Vico still remember the day when her love life was flipped on its head (not that she had much of a love life).
It was a humid Friday with ugly gray clouds passing overhead. Even though rain had been in the forecast, not a single drop of water fell. Vico was at college trying to write down notes as much and as quickly as possible. It was only the third week and already she was bombarded with quizzes and homework assignments. She was fresh out of high school and just realized how unprepared she was (hurray for public education).
"And that's the end for chapter five," announces the professor. "Next Monday we'll have a quiz that covers all five chapters, including the lectures, so I hope all of you have been taking notes. Use this weekend wisely. Class is dismissed."
Vico drops her pencil, fingers sore from writing so hard and so fast. She was already stressing over how busy her schedule has become - and she's only taking three courses!
She groaned. "I'm ready for a nap."
Vico gathered her belongings and exits the classroom, rolling her backpack behind her. To her joy, Luke was waiting outside, a smile on his face, wearing his signature galaxy T-shirt. On it was a pic of an astronaut and the words, "I need my space." In his hand was a bag of goodies, which he waves in the air.
Vico gasped. "You didn't."
He nods.
"You didn't!"
He waves the bag in her face.
"¡Dame, dame, dame!" (Give me, give me, give me!)
He hands her the bag and Vico eagerly rummage through it to find a can of Arizona green tea, gummy worms covered in chamoy (a saucy condiment made of dried chilies, lime juice, and fruit), nachos, and - her all-time favorite - Takis.
"You're welcome." Luke bowed graciously.
"Luke," Vico sighed dreamily. "You and I were meant to be. You're the wife I've been looking for."
"I . . . I don't know if I'm ready," he turns away, holding his hands against his chest. "What if you leave me?"
"Sweetie, I'll never leave you. You have a pizza my heart."
They gazed at each other for a second before erupting into laughter. From nearby a groan was heard.
Vico smelled him before she saw him.
Sitting on an armchair several feet away from the two was Seth, a new friend Luke made when he entered college. Vico couldn't get why since the loser gave her bad vibes. He was nothing like her homeboy, at least from her perspective, but Luke seemed to like him.
"Hey," he greeted.
"Hey." Vico avoided eye contact, red-faced. Ugh, can't believe he just saw that. Why the heck is he even here?!
"So, ready to go home?" Asks Luke.
"Yes, please," Vico heaved.
"I call shotgun," declares Seth, who somehow teleported to her side. Goosebumps traveled down her back.
Vico stepped away from him, trying to keep a neutral face. "You're coming with us?" she questioned. Why?!
"Yeah." He doesn't add an explanation.
"Sorry, Vicky," apologizes Luke. "First serve, first come. So you'll be sitting in the back."
"It's better that way." Seth pats her head - boy, did she wanted to claw his hand away. "Kids aren't allowed to sit in the front."
"Yeah, yeah.'' She pulled away from him. "Let's go. I'm ready for a nap."
As they made our way through the halls, Luke and Vico did all the talking, while Smart-mouth only listened. Though she swears she felt his eyes boring on the back of her head.
"I have so much homework," Vico whined. "And on the third week! Shouldn't they give us time to adjust before throwing all these assignments out?"
Luke shrugged. "Welcome to college."
"La odio." (I hate it.)
"Same. Say, which degree did you choose? Have you decided what you wanted to become?"
"No, but since Cherry insisted I enroll in college, I went for the Associate of Applied Science degree."
"What's that?"
"Basically, it guarantees I'll get a job with good pay."
"Nice."
"What about you?" She inquires. "How're you doing in your classes?"
"Good," he shrugs. "They teach differently compared to high school so I understand it better. And for once, I actually like studying." He smiles embarrassingly.
Even though Luke graduated a year before her, he was actually pulled back by two years due to his grades. He struggled with academics all his life. But that all changed when Vico came into the picture. She's no Einstein and even she found some of the subjects hard, but she had will power. Thanks to her efforts and Luke's love for football (he had to maintain a certain grade average in order to play) he not only passed his classes he was in the top 30 students.
"Seth!" A chorus of feminine voices squealed.
Luke and Vico turned to see six chicas (ladies) in crop tops and leggings fresh out of the gym surrounding Seth.
