Man Like Me

♦



“Honey, slow down.” Penelope’s mother chuckled “What’s going on?”

“Mom, I’m late!” Penelope yelled from her room as she tried to find something to wear.

“For what?”

“Kyle is picking me up in 5 minutes, we’re going to the Theater remember?” Penelope said as her mother stopped in the door of her bedroom.

“Oh! Now I remember.” Her mother grinned.

“Oh no, not again mom.” Penelope rolled her eyes, knowing what was coming next.

“Sweetie, you can trust me. Is Kyle your boyfriend? Hm? … Is he?” Her mother asked curiously as Penelope stepped away from her.

“Mom, he’s like my brother! So no, we’re not a couple, I’m incapable of loving him romantically.” Penelope said shaking her head. The thought of her and Kyle ‘together’ made her stomach flip. “Besides, there are more people coming.” Penelope said.

“Do you need me to pick you up?” Her mother asked.

“No, don’t worry. Kyle will bring me home.” Penelope smiled reassuring her mother.

Penelope and her mother, generally, got along. Their personalities were very different but Penelope knew her mother only wanted the best for her and that she had made a lot of sacrifices during her life because of her so now, she wanted to repay her somehow. First off, she planned to finish college with high-grades to make her mom proud and then, eventually, give her a better house, a better car and take her on a trip.

“Alright, I’ll be in the living room then.” Her mom announced as she left Penelope’s room.

Penelope finally chose what to wear and Kyle arrived at the time they had set.

“Hey Lope!” Kyle greeted from inside his father’s jeep.

“Hey Kyle! You’re all dressed up.” Penelope chuckled as she opened the jeep’s door when suddenly something collided with her legs.

She looked down to find the cutest little puppy. She smiled widely and bent down to pet him on the head as he seemed excited to see her.

“Jarvis! Jarvis, come here boy!” Penelope heard and she raised her eyebrow. It was Robert’s voice.

Suddenly Robert turned around the corner and became slightly shocked when he spotted Penelope. She was all dressed-up and holding Jarvis in her arms. She instantly smiled as Robert approached her. He was still astonished by how beautiful she looked.

“Hi!” She greeted sweetly. “Is he yours?” Penelope asked petting Jarvis’s head again.

“I’m taking care of him.” Robert explained as Penelope nodded and handed him Jarvis carefully.

“He’s adorable.” She said making the sweetest face Robert had ever seen in a woman.

“Are you going out?” Robert asked as Jarvis started to move around in his arms, he was a very energetic puppy so he wanted to run around.

“Yes, to the Theater. I’ve been wanting to go for soooo long!” Penelope said excitedly.

“Lope!” A voice called from inside the jeep and the same blonde guy appeared. “Oh, sorry…” He mumbled.

Robert forced himself to smile, even though, he became instantly jealous and his body language changed because he was uncomfortable and displeased just for that other guy's presence. He wished he was the one taking her to the Theater but he pushed that thought away from his mind.

“You have to go. Have fun.” He smiled forcefully as Penelope seemed to be deeply sad for having to leave him like that.

“I’ll see you on Monday.” Penelope smiled weakly as Robert nodded and set Jarvis free again and then laughed as he chased him down the street.

Penelope sighed dreamily while ignoring Kyle’s stares as she climbed into the jeep and he sped off.



After the play, Penelope stayed outside talking to some of her girlfriends while waiting for Kyle when suddenly she heard him laughing as he approached her.

“Are we going home?” Penelope asked.

“Hmm... actually no.” Kyle said scratching the back of his neck nervously, he knew Penelope would be furious with what he was going to tell her. “Some of us want to go out and I’m taking some in my Jeep…”

“So basically there’s no space for me in your car.” Penelope said summing up the story as she became instantly upset. She hated Kyle’s attitudes sometimes, she was depending on him to go home and now he had just dumped her as easily as that.

“Sorry Lope, but I-“

“Don’t call me Lope. And go, go have fun with your girls.” Penelope said coldly as she hugged all of their friends’ and started walking down the main avenue. Kyle knew she was right to be upset but he didn’t care enough to go after her and fix things. He just turned around and left for some bar.



“Wasn’t she beautiful Jarvis?” Robert asked as the little puppy was walking beside him. Robert refused to use a leash, even though, it would’ve made his life easier. Jarvis was tired now and much calmer so Robert didn’t need to run after him and they could just walk around.

2 hours had passed since they had seen Penelope and Robert was still burning with jealousy. He didn’t like the tone used by her friend to talk to her and he knew she was sad to just leave him like that. Suddenly he realize that he was in the downtown and that he had left his car pretty far away so he picked Jarvis in his arms and started carrying him back to the car.

While Penelope lived near the centre of their city, Robert lived in a more isolated place near the mountain and near the forest but he didn’t mind. It was quiet and perfect for him. He still wished to buy a house near the beach but he would only live there for short periods of time because he preferred to be in the silence of the forest.

Suddenly he heard the sound of heels clicking on the floor. He turned his head to find Penelope walking on the other side of the street, with her arms crossed over her chest and her head down, her hair hiding her face completely. Robert picked Jarvis up and crossed the street without thinking twice.

“Penelope?” He called.

Penelope stopped on her tracks, she was shaking. She was cold, her jacket was in Kyle’s jeep and she had completely forgotten about it. She was so disappointed at him but she couldn’t keep lying to herself, her friendship with Kyle was getting lost and there was nothing she could do about it.

“Hey Robert.” She spoke quietly, with her eyes still on the floor.

Robert approached her slowly with a sleeping Jarvis in his hands. He stopped in front of her and he noticed small drips of water falling down her cheeks.

“Can you hold Jarvis for a moment?” Robert asked. Penelope nodded silently. Robert placed Jarvis in Penelope’s arms and she immediately cuddled him close to her chest. Then, Robert took his black leather jacket and placed it over her shoulders.

“Come on, I’ll take you home.” Robert said as Penelope kept looking at the floor.

They walked side by side for about 45 minutes and returned to the place where they had first met that night, which was in front of Penelope’s house. Robert watched Penelope as she searched for her keys and he noticed that she looked so defeated and so weak, her eyes seemed tired and it was noticeable that she had been crying. He wasn’t sure but his instincts never failed and he knew that that guy couldn’t be trusted. Anger boiled inside of him, he wanted to punch him so badly for hurting her.

“Do you need anything?” Robert asked as Penelope stepped into the lobby of her house and took his jacket off gently after placing Jarvis softly on the floor. She kept silent as he put his jacket on. “Penelope?” He called starting to get worried and apprehensive with her silence.

Suddenly she launched her arms around his torso, hugging him tightly. She was shaking and Robert stood there with wide eyes, completely lost about what was happening and about what he was supposed to do. He was unable to react.

“Thank you.” Penelope said burying her head in his chest.