Portal (3)

Joe laughs in my face.


"You're even more repulsive than I thought, Kyle!" he says.


I shake my head. "And you're not as funny as you think you are."


"Oh, come on! You finally meet this girl who says she wants to marry you, and at first I was questioning her sanity, I'll admit. But it only took you two days to go from her accepting your proposal to her running away from you, screaming. I don't know how you pulled it off, but I am proud." He claps his hand on my shoulder.


I shrug it off and pace back and forth.


"Maybe one day I'll be disgusting enough to outdo you," he continues.


I grab a cup of pens off the Kinko's counter and shoot them at his face. At least, that's what I'm trying to do when they knock over some purple ad on the counter.


"Hey! For the last time, will you stop acting like a damn tornado in here? God..."


"Sorry. I'll stop."


"Sure you will." Due to past experience, he doesn't believe me.


She didn't exactly scream, but she did run away. I was too stunned to follow at first, and then I lost her. I came here to figure out what to do next.


Joe just keeps mocking me. I stomp around, and come up with zero ideas.


Then I see Laura walk past the window. Her long brown hair swishes behind her as she power-walks down the street. I stare after her until she's out of sight. Then I finally snap out of it and run for the door.


I sprint past Joe, who yells, "Go frighten some ladies for the Gipper!" I slam the door behind me and hear him swear as it shakes the frame.


She's almost two blocks ahead of me already, heading toward the gas station on 10th. Where is she going in such a rush?


I run up behind her and scream, "LAURA!!!"


She freezes. I probably didn't need to be that loud. I was only about ten feet behind her when I yelled. She doesn't turn around. I run up and face her.


I smile wide now that I finally see her again. When I step forward to hug her, he flinches back. She tilts her head and glares at me like I've grown a second head and it's swearing at her in Spanish.


"Laura, why are you acting so weird today?" No answer. "Are you okay? Do you need me to take you to the doctor?"


She shakes her head, says nothing.


"Maybe you have a fever and you're hallucinating or something. Did you drink any water today?"


Her mouth falls open wide, and if I'm not mistaken, her face is turning red. So are her fists, with her nails digging into her palms. Can't shake the feeling that I'm staring down a hurricane.


"You..." she lets out in an angry huff. "Go away. You're not even supposed to exist here."


"You're confused, Laura. Why don't we go somewhere and sit down? We could-"


"All I wanted to do was find you and scream at you, but now I just mostly want to kill you. I want to slam your head against the concrete. Or at least run away again. Why did I walk through that STUPID portal?!"


She has to be sick. I have no idea what she's talking about. I open my mouth to speak, but realize I probably shouldn't tell her how cute she looks when she's angry. Then she might actually kill me. I say something else instead. She's just about to go on another rant, but I interrupt her before she can get out the first word.


"Laura, I love you."


She pauses, and seems confused.


"Not anymore," she says.


I step toward her again and take advantage of her shock to put her hand in mine before she can pull away. I look in the eyes that always remind me of a stormy sky and say the first thing that comes out.


"You are cute and smart and creative and a little bit crazy. And I love all of those things about you."


She's still frozen, but now her eyes fill up with tears that eventually flow down her cheek.


"I don't want you to love me," she says, and I force back tears of my own. "You're not even supposed to know me this time." 


What is she talking about with all this?


Something is wrong with this girl - something big. And I'm going to do everything I can to fix her.


She can no longer speak, but keeps opening her mouth and trying to. Her red face grows pale.


The tears run faster now. I can't keep myself from reaching out to hold her. She remains stiff in my arms and the tears turn to hard sobs. I let her go.


She opens her right hand and something falls to the ground with a TING. 


It's the engagement ring I've been carrying in my pocket since I was eighteen, waiting to give to the perfect girl at the perfect moment. Waiting to give to her, like I had two days ago on the Andy Warhol bridge at sunset. The gold band looks dull against the tan sidewalk on this cloudy day.


She turns and stumbles back the way she came without a word or a look behind her.


A drop of water splashes my scrunched brow as I watch her walk away. After a few minutes, I pick up the ring and head back to Joe's work in the light rain. I tell him what happened.


"So, what's your plan now, seeing as she has no intention of even talking to you ever again?"


I frown. "Yeah, it doesn't seem like she will."


But I can't shake this feeling that we end up together. I know it with 100% certainty.


"I have to try," I tell him. "I'll win her back. There has to be a way."



//


[to be continued . . .]