Pepper catches her boyfriend cheating on her, and now she’s out for revenge.
The sun shines brightly as I pull my car into the parking lot of my community college. It’s nearing evening, and Carl Stenson, my boyfriend, should be getting out with the rest of the team at any moment. The official football season starts next week, and he’s always hungry after practice, so I’ve picked him up a sandwich from Subway: a footlong spicy Italian with provolone and banana peppers. There’s even ketchup in a little box on the side, just the way he likes it.
I’m hoping this olive branch will smooth things over with him because we fought last night. Again. He hates when I ask him to take me out on a date in public. He doesn’t usually mind spending time with me at his house or my house, but for some reason, he refuses to actually be seen with me in front of other people. Fishy, right?
But I overlook his reluctance because Carl has a lot on his plate. Not only is he the star quarterback of our community college team, but he’s also under a lot of pressure from his parents. I don’t know, the Stensons are just weird that way. They think that Carl should be aiming for the very best, and that means transferring to a Division I school. If I were in his shoes, I’d feel plenty of pressure as well, so I try not to burden Carl with my demands. So what if he wants to keep our relationship on the downlow? It’s less stress that way.
Still, his reluctance to go public doesn’t make me feel good per se. I mean, some people know about us, and certainly me arriving at the school with a paper bag from Subway makes it clear that we’re something. But everything always seems to happen according to Carl’s timeline, and the only thing I can do is wait.
I pull down the visor in my car to make sure my makeup is in place. I’m wearing a blush shade of lipstick that Carl mentioned looks good on me and my curls are suitably fluffy. Awesome. I’m here to surprise him, and I want to make sure I look yummy enough to eat.
I step out of my car and lean against the hood, the Subway bag in hand. Although the sun is shining, an autumn breeze blows against my face, so I pull my woolen hat lower to cover my ears. It’s not quite fall yet, but the nights here in Prescott, Wyoming, can be chilly, which makes me yearn for a cozy fire.
Yet I love this season so much. The leaves on the trees are just beginning to yellow and redden, and I can’t wait to sip hot chocolate, roast marshmallows and watch 80’s horror movies while cuddling on the couch with Carl. Any lingering animosity I feel about our fight dissipates when I think of spending time with the football player. He can be a jackass sometimes, but again, he’s under a lot of stress.
After all, our first official game is next week, and Coach is riding his ass about giving it his all and pushing the team to victory. I can understand how overwhelming it must be. Plus, my advisor just had a talk with me about loading up on honors courses, and how I need to step things up academically. If her badgering gets me annoyed, I can only imagine how the pressure must be on Carl.
Suddenly, there’s a banging noise and the door to the men’s locker room opens. I straighten with excitement, but then slouch when it’s just one of Carl’s teammates. But the boy sees me and then freezes, his eyes going wide. What was his name again? Johnny, I think. I’ve seen him around and I wave hello. He smiles tentatively and looks around before lifting his hand in a tentative wave back. But then he throws me another strange look and scurries away to his car. Huh. That was kind of weird, but I’m sure it’s nothing.
I gather my hair and bring it over my shoulder. I don’t want to complain too much because I’m lucky just to be dating Carl. He’s not only a star football player, but with his blonde hair and green eyes, he’s also the hottest guy I’ve ever been with. After all, someone like me, a frizzy-haired brunette with a pair of boring brown eyes and a few extra pounds doesn’t usually end up with the star quarterback. So I put up with a few small indignities because I know I’m lucky.
Steadily, more and more players begin to leave the locker rooms. A few of them see me leaning against my car, waiting for Carl, and they shoot me uneasy grins. A few pretend to not see me altogether, and I wonder what’s wrong. One boy makes his way over slowly because his car is parked next to mine.
“Hey Trent,” I say when he’s close. “How’s it going?”
“Pretty good.” He and another player share a look that I can’t interpret before he glances back at me. “The guys and I… Carl didn’t say you were coming to meet him. You guys are dating, right?”
“Oh, sort of, yeah,” I reply glibly. I don’t want to give too much away because Carl and I haven’t technically had the Talk. “But I didn’t tell Carl I was coming because I wanted to surprise him with Subway.”
“Oh. Well, that’s real nice of you, Pepper. But you know, it might be a little while before he gets out. Coach wanted to talk to him. You know. About the game,” says Trent in a halting voice.
“Thanks for the heads up, but I don’t mind waiting.”
“Right.” He looks like he wants to say more, but then shakes his head. “I’ll see you around, Pepper.”
“Yeah. See you, Trent.” I watch him get in his car and drive off, unease creeping into my chest. What is going on? Why are all of Carl’s teammates so jumpy when they see me? There’s obviously something going on. Is the coach thinking of cutting him from the team? Or did a recruiter already see some videotape and cross him off the list? I have no idea.
I hold my hands to my chest as my anxiety worsens. I want to barge into the men’s locker room right now, but that’s the problem: it’s the men’s locker room. I have to be patient. Carl will show himself soon.
