Bittersweet Love

by Davids, Jesse

  “We didn't forget anything did we?” Daniels voice cracks from anticipation. “Relax man we got this, and if this is your girl just get to know her a little better tonight al right?” Will reassures him and hands him the rose. “Al right thanks man, I don't know what I’d do without you bro, legit.” Daniel smiled at Will. “Yeah trust me I know.” Will chuckles softly as they stand by her dorm room.

  Athena hears a knock on her door and opens it. “Hey you made it, please come inside.” She smiles and guides them in. “Hey this is for you.” Daniel hands her the rose with red cheeks covering his face. “Wow how thoughtful, thank you.” She shyly walks to the kitchen counter to put it in a vase. The room smelt like vanilla, with a big teddy bear in the corner of her space. “Yeah Will couldn’t shut up about tonight.” Daniels chuckles in embarrassment. “Anyway these are my best friends, Jenny, Mary and Tom.” Daniel and Will greet them politely.

  “So what’s the plan for tonight?” Will asks Athena curiously. “Well, I was thinking we could just get together, play some beer pong and introduce you to my friends.” She replies with a raised eyebrow. “How did you guys get the alcohol in here anyway isn’t that breaking the rules?” Daniels asks quietly. “That’s for us to know and you to find out bro.” Tom replies while laughing.

  Throughout the night they all came together and blended well with each other, cards flying everywhere, beer being spilled from laughter. As the conversations began to slow down everyone was in their own little bubble, cold air began to fill the room. In mind that everyone knew something, But a few.

  Daniel notices Athena sitting alone on her bed reading a book about love. “Hey you okay?” Daniel sits next to Athena and hands her a glass of gin. “Thanks, yeah I’m fine why?” “Well, I mean you’re sitting all alone here, why aren’t you inside interacting. I did come for you, you know.” Daniel shyly states while he poked her arm. “I don’t know, I guess I’m not exactly feeling it tonight, plus I really wanted to finish this book before the year starts.” She replies. “Al right I’m listening, what’s the book about?” Daniel opened his ear for once in his life. “I don’t think you would want to know, it’s too cheesy.” She closes the book slowly. “You don’t know that; I might actually like it.”

  Daniel watches her intently. “Okay well, it’s about this guy and girl they fall in love, typical I know. But just when they think all the odds are against them they fight for one another and all that in a nutshell.” Daniel stares at her as she seems so fascinated with that book. “God you’re beautiful.” Oh shit. She smiles shyly blushing. “Thanks.” Athena replies as she melts into her sweater. They kept staring at each other for a while, tension rising as they seem to be getting closer to each other, no one said a word, like a gravitational pull, just as they were about to kiss. “Daniel! Come on man were leaving.” Shit, that idiot. He groans. “I’m sorry but I have to go, he’s probably drunk out of his mind, I’ll see you tomorrow?” Daniel kisses her cheek and gets up. “I’m coming man!”

  They left the room and Daniel pinches Will’s arm “Hey! What was that for?” “For being a cock blocker! I almost kissed her man, and you just had to want to leave at the same exact moment.” “Oh man I’m sorry it’s just that you did say that we shouldn’t stay for too long because of class.” Will smiles sheepishly. They stepped in their room as Will passed out instantly while Daniel kept tossing and turning.

  I need to know before it drives me insane. As he texts Melissa. -How do I know how she looks like? Or which girl it is? You should send me a picture or something.-

  He grabs his phone as it vibrated after a few minutes.

  -You will know Daniel, there’s not much people called Athena White. Melissa-.

  Daniel gulps nervously I hope it’s not. Oh God, What if it is? I’m already starting to like her. I can’t do this to her, but I don’t have a choice either. I can live this year without thinking of the deal, at least for now. And with that he finally drifted to sleep.

  Chapter 3

  “Wakey-Wakey!” Will pulls the blinds up. “It’s the first day of class, you don’t want to be late now do you?” He pulls the covers off of Daniel. “And you said I’m the one that drank too much huh?” Will said.

  “Go away.” Daniel groggily responded. “At least you slept well you dip-shit.” He pulls the covers back over him.

