Live Laugh Levi

Chapter Two

I looked in the mirror, and a girl looked back at me. She was medium height, Sandy blonde hair, petite features, and muscular arms and legs. I smiled at what I had become in the past 4 years of high school. I made a face at the second outfit that I attempted. I wasn't usually the candidate to care what I wore, but today I decided that maybe today I would look like a girl.

I decided on a pair of regular cutoff jean shorts, my pair of burgundy converse, and a plain white t-shirt an outfit that was very usual for me. I knew this didn't exactly scream girly like all of Alexis's dresses, skirts and curls, while I had the hair that I towel dried and decided that was good enough. Why did I feel like I was competing for Levi? After all he was my best friend he had room for both of us. I grabbed my bag when I heard Levi's car drive up to the house.

Like clockwork Levi was here right at 7:30. He was sitting on the entryway bench looking through one of my mom's home cooking magazines she had already looked through and set there to be put in the bonfire. He seemed content I could just stand there and watch him looking through recipes and do-it-yourselves ideas.

"You like that one?" My mother said pointing at Alfredo dish.

"Looks really good ma," Levi smiled.

"Then next time you come for dinner, you'll have it," She smiled putting on her muck boots to lead the horses out.

"You're lucky I have to beg her to make my favorite meal," I joked standing on the landing of the stairs.

"You are also the son she never got," My brother Reese chipped in.

"Keep it up and I will trade you two for Levi," My mom added ruffling Reese's shaggy hair and closing the door behind her.

"Looks like we're matching today," Levi chuckled. I looked down at his jeans, and white t-shirt.

"Hey Levi, can you give me a ride to school too? I kind of missed my bus this morning," Reese asked Levi.

"You missed the bus again this week?" I confronted Reese with my serious tone but ended it with a smile. He could be my backseat riding companion.

"It's alright. Sure thing little bro," Levi messed Reese's hair up and they raced each other to the car. I was almost positive that Reese preferred Levi over me.

Levi knew Reese since he was born. Reese was five years younger than me. At the age of 12 he was probably smarter than me and Levi combined. He skipped a grade and was already in the 8th grade. Levi was the one that convinced him to pursue his goals of being a marine biologist. I think partly because Levi's older brothers didn't pay any attention to him, and they left him with this father and rarely seen him. Reese liked the idea of having an older brother to rough house and play video games with.

"Alexis won't be joining us today, she got a ride from Bristol," Levi sounded almost relieved. I knew that I was.

The car ride was like normal again. We all talked and laughed and joked. I was glad that I didn't end up taking the bus, sitting with people that I stopped talking too in middle school. As we neared Adamsfield Middle school Reese stopped talking, he seemed kind of nervous a trait not normal for Reese.

"What's up back there? Huh?" Levi quizzed resting his arm on the back of my seat and turning to talk to Reese.

"I don't want to talk about it," Reese sighed.

"Why is that?"

"Because I don't want to be a snitch,"

"Is someone bothering you Reese?" Levi asked with a sense of all seriousness.

"Kinda,"

"Well whoever this kid is tell him that you have a big brother that will beat him up if he messes with you again. Okay?"

"Okay Levi," Reese opened the door with a new sense of confidence. "Levi?"

"Yeah?"

"I love you,"

"I love you too,"

"I love you too Ryder," He kissed me on the cheek and ran towards the front doors.

"He adores you," I beamed.

"I adore him too," Levi answered.

Right when we pulled in, Alexis ran to the driver's side of Levi's car and immediately bombarded him with questions and new things to tell him. She just talked to him yesterday, like what could have possibly happened in the 15 hours that you spent apart, when 10 of them you were probably sleeping. She began with a dream that she had where they were in a burning house and he saved her. Blah blah blah.

Levi still walked with me to my first period with Alexis at his side. I wondered if it bothered her that we were so close. He left me at the door of Government while explaining that he was going to leave and come back before lunch, so I wouldn't see him in Calculus. As soon as he turned his back Alexis laced her fingers within Levi's.

When lunch came around I aimlessly wandered not only to find a place to eat my school baked cardboard pizza, but to find Levi and tell him about my yearbook assignment. My friend Nikka waved me over to her table where she was eating alone contently and doing her Government vocabulary. I smiled and walked over. We ended up talking about my feelings towards Levi, quizzing each other on the amendments, and sharing her cucumbers and celery. Levi seen me from the courtyard and sat across from me.

Alexis was with him like his little puppy trailing behind him and trying to keep his loyalty. I wish I could say that Alexis hanging on Levi didn't make me feel somewhat mad but it did. The way she was kissing him on the cheek and holding his hand under the table made me want to crawl into a hole and disappear.

"Hey," I said.

"I got some news," Levi announced.

"It's official me and Levi are dating!" Alexis chirped. At that moment it felt like my heart sank deeper into my chest. At least when Levi and Alexis weren't official I could assume or dream about feelings Levi may have towards me.

"You're a lucky girl," was all I could manage. And the knife was twisted further into my heart.

What else did I need to convince me that I had feelings for him?