I Love My Wife

There was a time in high school when a group of us had a very intense near-death experience. We were about a month away from graduation... Natalia was there, back then her and I got along very well.

Our group set up in a corner of the school library after the last dismissal bell rang. Our spot was near the doors but still tucked away behind some bookshelves. Ms.Smitt had a watchful eye. She was always ready to write up a referral so we tried to stay out of her way.

We were supposed to be studying for the final. Well some of us were and some of us weren't. Natalia was studying but she had no choice, she had finals on top of AP tests on top of projects. I instead of studying for my own tests helped out Natalia with flashcards. I didn't mind, for the most part I knew my material to at least get C's.

Bianca was on the computer trying to figure out how to turn off SoftLink. It’s a program that blocks certain websites and monitors the usage. Bianca just wants to check the latest celebrity gossip.

Glenn sat at the same table as Natalia and I flipping through a hardback of Oedipus.

"Babe," Natalia hands me a small stack of flashcards. "I've separated the cards by definitions I know for sure, and the ones I need to work harder on. Quiz me on these."

I nod and shuffle the deck.

She starts to object, "you didn't have to mix them up."

"How am I supposed to know that you are memorizing the definitions and not just doing that weird number shit you do?"

She looks at me annoyed and I laugh, "that's exactly what you were doing."

She groans but can't help but smile a little, "remind me not to let you be my study partner next time."

I shrug, "just making sure you've got it babe."

She smiles, looks at me with those soft eyes.

Back then, the way she'd look at me made my heart skip. Her eyes would twinkle, I swear she was in love then… I don’t know, maybe it was just lust.

Natalia twirls a curl of her hair around a finger. I'm compelled to lean in and kiss her. Natalia’s hand slides up to my neck and for the moment we forget were amongst friends, at school, in the library.

That is until Glenn slams the book down on the table.

"Y'all mind? Damn," Glenn stares at us both.

Glenn was the tough guy of the group. His brother confirmed that he had a full beard by sixth grade. I never saw a yearbook picture, so I remained unconvinced. However, I have seen him beat the shit out of full grow men... And he's nearly beaten the shit out of me, so I know he's brutal if nothing else.

Natalia dries around her mouth and rolls her eyes.

"You don't have to be sitting here Glenn," she says. "There are plenty of tables."

Deflecting her sass he responds, "if I recall I was sitting here before either of you. Adeen sat with me," he points at me. "Then you," he points a finger at her. "You joined us, so you leave."

They're friends, trust me. It's a love hate relationship that I've given up trying to make better. Anytime anyone jumps in between the two the arguing only gets worse. I'm the second to last person accepted into the group. I met Natalia first, of course I had a crush on her the moment I met her. I didn't understand her and Glenn's relationship at first and got a dislocated shoulder because of it. But that's another story for later... As long as it doesn’t get violent, we all stay out of the way.

Jenny makes her way to us and that's when I realize she didn't come in with us.

"Glenn, something's up with Fred," Jenny's soft voice whispers into his ear.

Jenny was a pretty, soft spoken petite blonde girl. Her nickname was mouse. I'm not exactly sure when or why she got the name. But I observed that she always seemed to move around a room without anyone noticing until she was right up on you, kind of like a mouse.

Glenn's ears perk. An eyebrow raises, he looks at Jenny face to face.

"What do you mean?" Glenn's voice gruff per usual.

Jenny's eyes dart around anxiously for a second, "I- I'm not sure, he just seems off..."

Glenn squints his hard eyes, searches her face for any clue then nods. His hand reaches and caresses her cheek.

Glenn and Jenny although very complete opposites are a very functioning couple. Glenn has gotten into far more arguments with my girlfriend than his own.

Jenny was this soft, dainty little ballerina sort of being. Whereas Glenn was rough around the edges. It took me a couple of years hanging out with him before knowing really anything about him.

Glenn rubs his thumb along Jenny's cheek, "I'll go talk to him."

She kisses the palm of his hand and he slides from his chair leaving the library.

Jenny joins us at the table and picks up Glenn's book. She probably feels my eyes on her because she glances from the page and we hold contact for a second.

I raise an eyebrow and she shakes her head returning to the book like she's been reading it all along.

I look at the green flashcard in my hand, “scurrilous,” I say.

Natalia blinks a few times, tips her head to the side then nods, “vulgar.”

I flip the card to read the definition, using coarse language, vulgarity, evil, obscenities.
“First try, nice.”

She smiles, we high-five then we all jump because there’s screaming in the hallway. I can definitely pinpoint Glenn’s voice. In a flash we’re all standing from the table and running out of the library doors.

Glenn’s got Frank pinned against the lockers and they’re screaming full force into each other’s face.

“What did you do?!” Yells Glenn, “what the fuck did you do?!”

“Get off me!” Yells back Frank.

Glenn slams Frank hard against the lockers again. Frank punches Glenn in the face at least twice back to back. They struggle trying to push each other to the ground when Frank breaks free from Glenn’s grip. Just barely missing the grasp Frank bolts down the hall. Glenn is surprised as he’s in the middle of catching his breath but once it clicks in his head he darts after Frank bursting out of the school’s exit doors. Jenny, Natalia, Bianca and I all share a look and without another second I run after them.