  “Yeah well that’s your fault. I’m starving, so you better hurry up so that we can head to the cafe for breakfast.” Will whimpers. “You can go on without me man my class doesn’t start for another hour.” Daniel rubs his head in frustration. “Al right bro good luck today, I’ll see you after class.” He creases his eyebrows together. “It sounds weird doesn’t it? Class.” Will walked out laughing.

  At the cafe Will spots Athena in the waiting line. “Hey, good morning.” Will spoke frantically. “Oh hi, morning, where is Daniel?” Athena looked around, not seeing him anywhere. “Well, since your class will start in 45 minutes he decided to stay in bed a little longer, you know, hangovers.” Will chuckles.

  “No! It’s going to start any minute now!” Athena yells softly. “Oh fuck, are you serious?” “I won’t be joking now would I.” Athena stood with a straight face.

  “I don’t think he would hear his phone ring, I think you should go wake him up. He’ll listen to you more than me.” “Oh yeah? Why is that?” She asks curiously.

  “He likes you.” “HAHAHA! Please, keep these little thoughts to yourself Will.” Athena laughed sarcastically.

  “Please just go wake him up, how about this I’ll get the breakfast and bring it to you. If you go wake him up that is.” Will whistles into the wind staring her down.

  “Fine, what dorm number is it?” “212, you’re welcome.” Athena jogs off as Will smiles knowing that she likes him too even though she wouldn’t admit it now.

  “Soon Athena! Soon!” Will chuckles as people stare at him weirdly. Tough crowd again huh.

  Daniel heard knocking at the door as he gets up from bed with one eye open, he puts on his briefs as he walks to open the door. “Will I told yo-” Daniel covered his face and half of his chest when a cold breeze slammed through the door.

  “What are you doing here?” He asks surprised. “I came to wake you up because we only have 10 minutes to make it to class.” She replies. “10 minutes!” “Yup, only 10 glorious minutes.” As she stares down his ripped body with wide open eyes. Daniel rushes to get ready. “Hey it was really kind of you to come and tell me, you can sit on my bed in the meantime or the chair whichever one you pick.” Daniel leans forward, breathing over her. “Will told me you're still asleep and he didn't want to come so I came, surprise.” Athena giggles to herself.

  “No, I mean it, thank you.” Daniel quavers from the inside when he smelt her perfume glooming in the room, eye to eye, they couldn’t stop staring at one another. Athena coughs. “Umm anyway we should get going.” She mumbles word for word. “Yes, you're right.” Daniel rushes into the bathroom to get dressed.

  Athena sits down on his bed and notices the picture of Alaska. “So you are from Alaska right?” Athena asks while examining the picture. “Yeah pretty much, what about you?” Daniels voice echoes from behind the bathroom door. “Well, I’m from here and always lived here.” Athena puts the picture back on his night stand. “What about your parents and family?” Athena asked but gets rudely interrupted as he rushes and grabs her hand and looks into her eyes. “We are going to be late.” “Right-right!” They both rush out the door and straight to class with high hopes that Will is going to bring their breakfast for them.

  “So why did you pick this university anyway?” He asks her genuinely interested while walking next to her. “I didn’t really have much of a choice, but I didn’t mind either cause they have art here.” She shrugs. “Oh no way, I’m an art major too.” He smiles and watches her intrigued Why didn’t I have a normal life. I would’ve met her differently. Nothing would have been planned out like this.

  She snaps her fingers i
n front of his face “Earth to Daniel.” “Oh sorry, I didn’t know I zoned out.” Daniel chuckles. “Okay well hurry up were going to be late.” She starts jogging up to a door and opens it.

  He entered while looking around the class. “Oh there aren’t many people here huh?” She nods. “Yeah it makes things more interesting and calm anyway.” Leading the way she turns to him. “You can sit next to me if you want.” She blushes and looks at the floor.

  “That would be great.” He grins and takes a seat as the lecture began.

  “And who might you be young man?” The teacher asks as they sat down. “Hey I’m Daniel Cole, I just transferred here.” He smiles politely as he beams. “Well, welcome to class Mr. Cole, you can call me Sir.” He laughs at his own joke as Daniel nods. “I’m just kidding son, you can call me Professor Nick or whatever.” He pats Daniel’s shoulder handing him a paper. “Now carry on so that we begin.”

