(1) Venny
“Damn Levi, who pissed in your cereal this morning?” My mother Sarah asks me in her southern bell, Texan accent as she looks at me curiously.
Yeah, I’m mad this morning, and the reason for that is blowing up my phone with a bunch of “sorry,” messages.
“Aria stood me up again last night. I just don’t understand. If she doesn’t want to be with me, why doesn’t she just tell me?” I ask frustrated as I butter my bagel aggressively.
“Well, maybe she’s just not sure how she feels about you yet, and if that’s the case, you deserve someone who is sure about you sweetheart,” Mom says as she pours me coffee, and pushes her blond and gray hair behind her ear.
“You’re right mom.”
“You’re damn right I am. I want you to be happy Levi. And I’m telling you, that Aria chick isn’t it.”
I sigh as I grab the coffee mug.
“Then who the hell is mom? I’m already 18, in my senior year of high school, and still haven’t found the one. It’s frustrating.”
She nods and smiles at me.
“What?”
“You are such a romantic, that’s why it’s so frustrating to you isn’t it?”
I shrug.
“I’ve never really thought of it that way. Love is a great thing and all, but it’s never really happened to me.”
“It will Levi, you just have to stop trying and just let it come to you when it’s time.”
I groan and roll my eyes.
“Oh, mom please don’t start with that destiny stuff.”
She giggles as she pours her coffee.
“It’s a real thing you know. Love at first sight, definitely isn’t, but destiny? That’s much bigger than anyone. Everyone has a unique one.”
She always has the wisest things to say, to make me feel better. I place a kiss on my mom’s head.
“Thanks, mom, and if I am a romantic, it’s quite obvious I got from you,” I tell her and her smile grows.
“I know, now hurry before you become late for first period again.” She says as she pushes me towards the door.
As I get to home economics, a second before the bell goes off, I sit next to my best friend Venny. I noticed he has cut his 7-inch long hair and is now rocking a fade with a 2-inch hair at the top. I can’t deny that it suits his nice face. Yeah, I can admit my best friend has a nice face.
“Hey man. Nice haircut,” I tell him and he looks away from his phone to give me a smile. His blue eyes smiling as well. I don’t know if it’s weird to think this about my best friend, but he looks like he has the softest skin. Okay yeah, that was definitely weird.
“Thanks, I figured the second semester is right around the corner and I wanted a change for once.”
“Sounds to me, you’re trying to impress someone. So come on, tell me who the lucky lady is.” I tell him as I smack his shoulder. He chuckles with a slight blush before shaking his head.
“Perhaps I’m just doing this for me, Levi.”
I narrow my eyes at him and he looks down at his phone again.
“Venny... Come on man. You have been single for a whole year now, and you say you have hooked up, and whatever, but I’ve known you all your life. You’re not the hookup type. Are you hiding a girlfriend from your best friend?” I ask him and he rolls his eyes.
“No Levi.”
“What? Are you afraid I might sweep her up myself?”
He sighs and puts his phone down.
“I’m not seeing anyone. Not since Norah.”
Norah was his girlfriend last year. They seemed like the perfect couple but they never looked to be in love. They just looked like good friends. He runs a hand through his hair and looks back at his phone.
“Do you want to hang out after school? Play some video games and what not?” I ask him and he nods facing me.
“If by, play some video games, you mean me wining every single game, then count me in.”
Oh, a challenge. Me likely.
“Okay Mr. Cocky, let’s make this a bet. If I win most games tonight, you have to be one hundred percent honest with me with whatever question I ask you, and if you win, you can ask me a question.”
He arches an eyebrow at me.
“Why are you suddenly so interested in asking me questions Levi?”
“Don’t worry about it, are you game?”
He shrugs.
“Yeah, I’m game.”
***
Venny POV:
Levi and his stupidly handsome face are acting suspicious about me acting suspiciously. He can’t possibly know, and it has to be that way. I’m not ready to tell him the truth. Hell, I haven’t even told my parents yet.
Last year I dated one of the hottest girls in school and I lost my virginity to her. It never felt right between Norah and me as a couple. But dating her has taught me a whole fucking lot.
I love dick.
And my best friend? Well, he wouldn’t understand.
Sometimes I look at Levi’s face and my stupid mind wonders what if he was Gay too? Would we be together? I’m a guy who as of now only gets by with fantasies, porn, and my very vivid dreams.
Not of Levi, of course, but of men... that would just be weird... right? RIGHT.
