, “STOP YOURSLEF BEFORE YOU TOUCH HER!” My hand had a mind of its own. So I did it. I brushed a tear from her cheek.

And even THAT wouldn’t have been as bad! But, I couldn’t stop myself. My hand lingered. She noticed it too, I could tell. And just as I was about to seal the deal with a kiss, Reality gave me a good hard kick in the shin. I had a girlfriend! And, this was Sophie! The girl I live to loath!

So, the rest of the night I tried to be pretty quiet. But, contrary to my previous belief, Sophie wasn’t dumb. She knew something was up. I just had to prove to her (and myself) that there wasn’t.