Love Is a Losing Game // Joel Pimentel

13 | My Concern

Chapter Thirteen

Blu's POV

"So wait let me get this straight," Joaquín starts.

We were currently in the farthest corner of the library sneaking a lunch in and conversing about the people that I have had the utmost pleasure of meeting recently.

"Yoandri keeps texting you and you guys flirt, but Joel is now acting weird because you guys talk?" he questions perplexed.

I take a bite of my apple and nod, "Yeah, basically." We look at each other momentarily before laughing, getting shushed by everyone else in the library. I laugh silently after a pause and look at the time.

"Oof, I should get going. I have Lit next," I say. He nods and gives a big sloppy kiss on the cheek before hugging me tightly, "Love you, hermosa."

I groan and wipe the kiss of my cheek, "Gross." He laughs and I nudge him, "You're lucky I like you." Joaquín chuckles and looks over at me with his golden eyes, "I mean I am the only Spaniard you know."

"Yeah, yeah."

***

I lift one leg up in my desk just as the teacher dismisses us for the period; We were either working on our projects or reading the assigned book for the semester.

Joel was currently in the bathroom so I take the time to work on some of my drawings. The ink swirls from my pen precisely where I want it and I smile to myself, taking small strokes for the details.

I lose myself in the paper before me and begin to hum softly. I draw the soft slopes of mountains, and the gentle curves of different faces until I stop to wrap my hair up.

It's then that I notice him.

He was sitting before me, watching me with that unsettling gaze of his. I suck in a breath before gently asking, "Were you there the whole time?"

Yoandri chuckles lowly and nods, "Yeah sorry. I just didn't want to interrupt." I sigh in understanding and he leans up on his forearms before asking, "Hey, what're you doing after school?"

"Nothing much. Just some homework probably," I reply honestly.

He nods understandingly and from where I'm at I can see the curve of his eyelashes and the lovely shade of brown that his eyes were. "These are good," he murmurs.

I break out of the trance to see him flipping through my notebook and my breath catches in my throat, "Oh, those are priva-"

"She doesn't show them to anyone," a voice says behind me.

Yoandri closes my notebook, glances behind me, and smiles with something behind it I can't quite guess. He places my life's work on the desk and nods, "That's okay."

I turn around to see Joel sitting down in his seat next to me, his jaw clenched and his eyes trained on Yoandri.

"But anyways," Yoandri intercedes. I swivel back to face him and he continues his thought. "I just wanted to know if you wanted to study at the coffee shop near school today?"

I nod happily and he smiles, his fingers coming up to my cheek. He leans into me and presses a kiss on my forehead before whispering, "Perfect," and leaving just as fast as he came.

***

"Are you actually going?" Joel asks.

I collect the books from my locker that I need for tonight and nod, "Why wouldn't I? It's just studying." I look over to Joel to see him looking at me with a Bro, come on type of gaze.

"Why are you so concerned about me? Don't you have bigger things to worry about?"

"No, you're my concern right now," he responds immediately.

My stomach flips at his response and I suddenly become aware of my breathing. Silence forms in between us and I find myself just looking at him, wondering what he was thinking.

Just as I'm about to break the quiet, I see Yoandri walk over to me and swing his arm around my shoulders. "Hey, Blu," he greets with a grin.

He looks over to Joel with a taunting smirk, "What're you guys conversing about?"

Joel and I share a glance before I shake my head, "Nothin-"

"I just thought I would go with you guys to the coffee shop, seeing as how I could catch up on some studying too," Joel forces a smile on his face.

Yoandri's smirk falters for a second before his grip on me tightens, "I don't see why not." I watch as Joel's jaw clenches then unclenches, "Great. I'll catch up with you guys at the entrance then?"

"Sounds good," Yoandri responds.

I internally face palm and already feel the tension building in the air.

Shoot me now.

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a/n

y i k e s