fallin' out of love (stemxstud)

3

Valentine

"I'm going down to the community center to look again," I told Teece, pulling my bag over my shoulder.

"You think it'll be anything new today. Hasn't been in what...months?" she commented, sitting on the couch boredly.

"Can't give up," I shrugged. "You want some McDonald's on the way back?"

My aunt was currently supporting most of all our living arrangements until we got back on our feet. She had been helping us out in a significant ways ever since I moved away from my mom's and limited my contact with my three sisters until I could better myself behaviorally and mentally.

"Yeah, sure," she answered back half heartedly.

"You okay?"

"Just...tired."

I was used to hearing that excuse.

But I was also tired of hearing it from Teece.

"You know...shit won't get any better between us like this," I shook my head, glancing back at her. "But if that's how you wanna play things."

"You 're always gone," she argued.

"Tryna find a job. While you sit around," I add.

"Because not many will hire someone who can't stand for too long and who can't lift up a certain weight. You think I wanna sit around relying on a check? And who's fault is it that my legs ended up more fucked up than they should have been? Remember breaking my legs back in Wisconsin when I relied mostly on my wheel chair? Or is that just a fever dream for you, Valentine? I was just starting to heal. And you broke me down quite literally."

"And I regret that. And you hold that over my head. Why be with me if you didn't have plans on forgiving me for my mistakes?" I demanded.

She stared hard into my eyes.

"Maybe we could split ways. Your mistakes changed my life."

"Maybe we should," I said harshly.

"You won't see my shit here when you get back," she stated, getting up from the couch and walking as angrily as she could to our bedroom.

"Teece. Let's talk it out," I said, biting back on my words.

"You always do that. Say what you mean, even if it hurts me, then wanna take me back with some sweet words to soothe me," Teece turned around. "You can suck my dick, Tino."

"Gladly. But I'm not letting you go. We've come too far." I shrugged my bag off my shoulder, letting it drop to the floor and stepping towards her. "And we only got further to go, Teece."

"Further into destruction, yea," she scoffed.

"C'mere," I grabbed her waist, kissing her until she kissed me back with a roll of her eyes. I moved back my face, still holding her waist closely against mine, "I hate it when we do this."

"Well...I do too," she stared into my eyes. "Why is a break up the thing we always go towards when we argue? That's not normal couple shit, Tino."

"You're right," I admitted, biting my lip.

I left the house after promptly rearranging Teece's guts, my own thighs and waist sore from laying it down on her like a full body workout. I walked to the community center, my bag on my shoulders as I looked at the world around me.

It'd be a nice day if it wasn't so fucking cold, but of course it was; although the sun was trying to peek its way out, it warmed the back of my neck that was used to long locs that had been instead cut off and replaced by my fresh twists.

I made it to the center and gave everyone I saw a warm smile, in a better mood now that I knew that Teece was sitting back at the house in a slightly better mood. I went to the bulletin board that listed the available jobs and opportunities in our area.

Even though I was still holding out hope, some part of me figured that no good news would be here for me today. Maybe I was an hour or so late, and someone had already consulted the career coordinator about one of the flyers. It had been months on end that I hadn't been certified or credible enough for a job. Or there was an employment drought. Or there was this and that.

But today...something caught my eye.

I snatched the flyer off the board, only seeing "Opening". I jogged my way to the coordinator, not stopping to even see what I was signing up for. An opportunity was an opportunity at this point.

I knocked on an red door, a soft voice allowing me to come in. Big eyes, a soft brown frontal, and a warm smile met me at her small desk.

"Anaya," I gave her an excited smile. "Guess what?"

"As soon as I put the flyer up with my little stapler I knew my favorite someone would find it. Of course, when I read through it I wanted to call you up immediately, but it wouldn't be fair to the other people in our community, and...center rules," she shrugged, dimples showing. "Although...I didn't expect you to be attracted to such a job type."

"Huh?" I frowned, closing the door behind me and simultaneously looking down at the flyer as I sat.

"It's a job offering for Sunday Breeze High. The janitorial staff. Although...I'm happy to help you pursue any..." I started tuning Anaya's words out as the high school's familiarity rung clear for me.

Anaela's old high school.

Huh, what are the chances?

"How do I...How do I sign up?" I interrupted her, not even hearing what she had said before.

What if Anaela still attended the school? Our families...or rather...our family won't allow us to have contact with one another. What if...this was the small opportunity I had at seeing her again? Even if it was for a little bit throughout the day?

"Well, first they'll most likely require a background check. But I have no doubt they'd hire you. We can start the process now and I'll reach out to the district."

"Thank you, Anaya," I smiled a little bit to myself in the seat. I could see Anaela again. And damn...my feelings haven't went away for her yet, have they?

Fuck.