Chapter 28: Jenny

Three years later, and nothing had changed for my parents. They were still in jail. As for Kurt’s dad, well he couldn’t take it after the first month and tried to take his own life. He didn’t succeed and ended up in a mental hospital where he’s been on beds ever since. The news likes to bring up the story once in a while.

It was as if his dad going to the mental hospital sparked up a different type of news; the type worth headlines, whereas mine were locked up. Nothing exciting there. Nothing new to report.

Dad tried to appeal, another couple of times, until he couldn’t anymore. The rumor according to Claire was that his lawyer, Russell, the family lawyer, was now living in Mexico. This is what Claire said, and it could be true and explain about the missing millions, the money my parents took when they left me at the Waldorf.

As for me, well, I have a few friends at college, and I have one more year. It was tough at first with Tracey leaving to go to college too. I felt as if the world I’d started to love was falling apart.

“You ready?” Tracey asked as she stood at the door of my room.

“Yeah, just checking that I haven’t left anything. I’m paranoid like that.”

She crossed her arms, highlighting her small physique. Not only had she lost so much weight, but so much attitude too. At times, when I looked at her, I felt as if she was a completely different person because her confidence had reached a completely different level since she started at NYU. She told her parents she didn’t want to be a doctor. She had no intention of following in their footsteps, and she wanted to do English lit. She’d found a course at NYU that she loved. They were not happy, but I was proud of her for finding what she wanted to do with her life.

“Damn, you wearing leather pants?” I asked as I got close to her.

She laughed. “Yeah, man. We’re going to France. I need to keep warm. It’s cold, all year long.”

I corrected her. “Prent said that it isn’t that bad. In fact, it’s nearly the same temperature as here.”

“Well, I read it’s like New York. And that place is cold. So, me and my leather pants in black and brown are going. Whether you like it or not.”

She teased, but I stopped smiling at her as I took a note off the twinkle in her eye and her new short Halle Berry sassy shaggy pixie haircut. One thing she said she hated was short hair. She’d tried to brush it off before by saying it is due to the weight loss, but now it was all making sense. This time I was the one who was crossing her arms.

“What’s his name?”

“Who?” Her red lipstick became shaped in an O. She looked as sexy as hell, and there was no way, as she said after arriving last night, it was due to the stylish girls at college who had made her change that way. No. There was more to the story than that. There was a boy.

“Whoever is making you wear leather pants and loose tons of weight. You never did tell me what diet you did to make you lose so much weight. I need to do it. I can imagine Prent seeing me and wondering why I’m so fat!”

I turned to face the mirror, thinking I needed to get another size pants up. The guys said they loved it, but they didn’t realize how much I missed them. I was comfort eating, and not in a good way at all. Even Claire had told me to get out more. The guys didn’t expect me to just go to college and work; they wanted me to have fun too.

“Who says it’s just one guy?”

I faced Tracey once again.

“Shut up! How many?” I screeched.

She giggled. “Well, you did tell me to shut up.”

“Three!”

“You have three! My God, who, where, and how?”

Then, before she had a chance to reply, there was a gentle knock on the door. It was Claire. She was holding Matthew’s hand, her new boyfriend, and I could tell by the look on both their faces we had to get ourselves together or we were going to miss the flight.

“Well, we have eleven hours on the plane. You have to tell me more.”

Claire agreed, “Yes, on the plane. Maybe you should have come back at least a week earlier so that you can cheer your friend up and spill all your news. Come on, we’re not missing the flight. It’s too expensive.”

Matthew pitched in. “Yes, and I’ve always wanted to go to Paris.”

Claire gently kissed him on the lips as they headed to the hall and down the stairs.

“I like him. He’s cute. And young too. Damn, Claire’s getting her groove on.”

I smiled. “I hope I will be too.”

Tracey said, “My pussy needs a break. I don’t know what you’re complaining about. As much as I love my men, at times, I think I need a break or it’s just going to fall out.”

“I need to visit you in New York.”

She nodded as we moved to the stairs and continued talking as we walked down.

“Yeah, I thought you weren’t doing it because you didn’t love me anymore. Now, after hearing and witnessing it myself. I can see that you’ve been feeling sorry for yourself. Don’t do that, Jenny. You’re better than that.”

I nodded my head as I reached the bottom, wondering why depression had kicked in during the last year. Sure, the guys said it was harder now. Freshman year was a breeze, and they worked so they could come home more often, but the last two had been tough, and they couldn’t do it as much. I visited them, but this year I hadn’t. I’d been so self-conscious about my weight and everything. I didn’t want to embarrass them, the same reason I hadn’t visited New York.

“Anyway, you’ll be with your men and then feel better again.” Tracey smiled as she gave me a reassuring hug.

“I’ve never understood that part. Which one of the brothers are you dating?” Matthew asked.

I couldn’t believe it as both Claire and Tracey opened their mouths to answer at the same time. “Three of them.”

“What, all three triplets?” Matthew said in his British accent. He’d lived here for twenty years, after marrying and getting a divorce only four years ago. He said that he was tempted to go back home to Oxford, but he had twins who were only ten years old. He stayed for them. I had a feeling his kids were not the only reason he stayed.

I nodded my head, and Matthew grabbed the bags and turned a bright shade of red. He was embarrassed. I thought about the way I used to be when we first all hooked up and how that had all changed. I needed to put my insecurities to the side. Both Trent and Brent were flying directly to save money. Soon, I would be in their arms, all three of their arms. No more did I feel embarrassed about being with all three of them. No, I thought as I shut the door. I just couldn’t fucking wait. I slammed it and hopped into the taxi which was waiting for us. I held my best friend’s hand in the taxi, thinking I wanted to hear about her men and why her pussy was about to fall out!

THE END