2 Chapter 02: "Romeo and Juliet"
One of the greatest misunderstandings in history occurs in the tale "Romeo and Juliet." This tale is often considered a misunderstanding because their deaths result from a series of coincidences and communication failures that could have been avoided if they had communicated better or if they had been more patient and cautious. This story, like many others, repeats itself over and over again. After all, does art imitate life or does life imitate art?
- A.B.D.D.S
-------•×•--------•×•--------•×•--------•×•------
(Otis)
maybe... just maybe there's still time for us?
Would it be a good idea to text her now?
No. I don't want to leave one relationship and jump into another right away.
.
.
.
Fuck it, I'm going to text her. I jumped out of bed to grab my phone from the charger.
I sit back down on my bed and start to think, what message can I send to Maeve?
Declaring my feelings? Not. She confessed her feelings in person... I'm not sure if that counts as a confession.
However, that's not the point. I think the best option would be to ask her to meet me somewhere. In that kind of somewhat romantic style she secretly enjoys, even if just a little.
Humm.
Maybe I should call. Yes, calling would be better.
The call rang and rang and rang... until it went to voicemail. I decided to leave my message there and expose some of the feelings I had kept inside.
"Maeve... Errr. I didn't want to talk about this over a call, but... I wouldn't be able to sleep otherwise. So, here it goes."
I take a deep breath as my mind goes blank, I can't think of anything. Only her face comes to mind. So I decided to speak from my heart.
"You telling me you had feelings for me was all I wanted to hear and I was so caught up in wanting to do the right thing that I forgot what the right thing is. It's you. It has always been you. I love you, Maeve."
I feel my eyes tear up a little and I keep talking as I walk around the room.
"Haha, maybe saying this over the phone is kinda cheesy or maybe even cowardly. But if you still feel something for me and want to try to make it work somehow... Meet me at the abandoned bathroom before the first period. I'll wait for you, no need to respond. If you don't show up, I'll have my answer. See you tomorrow or not, bye Maeve."
I hang up the phone and feel a weight lifted off my chest and a smile on my face.
That's it, a little dramatic for my taste, but I just ended a relationship. And I'm feeling a little emotional.
*Sigh*
Tomorrow will come faster if I sleep now. So, let's see what tomorrow holds for me.
I lay down and tried to fall asleep.
.
.
.
.
But I can't sleep. I can't get her out of my mind. Funny, I was ready to get over her yesterday. And now, I jumped at the first chance I had to be with her.
Am I a needy idiot?! Maybe. Many people are, have been, or will be. But that doesn't mean I'll push harder than necessary.
'You can't get blood out of a stone.'
It's a phrase I heard somewhere, but it makes sense. I'll try, one last time with Maeve.
If it doesn't work out, it doesn't. Some things don't happen as planned. But I won't give up without trying at least once.
"Well. Then... Good night to me. I guess."
I wrapped myself in my blanket and tried to sleep, it wasn't an easy task.
-------•×•--------•×•--------•×•--------•×•------
"I can use your stove? Mine gas ran out."
"Ohh, and why should I let you do that?"
Maeve looks at the wheelchair boy ironically and says.
"Because you stole mine several times?"
"Hum, nothing you can prove. But I'll allow it." Isaac responds while mimicking a kind of royal salute.
The black-haired girl entered the trailer, with a kettle in her hands. Putting her coat on the armchair.
While Maeve heated some water to make her sister's food. Meanwhile, her phone rang and rang in her jacket pocket.
Maeve was lost in thought and didn't even hear the phone ring, the ringtone volume was low, but one person heard it.
Isaac goes to the jacket but doesn't make it in time to answer the call. He saw that a voicemail was left, he saw the name... Otis.
'A man!'
The boy's pupils dilate, his mouth goes dry, and his fists clench.
He quickly grabs the phone and heads to the bathroom.
.
.
Isaac listens to the entire voicemail. His mind was full of thoughts about what could happen or not happen, finally. He decides to bet all his chips and delete the voicemail.
'There will be no chance for Romeo while I'm here.'
Furthermore, he blocks calls from this number as Spam.
Juliet may not know now, but her Romeo was deceived. And a series of misfortunes may be enough to drive the final nail in this coffin.
