RAVI (formerly Indie-America)

40

 (((Edited)))

   Nelson's house is already crowded by the time we get there. Ronnie sticks close to me as we navigate through the crowd of people dancing and chatting, looking for Luca and Nelson. We find Nelson first, to Ronnie's utter dismay.

"Ravi!" Nelson has to raise his voice higher to be heard over the music. I yell his name back and not so secretively glance at Ronnie, who is trying her best to not look at Nelson.

"Ronnie are you ok?" There's mockery in his voice and the edge of his lips turn up slightly in a smirk.

"I'm perfectly fine thank you, we were just looking for Luca," she says. She is still not looking at his face but he makes it impossible for her to continue when he moves to stand right in front of her,

"Luca's just by the pool outside, let me take you there," he offers.

"No I can manage, you two should talk," I object.

"What!?" Ronnie practically screams. I wink at her before disappearing to look for Luca. She will probably skin me alive but I think I'm helping her, she would probably do the same thing for me.

  On the way to the pool, I catch sight of Julie and Kim laughing over something on their phones and I remember how at a point Julie was almost a threat, a confusing one. She likes Luca, even though her best friend is still pining over him. She'll probably also get her chance with him too, now that this entire lie will be ending too.

But it wasn't entirely a lie, I kinda got used to being known as Luca's girlfriend. I liked that he was mine, even if it was a front. There's no point lying to myself anymore, I can feel it more than ever now that I know our days are numbered. Now that I know he probably won't be picking me up every morning since he might have an actual girlfriend to pick up, he won't be inviting me everywhere since there won't be a show to put up. It's increasingly breaking my heart.

"Ravi?" Teddy's voice pulls me back to earth, he's standing in front of me but I didn't even know when he got there.

"Hey," I murmur. He frowns slightly and bends to look me in the eyes.

"Are you ok? You look bothered,"

"I'm fine." But now I'm actually becoming bothered remembering our conversation earlier.

"Wanna get some drinks? Non-alcoholic," he adds but I still hesitate, I really want to see Luca.

"Fine, only two though," I give in reluctantly because if I don't drink with him now he won't let me be.

We go to the bar and he grabs two drinks for us and hands me one.
"So what plans do you have for the holiday?" He asks me.

"I don't really know yet," I admit.

"Well I've got an offer, why don't we go camping for the weekend?" He offers.

"There's still the dance Teddy," I remind him.

  "I know, the weekend after," he smiles.

"Oh, but will it be just the two of us?" I ask. Normally, I wouldn't care, Teddy can't harm me but lately, he has been acting weird and I have this feeling that I know what it is.

"I'll bring a dog if you want," he jokes but I don't laugh.

"I'll check with my parents first, I have to go and check on Luca," I rush out and ignore his downcast expression as I turn back around and head to the pool.

It's freezing cold outside, probably why there aren't so many people around. I spot Luca quickly, he's standing by the edge, intently watching something. I tiptoe to him but instead of saying something, I find myself just staring at his broad back. There are a lot of things that could make a girl to not be attracted by Luca, though I've never really thought of it before. For instance, Luca isn't really tall, I'm just really short. He isn't the A+ student and he really hates studying for tests, he eats rather quickly whenever he gets nervous and he is so freaking cocky.

But those things are nothing compared to the other him, like the fact that he is out of the world handsome, with his brown scattered hair that he deliberately leaves that way. It's so soft that I can sleep well on it, his voice could make anyone fall just from hearing it, and yes the broad back that I am now staring at. God, I can't believe what I'm about to lose.

Luca tenses up and so do I, he finally noticed someone was behind him.

"What are you thinking about?" I ask him. I say it before he can say anything first so I don't have to explain why I stood so quietly for so long.

"How long have you been standing there?" He asks.

"Long enough, what are you thinking about?" I ask again.

"Honestly?" He raises a brow and I nod. "You."

My breath catches and I struggle to maintain my poise, so what if he was thinking about me? I was doing the same right?

"Oh really?" I manage to make my voice as plain as ever.

"Yeah, I just kinda realized that it's all drawing to this big end and it's actually sad,"

"No, not sad. We're still gonna be good friends. Everything will be the same way it was before, everything will go back in place," I lie so easily and I can tell Luca isn't buying it but he doesn't say anything to object go to it.

"Have you ever wanted to do something so badly but all you could think of is the aftermath?" He asks me suddenly.

"Every time,"

"What would you tell someone who is feeling exactly that way, right now,"

"I don't live by the code but they always say we should follow our hearts right?"

"Yeah, yeah they do," he pauses and stares straight at my eyes, then I watch with a weirdly new feeling of anticipation ad his gaze drops lower and onto my lips.

Is Luca going to kiss me?

I don't have to wait long for the answer before he does.