Levi Harris: A Guide to Middle School

Episode 45: Angelina's Birthday 2

‘I knew you would ask that.’ I said trying to avoid answering the question. I didn’t want Erika to believe that something was still going on between Angelina and I. On one hand, telling her would show that I did not see much in giving her that present, on the other, it was spitting into her face. She chuckled but never let her thoughts wander off.

‘So what is it?’ she repeated. I tried to evade her eyes but she swung in front of me in one movement and it was impossible.

‘It’s something you’re afraid of telling me isn’t it?’

‘Wha- No…’ I lied unconvincingly.

‘Lee. The present is a bit intimate isn’t it?’

‘Yes it is, but only because she’s a really close friend of mine. We’ve been through a lot. She’s helped me alo-’

‘Lee its okay…’ she begun as she pushed her door open. I walked in before she closed and locked the door behind me. She stared into my chest for a moment and hugged me.

‘Aww… you’re so fragile. You have trust issues.’ She looked up into my eyes. ‘Who hurt you Lee?’ she joked with a pout on her face. I smiled and pecked her on the lips.

‘I love you.’ I said. She softly kissed me back before saying ‘I love you too.’

I arrived at Angelina’s party holding hands with Erika. The bulge in my right pocket was of Angelina’s present. My mind went through the idea of giving her the gift. It was driven to give it to her but I also had a very strong feeling that I was doing something wrong. That friends didn’t usually give each other presents like this. Though there was a strong lingering feeling that even though things between me and her were finished, we were never just friends.

It was 6pm and it was just starting to get dark outside. The music playing inside her house was loud; booming in everyone’s ears. I felt entranced by the music and was swayed into the rhythm of the party. The colours were contrasting. The slowly increasing darkness was accompanied by bright lights surrounding her house and the vibrant colours of the party decorations.

‘When you told me a lot of people went to her parties, you weren’t joking were you?’ Erika said beside me. I had begun to forget she was even there. I looked around for a second and noticed that a lot of people, more than usual at least, were at her party. Girls were dancing all over the place and boys staring from within their small cliques.

‘There’s a lot more here than usual babe.’ I replied as I looked down at Erika. She was dressed amazingly. A black dress that stopped at her knees covered her body. A belt around her waist pronounced her curves more than usual. I forgot how beautiful she was. She smiled at my gaze.

‘I look great don’t I?’ she teased as she twirled around in one spot.

‘I’m used to it.’ I countered. My gaze left her figure and rose up to a scene. Someone was drunk.

‘Hey, hey, how are you babe?’ He said to a random girl who looked at him with disgust. He fell onto her with a weak hug and pushed her out of the way.

‘Lee!!!’ the guy shouted, staring straight at me. I was shocked to see who it was.

‘Corey… is that you?’ I replied with utter shock.

‘Hey, hey, you look amazing man. Did I ever tell you that?’ he said. His gaze was moving left to right. His eyes were getting weaker by the second and his balance was off, he could barely stand up.

‘You should sit down man. You look awful’ I shouted above the music. He nodded before sitting on the ground and closing his eyes. Erika burst out in laughter and we walked away before bumping into a pair. The girl in the pair was a beautiful, slim and short girl. She had brown hair that reached her shoulders and a beauty spot above her upper lip. She wore a bright white dress with a black belt.

‘Sorry!’ I said as we bumped into them.

‘It’s alright Lee.’ I heard a familiar voice say. I looked up in utter shock. Tamim was with one of the most beautiful girls I had ever seen.

‘Tamim! How are you man?’ I bellowed. He smiled awkwardly.

‘You know me, just chilling.’ He replied.

‘Good man. See you in the party.’ I shouted as Erika and I were moving away from the main house to the swimming pool.

‘Hey, Erika... Let me get Angie’s present to her quick yeah. I’ll be back.’ I said, trying to avoid Erika’s eyes so that I didn’t bare any guilt. She nodded slowly, removed her shoes and sat down next to the pool with her feet dipped in the water. I rushed into the house and the smell was fantastic. A mixture of food and regret pursed through the air. The mood was electric. I ran upstairs, somehow guessing that she’d be there and more than a dozen thoughts flipped through my mind.

‘How would Angie view this?’ I thought to myself. Would she take it as a come on? Was I trying something deep down? It was confusing that I couldn’t answer questions that only I could know the answer to and yet I pushed on till I reached her white door. I hesitated for a second before lightly knocking on the door and pressing my ear against the door to hear for a reply. A few seconds passed before I knocked again much louder.

‘Come in!’ I heard a voice shout from inside. I opened the door slowly and there she was. She was sitting by a window right in front of me. She was staring deep outside. Her gaze seemed so powerful that it seemed as if she was looking past the horizon. Angelina had an amazing white dress on with decorations running across it that I couldn’t recognize.

‘Hey, howcomes you’re staying in?’ I asked. She turned around and I could tell that she had just been crying. Her makeup was running.

‘Whoa! Angie. It’s weird seeing you like this.’ I said as I pushed the door behind me, trying to close the door. She chuckled and looked back out the window. Her room was a bright. The walls were painted pink and a four poster bed was on the right of the room.

‘Life’s a bitch Lee.’ She said in a soft tone while she shook slightly.

‘Why do you say that?’ I asked while I reached halfway between the door and her.

‘Just ‘coz….’ She replied and she shook again.

‘Stand up.’ I said. She turned around and looked at me for a second before standing up and approaching me. She stood only a foot away from me.

‘Close your eyes Angie.’ I said with a very soft voice and she followed. Her eyes slowly shut elegantly. I turned her around and pulled out the small black box from my pocket. I flipped it open and a necklace slept on a cushion. I picked it up slowly, trying to not make any sound while I placed it around her neck and hooked it behind her neck.

I then guided her, while she patiently kept her eyes closed to a large mirror to the left of the room.

‘Open your eyes Angie.’ I said softly. Her eyes opened much like how they closed and she gasped. She turned around me and threw her arms around my shoulders in a hug.

‘It’s beautiful!’ she exclaimed.

‘It fucking is, isn’t it?’ we heard a voice call to our left. My head snapped around to see Erika, with a single tear running down her left cheek.

‘I always knew… I always fucking knew!’ she shouted before storming out of the room. In my mind I tried to justify that I hadn’t even cheated on her but she could tell that there was still a bit of passion between Angie and I.