College 20
By Corbin
How life tests the endurance, patience, and sometimes faith of one young woman.

**********

Oh joy it's strawberry time. Now I love eating strawberries but every year we 
have a big 'Come pick your own strawberries' at the farm where I work. I 
primarily work in the nursery but with most any job you kind of have to be able 
to perform multiple tasks. I would just be happy tending to the plants in the 
back and such but I don't mind helping out elsewhere. But that fucking 
Strawberry event, I have to be on hand to help customers at their beck and call, 
loading, working the register, all that junk.
 
Some people are very nice but I get sick and tired of the old ladies that come 
thru, "Oh Corbin, aren't you married yet? I should bring my grandson by, you'd 
like him." 
 
Oh yeah, I would just love that, no thanks grandma!
 
But I just smile and nod, 'That would be sweet'; while I'm really thinking, 
'Yeah bring your grandson by and I'll shove a fucking strawberry up his nose and 
put him in a headlock right before I hip toss him into the duck pond. I'd bet 
you'd like the sight of that, huh grandma?' 
 
I love the owner, although his health isn't so great anymore. I'm his adopted 
Daughter, well not really, but he jokes that I am. His poor son who is divorced 
at 29 suffers from terrible health problems, he has an adorable little girl, but 
as I was saying his health is bad and he suffers worse of all from allergies, so 
severe that he recently had to be hospitalized. I think that's all I'll say on 
this subject.
 
Working at a Nursery/Farm can be a great workout, although I have to cover up 
cause I can sometimes be out in the sun for extended periods of time. I love the 
sweat, dirt and most of all the peace and quiet for hours on end in one of the 
several Green Houses. Things weren't always peaceful and quiet there, for the 
first few weeks the guys I worked with didn't know what to make of me, I was 
stronger then any of them and I think it was just damn awkward for them to 
concentrate on work with some tall, blonde girl walking about the complex all 
day. Most of the attention was flattering, but a few had to be set straight, but 
those stories are for another time. Well, I do want to go ahead and tell about 
the first time something happened, the poor kid. You see, as I indicated I work 
in the back, but not necessarily alone, my most frequent companion is Mike. Now 
Mike seemed like a cool enough High School kid I guess, kind of lean and skinny 
but not totally unattractive, he came in at a hair above 5'8" so I was a couple 
of inches taller then him. He also had that 70's shaggy haircut going on which 
is totally retarded looking, but I don't want to tell him what to do, he gets 
enough of that from his parents. So, he was 16, but let's get on with the point 
of me bringing him up; Within about two weeks he started looking at me funny 
like getting a major, MAJOR crush on me. Trying to tell me goofy jokes that were 
never funny, stuff he did over the weekend, gheesh once he opened up he wouldn't 
SHUT UP. But I just smiled and nodded while I worked and listened and then one 
day, he started to take his shirt off every chance he got, OKAY, maybe he was 
just hot, I don't know, definitely wasn't doing anything for me.
 
Oh shit! I almost forgot this, god this was hilarious, we were sitting down 
eating lunch in the back when he asked to arm wrestle me. Holy Shit I was ready 
to pee myself but kept a straight face. Initially I refused.

"Chicken!" He taunted and taunted. I knew all of his questions were leading up 
to something, questions about lifting and working out but that there was no way 
a girl would beat him. I realize it was just him talking smack, but really now, 
I'm taller then he was and stronger evident in the way he groans and struggles 
to pick up a large bag of mulch or something of the like, and then performs this 
old man shuffle to the back of a truck while carrying the mulch. I on the other 
hand, pick the bag up and toss it, pick another up and toss it while he's 
gasping and moaning. So now he wants to arm wrestle?
 
I gulp down the last bit of my sandwich and look around, well at least we're 
alone, because I hate an audience, even if I'm a sure thing. Now this kid looks 
like he's having his first birthday party as he shoots his arm up onto the 
table, so now I'm thinking he's just looking for an excuse to hold my hand. Why 
would that be so exciting? You guys, gheesh, I've got dirt under my fingernails 
and I'm all sweaty and yucky, but Mike is sitting there all bug-eyed, his right 
hand muscles tensing nervously.
 
