Sweet Revenge

Sarah took a sip of her Malibu and coke, anxiously waiting for Michael to arrive. Classes had finished for spring break that day, and Sarah and her housemates had decided to throw a party before everybody went home. Well, everyone bar Sarah, that was. Sarah’s original plan had been to go home to see her parents, who she knew missed very much, and to meet up with her high school friends that she only saw when she was home. She had been looking forward to it; she was close to her parents, being an only child, and she knew they loved it when she came home, even if it was for a few days. Her friends Clara and Elaine would be back for spring break too, and they had already planned trips to the mall and sleepovers, which would involve lots of gossip and illegal drinking. Her two best friends were in New York and Ohio respectively, and they never skipped the chance to meet up and act like the teenagers they once were. Those plans had changed, though.

Michael had to work over the spring break, for the minority of students who would stay behind on campus to catch up on work, and the few professors who used the time to grade papers and finish other professor-like stuff they had to do. When she had told Michael about her original plan to go home, the loving smile on his face had fallen, twisting into a pained expression that made Sarah’s stomach twist with guilt over her thoughtlessness. She hadn’t thought about what he might be doing, or if he had any plans.

“You could come with me?” Sarah asked, unsure if her parents would allow it, but the words came out like word vomit, eager to expel her guilt.

“I have to work” Michael had replied tersely, his face a blank, neutral expression that only made Sarah feel worse.

“I’ll miss you,” she had told him, tears filling her eyes as the guilt grew. He had wrapped his arms around her then, comforting her with his warm embrace.

“Then stay here,” he whispered in her ear, his breath warm, tickling her.

Sarah snuggled into his warm body, resting her head on his shoulder as she thought about the possibility of staying. Her parents would be disappointed; hours earlier her mother had been on the phone, talking about how she wanted the two of them to get nails done, and maybe get a massage too, while they were at it. There was a new boutique her mother was raving about, with discounted designer clothes; and her mother was eager to buy Sarah a new wardrobe for when she came home in the summer. Elaine and Clara would be upset too; they rarely saw each other, so one of them bailing, over a guy, no less (even if said guy was deliciously handsome, witty, smart and giving her puppy dog eyes that enticed her to stay) was against their friend code. The reasonable, rational part of her knew that she should stick to her original plan, and see her friends and family. She had been spending a lot of her free time with Michael, and a break was something that might do them good before they got annoyed with spending so much time together. But the way he was looking at her, with his big, pleading eyes, cuddled so close to her on the bench they were sitting on, and it was hard to remind herself that she was rushing in too quickly.

“I’ll stay,” the breathless words tumbled from her lips. His joyful smile was enough to make up for the wrath she would probably receive.

She decided to lie, to avoid answering questions about Michael, and to avoid the lectures. She made up some excuse about feeling unwell, feigning symptoms of a viral infection that had been going around the college campus. She felt dreadful when her mother began fussing over the phone, offering to come visit her and informing her daughter in a stern voice to ‘wrap up and drink plenty of fluids’ until it was out of her system. Her friends had been concerned too, and a little more suspicious of her sudden illness than her parents. They had let it go, though, andinsisted that Sarah would have to make it up to them when summer vacation came.

It was crazy to think that it was only a matter of months before college was out for the summer, which would be Sarah’s last summer before her final undergrad year, which her parents stressed ‘was very important’, as though Sarah was aware that final year would shape what path she took. She needed to do well to get into the best post grad programme, and failure was not an option. Not for her, or her parents who were pumping money into her education. It wasn’t just the impending stress that was filling her with dread; it was the separation from Michael that had made the tears fall from her eyes when Clara informed her that they had two months left after spring break before summer. She couldn’t stand the idea of being apart from Michael for a week; how would she handle three months? Would they even stay together in the face of such a long separation? The possibility that they wouldn’t was enough to make her want to down her drinks with lightning speed, hoping the alcohol would erase the painful thought from her mind.

