Chapter 2: Why're You Yelling?
Levi
"You're really going away?" she asked, facing the ocean, not even looking at me. I didn't mind though. Her face was kinda blurry anyway.
I could do nothing but sit cross-legged on the sandy shore and look at the horizon in front of me with tears running down my face. Before running away, waves of deep royal blue crept towards me, only to repeat the process in a loop that caused salty water droplets to spray on my naked, sand-encrusted feet.
But there was something much more spectacular and breath-taking beyond those magical waves: the sunset. Beautiful smudges of lavender, turquoise, and a fiery orange mixed together to create a sight so incredible it made me forget all my worries.
For the time being.
"Yes," I nodded. "They found out I called the orphanage and now they have to send me back."
"...It's all my fault."
"Yeah, it is," I joked. It was my decision to call them after all, she just gave me the idea.
Apparently, she didn't get the joke and bluntly stared at me.
I felt my cheeks warm at this. "Sorry, I was just kidding."
She stared back at the ocean. "Is it slightly even better? ...The orphanage?"
I thought about it. "No. But at least I went to school and wasn't forced into child labor."
She nodded, agreeing with me.
"...Are you ever gonna come back?" she asked, now playing with the sand.
I shrugged. "I hope so." I really hope so.
"Come back when you're rich."
My eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "Why?"
"My dad told me to marry a rich man or else he won't give us his blessing. He wants me to marry Evan but Evan doesn't like girls."
"Oh. Okay."
"You better not forget me," she threatened.
I gasped. "I could never! How can I forget someone so adorable?"
She didn't seem to appreciate the sarcastic tone.
I hugged my knees to my chest. "Can I ask you for a favor though? "
"Sure," she answered.
"...If i come back...can you make the first move? ...Approach me first? ...I'm too much of a coward to do so myself."
She smiled. "Of course. I was going to anyway. But only if you promise me something."
I quirked an eyebrow. "Which is..."
"Promise me you'll marry me when you come back."
I shook my head. "No thanks."
She glared at me and I felt the corners of my mouth go up a bit. "What? Why?"
"You should marry someone you love when you grow up," I grinned. That's what Isen used to tell me.
She scoffed. "That's not true. My parents are married but they don't love each other."
I turned to face her. "How do you know that?"
"My father said love is meaningless. The only thing you need in life is money. They only married each other because of money. That and they also don't sleep in the same room anymore but I don't think they know we know that."
Using a stick, I drew a flower in the sand. "I don't like your father very much."
"Neither do I."
That's depressing.
She stopped playing with the sand, letting it fall out of her small hands. "Then can you love me when we grow up?"
I nodded. "Sure, if you're not married to Evan yet."
She rolled her eyes then lifted her pinky up. "Do you promise?"
Letting go of the stick I was holding, I lifted my pinky up as well, tangling it with hers, I could feel my eyes getting wet. "I'll make sure I'm rich and buy you the shiniest ring in the world. I promise."
I couldn't see her face but I knew she was smiling. "I'll be waiting."
My last teardrop fell and hit the soft brown sand, and a warm feeling of safety overwhelmed me as the sun dipped down below the horizon. Just the fact that she was sitting right next to me made me feel like I was home, where I belonged, a place of escape. Right beside me.
And nothing could ever take that feeling away.
We let go of our hands and I picked up the stick again and so did she another one, then we continued to tweak the flower a bit, adding leaves and more petals and even her drawing a bunch of thorns but I had to rub them out because the flower's supposed to look cute but she just glared at me when I explained it to her to which I chuckled at.
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This wouldn't be the first time I've had a dream like this. Though it's worse than it first appears, I usually can never see the clear face of the person that I'm talking to. I can't place the name that belongs to her either. The only thing I do know is that she's real and so were our conversations. But if she walked right in front of me today, I would never realize nor bat an eye. And that's what bothers me.
Slowly and reluctantly, I uncover my face. I blink, close my eyes for a few seconds, open them, and blink again. My curtains were closed and there was still one month left of winter but I noticed a few streaks of sunlight illuminate through the window. (I never got how the sun woke those characters up in books and movies like, why are your curtains even open for you to literally feel the sun on your face?). I turn to face my side drawer and grabbed my phone, wincing as the bright screen blinded me. 6:57 am.
