Gia Stillman is a student at New
York University (NYU). The main area of
classes for NYU is on West 4th
street University Place Greenwich
Village . She lives with her
parents in their apartment on 59th and Sutton Place
Blake was a 5’9” broad
shouldered boy. They were in the same
grade but Gia was a couple months older.
Despite their liking each other as couples, Blake despised commitment
because his parents would look unfavorably on his being with a girl while in
school. This hurt Gia but she learned to
deal with it and gave up on her wishes for a typical couple relationship. As happy as Blake made her, the void of not
having an official boyfriend forced her to seek other men. She did, however,
always tell Blake of any acts of indiscretion.
Blake admitted one act of indiscretion on his part, to which Gia was
vehemently opposed. Gia couldn’t say
much as soon as Blake mentioned that he had not shown any anger with the
variety of guys she had hooked up with since their relationship started. Despite the freedom they gave each other,
neither party took full advantage. Even
at times of faithfulness, Gia always had a romantic interest in a past
boyfriend named Mike that currently went to Rochester
Beginning of Sophomore year, Gia
and Mike didn’t speak as often as they had before, thus breaking the triangle
and leaving another void left to be filled for Gia. The void would be filled in September when Gia
was moving her brother into Tulane in New
Orleans New Orleans New Orleans New York to take Gia, who was in avid tennis player, to
the US
Even with couples, however, long
distance relationships prove difficult.
Benji and Gia spoke less and less and by mid-October, the triangle was
broken. Luckily for Gia, it happened
around the same time that Mike started up conversations with her. Although Mike did complete the triangle,
physical activity wasn’t going on. To Gia,
Mike was more than a superficial physical relationship, he had her heart and
any guy she would have relations with was just practice for Mike. Now the triangle is complete, so everything
should be okay. But there are more than
two sides to a triangle.
Blake worked at the NYU gym and
found himself busy with work or fraternity activities, thus every waking hour could
not be spent with Gia. Gia prepared for this by scheduling her classes to be
the same as one of her close friend’s, Larry.
Larry and Gia briefly had relations before Gia was with Blake but Gia
felt he was too overbearing and cut it off before it escalated into anything
official. Larry was also a sophomore and
in the same program and major as Gia, thus needed to take the same
classes. Since Larry planned on double
majoring, one class was without Gia. Larry,
like Gia, didn’t have a job and so Gia spent any moment not with Blake or at
home with Larry. Since Gia rarely found
herself at home, her time was almost exclusively taken up by one of the
two. Gia commented multiple times that
although on the surface Larry and Blake were different, the core personalities
were similar. The personality traits
that Blake lacked, Larry filled in. One
similarity was that both were generally very amicable people but talked about a
darker violent side that emerges when they become extremely mad. Although it appears Gia is filling a void
with Larry, Larry couldn’t be considered a third link of the broad romantic
interest triangle. After all, there was
no romantic interest toward Larry. Gia,
however, does not only possess one triangle.
Neither Mike nor Benji go to NYU, thus there needs to be an NYU triangle
that fills the void she had first semester of her Freshman year. This wasn’t an equal triangle, for one link
was romantic, the other was friendship.
Although Larry usually maintains friendly terms with
members of the opposite sex, he is a heterosexual and sometimes feelings arise
toward his female friends. He mistook
the vast amounts of time with Gia and the way she would tell him about what
kind of guy’s she hooks up with (to which, Larry fit the descriptions) and the
excuses to spend the night over his dorm for Gia liking him more than a
friend. After consulting almost all his
friends on what to do, and getting near unanimous advice to make a move or tell
her how he felt, he decided he’d tell her.
Every time he got close to making a move, however, he made an excuse why
it was not the right time. The day Larry
decided to tell her, he found himself at a movie with two of his friends (one
was also friends with Gia named Stephanie).
After the movie Stephanie left leaving Larry with his friend Julio, whom
Gia knew but was not friends with, and Gia.
Larry tried thinking how to ask Julio if he could go to dinner alone
with Gia in Spanish (Julio was Salvadorian) but said aloud, “I don’t know how
to say it in Spanish”
Gia heard this and realized that Larry wanted to
tell Julio something without her knowing.
