.
Blake
The auditorium is burgundy, gold, and copper with silver detail here and there. It’s fancier than any other school I’ve been to and gives off an old Shakespearean theater vibe.
I talked and joked with some of the guys in my class but I felt like I was being watched. By who? I don’t know but I can guess.
The thought of the person that could be watching me put a cheeky smile on my face and filled me with delight.
As my teacher and the Theatre teacher talk a girl dramatically emerges from the curtains.
I know her dark auburn hair and piercing grey eyes all to well. Of course it’s none other that the drama queen herself, Scarlett.
She looks at everyone and bows deeply then stands straight, “Hello dear peasants, I am your lovely Queen of Theatre, Scarlett Hart.”
My class laughed and clapped at the same time, I guess that introduction is a normal thing.
The Theatre teachers starts explaining what her thespians are doing, setting up and preparing for the play Romeo and Juliet starring Scarlett Hart and Vincent Van Lear.
Scarlett pranced over to me and sat down, crossing her legs on the stage. She comes close to my face and whispers in my ear, “Oliver is watching you because he’s too nervous to come out while your here.”
She moves away and I smile at her. A devilish twinkle shines in her eyes and a smirk pulls at her lips.
She gets up and hugs her teacher, “Ms. Beth, we should introduce the one who’s behind our award winning outfits.”
Ms. Beth, who was a plump woman that usually wore royal colors and a lot of jewelry, makeup, and perfume, started to smile and call out something. “Mr. Lafayette, come out here please.”
Very slowly Oliver emerged the curtains with a dark blush on my face. He walks out and Ms. Beth hugs him tightly. “This angel of a boy is the one behind all of this schools award winning costumes.”
Oliver’s blush darkened and her chuckled sheepishly, “Ms. Beth you flatter me.” Ms. Beth squeezes his cheek, “Oh no my boy, you are a genius!”
Oliver finally looks at me and our eyes are locked on each other. I make a heart with my hands to tease him, his eyes move to the ground but occasionally sneak glances at me.
Both teachers give us free time to explore the theater. Everyone starts walking around and talking to some or the theatre kids.
I dramatically jump on stage and pick Oliver up like a princess and whisk us away behind the curtains.
Once we were behind the stage Oliver starts giggling and kisses my cheek, “Thank you sir knight.” I sit down in a corner with him in my lap. “It is my duty to save a beautiful damsel.”
Scarlett still has a devilish look on her face as she stands in front of us. Oliver pouted and scowls cutely at her, “I hate you Scar.” Scarlett just laughs then walks away and leaves us alone.
Oliver sings a cute song that he made for me in his Choir class. I listen and sit back taking in his delicate and angelic voice.
~
At the end of school, Oliver, Clementine, Carter, Mazikeen, Scarlett, Harley, and me all walk home together.
Clementine and Harley talk to each other and Scarlett butts in, Mazikeen and Carter are listening to music on Carter’s iPod, and Oliver and I hold each other and he sings to me.
We were in no rush to get home so we took our time and even got some ice cream.
It was interesting to see everyone’s preferences. Oliver likes strawberry, Clementine like sherbet, Carter like mint chocolate chip, Scarlett like red velvet, Harley like fudge, and I like a vanilla and chocolate swirl.
We all get into a conversation about cosplaying and upcoming cosplay conventions.
Oliver has such a glow to him whenever I see him, it’s like he’s an angel.
Soon we all go our separate ways except for Oliver and I who sit on a park bench and watch the sun set.
I wrap my arm around him and hold him close. “I want to know more about you Oliver.”
I feel his heartbeat speed up and his breath hitch. He looks at me with those beautiful different colors eyes. “I’ll tell you anything, I trust you.”
His trust is a reward greater than any amount of money. “Tell me about your family.”
