And Then There Was Victor

Chapter 8

The weeks were flying by, and I was bogged down with homework, papers, and school pressure I had never endured. I had always been a decent student, but I didn't have the sort of parents that demanded honor roll be served. Actually I had the sort of parents which were irrationally proud of me without me doing much effort. Dad had already told all of his friends, the entire church congregation, and the whole family in Puerto Rico, that I was going to be a lawyer.

It was a Tuesday when I finished my first Western Humanities paper, feeling pleased with myself when I realized I had not thought on my girls. I spent a lot more time alone but it allowed me to focus on school and on actually meeting new people.

I bit into my apple as I came around the corner and spotted Victor Manning on a couch in the atrium engrossed in a constipated conversation from hell on his phone. He looked utterly miserable and I shook my head because he was most likely having an argument with Helene. Why anyone would go off to college with a relationship was beyond me. His head was in his hands, he was hunched over, not saying a word but listening. At least he was a good listener and I reasoned that he must be a good boyfriend despite his other deficiencies if he was willing to listen to his girlfriend rant for hours on end.

I didn't think much on it, didn't even wave hello but when I got out of Western Humanities he was still there. Still talking and I knew that he had missed his Anatomy class because I remembered his schedule. I was going to walk past him and head to Burger King when he hung up the phone. My attempts at avoiding him went by the wayside when I saw his face. He looked utterly miserable. A part of my wanted to say suck it up, big boy, but I didn't. I wasn't that cruel. He ran a hand over his face which looked paler than usual and looked up at me.

"Where are you heading?" He seemed to be nonplussed to find me looking at him.

"Want to talk about it?" It was pure politeness that made me ask, I didn't really care what mess he was in.

"Nope." He stood up and shoved his phone into his jean pocket. He looked around and then back at me.

I let out a sigh of resignation. How had I gotten to this?

"I'm hungry, want to go to Burger King?" I asked.

I purposively chose Burger King because he looked like he ate kale and ground turkey with salt-free seasoning on a daily basis and would never be caught inside of a fast-food joint. He surprised me by simply nodding and walking to his car. He surprised me, even more, when he gestured that I get in. Into the same car I had defaced months ago. I bit my lip from saying something saucy as we were walking a tentative rope of semi-friends. He kept the BMW spotless which put my own disaster of an automobile to shame. The black leather was freshly oiled and it looked like he cleaned the dashboard with a Q-tip. Honestly, he probably did.

So we went to Burger King for the first time. It was not really lunch hour, that had passed, and the place was fairly empty. It smelled of oil and fat which made my mouth water.

"Welcome to Burger King, what can I get you?" The guy behind the counter looked utterly bored.

I stepped forward, glancing at Victor who stood tall and imposing with his hands in his pockets and studying the menu above as if Burger King had not offered the same thing since the beginning of time.

"A Whopper Jr., a side salad with lite ranch, and a small Sprite."

The guy put the order in still wearing the same awful frown. "Will this be together or separate?"

"Separate," I said.

Victor continued his assessment of the menu. He didn't say anything so I paid for the food and walked to grab a table, waiting for my number to be called. But I didn't hear them call my number then I saw Victor walking to me balancing two trays on his arms.