subdued subtleties ━━ keanu reeves

II. PRETTY BOY

❝ every teenage
girl i know here
likes jovi. ❞

CHAPTER TWO:
PRETTY BOY

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I stepped out of the car with a heavy feeling resting on my head. I shade my face with my hand from the sun's torrid brightness corrupting my vision with bizarre green patches that appear when I blink.

But then what appeared to be right in front of me was this hazy complexion of a guy who was riding his bicycle around in circles with a gentle laugh on his face.

Then he looked at me. He stared at me for this split second and smiled at me, waved his hand and resumed to his biking.

That's just about a second, right? Not like five minutes or anything because it surely felt that way. It felt like this random stop of time. It felt so odd.

And the next second, I didn't know I could feel as dizzy as I am right now. It was like my head is a beehive of fluttering bees somersaulting round and round my head.

"Come on, Dahlia. Help me out here." said my father from the trunk as he looked at me standing there confounded and astonished in my hazy state.

I didn't move in my place though. But instead my father constantly called my name which annoyed me. So in defeat, I grunted under my breath as I carefully turned to my father and walked towards him to help with the luggage and all that.

I rolled my eyes. "Okay," and came to pick up my luggage from the trunk.

But I still couldn't help myself glance at the boy riding his bicycle with the children around him blowing bubbles.

"That's Karr Jovi right there."

And I looked at my dad with this subdued look of shock that I tried my best to hide. That's the Care Jovi guy? What the hell?

"Like Care Jovi?" I retorted. "Yeah. That's Karr right there. Talk to him, darlin'; I think you'd both get along real well."

"Whatever,"

But when I glanced at him again, I caught him staring at me. And when I did, he only smiled at me before biking away until I had no sight of him.

And as I walked towards the house, I rang the doorbell and was greeted with a welcoming kiss by my Auntie Nida.

"I've been waiting you kids to come visit up here for so long! Come, come! Feel at home!" she smiled broadly at us and gave up small pecks both me and my brother's cheeks. And when my father came in with his luggage, my aunt gave her a hug and a joyful greeting.

"Daniel! Oh, my Dan!" she pulled him closer to her and greeted him with a hug that felt as if they haven't seen each other for years. It's right though: they have not.

Auntie Nida ruffled his head and gave him a peck on the cheek. "I missed you, Danny! So glad you guys decided to come visit here. So glad the children agreed to even pay a visit here!" she chuckled, emphasizing the words "the children" while resting her hand on Dad's arm.

"Dad," I whispered, trying not to interrupt their chat. "Dad!" I whisper-shouted. He looks at me.

"Room?"

"Second floor. First one to the right."

And the first instinct─of course─was to rush upstairs and lie down the bed: And when I did lie down, I only faced a flying whirlwind of dust and possible rat feces.

The place was obviously a deserted, unvisited, attic-like abandonment of a room.

I look around the room and observe it: the walls were painted with a rose-gold colour; the windows were closed; and there were soft mesh curtains hanging idly by the thin metal rod holding it up.

And when I decided to walk towards to window, I opened it wide and felt the curtain billowing up against my shoulder: It was another world from the outside of this abandonment waiting to be taken care of again.

I snuck my head out the window again and saw the picturesque scenery I've never seen before. Bubbles floated away from the children's delighted faces; the delicate, white clothing hung gracefully on the neighbour's clothesline; the children laughed gaily and sweetly.

It was the pretty boy again. The Karr guy whose surname I'll never know.

He was petting this dog while seemingly telling a fairytale story to the neighbours' children. The Karr guy smiled while ruffling the dog's chestnut-brown fur.

I convince myself I don't like him. I try to, at the very least. He seems so likeable and it would seem incredibly obnoxious if I don't, right?

He seems like he's good with kids and even the pets of whoever and whatever. He's attractive and he has such a nice bearing. He's genuine from the first glance and I don't think anything else is bound to change a first impression.

"Do you like him, Dahlia?"

I startle at the voice of my Auntie Nida sitting on the bed and smiling at me. I feel weirded out; but I only shrug it off. "No: I don't even know him."

She chuckles while her eyes squint in her laughter. "Come here, Dolly. Sit beside me." I felt some weird tingle that was sent down my spine when she called me her nickname.

I sat beside her and gave her an inquisitive and perplexed stare. She responds to me: "You see, Dahlia. Every teenage girl I know here likes Jovi. It just so happened that most of them only come by spring or Christmas break. It's no surprise if you do, though. Everything's okay." then she gave me this look of understanding and sincerity.

"What are you saying? I don't like Jovi..."

She only raises her eyebrow. "Oh really now?"

"I don't need this pep talk, Auntie. I think I'd be better off having some 'alone time' or whatever they call it. Thank you, though."

She only smiled at me again and afterward told me to be a good girl before exiting my room with me following her so she'd have no idea that I'm already trying to lock it.

What's so nice about that guy anyway? I haven't even talked to him yet.

I'll do it. That'll show him not to stare too much.