Chapter Ten: Alumni
"Man! What's up with you?" Victor shouted to his roommate. Garfield was writing his speech for the white tiger exhibit and he was nearly complete. The white tigers were coming in next week and he was procrastinating his paper. Garfield glared at his friend because he just lost his train of thought while writing.
"Dude, what are you talking about?" Garfield asked. "I didn't touch your nasty meat!"
Victor crossed his arms. "Man I'm not talkin' about that, but I hope you didn't do anything to my meat!"
Garfield placed his pen down and the table and gave his friend as confused look. "No dude. I'm not going near that. Anyway, what's up with you asking what's up with me. I should be asking what's up with you! I have no idea what your talking about?"
"Oh, you know what I'm talking about." Victor raised an eyebrow and smiled.
Garfield furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. "No idea what your talking about dude. Just spill it!"
"Man, it's been three weeks since you and Rachel have been dating." Victor said still with his arms crossed.
"And your point is?" He urged his friend to continue.
"You've dated her for three weeks and you haven't even introduced her to your roommate!" Victor explained.
"So, your trying to snatch my girl away from me?"
"No. I just would like to meet her. I'd like to know why she would go out with a green bean like you." Victor teased.
"Dude! Don't play the green bean card on me! You're the one who did this to me!" Garfield said pointing to his one green highlight. Victor smirked. "but you know what? That's not a bad idea. Rachel and I are suppose to go to movie tomorrow night."
"Nice. Ask her first. I think Karen would like to come along too." Victor uncrossed his arms.
"Not a bad idea dude. I'll call her after I get done with writing for tonight."
"I'm holding it up to you. Anyway, I'm going to bed. It's almost midnight." he said pointing to the clock.
Garfield jumped and stared at the clock with wide eyes. "You've got to be joking." He frowned and collapsed his head on the table. "I guess it's time for me to go to bed as well."
"So are you sure you are fine with this?" Garfield asked the woman sitting next to him in the car. He wore casual attire which included a green shirt, gray converse shoes, and denim jeans. The woman next to him wore casual attire as well with a gray V-neck style shirt, dark purple cardigan, and dark denim jeans.
The woman simply stared off into the distance to where they were heading towards their destination. Before she spoke she turned towards the man and placed her hand on his hand on the steering wheel. She gave him a soft smirk. "As I have told you time and time again Garfield I am fine with this double date. Also before you go on again I am fine with meeting your roommate."
"Are you sure?" the man asked and briefly stared at his girlfriend.
The woman withdrew her hand from his and crossed her arms and stared at the traffic. "Oh, Garfield. I'm just gonna give you the silent treatment to prove to you that I am sure."
"What?" Garfield stated, "How will that prove anything?" He looked towards the woman who gave him the same smirk as earlier but she did not speak a word.
"BABE!" Garfield shouted hoping his girlfriend would speak to him but the woman raised her eyebrow and gave him a soft kiss on his cheek.
Soon the couple reached their destination and they parked the car a block away. Although Rachel was not the one for public display of affection, she always felt comfortable holding Garfield's hand in public. They walked leisurely hand-in-hand to the movie theater and purchased two tickets for a romantic comedy. The couple continued their stroll into the movie theater commons and stared at the menu board in search for snacks. All of a sudden Garfield heard a familiar masculine voice behind him shouting his name.
Garfield turned around to find the voice to discover his roommate Victor walking towards them with his girlfriend Karen beside him. The man waved to his friend and took a deep breath. He gently turned his girlfriend to the direction he was facing and continued to hold her hand. He was nervous about his best friend meeting his new girlfriend because he was afraid he would either not like the woman or he would make a complete fool of Garfield. His heart began to race and he could feel his body temperature rise. Rachel could sense his anxiety not only by his blossomed face, but by the sweat exuding form his palms. She squeezed his hand in comfort and stepped closer to him. He could feel the woman giving him comfort next to him and he felt at ease.
"What's up man?" Victor said approaching the couple with his girlfriend beside him. Garfield shook hands and gave a friendly man hug to his best friend. After their friendly hug, Victor turned his attention to the woman next and he got an odd expression on his face. Garfield was terrified by this new expression of doubt and confusion.
"Well well well. Victor Stone. I haven't seen you since junior year in college." Rachel stated with a smile to the man in front of her with the questionable expression.
A huge grin appeared on the man's face. "I thought that name sounded familiar! I didn't know it was the one and only Rachel Roth I went to college with!" Victor gave the old friend a big hug and she returned the hug.
Garfield was still in confusion about the whole situation while Karen seemed to pay no mind. "So you are trying to steal my girl from me." Garfield playfully stated as his girlfriend returned to his side.
"Yo man! This is Rachel Roth! I went to college with her and if it wasn't for her I wouldn't have graduated!" Victor stated.
