Repeat and Retribution

Chapter 19

“Why can’t you just understand me!” Dana screams out her lungs while hitting and pushing as the young man tried to embrace her in his arms.

Clyde was was already a mess, his white undershirt already crumpled and untucked. Scratches all over his arms as the woman continued her assault.

“I’m trying to!” he says in a cooing like voice as if trying to lull a child.

It was obvious that the man was in pain, confused and already in a state of losing his mind while trying to calm Dana down. He still tried to put his arms around her but was only given the death glare by Dana as again she pushes him aside.

“Why are you making things so complicated!” Dana stomps her feet, shouting at his face though tears were trickling down her eyes.

But it looked like that Clyde was the one who was in more pain as of now, as he was already nearing to tears from not being able to talk things through with the young woman.

“Me?” That was all he can say.

Pain etched in his face as he held his hands to his chest, obviously still unable to understand the girl’s distress.

“Just let me be!” Dana shouts.

Clyde lost his balance as the young woman shoves him aside while picking up her bags and quickly started walking away.

“Babe!” Clyde called out in a plea as he was standing up.

But she did not hesitate to look back as she made fast and long strides to get away from there.

It was only then that Crystal was able to finally come out from were she was hiding. Walking straight to the man as he was busy cleaning himself up, patting his blazer and bags.

There was a look of surprise on Clydes face as he saw her, yet he was still able to smile like nothing had happened.

“Sorry I couldn't help but overhearing things,” she says bowing her head a bit as she felt she intruded on them.

She thought to walk past by them at first when she was about to hit the corner, since she could basically hear Dana’s voice booming from the corridor, but decided it wasn’t the right thing to do, seeing as the woman was having a fit of rage a while ago. She didn’t really want to add up to the already beaten up ego of the humiliated young man.

“No it’s fine. She’s always like that,” he just forces a laugh, waving his hand in the air like it was nothing to him.

But seeing as how bruise and disheveled the man look, she could not help but feel bad for him.

“Are you okay?” she asks, worried that the woman might have done more than what she saw a while ago.

“Yeah, I’m good.” Clyde just nods.

But she could still see that pain and disappointment on the man’s face. As it loomed like a shadow all over him.

Crystal could feel her heart twist as she wasn’t really use to seeing the man so down and disoriented like that. She didn’t remember Clyde looking so beaten like this before, even during the time that he had broken up with Dana in her old past, or even when he was so depressed of not finding work when they were already together, he always had that fight in him that made her so proud of him.

“Do you want to talk about it?” She could not help herself asking.

There was a part of her that wanted to at least lessen that burden that seemed to be weighing the man down.

Clyde just let out a sigh. “No, I’m okay,” he just nods, smiling.

Thankfully it was somewhat genuine this time, as she can see the glow on his eyes slowly come back life.

“All right,” she just says not wanting to probe anymore that would be out of his comfort zone.

“Uhm, want to grab a bite?” Clyde’s cheerful tone was now back as he prod his head.

Seeing as the man was back again, she didn’t really want to let him down now. “Sure thing.”

“Cafeteria sound good to you,” he says as they began walking when she got to his side.

“Cafeteria it is,” She giggles as the man was making this weird movements with his eyebrows that always got her.

She just tries to forget what she saw a while ago as they began chatting on things not related to the incident a while ago.

The cafeteria was packed when they got there as it was already lunch time. Droves of student occupied almost every table, some weren’t even eating and were just lounging about while other did not mind to vacate, even thought they were finish so that they could just chat or look around.

“Hey, theres a seat over there, c’mon!” Clyde quickly grabs ahold of her.

The slight touch of him sent shivers down her spine making her all jiggly. She wasn’t able to do anything since he pulled her into the mob of students, wrapping her into his arms to shield her when they swiftly made their way into the small spaces and gaps, until they were finally out of the crowd.

The few minutes that Crystal was around Clydes arms made her dazed as she felt the nostalgia, feeling the warm and tender touch all over her body. She was suddenly warped into a daydream as she reminisce the times that the man had done that to her.

She was only awoken to her senses when Clyde dove to the table when another group of students on the opposite side also tried to occupy the empty table that they were aiming for. Making them both laugh as they secured their seats.

“You wait here while I buy something to eat,” he says as they sat down on their chair.

“Okay,” she nods as she held the man’s bag when he placed it beside her.

“What will you have?” he asks looking around on the different food stalls that were surrounding the place.

“I’ll have the club sandwich and a juice,” she points to the stall that had it.

It was the usual place that she gets her lunch, since beside being affordable, they also served freshly made food.

“Okay, I’ll be back in a minute,” Clyde says before sprinting about to the said place.

After a few minutes he comes back with a tray of food, the young man had also ordered several other stuff besides her sandwich as he placed some fries and chips along with a burito, together with it.

“How much do I owe you?” Crystal quickly grabs ahold of her purse again as she only had the exact amount with her.

“What! No, this is my treat,” Clyde waves off.

“No, how much?” Sensing that the man was again acting all gentlemanly again she tries to compute the amount but was again stopped as Clyde grabbed her hand to stop her from taking out her money.

Their face was almost touching each other as the man had came close to her. She swallowed hard when again she was drawn to those deep set of eyes.

“My treat!” He says as smiling that boyish little grin again.

Crystal was already lost for words as her mind seemed to have stopped processing things. She was only able to move instinctively as the young man was already placing the food properly in front of her.