This bothered Gia because she was an extremely nosy person. Julio pulled Larry aside but Gia walked right
around. As they walked toward the restaurant Larry told Julio that he wanted to
have dinner alone with Gia. Julio, who
is also sensitive and has to know everything, inquired why. Larry informed Julio that he wanted to tell
her how he felt about her. Julio wanted Larry
to proofread one of his papers but understood why Larry wanted privacy. Despite that, he pulled Larry aside behind Gia
and tried talking to him. Gia
immediately turned around and said, “Why do you keep doing this? I don’t want
to eat with you guys if you’re going to be like this”
Julio responded, “No, this time I want to tell him
something”
“Fine, you know what if you’re going to be like
this, I’m just going to leave” as she stormed off
Larry went to chase after but Julio pulled him back
and asked him “What should I do while you’re at dinner?”
Larry was a little taken aback by the question since
he felt Julio should understand that he has to run after her now so quickly
said, “I don’t know walk around or something”
“But when are you going to grade my paper? And what am I supposed to do be bored for a
while?”
“Go to Washington
Heights
“You’re coming to Washington Heights
“Yes” he said as he took off in the direction Gia
stormed off.
He caught up with her and asked her to talk. Gia said, “I don’t feel like speaking with
you right now”
“Look, all I wanted to ask him was if I could have
dinner alone with you”
“Bullshit”
“Why do you think he’s not here?”
“Because you told him I got mad and you had to take
care of it or something”
Although this made sense, it wasn’t the truth so Larry
said, “Can we just go to dinner and talk, I want to tell you something”
“Why can’t Julio know?”
“He already knows”
“He knows but I don’t?”
“Yes”
Gia calmed and they walked toward the restaurant
then Gia, who was supposed to be at a sorority meeting soon, said, “I don’t
have time to eat, I have to get my car, and get to the meeting”
“Can you come over after the sorority meeting and we
can talk then?”
“Why don’t we talk on the way to my car?”
If there was a worst time to have the conversation
he was about to have with Gia, it was now but he had to. While walking on the sidewalk toward Gia’s
car, Larry said, “Look, I’ve realized lately that I like you more than a friend
and I was just wondering if the feelings are reciprocated at all?”
“You know my answer to this”
“Blake?”
“Yea, I know I cheat on him but my feelings are
still toward him”
“Alright”
After a long pause Gia asked, “So who knows?”
“Pretty much everyone”
“So they’re all going to hate me now?”
“No, why would they hate you?”
“I dunno”
They started talking about school but the topic came
up again when Gia said, “So is there going to be awkwardness now?”
“Not on my part how about yours?”
“No but I just feel like you hate me now”
“Why would I hate you? I asked you a question you
answered it, it’s that simple, your friendship is way too important to me to
let this end it”
“I agree”
“Okay then”
They got to the parking garage Gia parks at and got
her car. Gia entered the car and Larry
started toward the entrance, Gia rolled down the passenger window and said,
“Aren’t you going to get in?”
“You’re giving me a ride?”
“Well yea”
“I live two blocks away I can walk”
“Just get in”
“Alright thanks”
Gia drove Larry to his dorm, they European kissed
(cheek to cheek and kiss the air) good-bye and Gia went to her meeting. There was no awkwardness between them since
their friendship was very strong.
Since Larry and Blake were two
of the most important males in Gia’s life, if something was bothering Gia, she
often took it out on them. Blake always
got the worst of it as Gia often called him a piece of shit, and accused him of
never doing anything for her. Upon these
accusations Blake would just ask, “Are you okay?” He seldom defended himself but every now and
then he did mention his doing things for Gia, like installing her wireless
Internet in her apartment. The things
that Gia was referring to, though hardly spoke of them, was that Blake didn’t
do the little things for instance, walking her places.
Things were going well for Gia,
both triangles were complete and each link knew their role. Triangles, however, are imperfect
figures. Blake had finally had enough of
Gia’s spontaneous verbal assaults. He
knew about Larry, and he was paranoid that when Larry walked Gia everywhere and
spent any time Blake wasn’t with her with her that he was trying to show him
up. The anger built up inside until it
flowed through his veins. He called Gia and invited her to his dorm. Gia always complied with this invitation,
only this time; Gia was about to discover what Blake meant when he had talked
about what happens when he becomes extremely angry.