Okay, Vico will admit it, Smart-mouth, in spite of his obnoxious personality, was drool-worthy. Curly, gold-blonde hair with silver-blue eyes and tan skin. He was tall, fit, and had a great sense of fashion. Even though his clothes were simple, he made it look like something out of Abercrombie's golden era. He had on a white T-shirt over a pair of denim and brown boots. To add more points to his sex appeal, homie had some sick tattoos. On the back of his right hand between his index and thumb was a trio of triangles interlocked. Stretching across the length of his inner, right forearm was an atomic compass: the nucleus was a 32-point rose encircled in a cyclone of electrons creating the iconic structure of the atom. Additional particles trailed along his forearm resembling those pictured in cloud chambers. On his left arm starting at his wrist was a black band that scattered into a flock of crows; mid-way up his forearm their forms evolved into geometric shapes before fusing into the circuit lines marking his upper arm. Yeah, homie could be the star of some bad boy romance.
The girls around him were undeniably attractive; blondes and brunettes, two of them had nontraditional hair colors, one silver-white and the other teal ombre. And they all had tattoos - some more than others.
Vico didn't care to listen, and turned back to Luke, but he seemed distracted, his sunny smile gone. Occasionally his eyes strayed to the harem, a hint of envy in his expression.
Envy? Luke? No way. He was way cooler than Goldilocks. There was no reason for him to believe he was less than that loser. Sure, he wasn't some Instagram model, but he was still attractive: green eyes and light brown hair with a stubby beard. Back in high school, he used to be chunky but now he's worked out enough that he's on the husky side. Fashion-wise, he's fine. But what he lacks (which he doesn't) he makes up with his personality. Granted, people use that in a negative term, but it's the truth. The proof is in his phone; a day doesn't go by when he's hit with notifications. There's just something about Luke that draws people in. It doesn't matter if they're the complete opposite, one way or another everyone just come to like this guy.
Oh. So that's how Seth became his friend.
Well, this 'friend' is getting Vico's sunshine down. She had to come up with something to distract him from his insecurities.
"So, Luke." She leaned toward him, trying to block his vision of the party behind them.
"Yeah?" He answered in a droopy voice.
"I was checking the calendar the other day and I remembered something special was coming up."
"What?" He asked gloomily.
"You should know."
"Not really." He pulls out his phone, obviously trying to distract himself.
"Yeah, you do." She elbowed him.
"No, I don't."
Okay, that's it. She backslapped him on the arm. "Menso, your birthday!"
"Ow! Easy there, Count Spankulot." He rubs his arm.
"¡Mentiroso!" (Liar!) "I didn't hit you that hard."
"Yeah, you did. What do you expect from a Mexican? You're used to the pain since ya like whipping kids." He chuckles.
Yes, his mood was changing. Gotta keep it up.
"Oooh, we got a racista here. Don't make me report your sorry white behind. You disappointment me, Luke. Just a minute ago I was ready to put a ring on you. Now I'm beginning to question if you're wifey material." She turned away, arms crossed.
"No, please," he pleaded jokingly. "I didn't mean anything by it. Sweetheart, don't do this. I'm touched that you remember my birthday. Please, forgive me."
Vico moved away, pretending to ignore him, but he persisted, trying to catch her eye as he made stupid faces at her. She resisted the urge to laugh, and she was succeeding until Luke did the unthinkable. His fingers gripped her sides and tickled her relentlessly.
"¡Ya!" (Stop!) She squealed.
"Not until you forgive me."
"Ne-ver!" She howled.
It was becoming too much for her to handle. So she flung herself away, catching her breath. At the corner of her eye, she sees Luke trying to sneak in another tickle attack.
She holds up her hands, declaring, "I give up, I give up!"
"Wimp." He tugs her braid.
"So we're ready to leave or what?" Seth asks.
Vico nearly jumped into the air. She wasn't a skittish person, but she didn't sense him at all. Just a minute ago, he was with his harem. Suddenly, he's beside her. Even though there was a good two-feet distance between them, he still felt too close for her.
"Okay, okay," chuckles Luke. "Come on." He wraps an arm around Vico's neck and drags her away, rolling her backpack along. Vico's body flushed at the contact, but this time she wasn't angry. No, this was a completely different emotion, one she felt since high school. One that she's been trying to find the guts to confess.
I love you, Luke.
Understandably, love's a strong word. But in this circumstance, Vico can use it with confidence. She's known Luke since her freshman year. They met in art class - which he had to take as an elective. The more she got to know him the more she liked him. And the more she liked him the deeper her feelings became. Sure, they have their differences: Luke's a people-person, while Vico gets drained if she's in a room with just two strangers. He's loud and boisterous, she's only like that when she's mad or competitive. He likes to go out every weekend - twice a month is enough for her. But, where they differ in their personalities and social lives, they connect in everything else. They have similar tastes in food, music, jokes, shows, movies, etc. They were each other's biggest supporters in their worst seasons. They've taught each other in a lot of aspects. Their friendship is solid. Her love for him isn't shallow. Vico knows Luke. She's not looking at him thru rose-tinted glasses. She's seen him at his worst. He's seen her at her worst. Yet, they stuck through it all, accepting each other wholly. They understood each other.