He’s quiet for a moment the speaks in a soft melancholy tone. “I was born in Paris, France like my mother and my siblings were also born in France but in different place.. My father died in his sleep when I was very young. I have a young brother and sister who both have different fathers…”
He starts choking up and I rub his back to comfort him. After a minute he continues, “My younger brother, Dominique, when our mother told her fiancé, his father, that she was pregnant with him he ran away…at the wedding…”
My heart started to swell and I hugged him tightly and caressed head to make him feel safe. “My younger sister Aruélie doesn’t even know her father and neither does anyone else including my mother…”
I can’t believe that Oliver has gone through all of this and to still be able to smile and love is truly magical. He continues even though I know that he’s hurting. “My mother has Osteogenesis imperfecta or Brittle bone disease so I take care of her and my siblings every day...”
He starts fully crying and of course I’m right there to comfort him. I decide to tell him about my family but make my sadness funny. It works and he starts laughing.
Once the sun fully goes down then we leave the park. I walk him home and kiss him goodbye and goodnight then I walk home myself.
My old man is passed out on the couch with bottles of alcohol around him. I avoid him and walk upstairs and open up my computer.
There’s one person that I trust all my secrets to and that my old best friend Yazmin.
Yazmin was a transfer student from Algeria and spoke Arabic mostly but she was cool. We met in sixth grade when she punched a guy for flirting with her. Ever since then we’ve been friends.
I text her an update of what has happened since I’ve got here and I wait for her reply.
As I wait I lie down in my bed and close my eyes. Oliver’s scent lingers on me, the scent of pastries and sugar.
Oliver is stronger than I am and he deserves everything in the world and anyone is out of their mind to think I won’t give it to him.
Slowly I fall asleep to Oliver’s song that he sang to me in the theatre. His look, his voice, his heart, he is my everything…
~
I work up to the sound of something falling over which means that dad is probably awake.
I rummaging sound continues in the downstairs hall where dads room is. He’s probably just gonna go back to sleep so I don’t need to worry about him yell at me while intoxicated.
I open up my computer again and see the message from Yazmin. She responded with, “WTH! How do you manage to get a date that quickly! Also power to you and your new boyfriend, you know how much I love gay couples. Also Clementine sounds like someone I would be friends with but also argue with. Hey! Do you think if I moved there that I could get someone too? Male, female, or tree, I’ll take what I can get, you know how lonely I am.”
Her reply makes me laugh, naturally she talks fast and when she texts it seems like she is talking fast cause she types so fast with a lot in one message.
I start typing back a response, “Of course my charm can get me someone easily, jk. I don’t really know but it’s kinda like love at first sight or something cheesy like that. But yeah, I’m pretty sure you could easy get a boyfriend, girlfriend, or treefriend if you came here, you should come visit me soon and I’ll let you meet my boyfriend.”
I knew that by teasing her she’ll immediately come here and I’ll be getting a phone call from her parents saying that she left and jumped on a plane to Florida.
After five minutes I get her response and I was correct, “I booked my trip, I’m getting on a plane tomorrow and spending two weeks with you. It costed me $2,924.78 which is nothing. I should be there by the time your out of school. I know your school so I’ll be waited, I want to see your boyfriend and I’m gonna get myself one too. I gotta pack, tootles Beasty.”
I look at the old nickname she gave me, Beasty or just Beast. It was for my rage when it came to someone hurting her, it made me seem like a beast so that's just what she called me.
I decided to text her parents and tell them what was going on. Their reply was calm, “Thank you Blake, I expected it would happen very soon anyways. Make sure she’s safe, eats enough, and doesn’t get hurt or into trouble.”
Yazmin’s parents have always been very calm, well her mother at least, her father is always worried about her.
Her parents are entrepreneurs, they own their own tea company called Moon Co. since their last names are Moon.
Not only do they have their own business, they own, buy, and partner with many other businesses as well.
Yazmin is next in line to inherit the business since she’s the only child and she will happily do it but she’s also a “live life like you’re about to die” type of girl.
It’s late so I should probably get some sleep since I’m gonna have to babysit Yazmin tomorrow.
Tomorrow is gonna be one hell of a day…
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