Member-only story
Hopeless Causes
What was love but a synapse of the senses?
The summer Jared took the carnival job, Claudia thought it would be the best time of their lives. He had been so keen on the job, eager to be around the kids and their enthusiasm as their long-suffering parents shelled out cash for the opportunity to bring home overstuffed dinosaur plushies and all manner of dust collectors that would end up being donated at some later date, that she couldn’t help but marvel at him.
But Claudia couldn’t help feeling a little miffed every time her cute boyfriend chose to flirt with the girls he met. The worst of them was Blair, a girl whose bleach-blonde hair and easy pink smile had been the talk among the guys at school for a long time. The easy camaraderie between Blair and Jared had always been a sticking point to Claudia. They were even in the same journalism club at the community college, sharing anecdotes and laughter and all manner of ease.
The worst of it came when, at a club getaway, there had been a picture of the members in the hot tub. And Jared? He had been right next to Blair, smiling ear to ear, as if there were no better place for him to be.
Paranoia got the better of her. She imagined that Blair had sent selfies just for him. She could imagine photo upon photo. Perhaps even one of her in the bath. Or on the bed. Maybe…