My alarm goes off at 7:00 am.
I sat up, drag my feet off the bed, and rub my knuckles onto my eyes. I stretch my arms above my head and yawn then watch my legs dangle above the green polyester carpet.
-
After settling for an aqua t-shirt with a science pun on it, light blue denim jeans, a black leather belt, and white sneakers, I clutched my black choker with a gold key necklace attached to it, dangling from it, and smiled as I tucked it inside my shirt which I never took off, grab my long padded jacket and backpack open my bedroom door and leave, closing it behind me.
-
I walked along the corridor and noticed that Charlie (my little brother) was still in his room.
That's weird, I thought. He's usually the first one up before any of us. It's not like him to just lie in bed. He usually does this on the first day of school. Whenever dad or I even mentioned the word school he would suddenly look less and less enthusiastic. This has become a problem but when we ask him what's wrong, he just smiles and says it's nothing. I know something's up but he just won't tell either of us what it is.
I don't really know anyone who actually likes school apart from me so...
I opened the door wider and strolled towards him, joining him as I sat beside him on his paw patrol filled merch bed. He finally realized I was there and stood up in shock, plastering a smile on his face. "Oh morning Lee, I was just about to go downstair-"
"Is something bothering you?" I asked, frowning.
He shook his head furiously. "No, why would there be. I just came to get my..." he searched around the room spotting a random object, "My backpack!" he grabbed it and slung it across his shoulder. "Let's go-"
Before he could finish his sentence I grabbed him and tossed him over my shoulder as I hung on to his legs. I ignored his yells of protest mixed with giggles and headed over downstairs.
At least this time the smiles were genuine.
-
"Pancakes!" dad yelled from the kitchen.
"Ooh, I'm hungry," I said, Charlie still on my shoulders and headed over towards the kitchen. I dumped him on the stool facing the counter.
"Those smell good," I told dad as I sat down on a stool myself.
"Of course they do because I made them. I told you those cooking classes paid off," he flipped another pancake from the frying pan. "I can't believe it's already Pancake Tuesday, I swear, it just crêped up on me."
I groaned, throwing my head back while and Charlie giggled. "Oh no."
"Oh yes, you'd batter believe it!" he smiled brightly as he wiggled his spatula up and down in front of our faces. "That Gordon Ramsey guy's got nothin' on me..." he stopped short. "...he does make pancakes right?"
I stopped to think about it. "...I don't know. And I'm the one that convinced you to take those cooking classes. Be grateful."
"Just...eat your breakfast," he smirked then said, "I'm sure it's flipping delicious."
I groaned while Charlie snickered trying to keep his mouth closed so chunks of chewed pancakes and syrup don't spew out.
"So, how're you gonna celebrate your last year of high school?" dad asked as he flipped another pancake.
"By attending," I stuffed a forkful of pancakes in my mouth.
He turned around again to face me and gave me a look of disbelief. "At least try to sound like you care."
"I mean what I said...or said what I mean?"- I shook my head. "Anyway, I only have one goal to archive on my list."
"When am I going to start high school?" Charlie asked as he stuffed another chunk of pancakes inside his mouth.
We looked at him. "When you're old enough...and tall enough," I said the last part and he stuck his tongue out at me to which I did the same.
"Any new news?" he asked changing the subject.
"Nope," I run my fingers through my hair. "But we've only been to two orphanages so I can't really say much." And the last one I went to didn't end very well. I decided not to tell him how I nearly mugged and saved it for another day. I nearly laughed out loud. All for seven dollars.
"You're gonna find them Lee," Charlie pated my back, making me feel slightly better but also guilty at the same time. "I promise you will. And even if you don't, you always have us," he smiled and stuffed another bite of pancakes in his mouth.
I smiled back at him. "Of course."
Charlie and I were both adopted. His biological dad died in a car accident the same day his mom died giving birth to him. He doesn't remember them obviously so he can't really say he misses them. I usually feel a bit guilty whenever I speak about the possibility of my biological parents still alive when he'll never even get to meet his.
I still wouldn't trade him for the world. He's still my brother, biological or not.
The doorbell rang, interrupting me from my thoughts.