Vico wanted to confess to Luke on his last year of high school, but it would have been illegal for them. He's three years older than her. She didn't want to get him trouble. So she kept her feelings bottled up for two whole freakin' years. She would've confessed this past summer, but she's been so busy with work. Luke himself was traveling the country. Sure, they could've texted, called, DMed, all of that, and they did, but she wanted to do it face-to-face.
And now that they're in college, why hasn't she confessed to him? Well, seeing that his birthday is coming up, she thought that'd be the perfect setup. First, she's gonna give him his presents, which will be the best he'll receive (she can already see his reaction). Then, at the end of the party, when the two are alone she's gonna tell him.
But, wait, does Luke feel the same?
Well, it's pretty obvious. He's completely comfortable around Vico. She's one of the first people he reaches out when he wants to talk or announce good news. If he wants to hang, he doesn't ask. He'll show up and take her out. And she's the only one he does that to. Basically, all the signs are there. It's just that when it comes to romance, he's had a horrible streak. So his hesitation is understandable.
Overall, Vico's confident. She has a good feeling it'll all turn out great.
She giggled, feeling giddy with excitement.
"What?" He asks, smiling.
"Nothing." She simpers at him.
They're nearing the exit doors when, suddenly, Luke is tackled by the side, the force of it transmitted to Vico. She stumbles away and was close to colliding her face against a column when Seth comes to the rescue. He grabs her arm and yanks her back, pulling her into his chest (ugh!).
She doesn't bother to thank him. Partially because she doesn't want to, but at that moment her focus was on Luke. She had to check if he was alright and confront the imbécil (imbecile) that tackled them.
She pulled away and turned to see a curious sight. A chica (chick) she's never met was affectionately hugging Luke. She went as far as to rub her face into his chest (cringe much?). Luke, in the meantime, was red up to his ears. But he wasn't embarrassed or mad, he looked . . . elated? And there was more to his expression: the twinkle in his eyes, the glow in his face, and a vibe that Vico was very familiar with.
No.
"Lori, you nearly gave me a heart attack," he happily scolds.
"Sorry. I just missed you so much. I didn't want to wait any longer." She grins sheepishly, dimples in her cheeks.
"Yeah, I know the feeling."
The two gazed into each other's eyes for an uncomfortable length of time. Meanwhile, Vico was experiencing some weird symptoms. Her body was burning up as sweat gathered in her palms and pits, even though she's freezing inside. Her eyes stung as if they were dry, but they were perfectly moist - a bit too moist. Her head was tight with tension. She can feel her heart pounding its way up to her throat lingering at the back of her mouth, ready to launch out. And this made her feel really nauseous.
No, I'm imagining things! They're just friends. Good friends. Nothing's going on between them. Nothing at all.
"Hey, Luke," Seth spoke, startling all three of them. "Are you going to introduce her or what?"
"Oh, yeah." He reddens. He unfurls his arms from around the stranger, but held her hand, their fingers interweaved. Vico's chest became tight, making it painful to breathe.
"Vicky." He had on the biggest smile she's ever seen. The corners of his mouth went deep into his laugh lines. He was practically beaming. "There's someone important I want you to meet," he continues.
Important? What does he mean by that? A long-lost sister? Maybe a cousin. Please, don't say it. Don't confirm my suspicions. Don't let it be true. Please, Luke!
"This here is Lori."
"Hi!" She animatedly waves a hand.
"Hey," Vico greeted back in a low voice, straining a smile.
She was undeniably cute: a choppy pink bob; beautiful gray eyes and brown freckles dotting her face. She wore a black-and-mint stripped shirt underneath mini overalls with a pair of black Converse shoes.
"Lori, this is Vicky," introduces Luke.
"I know. You already said her name, doofus." She giggles.
"Yeah, well, you . . . At least you won't forget now that I've said it twice," he stammered.
"You're so cute when you're nervous." She pokes his cheek.
"Loriii," he whined. "You're embarrassing me."
"What, I can't help it. Besides, you're gonna have to get used to it now that you're my boyfriend."
"Boyfriend?" Vico questioned, looking to Luke for an explanation.
No.
No.
No!
"Yeah." He shyly rubs the back of his neck. "I forgot to mention. Lori's my girlfriend. We've been dating for a couple of months."
"Nice to meet you." The chick named Lori hugs Vico, eager to be acquainted.
But the only thing she was acquainted with was a broken heart.