After my Garrett drama, I took to seriously enjoying my single days. It was some of the most enjoyable times of my High School years. Of course, I had to ruin it by allowing a guy named Paul catch my attention.
Paul was nothing but trouble from the very beginning. He was in my Social Studies class and he would occasionally send me stupid little notes which I ignored. I really wasn’t interested in him because he had this shadiness about him, and I seriously wasn’t in the mood to deal with any man and his luggage.
You already know what happened… right?
I decided to take on the man… and his luggage… and his mama.
One day I was walking through the school and I heard shouting. Of course I was curious as to what was going on so I walked into the cafeteria and saw Paul and some girl getting ready to duke it out. He was screaming, and she was antagonizing him. I honestly, and still to this day, have no idea what was going on in there or what led up to it all, but all I know is that this little itty bitty girl decided to say to Paul, “And that’s why yo daddy is dead!” The look on his face told me she was about to die so I grabbed her and drug her crazy ass out of the cafeteria. Paul had some people holding onto him which gave me time to get Miss Itty Bitty to safety. I asked her if she was crazy and why she would say something like that to him. She shrugged it off and went on her merry way. She and I would later become “friends” and I could easy write a series called “What To Do When Your Best Friend Is A Back Stabbing Whore Who Sleeps with Every Man You Know and Then Lies To Your Face About It So You Are Forced to Beat Her Ass”… But that’s neither here nor there.
Anyway, later on that day in class Paul sent me a note and the rest is history. Shortly thereafter we began doing something called dating. Actually, I was dating him, and he was dating the entire town. He wasn’t secretive about it either. And I was young and stupid. I allowed it and didn’t say much about it.
One day he was late picking me up so we could meet up with some friends. I was waiting and waiting and then he finally called. The phone call went something like this:
Him: Hey baby.
Me: Where the hell are you?
Him: On my way. Look, get some alcohol and tweezers ready for me. I’ve got some splinters in my back that I am going to need you to get out.
Me: Um, what?
Him: I was having sex on a bleacher and got some splinters or something in my back. Just have the shit ready. OK?
Me: Ok.
And I did. I got it all ready and actually removed the splinters. No questions asked. Boy was I stupid.
He wasn’t just fond of sleeping around. He was also a big fan of marking his territory. Every chance he got he would bite me somewhere - usually my face - just for the sake of doing it. My mother used to get so mad at that. I made up excuse after excuse as to what was going on, but she was no idiot.
He and I went through these ups and downs over the years. We’d break up and then make up. I dated other losers (and I will cover them all in due time) during our constant breaks but I was in love with Paul. He was “in like” with me. I think in his own way, he cared but his dick controlled more of him than his heart ever could. I was naïve and just wanted to be there for him… I had Tina Turner syndrome. I didn’t want to be the woman who walked away from him or gave up on him, so I stayed.
I stayed and stayed and stayed some more.
I stayed after he took me to prom and then picked up another woman on the way; Another woman who turned out to be Miss Itty Bitty. I had a fit which did me no good. I was already dressed up and in the car. I asked him what his plans were and he told me she and I could take turns riding in the front seat. I spent the earlier part of the evening pissed until I decided I didn’t need his crap and left without him.
I stayed while he kept on cheating. I stayed after he embezzled thousands of dollars from my parents. I stayed after I got locked up for something he did. And I stayed after the judge told me I was free with only ONE condition…. To stay away from him.
I even stayed after he got another woman pregnant. But that was the end for him. He left me without even so much as a good bye.
And as angry as I was at how it all ended, I was so damn relieved.
Guess what? A few months ago he popped up out of no where declaring he was a new man. He was a better man and ready to make it right. Almost 20 years later! It’s ok though, because this time, I didn’t stay.
