The List

Chapter 5: Levi

Chapter 5:

Chance. Do you believe in chance? Sheer possibility of doing something twice. Living on hope of whether or not something amazing will happen again.

Some places are filled to the seams with chance. Vegas, Stock Markets, Retirement home bingo nights. Now unlike my father, the steady gambling man, I don't believe in chance. Nothing ever happens more than once for me. Definitely not in the same day. Why would it? Why should it? No one deserves two opportunities. They should strike when the iron is hot.

Now what were the chances of Mark grinding on the Lopez twins today? Very high. How about the chances of Veronica staring at me like a lost puppy from the other side of the room as she guzzles down a Corona? Pretty high. Maybe how there are about 300 sophomores here? Extremely high.

To me these things all happen for a reason. No crazy act of chance. No made-up idea of fate. No hocus pocus of probability. Each situation pulled together by strings in the atmosphere. Nothing else. Every moment previously orchestrated to cause a movement in the world. Down to a sneeze. The whip of an elephant tail. The breeze of wind which blew the willow tree. Everything moved like clockwork. No fate fumbling with the predisposed plan of the world.

People say free will and decisions are the reason the whole system mucks up, but what if there was more in play than free will. Maybe an invisible hand guiding you along. The thing is neither of us are completely right. I say that there is no fate, but others say that it is all fate.

For the longest time I would agree that there is no fate. That chance is a sheer magic trick. Chance was a mathematicians fortune. Nothing more. But all of that simply blew away when I saw her again. The girl with the porcupine raven hair. Emerald green orbs which blindly gazed out the window of Mark's huge house. Adorned head to toe in black. Unlike the other girl's her hands were empty. No cups loitered in her clutches. Her only purpose in this moment was to gaze emptily out the window. So simple yet so intriguing.

Today was the first day I've seen her and yet I feel like I've known her for a lifetime. Unknown yet full of promise. Her legs were clumsily graceful. My gaze is soon obscured by the cinnamon beauty, Veronica.

"Veronica?" I spit straightening my back to see over her head. The green eyed girl gazed out the window her body simply swaying to the pounding music in the room

"Levi, come come," She tugged on my shirt pulling me onto the dance floor. Her hips swirled like a tornado. Some Katy Perry song played through the speakers. Something about a tiger and roaring. Veronica roared along tonelessly. I'd leave her alone swinging around in Mark's living room, but as much as I hate it she draws me in. Her hands locked behind my neck. Over her head stood a dream-like beauty.

"I'm going to..." I started as Veronica tightened her grip around my neck.

"Marry me," Her lips drifted closer to mine reaking of beer.

"You're drunk," I spoke truthfully.

"And you are hot," She snorted as she smoothly slammed her lips into mine. My head wanted to react with vengeance and push her off of me. But my body craved her lips. My body was blinded by her actions. The warmth of her palms as they cautiously ran up and down my arms pushed my body into overdrive. She made me feel as if I was on top of the world again.

Veronica's lips drifted wearily away from mine as she muttered, "Levi..." her face filled with saddness, her eyes softened as she slide out of my embrace, "Sorry." I thought of how warm her body felt in my arms. How everything seemed fixed when she is in my arms. How with one kiss it felt right. But kisses don't cure mistakes. They just bandage them and block out the pain.