"Oh, Ansel's here!" Charlie exclaimed as he stuffed his last forkful of pancakes into his mouth and ran towards the door. I grabbed my bag and headed towards the door as well leaving dad to look at us in shock.
"When will I ever get appreciated for any of my efforts?" I heard him ask.
"Hello everyone!" he announced as he threw his arms in the air. "Your ray of sunshine has arrived!" Hazel eyes and box braids at the top of his head which was shaved at the sides and back. He wore a Versace harness print shirt, Mickey Mouse print jeans with a black Gucci belt, and brown timberlands which really showed how big his feet were.
Loud, fun, with a bright personality. That person is Ansel Abbott. My best friend since 7th grade. His mother is Tanzanian and his father is British. They both met in England and moved to start their businesses here. They still visit England whenever they can with Ansel and his little sister Aadila and sometimes with us as well. Considering how outgoing he is, he can often seem shameless, but as much as he wants to fit in, he does not care what people think of him no matter how many times he gets picked on by Brandon and Laron. Ansel uses his clothing and fashion sense to express himself by wearing colorful, lively outfits, and sometimes spruces up his looks with drag-inspired makeup.
He also likes to bother me with the fact that he's only an inch taller than me.
He's 6'0.
Charlie practically flew into his arms and we both knew what he wanted.
Candy.
"Ok we both know why you're doing this," Ansel said as he reached into his backpack. He pulled out a small bag that I knew was filled with a bunch of sweets that Charlie was waiting for. "Thanks!" Charlie exclaimed and grabbed the bags before going back into the kitchen to brag about them to dad.
"That's really unhealthy you know," I told him. "You can get cavities."
Charlie ignored me.
---
"Bye Ansel! Bye Lee," Charlie waved us off as he neatly arranged his stationary set to put it back into his bag.
"Hey be back by si- I'm just kidding, come back whenever you want," dad laughed. "There's some potato cakes and other leftovers still left in the fridge if you're hungry when you come back from school!"
Ladies and gentlemen, my father.
---
We headed into the garage. Dad always offers to drive Ansel and I to school since he has time to drive Charlie but I think it's quicker and easier that I drive myself since I got my license and I also prefer to leave for school earlier so we can get things from stores if we wanted to. Ansel was chattering my ear off about his upcoming art show and all the hot guys that are gonna be there. He suddenly stopped short which made me stop walking as well. Out of nowhere, the guy yelled "OH. MY. GOD!" as he ran across the lot.
"LEVI YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE!" he gasped as he clasped his hands together. Referring to the black Volvo S90 parked in front of us.
I blinked. "What? Why're you yelling?"
"You got this so we could drive to school in it right?" he asked, stroking the roof of the car in adoration.
"Oh...no."
He scowled at my response. "Well, we're driving it anyways." he began moving around the car in small steps, eyeing it like some prize. "You know I rode my bike here this morning," he said with a frown. "I fell down the hill."
"...Oh." I tried not to laugh while imagining that. It didn't work.
He glared at me. "Haha very funny. You wouldn't be laughing if it was you. You know I got my outfit dirty. I fell into a mud puddle and had to go back home on foot because that stupid chain thing on the bike came off. I had to change my outfit, Levi." he looked back at the car. It took me a month to decide it was the one I was going to wear on the first day back. And a mud puddle ruins it of all things. Do you see my struggle here?"
I nodded. "That sucks and everything but, it's still gonna attract attention," I reasoned with him.
"And that's exactly what we want," he told me.
"Correction. That's exactly what you want," I raised a finger, correcting him.
"Pleeease? For me?" he pouted. "I won't make fun of your science pun shirts." I was most likely hallucinating but I think I saw white bubbles in his eyes. "Think about the shitty morning I had just to get here."
I gave in and groaned. "Fine. You're lucky you're cute." a few minutes later, I had the keys for the car that would be the death of me right in my hands and opened the door for Ansel to get in.
"Honey, I'm more than cute. I'm sexy. I'm hot. I'm extravagant. These are the phrases you can use to describe me ok, do not refer to me as just cute." He said as he got inside the car, saying the word cute with such disdain, it made me chuckle.
"Ok cutie," I winked at him and he glared at me in response.