"I helped tutor him on a few subject since my work-study job in college was tutoring. I can't believe your best friends with my idiot boyfriend." She said turning her attention to the man next to her and gave him a soft kiss on the cheek.
"Whoa, I didn't know you guys knew each other in college. What a coincidence. Now I won't have to worry about Vic embarrassing me." Garfield said with a sigh of relief.
Victor laughed and said, "Whoa there little man, that doesn't mean that I'm not gonna embarrass you in front of your girlfriend. It's my job as your best friend grass stain!"
"I suppose Vic you are the one responsible for the green streak in my boyfriend's hair?" Rachel asked.
"Guilty as charged" Victor laughed while raising his hand.
"Glad to know he washes his hair" she lightly chucked and turned her attention to the woman next to her old college colleague. "And you must be Karen, pleasure to meet you."
Karen smiled and shook the woman's hand. "Pleasure is mine too. Glad we have something in common. Dating idiot boyfriends like these two." She winked.
Garfield was relieved by the fact that everyone got along with each other. They conversed in the movie theater lobby for a few minutes following, but headed towards the movie theater seating. The two couples sat together in the mid-section of the theater. Throughout the movie Rachel and Garfield held each other hands in comfort and even Rachel lay her head on his shoulder.
After the movie was over, the two couples exited the theater to depart. Rachel kept close to her boyfriend and Garfield was in bliss and relief that tonight went well for him.
"I had a great night you guys, but I probably should be taking Rachel home she has to work in the morning." Garfield stated and Rachel nodded in agreement.
"It was great to see you again Vic. I'll probably get to see more of you. And it was wonderful meeting you Karen. Nice to know I'm not the only one with an idiot boyfriend." Rachel said with a smirk.
The women laughed the men were in confusion. Must have been a girl thing they thought.
"And it was great meeting you to Rachel. Glad to know Garfield chose a decent girlfriend." Karen said with a smile.
The couples departed and Garfield took Rachel to her apartment. The drive was short since she did not live far from the movie theater. Garfield was relieved that the double date went well but he did not expect Vic and Rachel to know each other. He was relieved that he had a special woman to love.
Once they reached Rachel's door to her apartment, the couple gave a farewell kiss goodnight.
"I had a really good night Garfield. I don't know why you were so nervous with me meeting your friends. They are really nice. You have really nice friends." Rachel stated inches away from his face.
"I am glad too. I have to show off my beautiful girlfriend somehow." He replied. "I probably should get going. I will see you tomorrow after I get off of work."
"Wonderful, I look forward to seeing you tomorrow." She said and Garfield gave her one final passionate kiss farewell.
"I love you" he said inches away from her face. She smiled with delight since he had never told her before that he loved her. She could feel butterflies in her stomach and that she was going to exploded from happiness.
"I love you too. Goodnight Garfield." She stated and closed the door while winking at him. The entire way home he felt victorious and had a fit of happiness. His heart was racing out of delight and he just wanted to should to the stars of out pure joy.
When he entered the apartment, he found Victor in the kitchen drinking a bottle of water.
"Man, you better not let this one get away. Rachel is a keeper." Victor stated to his roommate.
"I'm glad that you like her and that means a lot coming from you Vic." Garfield replied.
"I mean it man, don't let this one get away."
"Okay okay Vic I get it."
"That means don't do anything stupid which I know is very hard from you since you are impulsive."
"Alright Vic I get it."
"Make sure you don't make a fool of yourself and be sensitive to the woman she has gone through so much."
"What do you mean by that?"
"What I mean is I think you already know about her whole parental situation between her and her parents correct?" Victor asked taking a seat at the kitchen table.
Garfield did the same but sat across the table. "Well yes. Her mother was murdered by someone and her father she doesn't want to mention him."
"And you don't know why she won't talk about him?" Victor inquired. Garfield merely shook his head. "Well you weren't in the city at the time, but her mother was murdered when she was young and it was covered all over the news."
"Okay and that's when they found the murderer correct?"
"Well yes, I assume she has not told you who murdered her mother correct." Garfield nodded. "And she doesn't want to talk about her father. Put the pieces together."
After moments of thinking it all came to Garfield almost as an epiphany. "Wait, so are you saying that Rachel's own father murdered her mother?"
"Yes," Victor said with a sad expression on his face. "What makes it even worse, their only child witness the murder."
Suddenly Garfield had sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. It took him moments to sink it in and there was a moment of silence between the two roommates. "I can't believe it. That's the reason she won't talk about her father. I never knew."
"It's been over a decade since the murder so it's been ling forgotten, but please Gar, be sensitive to the woman. She has been through enough. Treat her well okay Gar. I think this one is Miss Right." Victor stated and walked to his bedroom.
Garfield continued to sit in the silence of the kitchen with his own thoughts thinking about the woman he loved.
I apologize for taking so long with this story, it's been a long year but I assure you the story will NOT be discontinued. Hope you enjoy!