Lies Become You (A NOWC22 Project) A Short Story

Chapter 8

Our breaths mixed and my eyes shut on their own, we've kissed once or maybe twice in the past and I enjoyed it. I could even dare to say we fell in love and the look he gave me when I made fun of him and his love in the school hallway would forever haunt me.

His arm snaked around my waist pulling me up against him so I was flush against his chest. He felt different yet the same. He was still the same boy whose face I hated. And my heart begged to say something different about him. His biceps flexed against the sleeves of his button up dress shirt I thought they would rip the material. My heart jumped when he leaned in close and I found myself moving as well, to meet his lips.

"Did you remember the first we kissed?" He breathed and I bit back a moan, see? For no reason, he provoked emotions in me. And they were dangerous. I nodded heady, his finger traced my bottom lip.

Flashback.

"My name is pronounced Yawkooah." He stressed. His ears slightly turning pink in anger.

"Sorry it's just hard to get it right." I apologized, and concentrated back on driving.

"Did you remember how we met?" He asked.

"How can I forget?" I mused, not proud of how we met but nothing could be done now. If we could change things I would want us to meet on different circumstances and better ones hopefully.

Flashback.

A few weeks after this boy resumed our school, I just got bored of picking on him. But one particular day, it was a fine morning and I was pissed, pissed because he dared to report me to the principal. How dare he?

When I saw him approaching, I straightened up and waited. As soon as he saw me, our eyes met and he rolled those big doe like eyes at me. I wasn't expecting that and it pissed me off to no end that he was no longer scared of me.

I thought he was going to try and avoid me, but he came to me himself.

"Hi Katie," he drawled. His Italian accent thick.  

"What?" I snapped. Why was he acting like a friend?

"I want to invite you to lunch." He muttered, very confidently. I would have preferred if he was shaking in his pants but no, here he was, standing proudly in front of me. It felt like a trap, I pushed him the other day. Why was he extending a hand of friendship now?

"Okay."

"You won't ask when?"

Slapping a note in his hand, it contained my number. I didn't know why I gave him my phone number but I did. "You can text it to me." And without another word, he left with a smile and his thick curly mass of hair bounced as he walked.

I went to the lunch he invited me for, and I hated to admit that I actually had fun. He was a nice boy and he smiled ever so often. And we just started to talk right away.

I tried to stay away from him, I even showed him so many reasons why he should stay away from me. But not once did he let me be.

So one sunny afternoon after school, as we were walking home without Elizabeth, he kissed me by the sidewalk. In broad daylight. With everyone watching. I even heard 'awws' from the people that were nearby. My face was hot with embarrassment but I did like the kiss, it was my first and although it didn't last for very long, I loved every bit of it.

I didn't react for two full minutes after he kissed me, I just stood there, transfixed to the spot without a word. And then I snapped, I took to my heels. He yelled after me but I kept running.

Dropping my bag on the floor even though mum has told me a thousand times not to, I ran up to my room. A boy just kissed me. And I always bullied him. He even reported me to the school authorities. And he kissed me.

I avoided him for days after that, I just ignored him in the classes we shared and avoided him at lunch. I knew I couldn't run from him forever but I planned to run as long as I could. I had a reputation to protect and I could hear the whispers even though, they would quiet down as soon as I enter the room.

I felt a pull and I was backed into the janitor's closet on my way to P.E, I opened my mouth to yell but his reflexes were amazing as he closed a hand over my mouth and put his other hand on his mouth to shush me.

"Hi Kathy." He drawled, finally dropping his hand.

"Hi."

"So you've been avoiding me, did I do something?"His eyes twinkled mischievously. Of course you did something, you cute dummy.

"No," I croaked and cleared my throat when I realized I sounded awful.

"Soooo?"

"Iokua, look..."

"My name's pronounced Yawkooah."

"Yeah okay." I waved it off. "But the thing is, this is new to me okay? I literally pushed you on your first day here and now we're hiding in the janitor's closet to talk about my first kiss?" I groaned, I didn't intend to let that little secret out but it somehow slipped.

"It was your first?"

"Yeah but that's not the point."

"So what's the point?"

"The point is, I don't get why you don't hate me. I'm a bully, you should stay away from bullies."

"And what makes you think I'm any better?"

"Oh my God Iokua," I said carefully pronouncing his name and his little smile told me I got it right. "We're different, you're a good boy and I'm not a good girl."

He leaned in and pecked my lips. Framing my face in his hands, he smiled at me. We'll figure it out, I really like you and I want to give this a chance. Will you be my girlfriend?

I was left shocked once again, what are the odds that you bully a boy on his first day and many other days after that and then knew day he kisses you and then few weeks after that, he asks you to be his girlfriend? I was sixteen but he felt right. He looked right and it was weird to explain but I dared to say that I loved him.

We're in a janitor's closet. Were the words that fell out of my mouth.

He took steps back and fell on one knee like in the movies, so Kathy Baker?

You don't have a ring.

We're not getting married princessa, but I'll give you something as a symbol. He took off a chain with a small scorpion pendant. Presenting it to me, so what do you say?

I mean, the chain does look pretty. I joked, nodding my head slowly. And we sealed it with a kiss.

We were made to do two laps for coming late to PE though. I would touch my chain unconsciously with a content smile.

But I didn't tell anyone about him. Not even Elizabeth. I couldn't bring myself to do that. It was like my little selfish secret I wanted to keep just for myself.

Present day.

"How did I manage to ruin everything?" I asked.

"I don't know princessa, I really don't." Taking my hand, he made me sit in the car and he drove me home.

We didn't say a word to each other the entire time. My mind was reeling with so many what ifs.

When he dropped me home without so much as a goodbye, it felt like I'd lost him all over again. I watched as he left me there, I stood near the rows of flowers mum used to grow. She wasn't here to take care of them anymore but dad did, he watered and took care of them every single day. Even when he could barely recognize his own daughter, the flowers didn't die.

I wondered if father still had love for mum in his heart, but I knew the answer. If I was being completely honest too, I didn't hate her. I just hated that she took my little brother with her.

Father still loved mum, the fragrance of the flowers didn't die, so did their love. The flowers thrived, and their love thrived as well, maybe not together and maybe it has become one sided now but I knew if my mother came today, father would take her back with open arms. Love makes you utterly useless and just stupid.

But I guess it's easier said than done as well.