Blake met Gia in the lobby of
his dorm and signed her in like he had multiple times before. For some reason, this time was different
though because Blake had a stern look on his face. Gia asked while waiting for the elevator
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing”
“I know you, something’s wrong”
“We’ll talk when we get in my
room”
Gia and Blake arrived at his
dorm and entered to find his roommate Mark with a sad but accepting look on his
face. Gia felt awkward but wasn’t sure
if she was imagining things. Blake
grabbed her forcibly by the arm and pushed her on the bed. Gia got up and faced Blake standing a few
inches from him and yelled, “What the fuck is wrong with you? Why the fuck did
you throw me?”
Blake firmly grabbed her biceps
and stared into her eyes. As Gia stared
back at his cold green eyes a shiver slid down her spine; for the first time,
she was afraid of Blake. Blake spoke
slowly but firmly and said, “I know we’re not going out, but you’ve always been
honest with me when you hooked up with someone else, so I’m going to ask you
this once, are you fucking Larry?”
Gia relaxed a bit since she felt
the question was ridiculous and snapped back, “No! Absolutely not”
Blake released his grip and
looked away and said, “You really leave
me no choice, you stand there in my room, look me in the eyes, and lie. So my
response is fuck you bitch!” as he slapped her across the face.
Gia tumbled to the ground her
face stinging but the mental hurt was far worse. She looked at Mark in desperation but he just
shook his head. Blake taunted, “Did you
honestly think Mark would be on your side?”
Gia looked from Blake to Mark
shocked and scared. She was helpless so
she could only lower her head and cry. Blake
grabbed her by the shoulders, hoisted her up and slammed her against the
wall. He said, “Call Larry, and I’ll
show you what I do when I’m mad.”
“Blake, stop it!”
Gia’s response came as a punch
in the stomach as the wind flew out of her body and she collapsed to her knees.
She panted, and Blake held out a phone and unscrupulously suggested, “You can’t
take more of this Gia, call him, save yourself, be selfish for once, call for
the execution of your secret love.”
Gia panted but managed through
tears, “He’s only a friend…He did come on to me… but I turned him down… for
you.” Looking up at Blake during the
last two words.
Gia felt Blake’s fist jam into
the back of her neck smashing her face against the ground. Blood matriculated from her nose and flowed
to her lips. The taste of her own blood
caused her to cry more. She didn’t want
to call Larry. She thought Larry would
never be able to beat someone the size of Blake. She took out her cell phone hating every
minute and wishing there was someone to help her. Blake walked behind her and crouched down
next to her ear and whispered, “Don’t do anything stupid, just call Larry.”
“What should I tell him?”
“To come over for some drinks”
Gia slowly dialed the number
holding back tears desperately trying to compose herself. She couldn’t isolate her thoughts from the
fact that she was calling for a close friend to be brutally beaten. Gia had never experienced a fight, she hadn’t
the skin for it, but there was no option.
She finished the number and pressed, “send.” Blake massaged her shoulders in the hope she
wouldn’t sound hurt so that Larry wouldn’t suspect anything. Larry answered, “Hey”
“Hi” she said hurt
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing, Blake’s inviting you
over for drinks”
Larry was suspicious; he had
only had very superficial and brief conversations with Blake. They had never been out drinking nor ever
hung out together. He knew something was
up but he had no fear. Larry grew up
having temper tantrums and becoming violent.
He also had a brother that was five years his elder and he and his
friends would beat on Larry when Larry would attack them. As he grew older, he developed a high
tolerance for pain and knowledge how to fight people bigger than he. He said to Gia, “Tell Blake I’ll be there in
no more than five minutes”
Larry walked the five blocks to Blake’s
dorm with a purpose. He was ready to
fight but when he saw Blake he held it in to be signed in. When Larry saw Blake he shook his hand and
said hi but after that there was no conversation all the way to his dorm
room. Blake figured Larry knew that it
wasn’t a friendly visit and wondered why he came in the first place. As he
walked in Mark grabbed Larry from behind and put him in a half nelson. Larry didn’t fight he just looked at Gia’s
hurt eyes with tear stains on her cheeks and blood emulating from her nose over
her lips. Mark was broad and had very
defined cut muscles. Blake’s shoulders
were half his height and had bulky biceps and upper region along with his
legs. Larry was scrawny, it seemed he
had no chance of escaping the hold or winning the fight.
Blake said, “You idiot, you
think I’d invite you over for drinks when you’re fucking my girl?”
“She’s not your girl Blake,
you’re too much of a fucking pussy to ask her out”
Blake’s eyes widened in surprise
at Larry’s complete lack of fear. He
blurted out “Excuse me?”