"Since you think I'm so cute can I drive as well?" he asked hopefully.
"...It's not nice to get ahead of yourself Abbot."
---
I parked at the far end of the school parking lot, next to a red Mazda CX, and shut the engine off which switched off the radio that was playing a song Ansel was happily singing along to. After giving me a look, Ansel and I got out of the car and headed towards the entrance.
As with a regular high school, Crestview Arts students are required to take core classes such as English, math, science, social studies, etc up until 11th grade when you can drop most of these subjects and focus on the ones that you need to do for your desired career. While the school also has an athletics program with various types of sports teams, the primary focus is on the arts hence the name...Crestview Arts.
Or as it says on the official school website: 'Only those with excellent social status and filthy rich families are lucky enough to spend their time here at the Elite Private School: Crestview Arts. The Crestview Arts Committee/Student Body also known as the Royales is where the most handsome boys and most beautiful girls with way too much time on their hands entertain young students who also have way too much time on their hands by so much as blinking. It's basically an elegant place where the super-rich and beautiful hang out and can do and say whatever they want and not receive much punishment nor face real consequences of their actions. (Unless you're one of those scholarship students then I guess talent counts as well).'
Yes. It actually says that.
Ansel let out a huge sigh, getting his big smile again. "This year's gonna be so much fun."
I highly doubt that. If anything, this year's gonna be full of chaos.
We passed a guy vigorously eating a girl's mouth.
Oh, sorry, what I meant to say was, we passed two people engaging in intimate...uh, intimacy.
Otherwise known as kissing.
I furrowed my eyebrows. "Is that James Anton?" I asked Ansel.
"Yup. His hair grew over the summer which made him weirdly attractive for some reason. I'm tellin' you man, everyone's either hooked up or gotten a partner over the summer. Everyone except you."
"And you," I retorted.
He actually looked offended. "Uh, excuse me, when I wasn't hanging out with you over the winter, I was going all out-"
"Still. Not exactly a player," I nudged his shoulder.
"Yeah, well at least I'm not a virgin," he retorted.
"Haha." Unlike him, that wasn't really a big deal to me. So what if you're not a virgin anymore, you're still the exact same person you were when you still were. If that makes sense. Everyone treats sex as a goal as opposed to something you just do if you're ready or even want to.
"The truth is, I'm worried about you man. I mean, look around, everyone's either thinking about hooking up, about to hook up or actually hooking up," he pointed towards couples all around us. "And you're still a single pringle."
"You seem to be forgetting that you're single as well," I told him.
"Yes, but at least I, unlike you have done the deed, the-the in & out, the devils ta-"
I covered my ears with my hands. "Stop-stop it. Please," I cringed.
"Whatever man...or should I say, boy." his eyebrows knit together. "Do you even have armpit hair?"
I scrunched up my face. "Dude." he gave a shrug in response.
He stopped. "Wait." He narrowed his eyes at me. "Are you...ace?"
"...What?"
"Cause I'm perfectly fine with you being ace like it doesn't bother me in the slight-"
"I'm not asexual Ansel."
He blinked. "...Oh. So why do you want to be single then?"
I rolled my eyes. "Getting a significant other is the least of my worries right now."
"Umm, I don't know about that. Everything's changing fast. You need to have fun while it still lasts. No one's worrying about college just yet you noob."
"I don't have time to have fun."
I nearly died yesterday.
"Yes you do, you're just not using it. Noob."
"I'm not a noob."
"Noob."
"Stop it."
"Noooooob."
"Dude-"
He caught someone in the crowd and hurriedly dug into his bag, getting a green scarf out and tying it around his neck. Even going as far as to check his face on a compact mirror. I looked in the direction that startled him and rolled my eyes. Of course.
He was trying to look pretty for Laron Asfour. The second brown-eyed, black-haired biggest asshole you'll ever meet in this school in my opinion but he doesn't come close to someone else I know. He's the best player in the tennis team mostly wearing white, green, and yellow polo shirts, sneakers, headbands shorts, jackets/sweaters from popular activewear brands. The student body parliamentarian and seems to like to always shove the fact that his father's a state attorney and he lived in Paris before moving here.
