Best part

Chapter 11

Try Hard

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Cause I'm not being me
and it's getting down
cause she makes me feel like i'm trying
too hard again
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Omniscient POV

Only a few hours had passed since Rico's awkward interaction with Gabriella, yet it occupied his thoughts relentlessly. He was at home, trying to focus on his science homework when he remembered the cringe-worthy conversation he had with her. Rico couldn't believe he'd shared too much information with her, discussing his status with Marie and mentioning Matt. He smacked himself on the head, berating himself for his impulsiveness. He had no reason to bring Marie into the conversation, and explaining himself to Gabriella was entirely unnecessary. He questioned why he had initiated that conversation in the first place; he could have continued making out with Marie without any complications.

As he finished his homework, Gabriella remained at the forefront of his mind. Had he damaged his friendship with her? Would things be awkward between them now? Rico's mind buzzed with questions, even though he knew he was overthinking the situation. It shouldn't be a big deal, but he couldn't help but let his thoughts spiral.

In his attempt to find some clarity, Rico decided to reach out to his best friend, Lea.

Lea 💜 

Me: Lea I'm having girl problems again.

Lea 💜: Did you sleep with Marie again 😑

Lea💜: Rico I told you to stop doing dumb
shit like that

Me: no...

Me: but I did kiss her today but
this time it's not about her

Me: It's about Gabriella.

Lea 💜: now, why would your ass
kiss Marie that's only gonna
make her think she still
has a chance dumbass

Lea💜: you're gonna tell me you like her?
cause I already knew that Rico.

Me: what makes you think I like Gabby?

Lea💜: cause your ass can't function around her
and you keep trying too hard to be cool 😭😭

Lea💜: it's cute tho

Me: I don't like her.

Lea 💜: and beyoncé is my wife

Me: fren can you call?

Lea 💜: i'll call rn

Lea called Rico on FaceTime, and when he answered, all he could see was the ceiling of her room. Rico playfully teased, "What's the point of FaceTiming if you're not going to show your face?"

Lea countered, "Don't worry about my face. Worry about your situationship with Marie first."

"This isn't even about Marie right now," Rico insisted.

Lea's tone shifted to a more serious one. "It will be right after you tell me what's been going on with Gabriella."

Rico then recounted everything that transpired, from overhearing Gabriella and Matt's conversation to his explanation to Gabriella after she caught him kissing Marie. He gave himself and Lea a healthy dose of secondhand embarrassment as he recounted the events.

"Rico, why would you do that?" Lea's disappointment was evident in her voice. Rico could almost picture her shaking her head with disapproval.

"I don't know, Lea. When she caught us, I felt guilty, so I felt the need to let her know that Marie and I aren't even together. And you know I got reminded of her and Matt, so I wanted to know how she felt about him."

Lea, still disapproving, questioned, "And that was any of your business because?"

Rico whined, "Lea, come on."

"Nobody told you to go up to Gabriella and do all of that. You made it awkward yourself. All you need to do now is forget about it and act like it never happened," Lea advised.

Rico hesitated but eventually agreed, saying, "Fine."

Lea summed it up, "When you see her, just act as if nothing happened and talk to her like a normal person."

"Wouldn't that make it weird, though? Why can't I talk to her and explain that I didn't mean to cause any harm-"

Lea interrupted, "Rico, that'll only make it worse. Let it go. When you see her, just act normal."

"Alright," Rico relented.

Lea then informed him that she had to meet up with Kaleb and said her goodbyes. "Be safe. Love you," Rico told her.

"I love you too, Pookie. Bye," Lea responded before ending the call.

Even after their conversation, Rico couldn't shake the situation with Gabriella from his thoughts. It continued to weigh on his mind, causing him secondhand embarrassment. He found himself typing a paragraph, an attempt to explain that he hadn't meant to make the conversation awkward. However, as he reread the paragraph, he knew it wouldn't help his case. Rico couldn't comprehend why he'd reacted like this to the situation, and he couldn't understand why he'd risen to tell Gabriella that he and Marie weren't a couple. His mind was a mess.

Since Gabriella had entered his life, his thoughts had become increasingly scattered. There were moments when he felt nervous around her, and other times when her presence made him feel safe, as if all the chaos in his life had faded away. He didn't understand why that happened.

As Rico lay down to sleep, two questions still haunted his mind: Did he like Gabriella, or was the universe playing some sick trick on him again?