She Will Be Loved - Chapter 5

-Chapter 5-

I remember how my male cousin, Mattie, use to say all the time, "When life has gone down in the dumps, you dig and dig for it back." I kinda never got what it meant. I still don't, but life got complicated. I can't even enjoy life anymore. Who should I start with...let's see, how about my own mother who wants to get married to some stupid man. The guy never takes a shower and he is creepy. Plus he goes around listening to 80's music dancing in his boxers! What kind of a step-dad would he make? A very weird one, I am guessing. Then there is Blaire. She is driving me nuts with her constant need to talk about boys. I don't want to talk about boys. I want to listen to my music and be alone. I don't need a boyfriend to make my life seem better cause that's false. I wouldn't be happy with any boy Blaire picks for me. That's for sure. Then there is Graham. I think I really like him but then I don't like him. My head hurts from all this thinking. Plus, there is still Stacey to worry about who walks with him everyday after school. He completely goes with her and sometimes he doesn't even say bye to me! What the hell?! Just the other day they-

"Get up!" Brett hopped onto my bed. "Where's my present?"

February twenty-six is Brett's birthday. He makes sure to wake up everyone. "Are you really sixteen? And get off me."

He laughed and replied as he got up, "I actually got a cd from Blaire by some rock band I don't know. Dad got me a sweet keyboard system hooked up in my room. You know I am going to be-"

I dragged his present out of my closet very carefully. "Mine is better than their gifts because I got you something that you needed."

"A really big light box with holes cut through it." He nodded with a smile. "I always needed one of these." He said in sarcastic tone and I knocked him sofly on the head.

I made him close his eyes for a minute and then I pulled out what was in the box.

He opened his eyes and couldn't help but shout, "I can't believe this!"

It was a little golden retriever puppy, I got from the pound. Could you believe they wanted to kill this little precious thing! They gave me him for free and Brett always wanted a dog. You know for when I leave for college, he won't be alone. I had picked him up last night and let him sleep in my bed. Just ten minutes ago, I put him in the box that had holes in it.

"He's perfect!" He beamed as the puppy yipped at his toes. "He is so playful too."

"I am glad you like it." Blaire and my dad came into the room.

"Oh, a dog." Blaire frowned. "We can't have-"

"Isn't Trey perfect?! Can we take Trey for a walk, Leslie?" He asked with a smiling completely ignoring dad and Blaire.

"You already have a name?" I laughed as I pulled on some sweats. "Fine let's take Trey for a walk."

We went the park we usually went to cause the park had a little dogs area. Brett ran around with that dog until he was exhausted and hungry. I am glad I gave him something better than Blaire did.

It turns out, Graham doesn't like dogs. Which is a bummer cause I love dogs.

"I am just more of a cat person." He shrugged, with a smile.

"How can you not like Trey?" I asked holding on to my lunch tray like it was my dear life.

"I didn't say that." Graham held his tray in one hand and held my waist with the other. It wasn't the first time we sat in the lunch room but we always stayed outside to eat lunch. I guess today was sort of an inside day. "I said I don't like dogs. And that doesn't make me any less perfect."

"I guess." I smiled just a bit then I felt sad. I remember this lunch room. The one place I use to have fun at that table but now it's just full of evil people. I eye their table from where I sit and I feel kinda of different than usual. I miss them, almost.

"Stacey has been following me everywhere." He slumped down on the table. "I can't even get a moments peace. The sad thing is, Gary keeps opening the door for her and I can't just lock her out of my room."

I laughed, "Good thing I didn't have that problem."

"Yeah you don't, but I do. Your stupid Ricky keeps eyeing me like he wants to kill me. Gee, you would think he wants you all for himself."

"Maybe." I didn't feel like eating now. "I am kind of hoping he stays away too."

"He will. Unless we have to break his nose. Together." He smiled at me and I smiled back.

I looked around the lunchroom. We don't have those stupid cliques. If you didn't like someone or didn't hang with a certain person you ignored them and moved on with life. They are no labels like the popular crowd or the nerdy crowd. I look at the empty table we sit at and then I wonder if Graham has certain somebody he calls friend. I ask him and he looks at me from his sandwich.

"There is Mark, Alan, Spinner, Peter, Jake, Tim, R-"

"I get it!" I laughed. "Can I meet them?"

"Sure but they are a little hardcore." We get up and walk to this table.

We don't have labels but this group gets a label. We call them the outsiders cause they smoke and they are loud. They are really tough too and their girlfriends are as tough as them. But they are really smart and underneath that tough, is something sweet and nice. I recognize one of the boys. He was the same one that drop my books on the floor and told me off.

"Hey!" He laughed slapping five with Graham. "I see you know middle finger girl."

"What?" Graham laughed. "What has Spinner been smoking?"

Spinner looks at me with a lopsided smile. "She bumped into me on the first day of school and I dunked her books on the floor. I turned around laughing to realize her middle finger was up. I looked that entire day for her to apologize."

"You don't have to." I say feeling shy. "My name is Leslie by the way."

"So, is Leslie like your girlfriend or something?" One boy asked grinning at me. In fact, they all smiled at me like I was a piece of hot apple pie with a dollop of whip cream on top.

"Yeah, I like to think so."Graham wrapped an arm around me and I blushed into his shoulder.

