Take What You Want - Pepepolly

A Faded Rose

He showers and brushes his hair back, tying it in a tight neat bun. His main focus has been growing a thick beard these past few years. All through high school he looked like an idiot with patches of wispy baby hair on his face. Since college, he upped his game and now has a full glorious beard. It's amazing and he is very proud of it. "You look like a homeless man. Clean up your beard and for fucks sake, cut your dam hair," his father says popping his head into the bathroom. Austin sighs and looks in the mirror. His hair does look like shit, he will admit it. How women find him attractive is beyond him. His father has a point. He has had the same long hair that he keeps in a top knot since he was fourteen. No matter how much he washes it, it looks greasy. Now or never right? He finds a pair of scissors in a bathroom drawer and cuts his top knot off, his hair falls around his head in a bob. It looks worse, so he keeps cutting till he has a short halo of brown curls around his head. It looks good and he looks a bit more his age. That sucks. But, he can't do anything about it now.

His mother had laid out a pair of light brown pants and a blue checkered button-up shirt on his bed. She only guilts him into wearing it when they have dinner with his grandparents who think he is an angel. He is an angel - depending on your outlook on life. This is all so fucked up. He hates it but, he puts it on. He needs to get back to college and this is his only hope. Contrary to what everyone believes he is serious about getting his degree. He wants to be a doctor and he is already six years in. He can't throw it all away now. That's a very responsible thought. He will tell his father.

He sprays calone and checks his outfit then leaves his room when the doorbell rings. By the time he walks down the stairs, Tina is inside hugging his mom. "Oh, don't you clean up nice?" Tina says and then hugs him. "Just for you, Tina," he says giving her another wink when he steps back. "Oh, You!" Tina says and slaps his arm playfully. His parents stare at him with big eyes. Does a haircut make that much of a difference? "This is my granddaughter," Tina says stepping out of the doorway. Austin looks out onto the porch and then his heart drops when he sees the woman step into the doorway. Aw, fuck. Of all the fucking women in the fucking world it had to be fucking Delta Dawn? His face clouds immediately. He is not happy, he never wants to see her again. To make matters worse it looks like she took his advice and ended up wearing the same type of dress she had worn on his night with her. She still looks a little shy, but there is a clear air of confidence around her that she never had back in high school. It also annoys him that she makes him nervous. He does not like that.

"Nice to meet you," Austin's dad shakes her hand. She smiles softly at him and then accepts a hug from his mom. "Hi, I am Delta," she says, her voice still sweet like thick honey. Austin is rethinking his need for college. Being stuck in a car with Delta will be too much to handle. "This is our son, Austin," his mother says. Delta's head snaps behind her and she looks at him with big eyes. She knows exactly who he is. He does not think she was expecting to ever see him again either. She had turned down all Crysal's offers to hang out with her when she was with Joey. They all knew why. His eyes widen a little when her surprised face turns into a slight glare. Does she hold animosity towards him? That's fucked up. Now he wants to go on the trip just to piss her off and make her life a living hell. Austin's dad elbows him. "Hello," he says stiffly. "Hello," she mumbles back.

She ignores him at dinner, choosing to answer his parents and engage only with her grandmother. Her voice is soft and she answers only what she has to but he can tell his parents like her as she explains her life plan, which by the way is planned out intracitly. He also knows why he has never crossed paths with her in the college scene. They live very different lives. While he is at a party or bar most nights and then wakes up in various dorm rooms before he has to hightail it out of there and sprint across campus before he misses a class together; she has not so much attended a coffee date. She is always early for class so she can chat with the professors beforehand, and studies in the library before going back to her dorm where she then continues to study. She has a few friends but they too find enjoyment in studying and focusing on their degrees. He zones out when she starts telling his father about a bake sale they arranged to raise funds for something.

But, it's when she tells her father that college parties should be abolished altogether and more rules around study time should be put in place that Austin decides she has a carrot up her ass. Up her ass. "Hear that, Austin? Delta has her head on right," his father says to him then looks back at Delta, "Austin is at Harvard. No one knows how."

Delta raises her eyebrows and nods as she takes a sip of her water and then places her glass down. "I know. I am at a college close to Harvard. He has quite the reputation around all the colleges in the area," she says. Austin watches his father die inside. Fuck. He is even more pissed now. He never knew she was in Boston, but she knew where he was all along and didn't even bother to reach out. At this point, he would rather hitchhike back to college. "Oh, I bet he does. You must be adored by all your peers, Austin," Tina says. He hears Delta squeak and when he looks at her she looks like she is trying not to choke on her new sip of water. His reputation has nothing to do with his degree.

"Austin is an asset to any institution," his mother says. "Yeah, prison maybe," he hears his father say under his breath. Delta sucks in her lips at that and tries not to laugh. She judges too much. "Ok! Desert! Tina, Rich, will you help me please," his mother says as she stands and throws Austin a look. "Do you need my help too?" Delta asks. "No, dear. You chat with Austin while we get it ready," Tina says as the three of them leave the dining room. Austin does not know what to say so keeps quiet, as does Delta. After about two minutes his father sticks his head through the doorway behind Delta and mouths a bunch of shit to him. He can't make out what he is saying but he knows his father is insisting he makes friends with her and convinces her to let him go back to college with her.

"So Delta Dawn-"

"That's not my name."

"Delta is not your name?"

"Delta is, but there is no Dawn."

"Well, I remember a Dawn being in there...maybe it's just a faded rose from days gone by," he says lifting his beer and taking a sip to hide his grin. Delta goes bright red and looks like she wants to disappear under the table. "I know you want to drive back with me to college. The answer is no. I don't like you and I don't want to be stuck in a car for two weeks with you. I am only here tonight to ease my grandmother's worry. I know you and this," she says waving her hand at him, "is not you. I think this is the first time I have seen you clean and showered. I appreciate being witness to your yearly shower, but the answer is no...just so we are clear," she hisses.

Offensive.

Austin smirks at her. She does not know him and he has never been one to back down. He always gets what he wants, his brain coming up with plans b, c, and d. He could sell ice in winter and when it matters, butter would not melt in his mouth. He is offended by her judgment of him since she is the one who fucked off without a fucking word all those years ago. He was not going to go with her, but now he has a point to prove. He leans on his elbows and rests his chin on his hand, cocking his head playfully as he grins sweetly at her. She looks a little nervous and swallows thickly.

"Why so angry, baby?" he coos.

"D-Don't call me baby."

"You sure, baby? Looks like it made your heart race if that pretty pink blush on your cheeks is anything to go by," he says biting his lip and raising a brow at her. She looks like she is about to slide off her chair. Arousal or embarrassment - he is not sure.

"You can't come with me."

"We will see," he says winking at her with his best grin before sitting up straight as his parents and Tina walk back in. He has enough knowledge to play this right and get his way. Delta has a weakness - her grandmother and Austin has her grandmother in the palm of his hand He knows how to play his cards just right. Delta best hold onto her seat real tight or she will get whiplash.