The First Boy

Labor Day weekend came just as fast as the end of junior year. The sun was hung up in the summer sky while the fall air was trying to welcome its way into September. The house was noisy, and I could tell everyone was getting ready for our annual Labor Day barbeque to end the summer.

Senior year was starting tomorrow and all the nerves in my body were shot. I have been preparing for senior year as soon as I entered my freshman year. I had my best friends, Cassandra and Stella, to thank for making my high school years so far, the best. I knew with them by my side this was going to be my best year yet.

Stella is not only my best friend, but my cousin as well. She is fierce and sassy, but she has the biggest heart out of everyone. Cassandra is sweet and kind and will not hurt a fly. We are the perfect combination of sweet and sassy.

I quickly jumped out of bed and turned on my Alexa. I always had her play my morning playlist. They are all the songs that got me pumped to start the day.

“BELLY! Lower that music! Nonna is here and you know how sensitive her ears are!” My mom screams from downstairs.

I quickly lower the music and go to the bathroom that is attached to my small sized room. The only reason why I never complain about my room is because it’s the only one with a bathroom attached. My sister, Giovanna, didn’t like that I got this room. My two brothers Marco and Gino could care less.

I brush my teeth, put a little bit of make-up on, and retouch my curls with my favorite wand. I usually would put more make-up on but with my nice summer tan I didn’t want to take it away. It won’t be back until next September so I might as well enjoy it.

I put on my favorite off the shoulder white sun dress. The beautiful stitched pastel colors on the trim make the dress flare a little bit. It is up to my knees and flowy. It accentuates my curves in all the right places. I then put on my cute tan wedges to complete the look. I try to wear shoes with heels since I’m only 5’2.

I go downstairs where the family has already started getting things ready for the barbeque. My Nonna, Josephine, and my Nonno, Tony, are at the table making five trays of lasagna. Even though it sounds like a lot, there are never left overs for people to take home. My Zia Maria is here with Stella and my two other cousins, Jamie and Emma.

“Belly,” Stella says handing me a glass of water “drink this you look drained.”

“Hi to you too Stella.” I say taking a welcoming sip of the cold water.

The thing about a big Italian family is that there are a lot of people that come along with it. Everyone is your family in the Italian community, and everyone knows each other and your family drama. We all grew up with each other and know a lot more than we should about other families. It doesn’t help that we live in a small Italian dominated town. This town is filled with generations and generations of Italians.

“Belly, can you please do something useful?” Giovanna says annoyed.

“Can you guys please stop calling me Belly? I can’t go into my senior name with this nickname.” I say taking a seat on the island.

“Isabelle, get your ass off my homemade island,” my dad says.

“Thank you for calling me by my actual name,” I say hopping off and giving him a kiss.

My dad is my best friend. He has been the man that I have looked up too my whole life. He has always treated my mom like a queen and has raised his kids to respect and love everyone. Even if they aren’t Italian.

My mom is a beautiful woman. Not just her flowing straight black hair and green eyes, but who she is as a person. She has always been by my dad’s side even when several of his businesses fell through. She kept us all together and still made sure my older siblings and I could go to college.

Marco is my oldest brother and is going into his senior year at Georgetown University. He loves being in DC and tells me all the time I need to go to college there. That is where he met the love of his life, Natalia. Also, Italian. Giovanna and Gino are twins born only two minutes apart. They are both sophomores in college. Giovanna goes to NYU, while Gino goes to TCNJ in New Jersey. Unlike Marco, they both stayed pretty close to home. They are way too attached to my mom to go anywhere further than where they went. They love to be around for all family parties and special occasions.

Even when my family isn’t hosting a barbeque for the whole town, my house is this hectic every morning. My mom and dad are usually making espresso, Marco and Gino are bickering about football, and Giovanna is usually painting her nails or posting on her “blog”, which pisses my mom and dad off. They say if they are paying so much for college why is she trying to start a blog. I couldn’t agree with them more.

Things get crazy when my Zia and Zio come over with their kids and my cousins. Nonna and Nonno always find an excuse to come over and this is only family that lives near us. If my whole family lived in New York with us, I would never have any peace. As much fun as it could be, it could also be a headache.

Stella sneaks a champagne bottle from the fridge and two champagne flutes. Between Stella and I, she is definitely the one that doesn’t care about getting in trouble. In fact, she doesn’t mind it at all. I tell her she suffers from severe middle child syndrome, and then she tells me to go to hell. She gives me a nod to meet her outside. I take my water and walk over to the French doors.

Stella is sitting on the couch swing that sits on the wrap around porch. The porch overlooks the large in ground pool with four lounge chairs to the right, and the tree house with a swing set my dad and Zio built is on the left. Mom refuses to get rid of it for when her grandkids come and visit. She doesn’t have any yet.