Someone taps on my shoulder and I turn to face Levi.
“Sup?”
He holds up his phone showing me some kind of text message, with an excited look on his face.
“We just got invited to Sam Miller’s birthday party this weekend. please tell you don’t have plans.”
Little does Levi know, I actually, strongly disliked Sam Miller after bullying a gay kid in the first year of high school.
That gay kid was me.
We were playing baseball and he thought I was staring at his ass, even though I wasn’t even looking at him. He called me out in front of his buddies and said a bunch of tasteless gay jokes, then they jumped me after school.
Sam told me the day after, that he knew I wasn’t gay, but that he had a lot of fun beating me up anyways. Levi doesn’t know this, I was too embarrassed.
“Actually I do have plans. Sorry, Levi.”
“And what plans are those?”
“Avoiding that pussy fart, Sam.”
Levi cocks an eyebrow at me before cracking up.
“Well damn, I knew you didn’t like the guy very much, but I didn’t know you hated him.”
I shrugged trying to play it off.
“He’s not my favorite person, but I know you’re going to go anyways, and I guess if you want me to be there...”
“Yes!” He says before I even get the words out. The things I do for him.
“Hey, you two in the back. Be quiet and get your work done.” The teacher scolds us with a finger pointed at us.
After Class, I spot Aria and Levi flirting by the lockers. For fucks sakes. Aria keeps messing things up with him, but he somehow always accepts her back.
He deserves better. Much better.
“Hey, y’all.”
“Hey, Venny. Levi and I were just talking and we were wondering if you and a date, would want to double date with Levi and me?” She suggests twirling her blond hair.
“Sounds great Aria, but you know the double date only works if you show up.” I shoot at her and she looks down embarrassed.
“Venny, chill, Alright? She’s coming and it’s gonna be fun.” Levi tells me with a warning in his eyes, and I meet him dead on.
“Alright. When it is?”
“Tomorrow,” Aria says quickly, excited.
“You want me to find a date in one day?” I ask Levi and he shrugs.
“Shouldn’t be too hard. You’re a baseball player with a good body, good hair, good personality, and a babyface. You’ll find a date in no time.” Levi says gently smacking my face as he walks Aria outside.
Did... did he just admit I’m a catch? I ask myself as I touch my cheek, and watch them walk out. I know he just said it in a friendly way but...
“Hey Venny, heads up man!” Lionel Ramirez, the best player on the baseball team, and the best player in general throws a baseball ball at me from across the hall and I catch it effortlessly.
“Nice!” He says as he walks towards me and bro hugs me. He’s my second best friend.
“Thanks, are you coming to practice today after school?” I ask him and he squints his eyes at me.
“Duh Venny, the game is next week and we need to be at our best. The couch also wants us to work out a bit, and eat only healthy food starting today.”
I nod with a smile.
“Sounds great, I’ll see you later.”
“Damn right, I’ll be the one kicking baseball ass.”
That cocky mother fucker. Haha, lionel is pretty cool though, which is why he’s so popular, more so than Sam. Although he has the player personality down, he's admitted he's only ever been with four women total. However I'm the only person who knows that. Ever since he's gotten his heart broken in freshman year, he's pretty much just settled to being a flirt.
“You’re Puerto Rican, and your last name is Ramirez, no shit you’re good at baseball,” I tell him and he holds a hand over his heart. In a joking way as Kyle, another baseball player walks up behind him and smacks a hand on his shoulder.
“Don’t stroke his ego too much Venny, he might come all over this hall,” Kyle says laughing as he walks away and Lionel flicks him off.
“Anyhow, I should get going, later Venny.” He says as he walks past me and winks at a preppy girl in heals. She giggles and waves at him.
As I make my way to math class I spot Aria talking to some guy, I don’t realize who it until his face comes into view. It’s fucking Sam, and his punchable face.
Then I see something has me wanting to strangle him. He kisses her briefly on the lips before she scurries away with a small smile on her face.
That bitc...
“Hey, get to class!” An elderly teacher yells at everyone who is still in the hallway but my eyes are burning a hole through the back of Sam’s head as he walks away with his casual demeanor.
***
*Hey, if you're reading this, thank you for choosing to read this love story. It will definitely take you on an emotional roller coaster ride that I hope you will enjoy by the end of it.
Also make sure to comment, because I love interacting with you all, and seeing how you like the book as you continueto read it.* - Arabella.
