Alpine Story Chapter Two
Here’s a little secret about me and how I write…I don’t typically put chapters in my first draft. So, by typing this story out through my blog this year, I’m trying to train myself to do that and see if I like writing that way. That being said, if you disagree with the chapter break, you can tell me so…thank goodness for rough drafts!
Chapter Two
Thomas came back from an early morning run the next morning. Most of the time, he could clear his head when he went on a run. This morning, his head was just as clouded as it had been when he left his apartment an hour earlier. He had grabbed his mail from his box in the first- floor lobby on his way to his apartment.
Once inside, he made himself a glass of orange juice and sat down in his favorite leather recliner. He tossed all the junk mail and bills aside as he opened up the Alpine Avalanche. He had been a subscriber to the small -town paper since he attended college there. He liked seeing what was going on there even now, twenty years later. He skimmed the pages until he saw a familiar face.
One of his friends from college was now the coach for the Sul Ross Lobos. Thomas laughed to himself as he read about Mike Abbott returning to the small school to coach the football players and maybe win a game or two.
When Thomas finished reading the article, he put the paper on the table beside him, leaned his head back and closed his eyes. Right there, in that moment, he was jealous of his friend Mike. Thomas knew part of the jealously he was feeling was because Mike was able to move back to Alpine and live there. That didn’t really bother him. He was happy for him. What bothered Thomas was Mike would now get to see Jen again. He and Mike had both had a crush on Jen back in college and Thomas had been the one Jen liked. He wondered if Mike would try to date Jen now.
Thomas suddenly found himself to be upset by that thought. Jen was his girl. Wasn’t she? He thought. No stupid, you pushed her aside to chase your dream. The dream you thought she couldn’t support you through. Thomas shook his head as he got up to take a shower. Idiot.
After eating pizza with the gang, Jen and Lynn went back to their place. It had been decided they would all meet up there later for a barbeque. Jen and Lynn needed to go pick up the house and make a quick grocery run before Aaron showed up with the meat for the cookout. Lynn was frantic as she helped clean the house.
Mike, the new coach, had shown up to the pizza joint as they were getting done eating. Will had invited him to cookout and Mike had accepted.
“Jeez, Lynn,” Jen said as she tried to clean around the Tasmanian devil of her roommate, “you’d think you were hanging out with Mike for the first time.”
Lynn sweeping the kitchen floor and looked at Jen.
“Twenty years ago,” she said, “Mike didn’t know I existed until you chose Thomas over him. By then, I was dating Jonathan and didn’t give him the time of day.”
“And now?” Jen interrupted.
Lynn smiled.
“Now, I get to show him just how well I exist.” Lynn answered as she raised an eyebrow toward Jen.
Jen busted out laughing.
“Oh, Mike better watch out.” Jen teased. “Lynn intends to win herself a coach!”
Lynn started laughing with her and then swept the broom toward Jen.
“Shouldn’t you be cleaning the bathroom?” Lynn asked Jen as she calmed down.
Jen slumped her shoulders as she raised her hands to show she was holding bathroom cleaners.
“I really hate that job.”
“I know,” Lynn said as she swept the broom toward Jen again, “but it’s your turn to clean it this week. Now shoo!” she swept harder toward Jen as though she were chasing her away.
“Okay, okay.” Jen said. “I’m going.”
Aaron was agitated as he waited his turn in the meat market. He didn’t like Mike being back in town. Mike was a connection to Thomas and that was bad for Jen.
Dammit, He thought to himself. The idea of Mike being back gave Aaron a bad vibe. Jen was doing great. She had a good job and great friends. She was happy…mostly.
Aaron knew Jen would never fully be over Thomas. Jen had dated some after Thomas. She even tried being in a relationship with someone once or twice, but she always ran from them when it appeared she would be getting as close to them as she did to Thomas. Jen had told Aaron many times, she couldn’t experience heartache like that again. She wasn’t strong enough, she always told him.
Not strong enough, ha!
Jen was the strongest woman he knew. He would never admit to anyone out loud, but he did love her. He even thought about asking her out on dates, but he never did. Their relationship was hard to explain to others. It was more than a brother and sister relationship, but it wasn’t quite a boyfriend and girlfriend relationship. Jen admitted to him once that she did love him, but she just didn’t have the guts anymore to attempt a relationship. Aaron understood that and tried to respect her decision.
Now with Mike back, though, Aaron didn’t have a good feeling about things. Mike and Thomas had been good friends in college. Aaron thought after twenty years, Thomas would definitely stop poisoning Jen her heart. Now, he wasn’t so sure. What’s to stop Thomas from coming back to Alpine now once he finds out his buddy from college was back. That’s if they keep in touch, he tried to tell himself.
Aaron shook the thought out of his head as he stepped to take his turn at the meat counter. Tonight, at the barbeque, he would have to feel Mike out and see what the chances were he still kept in touch with Thomas. Hopefully, the answer would be not at all.