“Wait!” Natalia calls after me.

I spin around to look at her and she’s bewildered, “what’s up?” I try to stay calm.

“Where are you going, you can’t go after them,” she’s worried.

I look back to the doors then take a step towards her knowing I don’t have much time.

“Hun, I need to go after them. I have to make sure Glenn isn’t going to kill Frank.”

“I- I don’t want you to get hurt. You don’t know Glenn like we do, he can get violent.”

I only shake my head, “you’re right, I don’t know him like you all do. So do you want him going to jail for manslaughter because he blacks out on Frank?”

Jenny gasps, I glance at her then back at the doors starting to step towards the exit.

“I’ve got to at least try to stop him and we’re wasting time.”

I jog towards the door again and push through the doors. Glenn’s chasing Frank through the parking lot now as Frank frantically searches for his car.

“Glenn back the fuck up!” is all we hear Frank yell repeatedly.

I hurry my way down the stairs and toward them in the parking lot.

“Hey!” I yell out, but they don’t look my way.

I continue running towards them sensing someone at my feet but I ignore it and the startled students standing by.

Frank finds his Jeep and gets in squealing the tires to get out of the parking lot and drives away.

“I’m gonna kill you Frank!” Glenn roars and bee-line’s to his motorcycle.

I hurry to my own car fumbling with my keys when I think Natalia’s attempting to stop me again.

“Wait!”

I look behind me to see Jenny beside me panting, “I want to go with you. M- maybe I can calm Glenn.”

Not having the time to protest I nod and she hurries to the passenger door.

“Adeen!”

Natalia runs up to my doorway as I’m about to shut it, the door bumps into her shoulder.

“Nat-”

She cuts me off, “I’m going with you.”

I object, “no Natalia. Just stay here with Bianca.”

I look around to see Bianca’s nowhere to be seen.

Natalia scoffs, “no. I don’t want anything to happen to you, I need to be there to know that you’re safe. Glenn can be a fucking animal.”

I plead, “please Natalia, just do me this favor and stay out of it.”

She grows annoyed, “so what? Jenny can go to make sure Glenn’s okay but I can’t make sure that you stay okay?”

I groan feeling like time is being wasted with every word shared. “Fine, fine hurry up.”

Her eyes enlarge then she hurries over to the passenger door while Jenny hops into the backseat. Once Natalia’s in, I command everyone to click on their seatbelts, roar my Tundra to life and peel out of the parking lot. I almost miss sight of Glenn going around a corner but thankful that I do and kick it into high gear.

“Holy shit, holy shit, holy shit,” is all Natalia says while holding on to the sides of her seat.

We fly down the roads weaving in and out of the four lane traffic when Frank veers off onto a dirt road, Glenn follows behind so we do too.

“We’re on a high speed chase down a shitty road, what are they thinking!?” Jenny voices concern.

I swear I hear the whirring of a police car but I don’t dare look back as it might loosen my nerve.
We take the dirt road which is now going steeply downhill. It's bouncy and rocky so we all bumble around as we flying down the road.

“Adeen slow down!” Natalia warns.

I don’t tell her that it wouldn’t make a difference because we’re flying down this sandy hill too fast.

Frank and Glenn pull to the right in order to miss the forest of trees at the bottom of the hill. I pump my brakes but it’s hardly slowing our speed.

“Adeen!” Natalia’s on the verge of screams.

I had to think quickly. If I only attempt to brake we’re going to slam head first into a tree. If I pull right I may just smash right into one of the guys probably killing one of them. So I decide to yank the wheel to the left.

“Ya’ll hold on to something!” I warn.

I spin the car to the left and we keep spinning. Orange dirt and dust is kicked up surrounding the car in a dark fog. Spinning out we hit something hard, airbags explode, we all slam forward then jerk back and it’s over. I start to panic, the adrenaline is wearing off.

I feel around, in the moment I thought something exploded because there was dust everywhere even in the car and my ears were ringing. When I look over Natalia looks knocked out. Her head’s rested against the window and she’s covered in her hair.

“Natalia!” I yell.

I unbuckle her seatbelt and take her in my hands, she sways forward. I really start to panic now pulling her into my arms.

“Baby wake up, come on!

I can’t hear anything but faint yells and the blood rushing in my ears.

A hand grabs my shoulder, I try moving it off but it yanks me out of the car and I fall on my ass to the ground. This is shock.

When the dust settles I see Frank and Glenn pulling the girls out of the car. My hands and shirt are bloody.

“Why is there blood?!” I’m yelling but I can’t hear my own voice.

I’m losing it.

“Why is there blood?!” I roar again.

Jenny is hysterical. There’s a rising bump on her forehead and she’s crying holding on to Glenn. He gives her a tight squeeze then helps Frank with getting Natalia out of the car.

Glenn walks towards me with Natalia crumpled in his arms. Now I feel the tears on my face, the whooshing in my ears gets louder, then everything goes black.