The One I Loathe

Chapter 5

It was moving day. The Bennets had bought a house just down the street from ours.

Naturally, my parents had recruited my help in moving them in. Hilary came also, but mostly because she wanted to see Trent, not because she wanted to help. But, only she and I knew that.

When we drove up to the Bennet’s new house, the moving van had already gotten there and the moving guys were starting to bring in the furniture. We all hopped out, and were warmly greeted by Cecilia and Robert Bennet. Then Trent came out of the house and I heard Hilary gasp.

“Please tell me that’s him!” Hilary whispered to me.

“That’s him.” I whispered back.

He came right up to us, but was looking mostly at Hilary.

“Trent, this is my best friend, Hilary. Hilary this is Trent,” I didn’t bother calling Trent a ‘friend’.

“Hey Hilary.” He said to her, and smiled.

Wow, he had a nice smile.

“Hey Trent,” she returned, flashing him her best smile.

They seemed to be getting along…

“Hey there’s a Pizza Hut just down the street, do you both want to go with me?” he asked us.

This was strangely friendly behavior. The last time we spoke he’d been totally rude to me and now hw was asking me out for pizza. He wasn’t going to win back my politeness that easily.

“Uh, I think I’d better stay and help unpack,” I replied.

“I’ll go!” Hilary piped up.

Before I could object, Trent replied, “Cool, let’s go”

And before I knew what was happening, they were walking down the street towards Pizza Hut! I couldn’t believe those two!

I mean, I wanted to prove to Hilary that Trent was a big jerk, but so far he’d been a perfect gentleman!
To her, anyway.

I, however, knew better.



This wasn’t the way it was supposed to work! I wasn’t supposed to be on a date with Hilary! In fact, no one even told me Hilary was going to be there!

My plan was to invite Sophie to get some pizza, and persuade her to like Sam. But, when Hilary came, I didn’t want it to seem that I liked Sophie, so I invited both girls, figuring I could still put in a good word for my shy friend. Then Sophie didn’t even want to go, and by now I couldn’t take back the offer. So now I was stuck with the girl who never stopped talking from the moment she said ‘hi’.

Yet, in her vast talking I did hear some interesting things about Sophie that I didn’t know before. Like she was a straight A student, and that she wanted to go to Harvard. Or that she loved classic rock music. But the one that surprised me the most was that she’d never been kissed.

“And, it’s not like she hasn’t had plenty of offers!” explained Hilary, “I mean she could fully make out with any guy in the junior class and none of them would mind,”

“Do you know why?” I finally got a word in.

“Yeah, she has this whole philosophy about her first kiss being special.”

“Wait…you mean she didn’t even kiss Jeremy?” Now that surprised me.

“Nope! And they dated for a long time!”

“How’d she end up with a jerk like him anyway?” I figured if I ever wanted to know, Hilary was the person to ask.

“Well…”

For once she seemed reluctant to tell me something.

“I’ll tell you, but you CAN’T tell Sophie that I told you!”

“Okay…”

She took a breath and began, I got comfy in my chair, I gathered that I was going to be here a while.

“Well, they started dating last summer…”

“The summer they came to visit us…” I said quietly to myself.

“Hey! No interruptions!” she chided me and went on, “Anyway, they met through her dad. See, Mr. Jameson volunteers teaching little league baseball in the summer, and Jeremy’s little brother was on her dad’s team. So whenever she’d go to their games, he was always there, cheering on his little brother, and she thought that was so sweet.”

‘Well, eventually they finally talked to each other, and she learned that he went to our school. He came late last year so we never really got to know him. When he finally asked her out on a date, he asked her dad’s permission first since she was 15 then and her dad had this “No Dating till 16” rule. So, he convinced her Dad to let her go out with him. It was all so old fashioned and romantic. Sophie loves that stuff.’

