Impact

Chapter Seven

"You did what?"  Wendy was saying a couple of weeks later when Nate had finally let her back in and they were eating breakfast. "Are you nuts?"

"No. It seemed like a good time and....really, I'm not expecting a relationship. But, maybe if Tommy starts admitting to himself what I happen to already know, things will get better for him. And that's what I want."

"Well, I think you're making a mistake." She said, taking a bite of her bagel.

" And I didn't ask what you think." He half smiled at her. "Not that I don't appreciate you caring about me. But we talked about this. It isn't your choice."

"Fine. Do I get to say 'I told you so' when it all goes south?"

"No. Because it isn't going to happen. Even if he never talks to me again, I've helped him twice and that feels good."

"Alright." She shrugged. "So, how has he been?"

"Silent, mostly. He nods occasionally. But, he's stopped treating me horribly. And his crew avoids me, so maybe he's come up with an excuse to keep them away from me." He sipped his orange juice.

"I guess that's good."

"Wendy, can you please....just reel it in? I get that you hate the guy, but people make mistakes. He's struggling." He put his glass down forcefully.

"I don't think it was a 'mistake,' Nate. You've heard the rumors about his dad. And if its true, those kind of patterns repeat themselves." She indicated his healing eye, which was now a pale yellow

"He doesn't have a support system. It's obvious that he never has. And despite what people think, I believe people can change. And yeah, I like the guy. What's wrong with me wanting to help someone that I might care about. Even if nothing comes of it romantically. Isn't that what you did with some of your relationships?"

Wendy honestly hadn't thought about it like that. One too many boyfriends that treated her horribly; drunkards or druggies or just too plain self-centered to treat her with respect. She thought silently for a moment as she took another sip of her coffee. She realized she had a history of dropping these men instantly without even giving them a chance to correct the issue. It's why she was still single.

"Alright." She finally spoke; the taste of crow going down like razor blades. "I guess I shouldn't try to solve my relationship issues by forcing them on you. I'm sorry. But I would think I could be a lesson to you, since I have done it. And if he hurts you again...." She looked at him, eyebrows arched.

"He's not going to....but, thank you. I accept your apology, and I wont stop you if it happens again."

"Okay. Now that that's out of the way. We going to class?" She asked.

"Lead on." He said, indicating her to go ahead of him.

As he moved through his lectures, Nate was more than confident that finals would be a breeze. He had already made up (and then some) for the days he was absent and the new material was stuff he had already began studying on his own. In his last class, his mind wandered and his hand started a sketch. By the time he was was finished, it was a very life-like picture of Tommy leaning against the the outside brick wall of the school. He smiled a bit to himself. 

Okay, so what was wrong with him hoping that the jock would come around? 

He thought about Tommy showing up and sweeping Nate right off his feet. He knew it was fantasy, and even so, he was okay with them just being friends. Having him around as such was far better than attending his funeral. 

The professor excused them, and in his mind, everything was right in the world for just a moment in time.

He made his way to his dorm building. The administration had not replaced Daniel (who had decided he was changing schools), so Nate was happy to have a room all to himself, which wasn't much of a change from when he did have a roommate. He would go home, take a long shower and soak up this feeling; this euphoria of being happy inside and out (it didn't happen often) then maybe he would convince Wendy to take him out for a bite.