Goodbye, Gwen

GOODBYE, GWEN

1

There wasn’t anything in the world that I wanted than to be with Effie Sanders. After all, she was the most popular girl; dazzling, blonde and blue-eyed beautiful. In school, guys would fall at her feet and girls would want to be her friend. Then there’s me, Theo Anderson, quintessential quarterback and closet poet. I was her perfect pair. And I, I liked her and I’ve been chivalrous to pursue her. Flowers, chocolates, grand declarations of love on the football field, but that was way before I have realized what a big mistake it all was. I  was only trying to take a shot at this thing people call love, but ended up failing in it anyway.

Now I’m stuck with Effie when I don’t even feel anything at all anymore. No matter how much I want to call it off, I’d feel sorry for her whenever that happens. So I’m still collecting some piece of courage until I find the perfect moment to break up. Just not now, I think.

From afar, she’s the golden girl cascading around the school hallways. But you see her up close and realize she’s a blank canvass, she’s just like an image you see on posters and TV screens. She was just Effie. And I hadn’t witnessed any side of her I was dying to see. There was no Effie with depth, no Effie with bright eyes who talked about her dreams. Instead, I see the Effie concealed in make-up, partying until she gets wasted. I thought I had everything I ever wanted; the game and the girl. But you see, I was once just hoping to have her when it turns out, I didn’t really need Effie, nor loved her after all. Ah, I’m being such a silly hopeless romantic!

I couldn’t wait for Calculus to end. I’d hate to say this but Mr. Robertson is being such a bore. He’s becoming old and weak and I think half of the class zones out the moment he enters the room. But I pity this man because rumors were milling at the beginning of the semester, that his wife left him after 26 years of marriage. They didn’t have any children, so Mr. Robertson lives by himself and drives his old Toyota.

The bell finally rang, signalling for my first period to end. Relieved, I picked up my bag that was sitting on the floor and headed for my locker. I lazily stuffed one of my books and closed the locker loudly than I had thought. Where was Tyler and Ian, anyway?

I leaned my head on the locker and composed myself when Effie was crawling her hands on my arm and kissing my cheek.

“Hi babe! How was class? You look a little off today.” She’s trying to be affectionate but it isn’t working so I smirked a little for her to see that I was a bit interested by this conversation. Her hair was perfectly brushed and she was wearing this pink, floral dress anyone would love to see her in. But she’s attractive, nobody can deny that. 

“Well, I had Calculus for first period after all, so you know what happens.” I said, but she was still brushing my hair and holding my cheek. I thought she was going to say something relevant when she just breathed in deep and said goodbye. She said she was meeting with her “girls” in her free period and I couldn’t care less.

Just before Effie leaves, I see an unfamiliar face of a girl walking down the hallway. I haven’t seen her before, I’m sure of that. She was in a plaid shirt, her brown hair held up in a bun. She had on her black chucks and her tattered high waist shorts. It could call for some attention. I realized I had been looking at her much longer than I had expected when she stood by our Principal, Mr.  Young. I was only staring when Mr. Young called for my attention.

“Oh the school quarterback and the next big thing, come on now Mr. Anderson, would you mind touring our new student around campus for a while? That wouldn’t be much of a bother, would it?” The girl, who was waiting for a response, looked nothing but bored. I think she was more than ready to leave this conversation and get this over with. I had free period before Literature starts, so why not?