One Final Time

The music in the gym was pumping, loud yet pleasant. Les danced wildly by Tera's side and with her friends. He felt the approving glances of her closest friends, as their eyes lingered over him flirtatiously. He flirted back but couldn't find himself wanting anymore. His mind kept being drawn back to her, and to Jess as a matter of fact. He knew that he had to make a decision when it came to Jess, no matter what the consequences in his other relationships transpired, and he felt he knew what he had to do. He did his duty, slow-dancing with Tera and she kept her promise to keep it as “just friends” status. The music was loud enough that it kept their dialogue down so that Les could remain lost in thought for the majority of the evening.

As she drove him home, they were fairly quiet as they let the radio play softly in the background. He looked out the window and watched the dark and empty streets stream by quietly. Tera cleared her throat and he glanced over at her.

“So you had fun?” she began.

“Yeah,” he smiled at her. “It was nice hanging out at you.”

She beamed as she studied the road ahead of her before speaking again.

“So, what did you think of my friends?”

“Yeah, they seemed nice,” was all he could say and looked out the window again.

“What about Maggie?” Tera kept fishing.

“Oh, um, she's nice,” was all he would answer. Then, “Why?”

“Oh, she just asked about you, is all.”

“Asked about me?” Les was suddenly curious.

“Like if you were single, you know, and all that,” was Tera's reply. Les was silent, unsure of how to answer, and looked ahead of him out the front window. After a moment of silence, Tera broke it with,

“So are you?”

That question hung in the air loosely between them. Tera quickly spat out,

“Not for me personally, just in general, I don't like you like that, really.”

“No, I know,” Les assured her. “And, I'm kind a sorta not.”

That's all he would give and they lapsed both into the silence, as Patsy Cline crooned “Crazy” on the radio.

“I love this song,” Tera said and reached to turn it up. They both listened in silence, respectively. As it came to a close, Tera asked, “So, who then?”

“Hmm?” was Les's reply.

“Who are you kind a sorta seeing?” Tera wanted to know.

“Oh, um, well, Jess actually,” Les admitted. Tera gasped and then said,

“You mean Jess from camp?”

“Um, yeah,” Les laughed. “She's really pretty cool and I like hanging out with her, only---”

“Only?”

“Nothing,” He was silent as he recalled his and Jess's last encounter and made a mental note to call her in the morning with his ready response to her request. Tera searched her mind for what she should tell Ruby, finally relaxing into her decision about having a “wait and see” on this Les's relationship status with Jess, maybe it would fizzle itself out and Ruby would have her chance, if she would only get over her shyness and admit to her feelings. If only.

Crazy