So I neatly fold my unused napkin up and put it back into my insulated lunch 
bag, (Hey, when you live on my salary you save everything, napkins, you name it, 
I'm very frugal).
 
So I put my right arm on the table and his eyes start performing this sweeping 
motion up and down my arm, but real spastic like (what the hell is next? He's 
going to start salivating?) The comparison was relatively a sad one. I'm trying 
to give him the benefit of the doubt here but good grief my forearm was 
obviously bigger then his bicep. So when I held my hand out I thought he was 
going to have an orgasm by the way he tensed up and watched his hand close in on 
mine. Please kid, get a grip, I'm talking an emotional one, so now he touches my 
hand and we're palm-to-palm, somehow I think this is the real reason he wants to 
hold my hand, how sweet <rolling eyes>, and he seems to be enjoying this too 
much.
 
"You wanna say go?" I sigh as I am now trying to remember if I was suppose to 
move the new plants outside for Customers to see when they drive up, or is it my 
turn next week?

Mike obviously has no other worries, he is totally focused on his little fantasy 
and now starts to squeeze my hand hard, little shitter, but I don't let it 
bother me, he's going for the BIG SHOW and all that so I let him squeeze.
 
"GO!" He says and BAMM!! The back of my hand hits the wooden table.
 
"Well, you win." I say and go to stand up.
 
"Oh come on, you weren't really trying! Were you? " He complained, but was sort 
of smiling, as I suspect a part of him was hoping that was the best I had, that 
he had beat me fair and square.
 
"Oh yes I was, you win." I smiled and picked up my lunch bag, 
well now I think I might have hurt his pride more by not trying then if I had 
whipped him. So I set my bag back down and took a seat.
 
"Okay, okay." I groan and put my arm up, this time he is totally focused on 
winning, not me or my muscles, just winning.
 
"You say go" He said, his eyes darted nervously up at me then back to his hand. 
He was making all sorts of little nervous bodily adjustments like he was going 
to launch his entire being into this effort.
 
"Go" I said half-heartedly, mainly because he was taking this WAY too seriously. 
Jesus Kid, don't pop a blood vessel as I watched his entire neck and face swell 
with effort. I put the brakes on just as my arm drifted a couple of inches to my 
right and immediately brought both our hands back up even. 'Wipe that smile off 
your face' my subconscious scolded, I didn't even initially realize I was 
smiling, how arrogant but it was kind of funny. His face is red now and I mean 
heart-attack red, now it's tomato paste red...holy shit where's the phone again? 
I may have to dial 911 if his heart gives out or he has an aneurism. 
 
Okay, I've got my serious game face back on and watching the action (or lack 
thereof), and I think 'Hey! I'm pretty impressed with myself' (gotta understand, 
before then I can't even remember the last time I arm wrestled someone, I think 
it was another girl and I shut her down so fast she complained for days about 
her hand and arm being sore or some crybaby compliant to the effect that I was 
playing too hard, whatever!), I'm just holding his hand and have to make a 
decision, do I end it quickly? Or drag it out to make it look like a good effort 
on his part?

No, no, no, if I drag it out it will only encourage him to test me further okay, 
I've made my mind up!
 
THUMP!
 
His entire body sags forward, the sweat pouring off his face as he tries to wet 
his lips but his gasping just dries them out almost right away. His eyes never 
leave the crushed noodle of an arm that I just flattened against the top of the 
picnic table.
 
"Well, gotta get back to work." And I quickly untangle my hand from his and go 
to the fridge to put my pack away. If he wasn't acting weird before then, he was 
now, he didn't say much to me all day except he managed to mumble something to 
the effect of "Gosh, your strong." I was a little worried he might be physically 
injured, emotionally injured or maybe both. 

Oh screw it, he asked me and I gave him an out, but that could not prepare me 
for what happened the next day: I am standing in one of the aisle ways' 
arranging some bromeliads when all of the sudden I feel him right next to me, to 
my right as his arms circle around my waist and THEN! He kisses me on my right 
cheek! That was a big mistake. Don't EVER touch me, try to fondle me, kiss me 
without proper entrance visa's pre-approved by ME!
 