-------•×•--------•×•--------•×•--------•×•------
Otis and Eric are currently biking towards Mordale School, chatting amiably. Just another normal morning for the two best friends.
"Otis."
"Yeah?"
"I'm going to take a detour, need to talk to Rahim before class. See you in the first period."
"Okay, good luck!"
Eric takes a different path from Otis. The blue-eyed boy continues his way to Mordale School. He takes off his helmet, places his bike in the usual spot, and locks it up.
He walks through the corridors until he reaches his locker, where he stows his helmet, closes and locks it before heading to the agreed-upon spot.
It's still 7:30, his watch is a bit ahead. The next class wouldn't start until 8:15. So, all that's left now is to wait. One way or another, he would get an answer.
-------•×•--------•×•--------•×•--------•×•------
I waited in front of the bathroom for some time, I looked at the clock and it showed what I feared. It was already past 8 in the morning.
"Maybe she didn't receive the voicemail, should I call her?"
I can't decide, what to do at this moment. I had already said I wouldn't insist more than this, and here I am thinking about calling again.
Yes, I will call.
The phone rings and rings and rings again. Until I see Maeve from afar. She looks at the phone and puts it away again.
"Your call is being forwarded to voicemail. Please leave your message."
*Bip*
So, that's it.
I guess I have my answer.
It's over.
-------•×•--------•×•--------•×•--------•×•------
"Rahim, I needed to talk to you."
"So you finally decided to stop ignoring me?" Responds to the French exchange student, tones of irony in his voice.
"I'm sorry. I had to take some time for myself, to think about some things. Everything has been so new to me."
Eric seems to hesitate for a moment but quickly regains confidence.
"Do you want to be my boyfriend, Rahim?"
The boy's face remained neutral for a few moments but soon gave way to a charismatic smile as he replied.
"I asked first!"
"Hahaha, yes, it's true. I want to be your boyfriend, Rahim."
They look at each other as their bodies draw closer, their gazes alternating between each other's mouths and back to their eyes.
Before they start kissing, Eric pauses after hearing footsteps nearby.
"Shit, there are people around."
Rahim doesn't hesitate, he says right after.
"I don't care!"
And initiates another kiss with Eric.
That was it, everything Eric could want. A boyfriend who liked him kissed well and dared to be who he was. Just like him.
-------•×•--------•×•--------•×•--------•×•------
Otis has just left the classroom with some books in his hands; he goes to his locker to put them away. His walk was a little sad and discouraged, but he'll bounce back.
He was trying not to think too much about what happened, automatically storing his books in the locker, but his thoughts were quickly interrupted.
"My boyfriend wants to do anal sex with me, but I don't know how to do it. You need to help me, because I can't, under any circumstances, shit myself!"
'Ohh, a clinic case. Maybe helping someone will be distraction enough.'
"What do you know about doing douche?"
"I've heard of it, but I don't know how to do it, I have no idea where to start. I've searched on various websites and they all say different things." Anwar says with blatant despair in his voice.
'Hmm, maybe Eric knows about this. At least more than I do.'
"I'll do some research and give you an answer later. Is that okay?"
"Okay, whatever. But I'll only pay you after I get my answer." One of the members of the Untouchables Group says and then leaves. Otis smiles when he sees Eric and Rahim coming his way. "Hey, you guys are the people I most wanted to see right now. What do you know about Anal Douching?" Says the blue-eyed boy as he leans his arms on the couple, standing between them as he waits for their response.
Eric doesn't think much and responds. "To be honest, not much, Otis." Rahim nods and says. "I know everything about it, I'll teach you."
The two boys stop and look at each other, surprised by the Frenchman's confidence on the subject. Rahim walks a bit before turning around and speaking to the shocked boys. "Let's go. The biology classroom is empty now."
After just a few minutes of walking, they arrive at the classroom. Rahim starts drawing and writing on the blackboard while Otis and Eric take a seat to listen to him.
While Rahim explains the whole process for doing Douch. Otis murmurs so that only Eric can hear. "I arranged to meet Maeve this morning."
"But already!? You don't waste any time, do you?" Eric says jokingly but then becomes serious when he sees his friend's neutral, yet somewhat melancholic expression. "What's wrong, Otis?"
"I arranged to meet her this morning, before the first class. I left her a voicemail declaring my feelings and that if she felt something for me, she should meet me in the abandoned bathroom."
