& The Reason Is You

Time flies when you’re having fun and I have to admit that I’d rather spend time with Mike Fuentes than attending a party (I’ve never even been to a party before but Blaise used to tell me stories of the party he had been invited to and it seemed like a lot of fun).

On our way home, we just talked about everything and anything and we had a good laugh. Most of the time, (obviously) he did all the talking while I just listen and sometimes blush when he was teasing. He made me questioned whether he was just fooling around aka pretending to be interested in me or he was really gay. But he was Mike Fuentes, he was an unexpected guy.

When I can finally see my house not too far away, I immediately decreased my speed, wanting this moment to end. I slowed down and pretended to tie my shoelaces although they were already tight. I couldn’t help it – he was the first guy I like ever since I got over Blaise. When we stopped in front of my house, he just stopped talking and muttered, “Well, this is it.”
I looked at him, raising my eyebrow. Suddenly, the urge to ask him something that had been bothering me since day one came up.

Before I could even stop myself, I found out that I was already whispering his name, causing him to look up to me and waited for a question.

“I was just wondering…” I began, thinking whether this is the right time to ask him that or just pretended that I never wanted to ask him a question. “What actually made you become friends with me?”

His eyes widened for a while and then he pretended to look nonchalant. I continued, “I mean, it’s not that I hate you or anything but it’s just weird, you know? We’ve never talked before and all of a sudden you were kind of bullying me and then you got me into detention and then we’ve become closer and then you come by and hang out at my house – I mean, hang out with Val, not me, but still… it just feels weird you know?”

He didn’t answer. Slowly, he asked, “Weird? Why is it weird? We’re friends.”

“I meant,” I took a deep breath, I began to stutter as I continued, “I was friendless and I am that super lame kid that doesn’t even have a facebook account and out of the blue, you came. I didn’t mean that as a bad thing, but it’s just weird. Why would you want to be friends with me?”

That last sentence was actually hurtful. I wanted to know the answer but at the same time, I’d rather not. Was he just using me to make fun of me? I didn’t know but I wish not. For the whole time I was talking, I was staring at his shoes and wondered how many years he had been wearing them.

Then silence filled the air. That was when I realized maybe I was right. Maybe it hit him that I was just something to be made fun of. But damn, I was wrong.

“You’re a cool guy, Tony.”

I immediately looked up to him with a confused look on my face. Did he really just say that or my ears were deceiving me?

“Yeah, I know I’m a shitty guy and you don’t deserve a shitty friend like me,” he began but I disagreed because he wasn’t a shitty guy – he was a fucking great guy! He then cleared his throat, as if he was ready to make a speech. “I just wanted to be friends with you because, you’re just you. The reason is you and that’s it.”

I raised my eyebrow, puzzled with his statement. That was just absurd! No one wanted to be friends with me but why him?

He must’ve sensed that I still wanted more specific answer so he continued, “Unlike you, I can’t actually stand up for myself because I’m dumb.”

What? Did someone hit Mike with a hammer?

“You know how I was hated by many at school?” he asked. I didn’t respond because even though many people dislike Mike, there were actually more people who likes him and those who dislike him actually wanted to be like him and that was a fact. “Yeah, I’m that famous,” he joked which made me chuckle and less nervous about all of this shit.

“Well, people talk shit behind me all the time and believe me or not, I was actually, um, scared,” he muttered, his eyes were avoiding my gaze and I found this side of Mike to be adorable. Who would’ve guessed that he was actually a little insecure too? “I overheard some guys actually talk about me at the cafeteria and you were just there and all of a sudden, you actually defended me.”

I didn’t actually remember if that ever happened but then it hit me. It did happen.

I wasn’t actually sure how that took place but I do remember that Blaise’s friends once talk shit about Mike. I wasn’t really a big fan of gossip and his friends just annoyed the hell out of me, especially when they said that Mike was a faggot and stuff (I didn’t even realize he exists back then) but I guess I just hate that they were talking nonsense about someone behind their back.

So I actually snapped. And said something nice about Mike although I didn’t even know he was going to make my life more miserable.

I just blinked. How did he remember such unimportant thing?

“I was thankful for that and I decided that I wanted you as a friend.”

“Oh.”

Was he being serious?

Mike gave me a huge grin and then said, “So yeah. That is it. Why? Do you think that I like you?”

I could feel my cheeks were heating up. “No! Why would I?”

“Maybe, I don’t know. I’ll see you tomorrow, Turtle,” he smiled and then waved his hand as he began to walk, leaving me smiling alone as I watched him leave.

When I lost sight of him, I went inside my house with a loud sigh but little did I know that Valerie was actually watching me. I was surprised when I saw that she was sitting on the stairs, staring at me with her teary dark brown eyes.

“You know but you did it,” she whispered.

“Val, what happened?” I asked, feeling concerned about my little sister weird behavior.

“You know, you liar. Why do you have to do it again?” she answered but I still couldn’t hear her. I didn’t know what was wrong with her and what had happened but I actually panicked because damn, she was my little sister and I love her to death.

“Val?”

“I fucking like Mike but you had just to take him away.”

Oh my god.