I Love You.....Just the Way You Are #Watty2018

Chapter 9: Boys are foolish

The only remedy that I could think of when it comes to a burn was a huge bandage wrapped around my wrist. Yeah thanks a lot Kate. I had to wear long sleeves to cover the wound, and my parents thought I was literally crazy at the dinner table.

"Why are you wearing long sleeves?" my mother asked with skepticism. "It's like 50 degrees outside."

I didn't answer and just wanted to enjoy the meal before me. It was a dish of steamed red snapper and a side dish of fermented radishes. I picked a piece of red snapper off the plate and enjoyed the sweet and smooth taste of the fish melting in my mouth.

"Dad, talk some sense into this kid."

Dad was just putting his Pinocchio nose into the newspaper and didn't give a shit of whatever that was happening around him. His main focus was work, eat, and sleep. He could care less about everything else. Mother always told me not to be like my father, who's all grumpy and independent, but more open. Dad always wants me to achieve academically as mom perspective, on the contrary, was the antithesis of that. She wants me to "have a life" and enjoy my teenage years. She was the one to force me to join the swim team. Sometimes, I wonder how they got married in the first place with so many contradicting ideas and philosophies.

After supper, I ascended upstairs and locked the door. I'm always locked in my room since I enjoy independence, and this serenity. The sliding window was slightly open to let some fresh air in from the huge oak tree leaning against the window pane. A small lamp and headphones helped me along the way to complete my homework. After homework, I took out my dusty sketchbook and began to draw for a change. Yes, I can draw....but I just never pursued art as a career or took it seriously like Kate. Why? Because art does not generate a decent income. Just as simple as that.

I began sketching a girl at first. I focused on the curls flowing down the girls hair and carefully for every strand. The huge eyes that the thick eyelashes. I was thinking of Vicky when I drew that picture. But at the end, it ended up resembling Kate for some reason. From every angle I look at it, it just looked like Kate. I adjusted some facial features on my drawing but it just didn't make any huge difference. At the end, I tore the page, crumbled it, and tossed it in the trash bin.

. . . .

Since my white dress shirt has gone missing, I wore my dad's baggy dress shirt (since my dad was a fat ass) and left the house. Before I thought this was going to be a normal day, I totally forgot about today's Talent Show. It's part of the school spirit day. It wasn't entertaining or amusing to watch, I just went there so I could skip first and second period.

I joined Stephen and the rest in the front row of the auditorium. To my realization, it was more crowded than last year (6 years ago to be exact since I time traveled).

"Why is it crowded as shit up in this bitch?" I asked them.

"I heard Victoria is in it."Raphael said.

"You mean Vicky?" Morgan asked innocently.

"No, obviously not." Ralph said sarcastically and rolled his eyes.

"Oh yeah," Stephen began. "Those bitches in the cafeteria last time are taking part in the show."

"Seriously?"

"Yep."

"What the hell did you pick the front seat?"

"Hey, hey. We're here to see our little angel Victoria okay. Sitting in the front seat is the best view out of the entire auditorium. We'll do anything to see her ass."

"So, you're finally giving up hentai and beginning to ejaculate to some real life shit?" Daniel said, not amused.

"Shut up, Daniel, I still watch...."

"I don't know which one is creepier: you masturbating to cartoon porn or a girl in real life behind her back."

"Shut up, Daniel. It's not like you never fantasized about Vicky. She's the hottest chick in the school."

Before I could laugh at their absurd bickering, I quickly sat next to them when the curtains on the stage began to open, revealing Mr. Walter clutching to a microphone. He's the guy that authorizes the yearly talent shows. He was energetic as ever, probably got laid the night before by his wife or just got his pay check. Usually, he's not motivated by this event since he has been doing this for 6 years straight. It was pretty rare to see his "fun" side.

"Hey, ladies and gentleman! Welcome to the annual talent show as part of our spirit day!"

He began pacing back and fourth and swung his left arm behind his hip.

"To the freshmen..."

The audience quickly shifted their attention to a small group of people in the back. The tiny intimidated freshmen class. I do sympathize with those fellows over there, but being a senior tends to give you a degree of respect from the younger ones. It's like status of society but it's in this small little world called Riverland High school.

"...the talent show is a tradition that we host every year. You'll get use to it. So, I'll pass this mic to the president of our school, Mr. Balm."

A man that looked like an undercover Santa wobbled up to the stage and gave a boring speech of how this school was founded and school spirit.

"Now, let the talent show begin!"

The curtains were drawn, revealing a girl with a tuxedo and a black hat. For a moment, that the audience leaned in to get a closer look at it. Perhaps it was the tuxedo that deceived everyone for a second, but the girl looked up, the audience began to roar with enthusiasm at the sight of an angel.

Victoria Carter.

An old country music was running in the background as she fished in her hat and pulled out a bunny by its 2 ears. The boys were going wild. I was too, but on the inside, I didn't think the magic trick was that impressive. But I kept cheering for her for some reason. She then put a scrambled Rubik's Cube in a string pouch, shook it, and then pulled out a fully solved one. Everyone was fooled by this women.

She threw her her index finger north. I looked behind my shoulder to see who she'd picked. The boys were on top of each other, hoping that she had picked them. Nobody got up. I looked behind me, left and right and seemingly nobody got up or walked to the stage, I turned my attention to the stage and there she was, still persistently pointing at something. Her blue eyes were like a blue mosaic window painting in a chapel. It took me a while to realize who she was locking eyes with.

I stuck a finger on my chest, hoping that it wasn't me so I wouldn't have to put up with the entire male population in the next day.

She nodded.

I shook my head severely like an athlete that just had a concussion. She gestured me to come up but I kept shaking my head, hoping that she would give up on me and pick someone else. The boys sitting in my row were already boiling with jealousy inside their chest.

She jumped down the stage and began to walk towards me, hips moving side to side. I stood up just a little, not because I wanted to go up there but because I was surprised. Before I could land my bottom on the seat, a huge force was exerted on my back and I didn't have the choice but to move forward. I looked behind and saw Stephen's scrawny leg out with a smirk on his face.

A light hand reached out and grasped my finger. My head turned around suddenly and I got a closer look at the eyes of a mosaic painting on a window in a chapel.