"Maybe she didn't see the message, have you thought about that?"
"Yes, I thought about it. And I called her, while I was calling her, I saw her arriving. I saw her looking at her phone and putting it back in her backpack, and my call went to voicemail. So I got my answer. But don't worry, I'm okay, I'll get over it."
"I'm sorry, Otis. But, this is a bit strange. Don't you think that, knowing Maeve a bit, she would at least show up to put an end to this?"
"Maybe I don't know her as well as I thought. But I can't judge people, Eric, she does what she thinks is best. I left myself at her mercy, I was ready for rejection."
"Maybe you should talk to her in person, you know, to put an end to it once and for all?"
"What, I already have a no, now I'm going after humiliation? I don't think so."
Eric tries to think of a solution to distract his blue-eyed friend somehow.
"Why don't you throw a party? I can invite the Swing band guys and we can have fun! What do you think?"
Otis would normally have refused, parties are not his thing. However, maybe doing something that isn't his usual thing is exactly what he needs to get over his crush.
A party, women, and drinks. Everything a man needs to suffer and forget about the woman. Or in his case, a teenager.
"Alright, let's do it! I'll make roasted chicken, some Guaca..."
Eric sort of shouts in a low whisper. "Don't make roasted chicken! No way. It's a party, let's buy some snacks and that's it."
"But..."
"Who came up with the party idea? Ah yes, it was me. You don't know how to throw a party, you're too... Rigid. Although I see significant improvements."
"And what do you know about parties, you've never thrown one!" Otis says mockingly. "Besides, the party will be at my house so I have a say too. But... I'll accept your... Suggestion."
Rahim interrupts them by shouting. "ARE YOU GUYS LISTENING TO ME!??"
"YES, SIR!" Eric and Otis straighten their backs, Rahim smiles as if he hadn't just shouted and goes back to explaining while showing the drawings on the board.
"Rahim and I will invite some people, you take care of the food and find a way to convince your mom. And please, Don't make roasted chicken. Before we head to your place, I'll buy the drinks."
Otis nods and returns his attention to his friend's new boyfriend.
-------•×•--------•×•--------•×•--------•×•------
"Hi Mom, how are you today?"
Jean looks suspiciously at her son's sudden affection. He has been quite rough in his responses lately. So, this could only mean one thing.
"What do you want, son?"
"Can't I come to see my favorite mom?"
"At school? Where do you pretend I don't exist? Don't underestimate me, what do you need so much that you came to talk to me here?"
"Don't be so surprised by my displays of affection, Mom, be sure they'll be more frequent from now on."
"Oh, and why is that?"
"Because I realized you won't live forever. I have to enjoy while you're here, right?" Otis says as he looks into his mother's eyes.
She, on the other hand, is surprised by this level of wisdom from her son. He may be very mature in some things, but emotional intelligence is not his strong suit.
"Eric was right, you've changed!" Jean says, nodding. Eric, her son's friend, had shared yesterday that he noticed some strange behaviors in Otis.
She paid to see it and lost, her Otis was changing. And fast.
The blue-eyed boy in question smiles, as if he had just proven a point. "And that's why I'm throwing a party tonight. So I wanted to know if it would be possible for you to... You know, leave the house for a bit, have some fun out there."
Jean starts laughing for a moment as she says, "Being kicked out of my own house by my eldest son? I suppose you're right, wouldn't want an old lady like me to ruin your party."
"It's nothing personal, mom. It's just... That... You know." Otis gets a little awkward explaining but Jean interrupts him, smiling.
"Don't worry, I'll leave. I'll be back by 11. Don't want to see anyone there."
Otis smiles and approaches his mother, kissing her cheek and saying, "Thank you, mom."
Before he can leave, Jean stops him.
"Otis!"
"Yes?"
"You know you can tell me anything, right?"
"Yes, I know, mom. Thank you. Love you!"
The blue-eyed boy leaves the room, leaving his mother pensive about the possible reasons for his behavior change.
'Maybe he's lost his virginity? Many people change after the first time, I need to know more about this.'
-------•×•--------•×•--------•×•--------•×•------
"What are you doing tonight?" Isaac asks as he follows Maeve.
"I'm busy!"