But one by one, more of the players leave until there are only a few cars left in the parking lot. What is going on? It’s been half an hour already, and it’s getting late. Why hasn’t Carl come out?
Looking around, I realize that it’s probably only my boyfriend left in the locker room at this point. What the hell? I walk towards the door, intent on just poking my head in and calling his name. But as I get closer, I hear weird moaning sounds. What the hell is that? Does someone need help?
I pull the door open, and the air turns from cool to muggy and warm from the steam. The moaning sound comes again, louder this time, and there are some rhythmic grunting sounds as well. What the hell?
I open my mouth to call Carl’s name, but then my mouth snaps shut. I already sense what’s going on, and my heart drops to my feet. I step further inside, and then there’s the unmistakable sound of skin smacking against skin, as well as a girl’s soft squeals.
Oh no. Oh no, no, no. My feet are frozen to the ground. I don’t want to take another step forward. There’s no denying what I’m hearing although my brain feels frozen with shock. There’s no denying that I recognize the grunting tones because those are the noises that Carl makes when we’re together. I think I might burst into tears even before I confirm my worst fears.
But like a magnet, my feet are pulled forward, and I round the corner to come upon my worst nightmare. Sure enough, Carl is sitting on the benches, naked as the day he was born, with his back to me. The person bouncing up and down in his lap with her strawberry blonde hair spilling over her shoulders is Karly Shields, one of Prescott Community College’s star cheerleaders. She’s currently got her head tossed back in ecstasy as Carl moves her up and down his dick, shafting her so that she squeals mightily with each deep penetration.
Oh my god. I stand there with horror frozen on my face. So this is why the other players were looking at me with such pity. This is why Trent was trying to get me to leave. It’s because he didn’t want me to find out.
But the horror show continues. I watch Carl run his hands up and down Karly’s creamy back. I see in those motions what Carl never does with me. Instead of perfunctory caresses, he smooths his palms over her skin like he worships her. He clutches her to him like he never wants to let her go. And by the look of things, this isn’t the first time they’ve fucked. It seems they’re quite familiar with each other’s bodies, and in fact, I’d say they’ve been together for a long time.
Then, Karly twines her legs around him and throws her head back in an open-mouthed gasp before letting out a wail of ecstasy. Her eyes literally roll back in her head as Carl explodes too, spraying her with his seed as he lets out a full-throated roar. But their sounds of ecstasy are drowned out by my own because I can’t stand it anymore. This horror movie has gone on long enough, and I open my throat in a full-throated scream.
“What the fuuuuuuuck?!?!?!!?” I shout. “What the fuckity fuck?!”
Carl and Karly both turn to look at me, their eyes wide. There’s confusion on Karly’s face, but Carl just sneers, his handsome face going ugly.
“What are you doing here, Pepper?” he snarls. “Get the fuck out! Can’t you see we’re having a private moment?”
The blood drains from my face and my fists clutch on air.
“So this is what you’ve been doing,” I say, my voice barely above a whisper.
“Yeah, Pepper,” he says sarcastically while rolling his eyes. “You need to get a life.”
Then he unceremoniously pushes Karly off his dick, his member still wet and sticky with her fluids.
Me, get a life? Behind him, the cheerleader picks herself up off the floor. She scrambles to grab her clothes, but she can’t seem to find them and settles for Carl’s shoulder pads instead, hiding herself behind the white cotton.
“Couldn’t you have just ended things with me like a fucking man?” I ask, my voice getting louder with each word.
“Pepper, I –”
“Fuck you, Carl Stenson!” I scream, my temples now throbbing with rage. “You and you,” I jab a finger at Karly, “can go straight to hell!”
He calls after me as I turn from him, but I don’t listen. Instead, I storm from the locker room and throw the Subway bag into the trash with all of my might. Fuck you, yellow banana peppers! Fuck you, spicy salami! So much playing nice did for me!
But nothing can ease this pain. Hot tears rush down my skin as I storm back to my car, but then something grabs my arm, forcing me to a stop. It’s Carl, of course. He’s got his jeans on, and his shirt is on inside out. His shoelaces are untied. I have an image of him tripping over them and face-planting into the asphalt, breaking his perfect nose. Thinking of that actually gives me some satisfaction.
“Pepper, hold on,” Carl says apologetically, holding his hands up. “Listen, I didn’t want things to end like that. Me and Karly, that was the only time we ever—”
“Don’t. Fucking. Lie to me, Carl!” I hiss before yanking my arm free of his and stepping away. “We’re done, do you hear me? You got what you wanted. I never want to see your face again.”
He doesn’t stop me this time as I get into my car. Once inside, I emphatically lock the doors before peeling out of the college parking lot, tires screeching. I drive for fifteen minutes, going nowhere in particular. My vision is red and my hands are shaking on the wheel.
But then inspiration hits and with newfound determination, I grit my teeth and pull up before a local bar. The Salty Lagoon isn’t exactly a nice place, but a dank, divey hole in the wall is exactly what I need right now. Still angry, I get out, slam the door, and storm inside.
To be continued …
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