“C’mon, eat up!” he says as he takes his seat on the other side of the table facing her.

“I’ll pay for next time then,” she finally says out of context, as he was still feeling a bit hazy.

She knew she shouldn’t be feeling that way but she couldn't help feeling the non stop thumping in her chest and adrenaline on her blood, making her feel all weird and jittery. It was like her hormones were on overdrive whenever she was with the young man.

“Sure,” Clyde just says with a playful grin, he was already munching on his fries while looking at her.

She just pouts at him as she knew he wouldn’t let that happen. It was one of those simple gestures and things she loved about him.

Their lunch was full of stories, joke and chats the whole time only to be bothered when Larse suddenly barges in. The young man came out of nowhere and just sat beside Clyde, putting one arm around his shoulder.

“Hey man!” Larse greets.

“Hey,” Clyde just nods as he was wiping his face with a tissue.

“I think your girlfriend’s looking for you,” he whispers to his ear thought it was loud enough for her to hear.

That put a crease on Clyde face. “Really?” he says both confused and surprised.

“I just ran into her at the parking lot a while ago. I think she’s waiting for you near the gym,” Larse says giving him a quick glance a wink.

Crystal could not help her lips from straightening as she noticed the grin on his face. Seeing the disheveled hair and trickle of sweat on him, she already had an idea why the man had been doing during those few minutes that she and Clyde were together.

Before Clyde could say anything his phone suddenly ring, frowning he quickly picks it up and was even more amused after his eyes made a quick scan of the message that was on it.

“Uhm, I need to go, will you be all right by yourself?” Clyde turns to her, face suddenly pale and distorted as if he had just been caught.

“Oh, sure, no problem,” she gives him a smile and quick nod.

Crystal just let out a sigh seeing as Larse had ratted them out to Dana. She was sure that it was going to spell trouble for Clyde again.

She could not help feel bad and sorry as she watches Clyde stumble on his chair while hurrying up to get his things.

“I’ll see you in class later,” he says before turning his back to run past the crowd that were still within the place.

“Later,” she just replies waving at him as the man did when he turn back to check on her.

It seems her little moment of happiness was going to be replaced by something unpleasant, seeing that Larse was still sitting in front of her, grinning from ear to ear, all the while playing with the gum in his mouth.

Letting out another deep sigh, she straightens herself as she sits to face him arms crossed on her chest.

“You must feel really great about yourself don’t you?” she could not help it, sensing that the man had something to do with Clydes sudden rush.

During the past few days that she and Clyde would go to lunch together, nothing really happened, up until now. So she was pretty sure that the man had something to do with it.

“Don’t go preaching back at me, I know you, where just same Crys,” Larse says smirking.

One hand on his chin as he place it on the table while the other tapping on the little piece of paper plate that Clyde had left there.

“Oh, how so?” She raised one eye brow at him sensing the hostility of those words.

Larse quickly straightened in his chair, placing both his hands gently on the table, while glaring at her.

“Weren’t you trying to get to him, even though he has a girlfriend,” he says tilting his head, he smirk seem to be more menacing as his lips seemed to twitch in anger.

Yet she did not let herself be intimated, keeping her poker face she looks at him straight in the eye.

“Since when did befriending someone ever compared to having s*x with someone else’s girlfriend?” she says in a monotone.

“Is it really just befriending or maybe your just waiting for the right moment to strike?” he says gritting his teeth as he tried to keep his smirk.

That made her raise an eyebrow again, suddenly being in a train of thought. Is that what it looked like she was doing, she asks herself? All she really wanted was to help out and understand what had happened to Clyde, though she can’t deny that it crossed her mind, seeing as this was still the young man that she fell in love with. Plus she did do that on her previous life, staying away, in an unrequited love, all the while that woman just wasted the young Clyde away into nothing.

It took her years just to get the man back to his feet when they met all because that woman had broken her in so many ways.

She felt her temple throb as her blood boiled again, knowing all too well about how Dana able to do such a thing. She really didn’t want that to happen all over again, so with a grin on her face she gives Larse the same look he was giving her.

“Maybe I am. Since you’re basically paving the way for it,” she says back at him.

The man’s face seemed to have darken even more as his eyes was suddenly fiery with rage.

“So you do like him,” he hisses.

Confused at the hostility towards her, Crystal suddenly come’s up with the idea that Clyde might have stepped unto the man’s ego for some reason.

Seeing as Larse was trying to do so many thing against him. Cheating with his girlfriend, always trying to outshine him during ball practice, and now even threatening her, the only friend that the man currently had. Plus the fact that Clyde was somewhat as popular as Larse, in a good sense that he didn’t have womanizing and scandalous issues.

It all suddenly seemed to came out clear in to her thought. Clyde was a threat to Larse’s popularity and reputation. That’s why the man was so bent on ruining him.

Having that in her thought she looks at him straight in the eye. “What is it to you? Oh wait! Are you planning on telling her about me? Poor Dana, she’ll be so devastated once she finds out about us, but I bet you’d make sure she doesn’t feel that bad won’t you, since you’ve been doing more than just hugs and kisses,” she mocks even mimicking a smooching sounds as she pouts her lips.

That made Larse’s face suddenly pale and straight, eyes wide as if he had seen a ghost. She didn’t bother to hear what he had to say again as she took the sudden silence between them as a chance to walk out of there.

Though the man tried to say something as he seemed to have found his voice upon seeing her stand up, she just gives him a hair flip after grabbing her bag before waltzing her way through the crowd.