"I know, you've already told me that. I just want to know what you're doing."
Maeve thinks for a moment and then sighs before turning around to respond to the persistent boy.
"I'm going to buy some things to make dinner for my sister."
"What do you have in mind?"
"Maybe a tuna pâté sandwich," Maeve says, and upon looking at Isaac, she notices him smiling as he looks at her.
"They always told me I had magic hands... You know, before I lost that ability after fighting two lions to save a child. But experience is what counts, I can help you cook."
Maeve rolls her eyes and turns around to continue walking.
"I thought we were friends!" Isaac says as he looks at the back of the girl he likes. She looks back at him with an ironic expression.
"And why do you think that?"
"Because you used my kitchen yesterday? That makes us best friends in my book."
Isaac says, but seeing that maybe this isn't enough to convince the black-haired girl, he continues.
"Come on. I don't want to spend another night locked in the trailer with my brother. I have a great brain that's slowly dying of boredom. Please don't let it die, Maeve."
The girl can't help but smile as she finally agrees.
"Okay, fine. You can come, but you have to help me."
-------•×•--------•×•--------•×•--------•×•------
Meanwhile, Otis was getting dressed in his room. Opting for a darker color palette, a basic black button-up sleeveless shirt, and beige pants with brown-toned shoes.
Usually, this shirt and pants would be quite loose as it's his style, but due to some sort of growth spurt, his muscles filled the previously loose space of the shirt.
Not that he was complaining, and it even crossed his mind to start doing some morning runs and exercises to stay in shape. Maybe even learn some martial arts; That would be hard to find someone to teach him, though.
'I don't know since when I've been thinking about this, but... It just feels right.'
Otis shrugged and didn't care much, it's a positive thing anyway.
*Ding, Dong*
His doorbell rang and he quickly went downstairs to greet his guests.
Surprisingly, the first to arrive was the quiz team.
'I don't remember any of their names.'
"Hey, Eric's guests?"
The black girl takes the lead of the group comfortably, apparently, she's used to doing that a lot.
"Yeah, I'm Vivienne, but you can call me Vivi. We brought sodas and some snacks as requested, where can we hang out?" Vivienne "Vivi" asks Otis after showing what they bought.
The boy smiles before grabbing the bags and saying.
"You can make yourselves at home, sit wherever you want. Let me put on some good music."
.
.
.
.
A couple of hours passed and a dozen people had arrived, the Untouchables; the Swing band; and some athletes, including Jackson.
Otis didn't know what was more surprising, Eric managing to get the Untouchables from Mordale to come to the party or enjoying the party himself. He hadn't drunk anything, just soda, it's good to know how to have fun under control.
The blue-eyed boy takes advantage of the party to, besides having fun, tie up some loose ends.
He approaches the most beloved swimmer in school and says. "Hey, Jackson. You came, I'm glad."
Jackson looks at Otis with various emotions on his face, anger; contempt; and a little envy.
The anxious athlete doesn't respond and tries to leave but is quickly interrupted by Otis.
"Dude, please, I just need to talk to you for a bit."
Jackson seems to be trying to catch his breath, at first Otis thinks it's anger or impatience, but he realizes it seems to be something more... Complex.
"What do you want?"
"Well, let's be straightforward here. Why do you hate me?"
Jackson seems incredulous for a moment before laughing. "You know Maeve isn't with me anymore because she's in love with you, right?"
"Well, if it'll make you feel better. I'm not with her, she doesn't like me anymore."
The athlete shakes his head as he says. "I highly doubt that, even when she was with me, she had one of your jackets, slept with it, and everything. There's no way she just stopped liking you out of nowhere."
"Yeah, but that's what happened. I confessed and everything. She just moved on."
"You confessed?" Jackson questions. Otis nods. "In person?" Otis disagrees.
"What kind of man are you, you have to talk to her in person. Only accept an answer when you hear it from her mouth or see something of that level. Something like her being with someone else or something like that. But if she's single, only accept defeat when you hear the no in person." Jackson advises as his more empathetic side takes over.
"But..."
"Dude, no buts. I don't know why I'm helping you get with the girl I still like, a lot."
Otis smiles at Jackson's words, he grabs a soda from the nearby table and offers it to his peer.
"Here, take it. It seems we've switched roles, remember when I unintentionally advised you? Yeah, back then I already liked her."