“You’re a pussy Blake, a little
bitch that can’t stand up to his parents,” he started in a high pitched mocking
tone “Oh mommy and daddy says I shouldn’t date and focus on work,” continuing
normally, “Please, you’re such a fucking momma’s boy it disgusts me.”
Blake punched him across the
face with his right hand in frustration and anger and cockily looked at Larry. Larry turned his head to face Blake and
smiled to Blake’s shock and said, “I hope you can hit harder than that”
Blake punched him again, this
time with his left hand. Larry nodded
his head afterward and said, “Maybe you should let Gia try”
Gia looked up unsure if that was
said in spite toward her or to further anger Blake. She was confused on many levels. The main reason being Larry was not only
conscious but also smiling. Blake struck
Larry with another right. Larry looked and said, “Mark, you better not let go
because if that’s the best he can punch, I’d kill him if I had my arms” Blake
shook his head in confusion he contemplated to hit him but wasn’t sure. Larry taunted further, “Come on kid, you told
Gia you could take a guy out with one punch (one of the many things Gia had
told Larry about him), you’ve had three and you haven’t even hurt me”
Blake thumped him again with his
left hand opening it and closing it after contact. Larry saw this and had the biggest smile
while saying, “Okay Blake, you’re a rational person. To you, four punches I shouldn’t be standing,
but maybe I’m using Mark to support my weight and that’s the only reason I
haven’t fallen. Tell Mark to let go, see
if I fall to the floor, in which case you can use your legs. Not to mention you already have a head start
in the fight. Even in gladiator, Cesar
was going to fight Maximus after he stabbed him. Besides I see you flexing your hand, these
shots are hurting you.”
Blake screamed “FUCK YOU!” and
took his largest swing with his right hand; Larry turned his head so that the
fist would hit the back of his head. Blake
screamed out in pain, for the back of the head is the hardest part and when a
fist strikes it, the aggressor can easily break his knuckles. He grabbed his right hand and walked toward Larry
angry. Larry kicked him in the solar
plexus and Blake bent a little bit. He
was down long enough for Larry to lean against Mark and throw his legs on top
of Blake’s back. As Blake shot his upper
body up he torpedoed Larry around over Mark’s head so that his arms wrapped
around Mark’s waist while Mark’s upper body was bent back with his face in Larry’s
chest. Larry hoisted Mark so that his waist
balanced on Larry’s shoulder and Mark’s body was parallel to the floor. Larry then ran forward and Mark looked up
just as Larry slammed his face into the wall knocking Mark unconscious and
falling face down on the floor. Larry
turned to Blake no longer smiling. He did say, “I did nothing the first time
you made Gia cry. This time, I’m doing
something about it” (there was one
occasion Gia came to Larry’s dorm crying because of Blake but Blake didn’t know
about it).
Blake looked at Gia
confused. Larry ran at him and drove his
shoulder into Blake’s solar plexus chopping at the back of his knees tackling
him to the ground. Larry drove his fists
into Blake’s face repeatedly. Blake
grabbed Larry’s arms and threw him off him.
He got up hurt and faced Larry. Blake
grabbed him and lifted him up but Larry squirmed as he was being hoisted up,
put both his feet on Blake’s shoulders and pushed off landing on his back and
sending Blake flying back to the ground.
Blake ran at Larry but he sidestepped him and put one foot in front of Blake’s
leg and kicked the back of his shin of the same leg tripping Blake onto his
face. Larry and Blake shot up
simultaneously and faced each other. Blake
had blood on his face but so did Larry. Blake
swung his arm but Larry ducked under it and got four shots in on Blake’s
kidneys before Blake threw his arm back around, but again Larry ducked it and
uppercutted Blake on the way back up. Blake
took two steps back and Larry jabbed him in the nose. Blake backed up more and Larry sprinted
forward and jumped to the side driving his knee into Blake’s stomach causing Blake
to bend over and Larry put him in a headlock and forced Blake’s face into his
knee. Blake lifted his upper body up
taking Larry with him. Larry used the
arm not around Blake’s head to punch him in the face while keeping his legs
behind Blake to add weight pushing him back.