His friends are a little outrageous but I like them. They treat me like one of the guys and don't hold back their excitement. They all think I am beautiful which makes me feel a bit happy. I ease up a bit and join in their fun.

My mother was very surprise when she saw me with Graham and Spinner. I had brought them home with me because Spinner is a major skateboarder that I know Brett would love to hang out with him for a couple hours in the backyard. Spinner has long hair that falls past his shoulders that I like to tug on. I like how he gives Brett tips about hair, girls and skateboards. My mom tries her hardest to impress.

"I can't believe you are the one who has been ringing down my phone. I like how you added sunshine to my daughter's gray." My mother handed them cups of juice and little snacks.

Was my gray that obvious?

"Yeah..." Spinner rubbed his eyes and stood up. "I love this crash but I do gotta go. I promise my girl I would be home by nine to take of Darcy."

"Spinner has a kid and he lives with his girlfriend." Graham explained as we waved bye to Spinner.

"Wow, intense." I nodded smiling.

"They chose to. They wanted to be together because their parents didn't want them to be together. Spinner is a good dad and a good boyfriend. He may be a kid at school but at home, he's an adult. We look up to him." We laid across my bed. "Now, this is my kind of room."

"My mother must be thinking the expected but I left the door open." I smiled brushing hair out of his eyes.

"That doesn't stop me from doing this." He pressed his lips against mine making it last this time. I giggled breaking the kiss apart. "Aww, you killed it. You laughed."

"It tickles." I laughed rubbing my nose. I grab his face and kiss him for real. It lasts about a minute before I pull away to catch my breath. "Happy?"

"More than you know." He leaned back and grinned. He closed his eyes.

"I have been thinking about college. And I really need to get to a college far away from here." I tried to make simple talk.

"You are so determined to leave." He looked at me. "Me too. Heck, it be cool if we get accepted into the same college. We could get to be best friends and double date and stuff."

What the hell?! I sit up pulling my legs up to me like I am protecting something.

"You okay, Leslie?" He asked, laughing.

"Yeah," I shrugged. I didn't want to talk about college now.

"Are you sure? How come you won't lie down next to me now?" He sat up looking all worried.

I hadn't noticed that I had made a huge gap between us. I looked at him feeling nervous.

"I am fine. Honestly." I pull him over to me and smile. "Can you do me a favor?"

"Sure." He smiled. I placed my feet in his lap.

"Give me a foot massage." I demanded, my lips pulled into huge smile.

"No way!" He pushed my feet out of his lap.

I pouted at him.

"No way, Leslie!" He shook his head. I deepened my pout. "Fine! I will give you a foot massage, jeesh!"

I laugh, feeling pleased for getting my way this time. He sucks at giving a foot massage but I enjoy it anyway and I go into this terrible giggling fit.

"You call that..." giggle "that a foot massage?" I giggled leaning back on my bed not being able to contain my laughter.

"Not as bad as this." He tickled my stomach and under my arms making twist and turn and kick him. "I don't feel that Leslie."

He scratched under my feet making me thrash around. I couldn't stop laughing.

"Please stop!" I sat up feeling hot and tired from all that tickling.

"You asked for it." Graham teased, pressing his lips against my ear.

"I have a serious question. Can you try not to act all guy about it when I ask it?" I was nervous.

"Okay," He rubbed his hands together. "Ask away."

"Do you like me?" I asked sitting up really tall.

He gets all quiet as if he is thinking about it. Then he tells me something I didn't expect.

"I am not answering that question." He lays back on the bed.

The pain struck me like the tears welled in my eyes. He looks at me and rolls his eyes.

"I was just joking, Leslie." He pulls me on top of him. I can hear his heavy heart and lungs going up and down somewhere in his big body. "Of course I like you. I thought you knew that by now."

"Well, I am kind of slow at these things." I wanted to say but instead I say, "Maybe."

He shakes his heads in mock and strokes my hair. He twirls it in his fingers and tugs it a little. It feels really good as I start to fall asleep. See I can always sleep with Graham. I silently doze off.

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This is a better summary of the story:

During the summer of becoming a senior, there was this huge party. Leslie gets pretty riled up because she wants to have fun be cool with friends. But then something that Leslie tries not to remember. Though she can't. She has nightmares which causes her to throw up and wet her bed. Everything displeases her and her world that was once full of naive thoughts and happiness is just one big cloud of gray. Everyone can see her gray but doesn't talk about it. Until one day, new boy moves in. His name is Graham and he is always warm. From the day, he laid eyes on Leslie, he knew he loved her. Only, being the tough guy he is, he plays his way to her heart thinking it will be easy. Little does he know, Leslie isn't for guys anymore. She hates them but one day Graham kisses her and that one kiss turns to kisses. It takes a long time for Leslie to fully open to Graham and let him love her. Though, her story doesn't end there. The boy she thought she loved last year is scared she might tell everyone what he did at that party. He doesn't want to loose his chances at getting into good colleges because of this girl. Ricky tries his hardest to pin her down and making her shut up. But what if Leslie already told someone? Then there is Graham. He does a bad thing too. How does her story end. Will she be loved?

The original title was "Mom, There Is This Guy..." but I changed it because the story was based on more of Leslie being loved again.
Now, it's not a normal love story cause the ending is not like most endings. But it's Leslie's story.