Jackson takes the drink, now visibly calmer and less aggressive with Otis. "I remember that man if you felt half the agony I'm feeling. Then you're forgiven. Hah."
"You can bet on that, it messed me up," Otis says as he takes another sip of his favorite black beverage.
They talk for a few minutes before Jackson returns to the subject at hand.
"So, just like I followed your advice back then. You have to follow mine now, not because you owe me. But seriously, you have to talk to her. Make sure of it before giving up, you know."
"I agree with Jackson, Otis." The blue-eyed boy in question startles at his friend's unexpected interruption, before he can say anything, Eric says. "Go on, go already, I'll take care of the house while you're gone. Go, shoo, shoo."
Otis smiles at his friend, he empties his entire cup of soda as if it were alcohol. Before slamming his hand with the cup on the table and saying.
"Keep the house intact until I come back," Otis says as he runs to grab his bike and go to his beloved Juliet.
Eric smiles, he looks at Rahim who was explaining the entire process of the douche to Anwar, and starts to approach them.
"...If you're not ready to talk to your boyfriend about the douche then you're not ready for it," Rahim says to his colleague, this seems to hit the Untouchables member squarely.
Anwar seems very pensive for a moment before looking back at Rahim. "Thanks, Rahim. That was... Enlightening."
The only boy member of the Untouchables gets up and leaves the room, his destination is a mystery.
Eric sits down and starts chatting and flirting with Rahim, it's not very hard to create a good atmosphere when you're with your boyfriend, especially at a party. Soon they are kissing, but not for long, Eric stops the kiss for a moment to catch his breath and at that moment he spots the person he least wanted to see at the moment, Adam Groff.
He stops the kiss not knowing how to react, Rahim quickly notices and looks to where Eric is looking and sees Adam. Confused and a little annoyed to see his boyfriend's former bully. He asks, "What is he doing here?"
Adam looks at Eric for a moment and quickly leaves the party.
"I'm sorry, I'll be back in a few minutes."
-------•×•--------•×•--------•×•--------•×•------
The cold wind was cut by the bicycle at high speed, Otis couldn't wait to see Maeve. And put an end to this story once and for all.
Arriving quickly at the trailer where Maeve lived, Otis leaves his bike on the ground next to his helmet. As he walks to the trailer door, he sees a familiar piece of clothing thrown in a mud puddle next to the trailer.
Approaching, he sees that it's his jacket, labeled on the part where the neck would be, his name was there. The jacket was completely dirty and wet, he picked it up from the ground and prepared to knock on the door, but before that happened, he heard two laughs. One was very familiar, the other was strange and masculine.
And, unintentionally, he ends up hearing a bit of the conversation that was happening in the trailer.
"Are you liking someone?" The male voice asks.
"At the moment I'm going through a process to overcome some feelings. It may take a while, but I don't want to miss more opportunities because of a boyfriend. I need to focus more on myself, and less on others." Maeve's distinctive voice says.
Everything becomes somewhat muted, nothing else really matters at the moment. All that goes through Otis's head is the pain of his heartbreaking.
Although he was prepared, Jackson was right, in person is different.
He had arrived late, his messages being ignored, his calls unanswered, his jacket thrown away, and now this decision she had made.
'She... She's moving on, I guess... I guess I should too.'
His blue eyes are full of tears, they trickle when he blinks. But he shakes his head before smiling and turning around, throwing the jacket on the ground again. He decides to leave, he has a party to enjoy.
-------•×•--------•×•--------•×•--------•×•------
Hey guys, how are you? I hope well. Well, let's talk about this chapter, shall we? We finally reached the part where I imagined and where I started to create this fic in my mind. In the next chapter, we'll have changes in the dynamics of the characters, why? R.M. is the answer.
Well, the schedule will be one chapter per week, but an average of 4 to 5 thousand words per chapter. I prefer to release a complete chapter of a single episode of the series rather than fragmenting it into several chapters. My work demands a lot from me, so I only have the night to write, I hope you understand.
Well, I hope you enjoyed the chapter, if you can, please review and comment. I love reading your comments, they are the best motivators for me.
Well, that's it. Take care and see you soon.
From your unlikely, handsome, and favorite author...
- Abel Wizard.