She was dressed up nicely, in a pale blue light dress, that showed off her arms and legs. There was a tiniest hint of cleavage, and she was happy with how she looked. She looked classy, but not as slutty as some of the other girls currently inhabiting her house. Her makeup was light, but it highlighted her green eyes and creamy complexion. Michael had yet to see her done up before, so she was slightly nervous over what he would think of her. She looked better than normal, so she hoped he would be pleased with what he saw.

“Wow, Sarah, you look amazing.”

Sarah pivoted sharply, barely managing to not spill her drink in fright.

“Jeff! Hey, thanks for coming!” she smiled and immediately wrapped her arms around him.

“Not at all! How did it go with that assignment?” Jeff asked, his handsome smile lighting up his face. He looked good in his tight jeans and black shirt, his hair styled messily.

“I just about got it done. I spent all of last weekend slaving on it, I swear I was about to break my laptop. I think that assignment made me hate Fitzgerald.”

“I felt the same,” Jeff laughed, stepping closer into Sarah’s space. They were leaning against a wall, relaxed from the good atmosphere and the alcohol they were consuming. Sarah had always had a soft spot for Jeff, who was one of the first friends she had made when she moved into the dormitories in her first year. They were in a lot of the same classes, and had built up a casual, loose friendship. It was easy for Sarah to lose herself in their conversation, discussing their plans for after their undergraduate degree. She had forgotten about Michael, until she heard a throat clearing, taking Sarah’s attention away from Jeff. Her smile was instant when she saw Michael, who had dressed up in a pair of jeans and a nice shirt. She flung her arms around Michael without hesitation, delighted that he had finally shown up. She could feel he was tense, and his hug was awkward and cold. He pulled away quickly, barely glancing at her before he focused his gaze on Jeff.

“Um, Michael, this is Jeff.He’s in some of my classes. Jeff, this is Michael.”

“Hey, dude, nice to meet you. You work in the coffee shop, right?”

“Right,” Michael’s smile was tight. Nobody else would have noticed, but to Sarah, it was blindingly obvious. He snaked an arm around her waist, pulling her close to him with a painfully tight hold. She could feel the anger radiating off him, and it was disconcerting to stand there, next to him, when she could sense there was something wrong. She had no idea what had annoyed him, but she was determined to find out before it ruined their evening.

“Michael, do you want a drink?” she asked lightly, disguising her unease.

“Sure,” he replied.

“I’ll see you later,” she said to Jeff, who waved her off with a friendly smile.

She took Michael’s hands, leading him into the kitchen, where the alcohol was stocked. She let out a little gasp when he tightened his grip, so much so that she could feel her circulation beginning to cut off, making her hand tingle unpleasantly.

“Michael, you’re hurting me,” she whispered, a little frightened by the look in his eyes. The warmth and kindness she normally saw in his hazel eyes had disappeared, leaving them oddly vacant. It made her heart skip a beat, in tandem with her stomach dropping. He didn’t listen to her, though. He only walked on ahead of her, leading her outside into the utility room and locking the door behind them.

“Michael, what’s wrong?” she asked, rubbing her aching hand and willing the tears in her eyes to not fall.

“Is that what you do when I’m not around?”

“Do what exactly?”she said, confused and angry by this sudden, expected side of Michael she was seeing.

“I’m talking about you dressing up like a slut., flirting with any guy that pays you a bit of attention.”

Each word was like a slap in the face, stinging and humiliating her emotionally. The tears were no longer able to stay in place, instead they ran down her heated cheeks

“I’m not dressed like a slut. Have you seen the other girls here?”

“No. Unlike you, I don’t have eyes for anyone else. I don’t give a shit about them and how they dress. You’re my girlfriend. Did you even look in the mirror before you came down? You think wearing a bit of makeup and showing off your legs and tits is going to make you more attractive, ‘cause, believe me, it doesn’t. It only makes you look like a whore.”

Sarah was stunned by the vicious onslaught coming from his mouth. She opened her mouth to defend herself, but she was swiftly cut off by Michael.

