Finding it

33

Katie

All I wanted want to do was get some dinner. Thats all I wanted. But no, I had to be standing in the line of fire as Alex tried to dump a bucket of water on Angelo for some odd reason. We had just finished up all that was needed to be done with the stables— the unicorns got out of their stables last night and made a mess so there was extra cleaning to do today— and we finished just in time as the dinner bell rang. I'm tired and hungry.

Alex had to go to the restroom a little bit before we finished up so I said that I would finish up and meet him and the rest of our friends at our table. I finished up about fifteen minutes later, fed Jaxie one last apple and start heading out when someone grabbed my shoulders and pulled me infront of them. And suddenly I felt something wet and cold drench all over me. I was soaked. I heard laughing and gasps from those around me and looked up to see Alex holding an empty bucket and saw the expressions of my friends around me. Angelo let go of my shoulders, and sprinted off shouting over his shoulder, "Thanks, Kates! I owe you one!"

All I could do was stand there. "Katie, oh my gods, I'm going to actually kill Angelo." Miranda said, as she and Railyn walked off into the dirrection Angelo went. Kia offered to help me find some new dry clothes but I brushed her off and said that I could do it my self. I didn't even look at Alex again, a little mad at him.

I went to the empty third cohort and changed my clothes. It was almost like déjá vu. Getting a bucket of water dumped on me, being left alone in a big empty room while my friends were out probably having fun without me. So here I am, in a situation that reminds me too much of the night I thought Travis was going to choose Myra over me at her party.

Oh, a small prickle of pain shoots through me, Oh Travis, what have you gotten us into this time? You used  me to cheat, you made me feel loved, you made me sure of our love, and it was all a lie. Wasn't it? It was all one huge fat lie. If you and Mae were married I would be a homewrecker. A homewrecker! Me! Katie Meadow Gardner, homewrecker! My first boyfriend, my first heartbreak, because I am a homewrecker!

Why can't we seem to get this relationship to work? Why is it like you almost don't want this relationship to work? Since the first day of being with you, it was always dysfunctional, almost nothing has changed. If you could just fix all this, how I wish things would go back to the way they were, we could and would work for it... but time is running out, so just for once, Travis, do something right. Do something that will benefit to us and things will go back to the way things feel they were meant to be. Don't cheat, be true. Don't be fake, be real. Don't lie, be honest. And our desires will come back to us the way they used to.

I think all this as I am blow drying my hair, standing in the mirror, I feel something wet on my face, though I have already changed into dry clothes. It takes me a moment to realize that it is a tear. I wipe it away just as fast as it came and finish drying my hair. There should be no crying, everything in my love life will go according to however Aphrodite sees fit, and as far as I know, I did nothing to insult her. Still, my eyes are a bit red from the threat of tears falling anyway.  I turn off the blow dryer and hear the cohort door open and close. "Katie?" A voice calls out, "Katie, I'm sorry, I was aiming for Angelo and he pulled you in front of him."

It's Alex.

"It's okay, Alex," I sigh as I step out of the restroom, "I saw it in your face, after the fact, how shocked you were that I got drenched instead of your brother.

"I know, but still—"

"No, A-Alex," my voice cracks and I silently curse myself for it, "Its no big deal."

"Are...you okay?" Alex asks, raising his eyebrows, "Katie, I'm so, so so—"

"Alex, goddamn it!" my voice raises, "Get over it! It isn't a big deal!"