So, after my mind flips and I go into 'freak out mode' I am thinking, 'Oh you 
want to hug me huh?' My right hand shoots between his left bicep and ribs, 
snaking around his back where I pull him in tight. At this point I think he 
thought he was going to have some of his affection returned BZZZZ, WRONG!
I twist my body to the left and roll him over my hips BOING!!! His feet are now 
pointing to the ceiling as I bring him up and over. But I'm trying to be careful 
now; it's a concrete floor with only a little rubber matting, so had I slammed 
him hard the damage would have been substantial. I also had to control his body 
some as I didn't want any flailing arms and legs to whack any of my precious 
plants that lined the greenhouse.
 
He made this really wimpy yelp as he went over, and fuck this kid needs to eat 
more, I mean he weighed almost nothing. Okay back to poor Mike, mission 
accomplished as he's on his back now, I send my right knee into his gut, I sink 
it in nice and deep until I hear wind puff from his mouth. But my left and 
right hands were also working, I folded his left arm over his neck and pressed 
my left knee into his trapped arm almost choking him, as for his right arm it 
was trapped under my left shin. I felt the skinny thing twisting and turning but 
he was good and trapped.

"What the fuck is wrong with you Mike?" I blurted out in total shock; I was 
looking around spastically also to see if anyone saw, looked clear so far. He 
struggled a little, maybe that was his pride, but it was a sad effort he never 
stood a chance as I had tied him up pretty well, maybe too well, he was puffing 
and couldn't talk so I eased up.
 
"Mike?" I leaned down, trying to listen for some response.
 
"Corbin what the hell? Get off me!" He spat and I could tell he was 
starting to panic a little.
 
"I'm going to let you up, but calm down okay?" I prayed he wasn't going to 
have a meltdown and start screaming.
 
"Okay!" He looked like some deer in headlights as I slowly leaned away and took 
a step back. He rolled over and pushed himself up and appeared very shaken.
 
"Sit down over here." And I helped him over to a stack of pallets where he sat 
down, "Mike, what got into you?" I kneeled down in front of him as he gasped for 
air a little.
 
"I, I don't, I thought it would be okay...I just..." He babbled, he seemed okay 
but then looked up at me and when his eyes met mine, he lost it, I'm serious the 
kid broke down and started crying, like sobbing.

A.) I don't think he had a serious girl friend at the time, or maybe never had 
one.
B.) I think he really did think it was okay to try and kiss me like that.
C.) His pride was wounded that I rejected him.
D.) Then what was left of his pride got totally busted when I laid him out flat 
and he was helpless to do anything about it.
 
"It's okay shhh..." I didn't know what to do, I just patted him on the back and 
tried to comfort him until he calmed down, which he did soon enough thank 
god.
 
"We had been joking and kidding around and stuff and I thought you liked me." He 
sighed, the dirt on his face all smudged now as he wiped the tears away.
 
"Mike, oh my..." I shook my head, man-oh-man did he misread the signals; I mean 
the kid was flying blind.
 
Well, wasn't that exciting! 

He came around eventually but thank god he looks at me as a big Sister now and 
not some object of affection. At least if he does, he hides it well, he knows 
better then to try any funny stuff again. He even brags to his friends that I 
smashed him in arm-wrestling, what gives with that? Like he's proud of it or 
proud of me? Who knows? I'm just trying to remember what day of the week it is 
and if I'm scheduled to do anything up front!

Immediately after that incident I set him straight about my personal life, which 
I never talked about, at least not with new people. The other people at the 
Nursery also respected my privacy, whenever Mike talked to our co-workers about 
me, they would just tell him to 'Forget about it.'

Nikki came by to have lunch with me at the Nursery one day and so I invited Mike 
to meet her, after he put his eyes back into their sockets, and wiped the drool 
off his chin, he blurted out, "Wow, your dating a girl Corbin!" he seemed in a 
state of disbelief.

Nikki got this big smile on her face at Mike's reaction, I pulled away from Nik 
and looked her up and down in mock surprise, "Oh my god! She is a girl! What the 
heck!"





  
20_College