  Okay so it is her. That doesn’t make anything different between us right, I mean I can just act like its real. Wait no not act, it is real. But then, the disappearing part. Oh God why me?

  Athena notices him groan and face palms his face. “Are you okay?” She whispers. “It’s only been a day and you’re already face palming yourself.” She giggles.

  He flushes. “Uhh yeah, don’t worry about it.” He grins damn, she’s more beautiful when she smiles too, and that giggle is so darn-“Cute!”

  “What?” She looks over at him; he gives a poker face and stutters. “uhh. I just, I think you’re, c-cute.” They both turn tomato red and felt a warm fuzzy feeling unexplained by today’s norms. “Thanks.” She whispers to him covering half her face with her sweater.

  The lecture goes by and all he can do is just stare at her captivated by her beauty, and how when she is trying to concentrate she pouts and creases her eyebrows together, or when she finally understood something she just mumbles an ‘Ohhhh’ to herself and smiles.

  “Let’s go Daniel.” She says getting him out of his frenzy. “Huh, what?” “Didn’t you hear the bell ring? Class is over.” She laughs. “Are you still hung over?” She asked, smiling deeply at him.

  Daniel shook his head. “Nah it’s just that this is all new to me that’s all.” She nods. “Well, show me your schedule.” He hands her it, as she inspects it. “We have the next class together, isn’t that fucking awesome?” She shyly grabs his arm. “Let’s go?” She asked. “Yes, lets.” Daniel with his red flushed face follows her lead.

  “Hey! Wait!” A guy in a red jumpsuit blocks Daniel and Athena’s way. “Are you Daniel?” He asks without any air in his lungs. “Yeah, why?” Daniel stood confused.

  “Your friend needs your help he said I would find you here!” “Al right calm down, where is he?” Daniel asked. “He’s in the music lab but some douchebags came and started bullying him and Will decided to fight back!” “Oh fuck show me where they are!” “Come with me.” They rush off as fast as they could to the music lab.

  A few meters away you could hear screaming and yelling through the walls of the campus. Daniel opens the door only to see Will standing on a table waving a chair around while 3 quarterbacks try to hurt him. “Help me nigga!” Will yells. “Hey! Leave my friend alone!” Daniel with no hesitation throws down his bag and punches start flying through the air. Athena went to go get help and found a physiology professor walking around.

  “Professor!” She yells. “Come quick there’s a fight in the music lab and my friends are being attacked by 3 students!” “Oh lord, show me where.” The professor squealed. They quickly run back only to find the lab surrounded by spectators taking videos on their cellphones, Athena entered the room only to see all three students that attacked them were laying on the floor badly hurt, Daniel with a bruised neck and Will bleeding from his nose came out of the class room. “Daniel, wait!” Athena calls out, Daniel and Will rushed to their dorm without looking at a single soul.

  Daniel closes their dorm room door. “Will, what was all that about?” “Look I didn’t mean to start any trouble al right those fags just jumped on me because of Athena.” Will states while putting a cloth on his nose. “Fuck, lift your head up maybe that’ll help the bleeding, fuck we don’t have ice.” Daniels frustratingly closes the freezer; He sits down next to Will holding his neck. “So why Athena? What does she have to do with it?” Daniel looks surprised. “I was just doing my thing, minding my own business, then those 3 guys came in and surrounded me and said shit like they saw us together at the cafe and we shouldn’t hang out with her anymore. Which in fact is pretty fucking confusing considering that she’s single man, or maybe it was one of her possessive ex’s you get me?” Will states with the cloth dangling over his mouth making his speech blurry.

  Minutes later they heard a knock on the door. “Daniel and Will?” A campus security officer asks through the little door gap Will provided for him. “Yes, what do you want?” “The dean wants to have a word with you both.” “About the fight?” Will questions. “Yes, so can you please get your friend and meet me there at his office within 10 minutes please.” “Al right sure, thanks.” Will closes the door to find Daniel standing behind him ready to go. “Let’s get this over with.” Daniel states while putting his hoody on to cover his bruised neck.