“As if that wasn’t enough, but to actually flaunt yourself in front of another man, as though you have no self-respect for yourself, like you don’t have me? Do you think he could actually be interested in you, looking like that? The only thing on his mind was how to get in your panties. Would you have done it, huh? Would you have dropped them for him if he asked, huh? Where you waiting for a chance to sneak up to your bedroom? Maybe you were hoping I wouldn’t show up, so you could act like the slut you’re dressed like.”

“What the hell is the matter with you? He’s a friend, Michael. A fucking friend I’ve had for the last three years. He has a girlfriend, for fuck's sake, you son of a bitch!” she hissed.

She hadn’t seen it coming when his palm landed against the side of her cheek. She stumbled from the impact, knocking out the air in her lungs in one swoop. The pain was surprisingly minimal, the physical pain at least. She clutched her cheek in shock,unable to get her head around what had just happened.

“Shit, Sarah, I’m sorry, I didn’t-,”

“Leave,” she told him monotonously. She didn’t want to hear the excuses that were about to come out of his mouth. She took a step towards the door, but was blocked when Michael grabbed her arm, preventing her from leaving.

“Wait, Sarah, I’m sorry. I had a bad day, okay? I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

“I don’t care if you had a bad day. You don’t fucking hit your girlfriend because you ‘had a bad day’. I want you to leave.”

“Sarah, I’m sorry,” he pleaded, tears suddenly leaking from his eyes. The anger in her chest started to dissipate at the sight of his tears, his face contorted with regret and pain.

“It won’t happen again, I swear. I’m so fucking sorry, Sarah. Please don’t go. I just…I saw you with him, and I just got angry. I love you so fucking much, and I’m just afraid of losing you.”

Sarah shook her head, her heart and her mind in conflict with each other. Her head was telling her to walk out, right there, and forget about him. If he could hit her once, he could hit her again, or maybe worse. She had read stories about how domestic abuse victims got trapped in their relationships. She knew better than to forgive him. Her heart was breaking, though, at the sight of him, crying and full of apologies. As angry as she was, as stupid as she knew it was, all she wanted to do was comfort him right then. She had never seen him cry, or seen him show any kind of vulnerability. He had made a mistake, something people do all the time. He hadn’t seriously hurt her. It wasn’t like he had beat her, and left her bruised and battered. She loved him, and looking into his eyes she could see he loved her too. Could she really walk away because of a lapse in judgement? She could see the remorse in his eyes; she could see how scared he was that she would walk away. He was suffering, standing there in front of her, shaking with fear and regret. Maybe the guilt he felt was punishment enough? Was one mistake enough to wipe out all the good times they had, and how in love they were? Up until the moment he had raised his hand to her, he had been perfect. He made her laugh, he cheered her up whenever she was upset or angry. He kissed her with so much love and passion, he took her breath away. They had even talked about taking the next step in their relationship; Sarah was certain Michael was the one, and she was ready to give her virginity. She remembered the way he had kissed her when she told him she was still a virgin, instead of laughing at her like she had thought he would. He had told her it made her even more perfect, and that he would wait until she was ready. She had been so happy that day, so sure that Michael really was the love of her life. Could she really forget all of that, forget all the plans she had been making in her head about their future, because of one incident?

“I swear it won’t happen again,” Michael whispered, sensing the conflict going on behind her eyes. He gently tugged her closer to him, and when she didn’t resist, he pulled her into a hug. She believed him when he said he was sorry. She believed he wouldn’t hurt her again.

“I love you,” he whispered into her ear, with desperation, placing a gentle kiss on her cheek.

“I love you too,” she said, closing her eyes and surrendering into his embrace, “You do anything like this again, and I’m gone. Understand?”

“Thank you,” he breathed, kissing her lips, “I promise you won’t regret it.”

Notes

And so it begins... any thoughts?

Thanks to all of you who are still reading/subscribing/commenting. You guys are awesome.

Lyra