"I have to break up with him," she muttered to her reflection in the foggy mirror. Jolie felt so guilty she couldn't take it anymore. It was like a constant stomach ache, a churning feeling eating her up from the inside out. She would have to tell Dustin. It scared her to think what he would say, what he would do. Would he be mad? Definitely. Would he want to break up with her? She was positive of that. But what about Scott? Scott and Dustin were almost like brothers but would they still be once she told Dustin what they did? This could kill a friendship which started in the first grade. She didn't want to ruin that for them.
What had she been thinking? Oh, she knew perfectly well what. She had always been in love with Scott so she couldn't in truth say she regretted spending a drunk night with him. She'd do it again in a second regardless of Dustin. Oh, she was abominably evil just for thinking it but truth was truth and can't be denied. What would be the use of it anyway? She loved Scott not Dustin and that was that. She would have to break up with Dustin but how?
What would she tell Dustin? The obvious answer was the truth but the truth would include Scott. No, that was out of the question. She would not mention names. It could be just some guy she met at a party or at school. Yes, that would have to do. If he forgave her, fine. If not, she would pull out her trump card. He would have no choice but to forgive even if they broke up. That was if he was any sort of decent guy.
"What's good for the goose is good for the gander," she mumbled as she grabbed her cell and instantly got Dustin on the line.
"Hey, Babe, what's up?" Dustin's drowsy voice said.
She stiffened. "Nothing much." He then told her about his midterms and how great he did and that he planned on going to a Halloween party at a frat house with a group of friends.
"So, you girls going trick or treating? Don't take candy from strangers, remember?" he said jokingly.
She fleetingly thought of saying she had done just that. She could say she got drunk and did the nasty with some guy. It was partly true. Scott was some guy, wasn't he? And they did get a little sloshed and they did do incredible things though none could be called nasty. It was in fact the best time of her life.
"Jolie? You still there?" Dustin asked.
"Yes, um, Dustin, do you remember your first year away from home?" she asked apprehensively.
"Part of it," he joked.
"Do you remember the part when you told me you got drunk and had sex with some girl you met at a party?" she said bracingly. Silence ensued for several seconds. She gripped the phone tightly with her hands actually shaking.
"I said I was sorry. It meant nothing," he retorted stiffly.
"I know. It's just that I... I didn't understand how it could happen if you really loved me and..."
"I do love you. What the hell are you bringing that up for now? Just cuz I said I'm going to a party tonight? I won't drink and it won't happen again, okay?" he said angrily.
"Dustin, it's just that I understand how it can happen. I didn't really before but... but now I do," she told him slowly, her heart pounding dangerously hard against her ribs. Another protracted silence ensued, this time lasting twice as long. She held her breath.
"What are you saying, Jolie?" he asked menacingly.
"It was just like you said. I was a little drunk and, um, things kinda happened ... things just happened," she said barely louder than a whisper.
"You had sex with some guy?" he shouted incredulously.
"I... I was a little drunk... very drunk actually and..." she stopped and held the phone away from her ear as he let loose calling her none-too-flattering things. She allowed him to rant until she became quite incensed at the injustice. He, after all, had done the same thing.
"So, good for the gander but not the goose?" she said spitefully.
"What the hell do geese have to do with my girlfriend being a slut?"
"You had sex with some girl, remember?"she retorted.
"I was drunk!"
"So was I. How is it different?"
"If you can't drink without lifting your skirt to every guy..."
"Every guy? It was one guy, one time. You get drunk every chance you get. Do you get a girl each time?" she shouted indignantly.
"That's hardly relevant," he said evasively.
"Hardly relevant," she repeated incredulously. "Oh, well that's telling. It was an accident for me, Dustin. I didn't mean to but now I'm wondering about you."
"That's bull! You knew exactly what you were doing. You were getting back at me," he snarled.
"If I wanted to get back at you I wouldn't have waited this long. I forgave you when you did it."
"Who is he? Do I know him?" he said completely ignoring her.
"No, I... I don't even know his name," she lied as Scott's smiling face loomed before her.
"You whore!"
"And what are you?" she snapped contemptuously. "You remember every girl?"
"It doesn't matter what I do. You could have stopped if you wanted but you didn't. You went through with it. That makes you a whore. Guys can't stop once it starts," he retorted angrily.
"Oh, no you didn't. You did not just say that," she said disbelievingly.
"Good girls tease and give nothing away. That's what I thought you were, a good girl."
"Sounds very much like a stupid double standard to me, Dustin. As I recall you took my virginity or do you conveniently forget the sordid details?"she hissed through clenched teeth.
"That's the way it is. You have sex with a slut and you marry a virgin."
"Oh, really? And how many sluts, oh, excuse me, how many virgins do you get to have?"
"As many as I want!" he shouted.
"How can you be so sexist?"she asked utterly incredulous.
"Quite easily," he growled.
"Good luck finding a virgin to marry then," she muttered angrily.
"Well you ruined that, didn't you? You screwed me over good. I can't trust you now, Jolie."
"You can't trust me? That's rich! Why should I trust you? You've just admitted to sleeping around the whole time we've been together. You call that love?"
"It's just sex, Jolie, but I did love you because I was your first and I thought your only one. You were supposed to be good enough to marry. I can't marry you if I won't know for sure the kids are mine."
"Like I'd ever want to marry a cheating ass! And have kids with you? Never!" she yelled and threw the phone away from her. Breathing hard she stomped around the room for several minutes rage like she'd never felt coursing through her. It had all been a lie, Dustin and her together for all the wrong reasons. She abruptly burst out in frustrated tears.
"Jolie? You okay?" Carol anxiously said tapping lightly at the door.
Jolie brushed roughly at her face and opened the door with her jacket in one hand and her book-bag in the other. "I'm fine," she said gruffly, pulling her keys out of her bag.
"Where you going? What happened? Who were you fighting with?" Carol asked.
"I'm going to find out if it's true," she said rushing passed her roommate.
"If what's true?" Carol confusedly asked, chasing after her.
"If it's really just sex for all guys," she said stopping only long enough to pull her jacket on. "I sure hope it isn't."
"What? You're not making sense, Jolie. Who were you yelling at?"
"Dustin. We broke up," she replied dispassionately. It surprised her how little it upset her to say it.
"But why?" Carol asked astonished.
"I never really loved Dustin and his idea of love... well you can flush it down a toilet."
"Huh?" Carol said even more bewildered.
"I'm going to find the real one for me and see if maybe he could love me too," Jolie said with a determined gleam in her eyes. "Maybe...maybe."
On that cryptic note she left the apartment very glad about the break up. Whoever said breaking up is hard to do never knew Dustin. It was extremely easy when you were breaking up with a jerk like him!