Young But Real (5 YA Short Stories)

In Which She's The Sponge

"Argh!"

I watch in frustration when the bubble tea's brown liquid stains my white crop tee. I sort through my bag to look for the wet wipes, unfortunately, today is the day when it goes missing.

I look around the park to see if I could ask someone and luck is on my side when I spot a familiar silhouette of a blonde girl sitting on the bench.

"Hi Mia! Um... do you have wet wipes?

She lifts her head and stares at me with a blank expression as if she's trying to read my mind.

Oh oh. This isn't good. I am very familiar with this kind of gaze.

Tears fell from her eyes, looking so vulnerable and troubled.

The listen-I-am-going-to-spill-something look.

I sit beside her, the stain on my tee...forgotten.

"What's wrong Mia?" I ask while rubbing her back.

"I'm...I'm p-pregnant," she sniffles.

I gasp and my hand instantly stops.

"Jacob w-wants me to..." Her voice trails off. "a-abort the child but I don't want to kill my baby," she says, rubbing her eyes. "But my parents will kill me if they know I'm pregnant and Jacob won't take responsibility. They warned me not to get involved with the gang leader of Black Coast."

I'm speechless. This is a sensitive and serious matter — I am not in the right position to tell her what to do. I can only listen and stay beside her. I continue to rub her back until she stops crying.

"Eloise, thank you. Please don't utter any words to anyone. I know I can trust you."

I nod. Three sentences, I often heard from my friends and acquaintances.

"I have to go. Thanks again."

"Take care Mia." She gives me a thin smile and walks away, her shoulders slump.

I inhale deeply and exhale to unload the burden I just absorb. Their secrets and struggles always affect me. I stand to go home instead to dance and play the electric guitar. Music has been my outlet for the past two years. I look down and notice my long-forgotten bubble tea.

Whack!

My head is forcefully turned to the left from the hard impact of a hand to my cheek and I stumble backward causing me to sit back on the bench. My hand quickly goes to touch my stinging cheek. I am too stunned to comprehend what has just happened. I look up to see a fuming Blair with her two minions.

"What the hell, Blair?"

"You! Because of you, Jarrod is avoiding me," she seethes. "You told me to confess my feelings but when I attempted to kiss him, he pushed me away with disgust."

I scoff. "I didn't tell you to kiss him. You ask my opinion if you should confess and as far as I remember, my exact words are 'yes, if you want to'."

"Jarrod and I are getting along well until I follow your advice. It's your fault and you deserve that slap."

"Unbelievable!" It's my turn to be angry but my word falls on deaf ears when they smirk and walk away. Tears cloud my vision. This is what I get after acting like a human being. I should've ignored her when she kept pulling her own hair. My chest feels so heavy.

"Here."

A pile of brown tissue with Kosher Cafe written on them appears in front of my face. I snap my head towards the source of the deep masculine voice. He looks very familiar and it takes almost 30 seconds before I recognize him.

"Jace?"

The owner of the voice is none other than my long-brunette classmate in Statistics who wears eyeglasses with a plain black frame, denim jeans, black or white runners and loose plain hoodie. Wait, he's not in his usual hoodie — he's wearing a Kathmandu gray tee. I blatantly check him out as this is the first time I see the outline of his abs and chest, broad shoulders and biceps that cling to his tee.

I flush as the heat travels to my body and I continue tracing his body with my eyes until I reach his face. His handsome face. I can see his features clearly without the straight brunette hair to cover his features — his hair is pulled into a hipster man bun showing his chiseled jaw. When my eyes connect with his, I forget to breathe as his hazel green eyes stare back at me without the spectacle as a barrier.

O M G! Jace Vanderhart, the quiet good-looking hoodie guy, is actually devilishly handsome and sizzling. If I like him in his hoodie and eyeglasses, this time my insides are screaming with desire.

"Like what you see, Eloise?" His lips quirk in amusement, showing his small dimple.

I blink a few times, taking the tissue papers to wipe my eyes rashly as if it can erase what I have just seen. No I can't. His features are now etched in my brain and the heat they cause will never go away.

"You look different. Where are you going?" My gaze lands on the takeaway black coffee cup and brown paper bag on his left hand.

"Home, across the street," he says, pointing at the apartment building.

"Did...did you see everything?"

"From Mia to Blair, maybe." But his soft eyes tell me he sees everything. "Are you okay?" He sits down beside me and places his coffee and the brown bag on the bench beside him. He stares at my cheek which I am sure has Blair's handprint.

Our bodies are not touching but I feel like I am electrocuted. Did I say he's sizzling? Yeah, coz I feel flames burning my skin, igniting my nerves down to my core.

I look at him. "No. I'm not okay." Not because of the two girls, ok maybe they are the reason why this strange and unfamiliar feeling is so strong but I am not very innocent not to know that I am horny and turned on.

It's now or never.

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What can you say about this chapter?
Can you relate to Eloise character? There are people like her. Sometimes even random stranger can spill their burden smoothly with them.
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Now, go to the next chapter. You're welcome. ;-)

Thank you.

:-) Alya :-)