The Boy Who Fell Off a Lawn Mower | Watty's '18

11. An Alligator

Chapter 11

An Alligator

Later that day, Aida was in her last class, Mr. Debreu's English class. She had learned shortly after the daydreaming incident that this was a good class to sit way in the back for. She had been inspired after her conversation with Levi for some reason and had picked up where she'd left off in her notebook, rather than paying attention to another day of Othello. She was scribbling away again, when the person she wanted to talk to the least decided to whisper in her direction.

Connor.

"Psst... Blondie."

She ignored him and kept writing.

"Psst... Hey, stop taking notes." He was oblivious; did he seriously think she could take any more notes about Othello after talking about it for two weeks straight?

Aida continued her messy drawl on the notebook.

"Stop that. Aida, come on." She rolled her eyes and finally looked at him, putting down her pen and praying that Mr. Debreu wouldn't notice. As usual, he was writing a painful amount of words on the board while talking about something irrelevant.

"Can't you see I'm doing something?" she whispered hastily.

"No, what I have to say is more important. I'm sorry for how I acted at your house. It was improper of me. Would you give me another chance?"

Aida narrowed her eyes. "No!" she said and then quickly flinched, knowing it was too loud.

"Aida, quiet down back there," called Mr. Debreu from the front.

"Yes, sir," she muttered. He looked at her for a moment before turning back to the board. He was a big man who wore a sweater vest every day, despite the California heat. He kind of reminded Aida of her father besides his poor sense of the weather.

"I'm trying to apologize," whispered Connor. Again, he was trying to let his boyish charm soak through.

"All you've done so far is get me yelled at," said Aida with a frown.

"Aida, I'm really, really sorry. I should have been nicer to Levi. He seems like a great dude. Come out with me sometime, really."

Aida raised her eyebrow, suspicious. He sounded genuine and did really seem apologetic. Something dawned on her though. The gossip. "Are you just saying that because you heard Levi's family has money?"

Shock melted onto Connor's face and he brought his hand to his open mouth. "Of course not! I've just been thinking about how unfair I was to you and your father and your sister and I just feel awful. Please, let me redeem myself? It doesn't need to be a date or anything. Just a... hang out." He smiled at Aida, his freckles complimenting his brown tousled hair.

"Well, maybe," she muttered. The bell rang, cutting Mr. Debreu off midsentence and luckily saving Aida from having to deal with the rest of whatever Connor wanted to say. She accepted his apology and was content with him, but still not happy with him. She went to her locker at the end of the day to collect her things but saw a terrible, shocking sight.

Connor and Levi... walking... together.

Her mouth actually fell open. They were talking and laughing. Connor must have apologized to Levi. And was trying to be friends with him? Aida was really in shock now. Connor was really trying to make amends and walking by her with Levi was kind of working.

It was interesting...

Aida contemplated going over to them, but instead finished at her locker and went to her car to drive home. She pulled into the driveway, hoping to hear the familiar sound of the lawn mower, but was not greeted by it.

Aida went up to her room, only greeted by silence. Her father must have still been at work and Dani must have been studying furiously. She sat down at her desk to finally get some peace and work on her writing. It was a non-fiction story that she'd began a few weeks ago but had been struggling with major writer's block. The topic was very important to her though, so she knew she wanted to write it.

After unpacking her bag and finally settling down, her ears were welcomed home with the shrill sound of a doorbell. "Ugh!" cried Aida aloud. She stood up angrily and went down the stairs, knowing Dani wouldn't answer it. She opened the door her mood flipped from dissatisfied to surprised because Levi was there.

"Uh, Levi... hi," she said, not expecting to see him and still taken aback that him and Connor had been getting along at the end of the day.

"Hi, Aida," he answered, smiling a bit, happy to see her surprised to see him.

"Uh, why are you here? Sorry that sounds rude, but the lawn is fine, you fixed it up real well just a few days ago." Aida was mad at herself for sounding rude but she was genuinely confused at his presence. Unless he was here just to see her...?

He laughed. It was a gruff, but pure sound. She realized this was the first time she'd heard him laugh and really liked it, but she also realized how ridiculous she must have sounded to cause Levi to laugh.

"Your father asked me to do some extra yard work in the flower garden in front of your house. Weeding and planting. I was just about to start, but he said he would leave the plants outside and I can't find them. Is he here?" He looked very nonchalant the way he was standing there on her front stoop.

"Oh, no he isn't home yet. I think I saw them on the kitchen counter; I can help you bring them out." She knew he wasn't there just to see her.

She gestured for him to come in and they walked down the hall towards the kitchen. "Aida..." Levi sighed. He was walking a step or two behind her, but when he said this, Aida slowed to be next to him. She tipped her head in acknowledgment for him to continue speaking.

"I know you don't seem to think it..." He sighed again, clearly feeling uncomfortable about what he was about to say. "But I really need this job."

Aida's normally soft features twisted sharply in confusion, but then she realized he was saying it due to her blabbing about him being wealthy. "Oh, Levi, I really am terribly sorry. I shouldn't have – "

He cut her off. "Don't apologize again. I just want you to know that I need to be here working." After that, they stopped talking.

The two moved the plants outside without another word besides Levi grumbling a thank you. Aida felt as though she'd taken a step closer to the walls Levi seemed to have built around himself, but was being stopped by a moat, or an alligator. She wanted to know more; she wanted to break the walls down. But she was being shut out and didn't have any way of getting around it.

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A/N: A bit of a filler, but I am digging the little awkward relationship these two have going on. How is everyone today? :)

1. What do you think of Connor right now... apologizing to Aida and then walking down the hall getting along with Levi? Genuine or does he have something up his sleeves?

2. What do you think Levi is hiding? Why does he need the job so badly?

3. What do you think Aida is writing about?

Thanks all! Don't forget to vote and comment! xx