He's condescending, rude, snarky, cocky, and a bad amount of unapologetic. He's also one of the only people who can effectively out-do Avery Garcia and Alexis Morretti in terms of insults. Apart from constantly starting scandals along with his friends, you can find him in a gay bar, looking for guys to pick up when he breaks up with his boyfriend of the month. He's used to getting his way and seems to be willing to do anything to get what he wants. (I don't just know this at the top of my head, by the way, Ansel showed it to me on the school's gossip website. Yes, we have a school gossip website).
Ansel is obsessed with him.
He either uses this to his advantage to make him do whatever he wants or he completely ignores him.
He adores him and Laron could not give less of a fuck.
We reached where he and his group were standing and I got ready to suffer internally.
"Nice scarf Abbott," Laron gave him a nod and continued to pretend that I don't exist which I was thankful for.
"Omg thanks, I forgot I was wearing it!" he swiped the scarf to the side. "Totally didn't even notice that it matches your tie!" he points at his tie and Avery and Alexis snicker inside the car.
Here we go again.
This is gonna be a long year.
---
Thank god. I thought, referring to Tom Baccins who just finished his weird speech on the stage in front of the whole assembly. The whole room was in complete silence even when he finished. If you exclude the loud claps of his best friend Garret who got a few weird stares from students around him.
"Thank you," Tom finished with a bow and smile.
No one else clapped.
Well, I mean, I clapped. Very, very silently.
"Thank you, Tom, for that speech of the poultry corporations. Because we all needed to know how sausages are made...," Principle Killem said into the microphone.
Tom nodded to him, the whole room still silent, only his footsteps echoing in the background as he walked back towards backstage.
"So, just a few things to get us started. Running in the corridors is against the rules. James Cairney didn't abide by this rule hence him and the...needle incident. I have spoken to his father, not that any of you care but he is slowly getting better, however, the damages of the event will still haunt him...and us. See kids, this is why you don't run in the halls. You end up like James. Don't end up like James please."- he cleared his throat awkwardly-"Moving on, it is my great pleasure to introduce to you, the Student Body President and Captain of the football team, Evan Miller," he smiled as he read his name.
The crowds cheered as Evan Miller ran inside the building high-fiving people's hands that were stuck out for him.
Where did he even come from?
He walked up to the stage, his hands raised, students trying as hard as they can to high five him, the crowds' cheers erupted even louder.
I lightly clapped.
He gave Mr. Killem a high five and went over to the microphone stand. He bowed his head and looked at us with a smirk.
Not looked around us, not looked behind us. No, he looked directly at us. Or to be more specific directly at someone next to me.
"This is our year everyone," he said with a deeper tone than his usual voice and a charming smile.
And the crowd went wild again.
I lightly clapped.
---
"Where the hell is it?" I looked at the timetable sheet that I had to for the semester. I wonder if I could change-
"Ouch," was the sound I made when I bumped into someone as we fell on the floor.
I looked at the person I was going to sincerely apologize to and quickly looked away, hiding my face but it was too late since she already saw me.
Shit. It's Rosalie Davis.
Her books and papers went flying and quickly tried to pick all of them because it's my fault they're on the ground anyway.
"Are you an idiot?" she asked me but I wasn't sure whether she was being sarcastic or not so I replied with:
I shook my head. "No. I'm not." Stay calm Levi.
"That was a rhetorical question."
I handed her back what seemed to look like a journal but felt something small under it. It's probably nothing. "Here you go."
"Don't touch my stuff," she suddenly snapped making me flinch.
"Just tryna help," I lifted my arms up in surrender.
"Yeah okay," she avoided my gaze and something ached inside my stomach.
"Guys! You shouldn't block the way," a voice said from down the hall, getting closer. I looked behind me only to see the famous Evan Miller making his way over to us.
"It's my fault, Evan," Rosalie replied (even though it wasn't, it was mine.) She finally looked at me and smirked. Yes, she actually smirked at me. "Bye Snowflake."
It's fine, I probably won't see her again any time soon.
---
I was wrong.
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He definitely will. For plot reasons.
I was tired so this is what yall get, I'm sorry.
(I was about to wash the dishes cause I was feeling nice and generous then my mom saw me and told me to go do the dishes and now I don't want to do the dishes).
~Potchachoe~