He dutifully flipped through them, paying little attention to the usual overly made up and underdressed girls who appeared in the pictures. But one girl stood out from the rest. Demurely dressed, with a shy smile and barely noticeable makeup, she was like a breath of fresh air to him.
“Who’s that?” he asked, pointing to the girl.
“Iris Dandridge. She’s a junior. We have math together, and we hang out with some of the same people,” Rachel replied. “She’s kind of weird, though.”
“How so?”
“She’s really quiet and always looks at people like she’s reading their minds or something. She sort of scares me.”
“Can I meet her?”
“I guess,” Rachel said slowly, “but I don’t know if you’ll be that impressive to her. She tends to have a lot of nerdy guy friends, so I think that’s the type she goes for.”
“You never know,” Dunstan replied. “Even wallflowers like your friend Iris-- no pun intended-- have dreams of being with a handsome guy like me.”
“Well, you sure have no shortage of self-esteem,” Rachel muttered. “But fine. I’ll introduce you to her, although she doesn’t really seem to be your type.”
___________________________________
Dunstan shifted awkwardly. For a good five minutes or so, they’d sat in the living room. Iris seemed incapable of lifting her eyes from the floor, and Dunstan mentally cursed Rachel for leaving them alone like this.
Bet she’s laughing her head off in the next room, he thought bitterly. Guess I better make conversation. This silence is killing me.
“So,” he said, “you and Rachel have math together, right? But, she’s a sophomore, and you’re a junior. What’s with that?”
“Because Rachel is advanced in math, and I’m kind of a math dunce. We had English together last year. I’m more of an English person than a math person,” she replied slowly.
Ah, something she’ll talk about, he thought, brightening up. “Why is that?”
“I like reading and writing. I guess I’m more right-brained than left-brained.”
“So, do you know yet if you want to go to college?”
“Yeah. I’d like to major in something related to writing, but there’s not much I like to write about that actually makes much money. I mean, I like to write fictional stuff, so, short of maybe writing for the National Enquirer, it’s not like I’d be happy doing journalism.”
Dunstan chuckle. She was quiet, but she also had a sense of humor. And so, their conversation lasted for several hours. Rachel finally made an appearance, claiming she’d been on the phone with friends.
“So, how are you two getting along?” Rachel asked.
“Great,” Iris replied.
It came as no surprise to anyone when Iris and Dunstan began dating not long after that, although they were a rather odd pair. Still, they seemed to get along well enough, despite their differences. Iris spent a great deal of time with Dunstan, trying to get away from her family as much as possible.
“I live with my dad, uncle, and grandparents,” she’d told him. “Dad’s okay, but my grandma treats me like I’m a kid and goes through my stuff, my grandpa sits around watching TV all day, and my uncle is always ogling women-- it’s totally embarrassing to go anywhere with him!”
So, Dunstan let her stay with him as much as she wanted. His friends treated her kindly enough and complimented him on having such a cute girlfriend. But, after a few months, Dunstan began to feel possessive. First, he forbade Iris from hugging her many male friends at school, then progressed to not letting her crack naughty jokes around them, and finally, to not letting her spend any time with them. And then, there was the thing with his friends…
“I’ll be right back,” Dunstan announced, rising.
“Sure,” his friend Eli replied. “I’ll keep your girlfriend company.”
Dunstan nodded, his blood boiling. Keep your damn hands and eyes off her, he thought, walking out of the room. He peeked through a crack in the door. Bet he’ll flirt with her, Dunstan thought.
“So, Iris, what TV shows do you like?” Eli asked.
“I don’t watch much TV,” Iris replied. “I prefer reading and writing, but when I do watch TV, it’s usually to watch South Park.”
“Really? That’s a pretty cool show. What kind of stuff do you read and write?”
“I like to read pretty much everything,” Iris replied. “Proof I’m a nerd. I write mostly poetry and short stories.”
“Maybe you’ll show me some of the stuff you’ve written.”
“Maybe.”
Dunstan stormed into the room and towered over Eli. “Why the hell were you flirting with my girlfriend?”
“I wasn’t!” Eli exclaimed.
“Don’t lie! I was watching.”
“Really, I wasn’t. All we did was talk about what she was interested in.”
Dunstan raised his arm, ready to strike Eli. Iris grabbed at his arm. “Don’t!” she pleaded. Her eyes were big and frightened, and she looked to be on the verge of tears. Dunstan stared at her for several seconds, then lowered his hand back down to his side.
“Get the hell out of here,” he growled at Eli. “And don’t you ever let me catch you flirting with my girlfriend again.”
Eli nodded quickly and hurried out of the house. Dunstan turned to Iris. “And as for you,” he said sharply, “don’t you ever contradict me in front of my friends. And don’t dress like such a whore when they’re around. It’s your fault I almost beat him up.”
Iris stared up at him, those agonizing tear-filled eyes accusing and cursing him. “Don’t ever hurt anyone like that again,” she said firmly.
“You are my woman,” Dunstan replied, gripping Iris’s shoulder roughly. “And you will do as I say.”
“You… you’re a bad man!” Iris cried out.
Dunstan narrowed his eyes and then slapped her. It was the first time he’d struck a woman, but certainly would not be the last.
For a split second, you looked a little like my mother, he thought, staring shakily at her. She stared wide-eyed at him, her hand to her cheek, visibly holding back her tears. Her words echoed in his mind. I’m not a bad man, he thought, I’m just overwhelmed.Click Next: Chapter 19, Part 3 to continue...
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