My backyard is my favorite part of my house. It is large and perfect for kids to play. I can see why my parents bought this house because it is truly perfect. It is almost as big as a park which is hard to find in New York. I think that’s why my parents refuse to leave.

Stella is absolutely beautiful. She is the cheer captain for our school’s cheer team, and everyone loves her. Stella, Cassie, and I have been cheering together since we were little. It was Stella’s dream to be cheer captain at our high school and she got the position last year. I was so happy for her.

Everyone also knows not to mess with Stella, or your ass will literally get kicked. Stella has always been known to not be messed with. She can also be the sweetest person, but she doesn’t want people to make her out to be a softie like I do.

Stella has a boyfriend named, JP, who is also the captain of the football and lacrosse team. He has a great body and is the second hottest guy in school.

“So I have some good news for you,” She says popping the champagne bottle open.

“Oh god Stell it is 10AM. Champagne and good news don’t mix very well when it comes from you.” I say taking a sip of water. It is so hot out I may have to put my bathing suit on and go in the pool.

Stella’s is famous for giving “good news” that isn’t really good news. She doesn’t mean to be mean, but she sometimes can be. Last year, she came into school all happy that, Claudia, one of our flyers on the cheer team broke her leg and couldn’t be in the rest of the season. Since Stella became captain, she was trying to get Claudia off the team, her breaking her leg was great news.

“I’m going to pretend that you didn’t just say that.” She says pouring two glass of champagne for us. “Noah and Lina are officially done.”

“Shut up.” Is all I could manage to say. “How do you know?”

“So,” Stella says taking a huge sip of her champagne, “I called Lina last night to make a list of cheers we want to use for try outs and she didn’t answer, which was odd.”

Go on Stella.

“She then calls me back hysterically crying that her and Noah broke up, and you know me, I asked what happened. She wouldn’t tell me right away and then she just blurts out that when her and Noah were on a break this summer, she had sex with Jesse.”

Oh. My. God.

Noah and Lina were the “it” couple at my high school. They have been together since the very first day of high school. It was your typical love story. Varsity cheerleader falls in love with varsity football player. They did everything together and were all each other’s first everything. I even heard they had sex in the locker room after the homecoming game last year. Not only was it bad that Lina had sex with someone else that wasn’t Noah, she did it with his older brother.

I wouldn’t say Lina and I were friends, but we definitely weren’t enemies. She knew I had a crush on Noah since middle school and she did not like that one bit. Noah and I had a lot of classes together throughout high school. We were friends and got a long very well. I secretly wished I could’ve been the one for him, but I could never compare to Lina. Lina was the girl, Noah’s girl.

When Lina saw Noah and I being friendly with one another, she hated it. She told him that I was freakishly in love with him and had his name written all over my locker. He knew it wasn’t true, but just to appease his love, he cut ties with me. I didn’t tell Stella or Cassie, but it broke me that we couldn’t be friends anymore. I couldn’t even have those moments with him in classes like we used too.

“I have no words.” I say taking a sip of my champagne even though I don’t like to drink.

“I called JP to see if it was true, and he confirmed it. They are officially walking into school tomorrow not a couple. Which is for the best since he is going to Alabama for football and she is dumb as shit to go there.” Stella says pouring herself more champagne.

“Stell, senior year can’t start this way. It just wouldn’t be right.” I say truly disappointed that Noah and Lina are done. Not for Lina’s sake, but for his.

Noah truly loved Lina. I knew he did. He used to tell me when we were friends that he was the only girl to see him for he was. Not just the hot football star, but for all the other things he was. I know his ego must be crushed that the one girl he loved cheated on him with his brother.

“Why are you sad? This is your chance to get with Noah!” Stella says getting all excited. “This would be great!”

“I am not going to date Noah! Especially since we cheer with Lina. I am not doing that to her.” I say as I start to hear people arriving to my house.

“Belly, she’s a bitch and you aren’t. This could be a good thing for you.”

Stella was always looking out for me throughout high school. She knew I was shy and had trouble meeting new people. She knew I liked to be quiet and silent. I didn’t want people to know who I was and who my family was. I was comfortable being Marco, Gino, and Giovanna’s little sister. I had no problem with that, Stella did. She made me join the cheer team, and a bunch of clubs so I could get into a good college. I was like her little sister, even though I am a few months younger than her. I don’t thank her enough for trying to help me break out of my shell.

“You don’t do anything fun for yourself. You are either at school, cheer practice, doing homework, reading, or playing cards with Nonno. Why can’t you ever just live and have fun?” Stella says with her hard truth as always. “You can always just fuck him and move on.”

“Stella! I would never do that. You know I am a virgin anyway.” I say as my cheeks get flushed. It’s embarrassing to say out loud when you are a senior in high school.

“All I am saying is that JP told me that Noah thinks you are kind and beautiful. He misses being your friend” Stella says finishing off the champagne bottle. I can’t wait for my Zia to see her wasted at this barbecue.