It worked as Blake toppled backward to the ground. Larry got up and stomped at Blake’s
midsection and kicked him in the face each time he lifted it. Blood came from Blake’s face and mouth from spitting
up blood. Larry then jumped in the air
and landed knees first on Blake’s solar plexus knocking the wind out of
him. Larry drove his fist into Blake’s
face for each syllable of, “You think you’re tough for hitting a girl a third
of your size, now try a guy half your size.”
Blake’s eyes had long since glazed over in unconsciousness. Larry took off his shirt and placed one foot
on Blake’s chest and brought his arms angling down pointing at his waist and
flexed his arms, abs and chest and said, “Look, I’m not even that big”
Mark had awoken at this time and
charged at Larry, Larry ducked down wrapped his arms around Mark’s legs as he
approached and thrusted his upper body up catapulting Mark over his head and
bouncing off the wall to the ground on the back of his head and neck with his
legs snapping over him. Larry walked
over to Mark, who was barely conscious and said, “By the way, tell Blake that I
wasn’t even hooking up with Gia.”
Larry took one glance at Gia and stormed out putting
his shirt on as he walked briskly. Gia
chased after him but Larry quickened the pace.
Gia yelled after him thinking that Larry was storming off because he was
mad at her. Larry didn’t bother waiting
for the elevator and ran down the stairs hoping Gia wouldn’t follow since she
hated stairs. It didn’t work; Gia ran
after him and chased him all the way to his dorm. Larry stopped in the lobby before the locked
door that the security guard had to buzz to let him in. Larry went to the guard and began signing Gia
in. Gia saw him huddled over the clipboard and was confused that he was signing
her in when she thought he was mad at her.
Gia gave the security guard her license and both her and Larry got
buzzed in with the elevator open and waiting.
Larry walked in and Gia followed as he took it to the eleventh floor
where he lived. On the way up Gia
started, “Larry, look…”
“Don’t talk”
“I know…”
“You don’t know shit”
“Can you just…”
“Shut up”
The elevator arrived at the
eleventh floor. Gia found herself mad at
Larry but couldn’t really say anything. Larry
walked down the hall to his room and opened the door and proceeded straight for
his bed where he collapsed. Gia followed
but froze when she saw how forcefully Larry hit the bed. He was panting now and, for the first time,
looked hurt. Gia looked down at him and
all her anger dissipated and she showed compassion. Larry said between breaths, “Damn that kid
hits hard”
Gia was shocked with this and
after a couple seconds to recover she yelled, “What?”
Larry smiled, he said, “Gia,
when I fight my adrenaline is pumping too fast to feel pain, I feel it when I’m
done. I didn’t want Mark and Blake to
see me hurt so I ran out of there, I snapped at you in the elevator because I
needed to keep it going so I didn’t collapse then. I held it all in for when I got back to my
room.”
Gia didn’t fully understand but
didn’t push any further. She just asked,
“Are you okay?”
“Next time run”
“What?”
“I was fighting two people
bigger than me, one had me in a half nelson, you shouldn’t have stayed you
should have gotten the fuck out of there.”
“It was my fault you were there”
“Blake was kicking your ass, you
should have called me.”
“So you’re not mad”
“I’m upset because you didn’t
run. You worried me back there, what if
I lost, then you’re at their mercy again”
“I felt bad just leaving you”
“Felt bad? Gia listen, Blake wanted you to watch as he
beat the living shit out of me. What do
you think would have happened if you ran?
Mark would be forced to let go of me and then I could have fought Blake
without him having free shots on me. And
every time Mark would try to help, you could keep trying to get away. If you
did get away, I accomplished what I wanted…to help you. It doesn’t matter if I get my ass
kicked. I’ve gotten my ass kicked
before; I wanted to make sure you got away to safety. So you should have ran for all these reasons” Larry’s voice was very weak and he panted at
the end groaning for having said so much.
Gia just looked dumbfounded. Larry
noticed this and said, “Don’t’ worry you know for next time.”
“So, you’re not mad at me for
calling you.”
“Fuck no”
“Oh, well here let me take care
of you.” As she got a paper towel and started dabbing his cuts on his face,
which she just really noticed now. Gia
and Larry slept in the same bed but they remained plutonic. Even if Larry wanted to, he didn’t have the
energy to hook up with her. Gia fell
asleep cuddled in Larry’s arms.
The next day Blake tried apologizing
but Gia wasn’t hearing it. She snapped
at him and Blake accepted losing Gia. Gia
and Larry remained friends for there was no point in going out since Larry was
leaving for Florence
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