  While walking to the dean’s office Daniel gets a call from the one and only Melissa.

  “I assume you have heard of what happened?” Daniel bluntly answered the phone and asked. “Of course I did, did you think I wouldn’t find out?” Her evil laugh echoes through the phone. “Is that the devil?” Will whispers in Daniels other ear, Daniel nods and tries not to laugh. “Anyway you better get your shit together, because I, the devil, had a talk to the dean to not suspend your asses! I don’t want this shit to happen again, do you understand me?” Melissa yelled furiously. “Yes, Melissa, It was just a misunderstanding don’t worry. Plus it wasn’t our fault okay.”

  Daniel quavers in fear hoping she won’t call off the contract they agreed upon. “Good that’s what I want to hear. No more bull-shit! Bye!” Melissa ended the call and turns around in her weirdly long black office chair. These kids better not fuck up my plans.

  “Melissa?” She turns around to find Mr. P at the door. “Oh yes come in, I was wondering when you would show up, how was the flight back?” She asks knowing in her heart that what she’s doing is wrong. “It was fine, what do you want?” Mr. P asks in a deep subtle voice.

  “I can’t tell you yet but when I do, I hope you’d be ready to accomplish the task.” Crossing her fingers she leans back putting her feet on the table revealing her short blue dress and black stockings with heels pointing towards him. “Lock the door.” She whispers to Mr. P in a quiet sexual tone.

  “Melissa just saved our lives from being completely fucked beyond recognition.” Daniel breathes from relief. “Well, she’s supposed to, this is exactly what I expected from her side of the world to do anyway, we are valuable to her, I mean we can fuck up right now and ditch but the pay out in the end of this is huge I’m talking about 7 figures bro!” Will anxiously grumbles waiting to get the whole experiment over with. “That’s a lot of money, did you think yet of what you’d do if we complete it?” Daniel asks Will with interest as they walk back to their dorm.

  “I have, but I’m not sure about the whole plan. Probably going to disappear in the Bahamas, get a boat, live on the boat, get two women, know what I mean?” Will laughs uncontrollably knowing he’s just fucking with Daniel just to see his reaction. “Ahh! I’m just fucking with you man we still have to decide about that together, besides we still have a long road to go anyway.” He rests on Daniels shoulder.

  “Yeah I feel you man, I’m just worried it doesn’t work out.” Daniel frowned. “Don’t, like I just said it’s a long way to go and we have to adapt to college life now, weird how we didn’t think of this earlier but yeah. We should watch some college bull-shit movies later.” Daniel and Will laughed through the halls echoing as they passed Athena’s dorm.

>   “Daniel?” Athena tugs on his shirt; He turns around to see her with a frown on her face. “Oh hey Athena, you al right?” Daniel gets closer to her, rubbing the side of her left arm. “I don’t know, can we talk?” She asked. “Yeah, of-course.” Daniel looks at Will with his eyebrows creased into his forehead. “Okay-okay I’m going! Jeez!” Will stomps away leaving them to have a private conversation. They step into Athena’s dorm, Daniel notices the room is dim with candle light warming the entrance to her dorm. “Want some tea?” Athena asks in a soft tone that curled up Daniel’s spine giving him butterflies in return. “Yeah sure I’d love some tea, what tea is it?” He asked. “Its Moroccan mint tea, it’s very good you’ll love it.” Athena smiles looking down at the cup as she pours the water into it. “So what did you want to talk about?” Daniel spoke while sitting on the couch getting comfortable.

  “Yeah I just wanted to apologize for today.” She said. “But you didn’t do anything, it’s okay.” Daniel chuckles with a smile. “No, I meant the person that caused the trouble was my ex, yeah I guess he never got the hang of it when he sees me with someone else, but he wasn’t supposed to do that cause its none of his business you know? Plus you’re just a friend so I don’t know why he went all out today.” Athena sits next to him putting the tea on the dark brown coffee table. “Oh I had no idea, I hope you don’t have feelings for him because I pretty much fucked him up today.” Daniel sips his tea slowly. “Of course I don’t that’s why he is an ex, duh.” Athena giggles into her cup.