“He’s so experienced, and I haven’t even had my first real kiss.” I say even more embarrassed than admitting that I am a virgin.

“Well he is your chance to get experience before you go to Boston.” She says slurring her words a little bit.

There she was telling the truth, again. It would be a good thing for me to branch out and actually let boys take me out on dates. It’s never that I haven’t had the chance to date and kiss boys, I was just always so scared. I never wanted to do the wrong thing, and as high school kept on going on I couldn’t imagine telling a boy I’ve never had my first kiss yet.

Stella and I sit in a moment of silence for a minute. I take in her words and what she said. Noah Carlo thinks I am kind and beautiful? I thought he used to flirt with me back when we were friends, but I thought that was just his personality. I look nothing like his ex-girlfriend, and Lina would kill me if I even tried to do anything with Noah. Do I even want to explore trying to be with a broken man like him? It would never happen anyway.

“What are you bitches doing without me?” We hear Cassandra walking towards us with another bottle of champagne that Stella doesn’t need.

“Oh, good! You brought more!” Stella squeals.

“Who the hell said this was for you?” Cassie says.

I erupt with a laughing fit. Cassie is definitely the comedian of the group. She always knew how to get a good laugh from me, even Stella. Cassie is beautiful like Stella, but in her own way. They are both their own person but remind me of each other at the same time.

Cassie’s mom, Liz Beth, is my mom and my Zia’s best friend since they were little. They tell us all the time we remind them of when they were young. Except, I was nothing like my mom. My mom knew how to have fun and get wild. I have never been like that and don’t plan on it. I know my mom isn’t disappointed in me, but I know she wishes I was more free and did more fun things. I’m just not like that.

“What did I miss?” Cassie says taking a seat between me and Stella.

Stella’s phone starts ringing, and I could tell by the sound it is JP. He is probably calling her to tell her he is on his way with his friends. I know JP and Noah are best friends, but I don’t expect him to come after what Stella just told me. My heart breaks for him all over again.

Stella gets up to take the phone call and Cassie opens another bottle of champagne. I’ve only had two glasses, but I am definitely feeling a little buzzed from it. I definitely need to slow down especially since people are arriving.

“Where is Sal? I say.

Sal is Cassie’s 24-year-old boyfriend that Liz Beth does not approve of since he is 6 years older than her. He is a very attractive NYC firefighter. She met him at an away game we had last year. Someone set off fireworks and it started a fire on the field. The fire department had to come and as story goes, fate brought them together. Cassie has always been into the older men, I just never thought she would date one until she was out of college.

“He is working today, and you know how my mom and dad feel about him coming to family parties,” she says a little disappointed.

Liz Beth and Cassie’s dad, Pete, gave Cassie a real hard time with Sal. I felt bad because I know how much he likes her and how much she likes him. I think after we graduate things will be different, but I’m not sure if Pete will ever be okay with it. He doesn’t believe you should date in high school, let alone a man that isn’t even in high school.

“Hey,” I say putting my head on her shoulder, “don’t be sad. We are going to have fun.”

“I have champagne, that’s all I need,” she says making us both laugh.

“There you go!” I say standing up and grabbing her hand. Cassie stands up and even with my wedges on she is still taller than me.

Cassie and I start to walk towards the lounge chairs by the pool. The pool is crystal clear and looks perfect to swim in. If I didn’t want to ruin my hair and makeup I would totally go in for a swim. I also don’t feel very comfortable putting on my bathing suit in front of all my parents’ friends.

Stella comes back with JP and some of the football players on the team. Cassie and I say hi to them and continue to longue. JP and Stella start making out in front of all of us and makes things very uncomfortable. Stella has always been a fan of PDA. JP didn’t seem to mind either.

As soon as Stella and JP are done saying “hi” to one another, Cassie suggest that us three take a picture by the pool so she can post it on Instagram. I stand on the left side of Cassie and Stella while JP takes the photo of us. I didn’t realize how much weight I was putting on Cassie until she walked away to grab her phone from JP. I suddenly start to lose my balance and fall backwards into the deep end of the pool. As my body gets closer to the bottom, my heel gets stuck in the filter and I can’t seem to get my foot out of the wedge. I then try to pull the heel out and loosen it, but I can’t get the shoe out. I start to panic under the water, and my head feels like it is spinning out of control.

I hear someone splash into the pool and try to pull me out. They realize that my shoe is stuck in the filter and take the shoe off my foot. They pull me up and I start coughing from finally being able to catch my breath. My vision starts to come back to life and my head is pounding from holding my breath for so long.

With being so nervous and dizzy I had no idea who jumped into help me until the strong arms pulled me out of the pool and sat me up on one of the closet lounge chairs. I start to cough up water and try to breath as slowly as I can. Once I feel like I have come back to life, I realize who the person was who rescued me.

Noah Carlo.