Heartbreak Fluorescence

chapter 2

WESTON

Her name is Valentina. And to think of it, Valentina and Weston would sound really cool. What about having my surname? Valentina Rivers has a nice ring, does it?

Valentina Gallagher is the first daughter of a small beach owner in Southeast Asia. Her parents named her after her grandmother, so that makes her Valentina the second. Or third, probably. I need to thank Andrew personally for taking his time to stalk her on social media since I don't have one.

"Maybe I could ask her to be friends? And then we could, I don't know, go somewhere together and I'll invite you since you're too lame to do it yourself. You know, to think about it, what could go wrong?"

I sighed. "Are you out of your mind?"

"What? Asking to be friends is classic."

"No, it's not," I punched Andrew slightly in the arm. "It's a trend, and it's dying because we're in the twenty-first century. She'll think you're weird."

"What part of asking to be friends is weird?" He tilted his head slightly, eyebrows narrowed. "You're overthinking."

"Maybe one day you'll know what it's like and I'll remind you of this exact moment," I said angrily. "It's weird, okay? Don't do it."

"Fine," he huffed, sarcasm lacing in is tone like venom. "It's not like I've got a friend that way. She's a girl, by the way. And she's in Valentina's circle of friends. We're planning to go get some smoothies and watch movies. And I'll probably take her to that frozen yogurt place I like because of the fresh lychees."

"Oh really?" I raised my eyebrows, amused. It's true, Andrew has always been the most sociable among us, but I didn't think it would take this short amount of time for him to find new friends. "You sure you're not making things up? What's her name?"

"Ivy. And she's like, filthy rich, and like, has stomach issues. And mild mommy issues."

"Andrew! I never took you for the gossiping type." I attempted to smack his arm playfully, but he speedily got away. "Just the two of you?"

"Heck no. I don't see Ivy that way and I'm pretty sure she doesn't see me that way either," he murmured. "We're going with two other friends. Raymond, and the um, Cara. Do you know Raymond owns the electronics store at, like, half the mall in Hong Kong?"

"What? How the fuck do you even pull them as friends?" Genuine shock. I know we're lucky to never struggle financially, but the friends he had just mentioned are out of the world.

And I'm out of their league. A feeling of sadness erupts inside me, insecurity flooding.

He smiled smugly, arrogance in his eyes. "I asked them if they want to be friends. See? Classic."

I shrugged. "Whatever."

"Wes, are you sure you don't want to come with us? I know you long for new friends and well..." he trailed off, scratching the back of his neck. "You have no friends other than us."

Apparently, Felix heard that because he started bursting out laughing. "Yeah, Wes. I would like to introduce you to some of mine, but I don't even like them that much."

"Then why are you friends with them?"

Felix shrugged. "They're popular." Then, he went back to whatever conversation he's having with Maxwell and a few others I don't know of.

Before, it was just the four of us. Orion, Andrew, Felix, and Weston. Even our parents are friends, and our grandparents are acquaintances, and our great-grandparents built a foundation together.

Now, it's us plus the rich kids in this expensive private school who look like top models and have the IQ of a full-grown scientist.

"So. Are you coming?"

I nodded. "When?"

"Next Saturday. Noon, don't be late." He patted my back and went.

Don't be late.

---

I cursed Andrew mentally for being late and leaving me with his friend Ivy who happens to be early. I've been so quiet and I get the feeling she's pissed with me.

Ivy is beautiful. She has perfect salon-blowout hair, she smells like vanilla, and her legs look like they went on for days in that white skirt. Of course, I wouldn't compare her to Valentina. Ivy's like the Gigi Hadid of this world and Valentina's-well, there's no other explanation other than Valentina being the absolute love of my life.

"No lychees?" She asked, staring at my cup of frozen yogurt, pouting. "But their lychees are the best!"

"Yeah, no. I'm kinda allergic to them," I answered. It was a half-lie. I wasn't diagnosed with the allergy, but I hate them just as much as an allergy does.

"Oh, sorry. I didn't know."

"No problem," I offered a smile that she didn't return. I could tell she doesn't like to talk, just like me. And I could tell how similar we are by observing our body language. She never slouches, and she crosses her legs like we're watching a fashion week fashion show. I could also tell she wants to talk just as much as I do, but we're too antisocial to do that.

She made the first move when we watched the movies. We sat together side by side. I sat between her and Andrew. She bought caramel popcorn and I didn't buy anything. It was quiet. The movie was boring, perhaps because I didn't pay attention. It was more than a month before Christmas, so we watched this magical Christmas family movie.

"Want some popcorn? They're not bad," she offered, and I took a glance at the caramel-coated popcorn.

I shook my head. "No, I don't really like sweets."

"Oh. Okay." I couldn't see what her expression portrays, but I could tell from her tone that she's disappointed.

It was just a few minutes after that I slapped myself mentally for letting her down. Wasn't I here to make friends? And now she's willing to offer me something, and I just turned her down like she just offered me trash.

I nudged her forearm, and she twisted her head in no time, giving me all the warmth in her eyes. It was as if she could feel that I was getting cold, and looking at her just made me warmer.

But she's not Valentina.

Valentina's the one who made my heart bounce like a Flappy Bird, not Ivy. Valentina's the one who gave me butterflies, not Ivy. Valentina made my knees weak, not Ivy. Valentina wore pretty pink ballet flats, and Ivy wore heels. Valentina is simple, and Ivy is... complex. Valentina owns my heart completely.

And it will never be Ivy.

Yet, sometimes it feels like I'm only saying that to convince myself.

"Why are you staring at me, Weston?" She cut me off from my thoughts, her pretty eyes flashing along with the light of the movie.

"Oh, on second thought, I would like your popcorn, please." I offered her my most genuine smile as if I didn't just think that she'll never be enough.

I didn't see her directly because of the dark, but I could tell that her face lit up as she offered me the popcorn. By now, it has reduced quite a lot, probably because she offers it to everyone and I'm the only one who has rejected it.

"Oh my god, this is good!" I whispered, moving my body slightly towards her. I could smell her perfume, the opulent smell of delicacy.

"I know, right? You can finish it if you want. I'm quite full." She continued watching as she took out a bag of wet wipes from her tiny bag-yeah I have no idea how she fit all of that stuff there-and wiped her hands clean.

Then, I realized that she gave it to me because she didn't want to be the one to walk all the way to the trash bin and throw away the box.

Haha, Ivy. Nice one.