“So after that, they started seriously dating, She didn’t know it then, but she changed so much for him. More then she should have, and I saw it. Everyone who knew her did too. He manipulated her into his ideal girlfriend. If he complemented her on her hair or make-up, she’d keep it that way. or if he said he liked her outfit, she’d only dress in that style, She was insane, basically!”

So that’s why she looked so different when she came to visit us last summer. It’s was starting to make sense now.

Hilary paused before continuing, “Then when school started, he changed. They never spent as much time together, and when they were together he always seemed to be showing her off. She refused to admit that he’d changed though, no matter how much I tried to tell her.”

‘Then, she became more preoccupied with school, and your family’s visit. So he took her out one night, and broke up with her.”

I cringed remembering that night. Then, I realized that Hilary had stopped talking.

“Wow,” I said, genuinely shocked.

“The funny thing is though; he didn’t even have a little brother! He just paid that kid to pretend he was.

“Now that’s lame!”

“Yeah tell me about it.” Suddenly her expression changed, “So, do you think we could do this again sometime, and NOT talk about Sophie…?” She said rather suggestively.

Oh no, here it came.

“Hilary, I think it’s only fair to tell you that I have a girlfriend back in New York.”

“Oh rats!” She said dejectedly.

Well, at least THAT situation was taken care of.

“Hey, will you do me a favor and not tell Sophie what we talked about today?” I asked her.

I figured she would anyway, but it was worth a shot. The last thing I needed was Sophie thinking I liked her.

“Duh! Of course! Sophie would kill me if she knew I’d told you that story!”

We decided to walk back then, it was getting late. When we got back to the house, Sophie didn’t look like she was doing much work either! I saw her talking to two, looked like, collage aged guys. That ping of jealousy rose up again, but I quickly suppressed it.

When she saw me and Hilary, she told both of them that it was good to see them and came walking over toward us.

“Ooh! Who were they, Sophie?” Hilary asked her glancing back at the two guys.

“Oh, they were just some of Will’s friends, and they were asking how he was doing in collage”

Well, that made me feel better, sort of.

“Well, I’d better go be sociable!” Hilary said as she scrambled off after the two guys.

Finally, I had her alone! I had to convince her to give poor Sam a chance! Why did I let him talk me into this?

“So…Sophie” I began, “Remember my friend Sam?”



Ok, what was this guy’s obsession with me and his friend Sam?

“Yes…”

“Well, he likes you a lot.”

Surprise, Surprise.

“…and I’m supposed to come and ask you what you look for in a guy.”

I laughed…Hard. I couldn’t help it! Sam sent a messenger? I decided to humor him though.

“Well, for one he doesn’t send his friend to do all the dirty work for him!” I said after I controlled my laughing fit, “He has to be funny, truthful, not a wimp, very strong, good morals, I have to know him really well, and he isn’t exactly like me, we should complement each other.”

“Wow” he said, “You’ve thought about this a lot haven’t you?”

“Yeah, I guess I have,”

Not enough, I thought, suddenly remembering Jeremy.

Now I wanted to change the subject.

“So are you starting school tomorrow” Was the only phrase I seemed to come up with.

“Yeah,”

“You excited?” I asked, not really caring about the response.

“Eh, I guess. It beats hanging out with Abby all day!”

I had to agree with him there.

“Well, if you need a tour guide tomorrow, let me or Hilary know.” I offered. He probably wouldn’t take me up on that offer, though. Knowing him he was too arrogant to ask for help!

“Ok, will do,” he replied.

I heard my mom calling me and Hilary.

“I’m being paged! So, I’ll see you tomorrow then?”

“Yeah, looks like it.”

I just prayed that we wouldn’t see each other. I just knew all the girls at school would be swarming him, and he’d instantly become the most popular guy just because he was new and really really cute…But then, did I care? Of course not! I’d just ignore him like I usually did.

On the ride home, despite my prying, Hilary would not tell what she and Trent talked about. It must have been pretty serious. I decided then to put it out of my mind and focus on surviving tomorrow’s school day.