Rock Bottom Girl

by Lucy Score

“No reason.”

Well, shit. So that’s how it felt. Knowing you wanted to do something every day for the rest of your life. That’s what I wanted right now. And it was incredibly inconvenient seeing as how the object of my affection had just reiterated her desire to blow this popsicle stand once her obligations here were finished.

She made me breakfast. Bought me groceries. Took my dog for a car ride. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. I was truly fucking sunk.

“What about you, Mars? Are you lonely?”

“Yeah. I am.”

“Me too, pretty girl. Me too. But you know what?” “What?” “We have each other now.” She gave a soft laugh.

“I’m serious, Mars. We’re dating. We’re banging. We’re basically in a real relationship....

We’ll see about that. “Well, what’s wrong with not being alone until Christmas?” I prodded. “Noth...

“Will never be returning to your closet. I have a replacement arriving on Tuesday,” I promised. “Good girl,” she said to me before opening her arms for my boyfriend. “Jake, sweetheart. It’s so nice to have you here for dinner.”

I could have felt awkward, standing in the midst of a chaos the rest of them were so comfortable with. But with a cold beer in my hand and Jake’s arm around my waist, I felt anchored. Almost relaxed.

“You’re the only girl Jake’s ever brought home,” he said in a whisper. “Really?” I asked quietly. Lewis nodded. “You must be pretty special,” he said with a wink.

But that wasn’t the plan. Jake’s life was here. Mine was out there somewhere, waiting for me to find it.

“The secret is relevance,” he lectured. “If you can’t make whatever the hell you’re teaching relevant to them, you can’t really expect them to care.”

“Be quiet. My mind is working.” “You’re really sexy when you think,” Jake whispered.

“Kids are loving the Ping-Pong trick shot thing,” she said. “Really?”

“It’s creative and fun and includes students of all abilities. Essentially, you just removed the misery of gym class for the fifty percent of the school population that isn’t athletic,”

“It looks like you’re finding your place. Hitting your stride. You’re identifying problems like boring, socially painful

gym classes, and you’re offering up creative solutions.” “What are you getting at?”

“You look happy. In just a few short weeks, you’ve gone from displaced and feeling alone to making a place for yourself here. That’s no s...

“You look like you’re thriving. Your team is playing well together. You’ve landed the George Clooney of Culpepper. And if I’m not mistaken, you’re looking leaner than when you first started, you bitch.”

“Now, your students are starting to enjoy the effort you’re putting forth. You’ve really turned things around. Imagine where you’ll be at the end of the semester.”

“I’m just wondering why staying here and continuing what you’re doing isn’t on the table?” “I spent my entire life trying to get out of this town. I’m not going to let a stop-over suck me back in,”

“All right. But I think you’re making a mistake not considering it as a possibility. Especially since that possibility involves seeing Jake Weston naked all the time.”

“But have you seen him? He’s a sweaty sex god! And worse, he’s nice. He’s still got a little bit of that bad boy rebel going. But deep down, he’s this present-buying, dog-loving guy who just wants the best for everybody.” “Oh, boy. You’ve got it bad.” “I can’t help it. The man’s pheromones should be considered narcotics.”

“Then I’ve got to ask. Why, when you have Jake Weston’s presumably spectacular penis inside you and a job you’re starting to enjoy, would you just pack up and leave?”

“Things with Jake and me are just temporary. He’s trying the whole relationship thing out to see if it’s something he’s really ready for. And I’m killing time before I can regroup and move on to something…bigger.”

“Bigger than Culpepper. I wouldn’t be happy here. Not long-term.”

Marley, I decided to take Amie Jo to Homecoming instead. She’s obviously more my type. Good luck with everything. Jake

“I don’t think my insurance covers donkey-related injuries.” “You wear helmets,”

“That was really nice of you, by the way,” I told her. “You didn’t have to help her after all the shit—ha—she’s pulled with you.” Something about the fact that this woman just went out of her way to show kindness to a mortal enemy made her even more attractive to me.

“I. Can’t. Breathe,” she squeaked out, wiping away the tears. “I fell off a donkey.” She covered her mouth with her hand, brown eyes twinkling, and I realized I’d never seen anyone more beautiful in my entire life. I was going to marry this woman. And I was going to mention this exact moment in our vows.

What’s right for someone else doesn’t make it right for you.

We meant me. Jake was talking about Christmas with me. Marley Jean Cicero, eternal screw-up.

“What if you end up with a woman who wants a family?”

“I’m with you, Mars. So that’s not a problem.”

“I feel like women’s lib finally made it to Culpepper! I want to set my bra on fire!”

and goddammit, I was a little bit teary-eyed. That was my girl down there, and she was awesome. She had no idea the effect she was having on the entire community. I’d been going to sporting events in this town for more than twenty years, and I’d never once seen the cheer squad get a reception like that. Hell, the guys

soccer team had a bounty for who could hit the squad with the most number of tortilla chips from the stands.

It was Marley. She inspired people to be better. Myself—who was really already as close to perfect as you could get—included. I was going to marry her. Really, I had no choice. Marley Cicero was meant to be mine, and I...

And when Jake slowly lowered me to the ground, when his mouth found mine, when he kissed me twenty years after that first kiss, I felt like I was the winner. Until they upended the cooler of ice water over me.

“Thank you, Coach,” she said seriously. “For everything.”

But recognitions for victory were new to me and made me feel vaguely uncomfortable. I thought I’d be able to bask in the

glow of admiration. But I felt more comfortable in the shadows.

Jake stopped in what looked like mid-sentence with Amie Jo and crossed to me, rescuing me from the spotlight. I breathed a small sigh of r...

“God, baby. You are a fantasy come to life.”

“Fifteen minutes,” I reminded him, not willing to let him spend all of those minutes on just my breasts. “I’ll be back later, ladies,” he promised my boobs.

“I want you inside me,” I breathed. He paused, his fingers buried in me. “I don’t have a condom on me, baby.” “I’m on birth control. I want to feel you, Jake. I want to come on your cock and feel you let loose inside me. Give me that.”

“Are you sure, Mars? I need you to be sure.”

“I fucking love you, Marley.”

“Are you with me, baby?” he grunted. “I need you with me.”