LOVESICK

February 10

There's a guy sitting in the bench across from us. My best friend Leslie, my friend Riley, and me. We all sit on this bench after school any day the three of us are free... which is rarely ever. Anytime we do however, we make sure to get the exact same drink, sit in the exact same position, and basically copy eachothers every move, not because we like it, but because we hate it. We've watched so many high school movies where groups of friends are like robots copying eachothers every move, but we like doing it to have a laugh, and we like seeing people's reactions when they see how annoying we're being.
We all get the same chocolate shake from the ice cream parlour across the park we're in, staring at this guy. Every time we come, we play a game where anytime one of us sees someone attractive, we take a sip from our drinks. The first one to take a drink from the guy sitting in front of us is Riley, I know because I hear her. I look over at the guy, and I see he's not that bad, he has a very nice jawline, he looks very athletic in his sweats and jacket, I really like his hair, it seems to actually work with him, unlike mine which always does whatever it wants.
I look over at Riley who's sitting on the other side of Leslie and I give her a thumbs up to show her he's okay. I see she's doing the classic hair twirl, and I laugh. I like Riley's hair also, she dyed it pastel pink and it looks really pretty. Leslie's hair is pretty also, just like the guy's sitting in front of us, Leslie's hair also works with her, she rarely brushes it and yet it always manages to look good, she has brown hair with some lighter than others, some even blonde.
Riley and I stare at Leslie to see what she thinks of the guy, she stares at us for a moment and gives him a 50/50 and then we laugh, just like we planned. The guy suddenly stands up and walks over to a girl who was coming this way, and now it's just the three of us again. And time for the same routine: checking to see who's taken more drinks from their smoothies. "Okay, well, I'm almost out. I have about a fourth left." Says Riley as she looks at the plastic smoothie cup. "I'm half of the way there." Says Leslie, eyeing Riley as to brag jokingly. I laugh because it's funny seeing them pretend to hate eachother since we're really good friends and inseparable.
I look down at my smoothie and realise it's still full. My large chocolate smoothie is the same way I bought it, but the cup has began to sweat. I'm not really surprised it's still full, and neither is anyone else. "What?" Begins Riley, sounding sarcastic. "Daniel hasn't taken a single drink? What a shocker!" The three of us laugh. I'm glad they accepted me and don't try to prove me wrong about something I'm very sure about.
The reason my cup is still full is because I stopped caring about looks and I started caring more about what a person is like on the inside. Or- what guys are like on the inside. It doesn't mean I don't find guys attractive. I do, but I've started looking at them more for their personalities than their looks, looks are a "bonus" per se. I still find guys attractive for their looks but I often get distracted trying to figure out whether they're a nice person or not rather than actually looking at their physical features. The reason for this is because I decided to reinvent myself. Last year, I had a massive crush on a guy. I had a crush on him for five years, and through those five years, all I did was long for him and become depressed to the point that I had awful thoughts about myself- I completely lost myself because of a guy. So, I decided to become a new person and decided to not fall in love too easily or long for someone for too long.
"What about you, Les?" I ask as I stare at her cup. "Me? Like I said, I just got halfway, probably because I take big sips, but who knows."
"God. I'm the one with the last amount left! What does this say about me?" Asks Riley sounding like she's joking. "Oh nothing," I say. "You just find people attractive in the way they are." I say as the three of us stand up and begin walking down the trail in the park. "Thanks, Daniel." She says with a smile. "So what are you guys doing for valentine's day?" Leslie asks in between Riley and I. Riley starts to laugh. "Well. Josh and I are going to the movies as friends, and I guess that's it, probably get dinner later," Says Riley nonchalantly as she throws her smoothie away and ties her pink hair up. "What about you guys? If you had dates, what would you do?" Leslie and I giggle, neither of us have dates, and now that I think about it, I didn't even realise valentine's day was four days away.
"Well, I mean, I'd like to go for a run with someone and probably go to the movies also, or maybe watch a movie at the park at night, and eat." Leslie says shyly. I smile at her and give her a hug. "I hope you get that." I tell her in hopes of keeping her enthusiastic about one day finding someone who truly loves her.
Next to us, Riley starts giving Leslie a little smirk. "And who might that 'someone' be?" Riley asks. And now I'm just as curious as her. We stare at Leslie, wondering who she could be thinking of, she just smiles as we walk around, knowing the little secret we know nothing about. "Well, there's this guy in my art class who's really hot-"
"Oh, the guy you were telling me about the other day?" Riley interrupts. "Yeah, that guy." Leslie responds. "Ooh, he is hot. You should try talking to him. Josh is friends with him, I can try to get yall to at least talk to eachother."
"No. It's fine, that'll just make it more awkward."
"Alright. Hopefully yall talk soon though, you two look like a cute couple" Riley says and Leslie blushes.
"Well, I don't know him, but, I'll take Riley's word for it." I say with a smile, as I take a drink from my smoothie.
Leslie and Riley look at me shocked as they look around. For a moment I don't know what, then I remember the game. "Oh, no. I just got thirsty and I need to finish my smoothie." And they sigh, thinking I might have actually found someone I might love. But wouldn't that just be crazy? If I actually finally found someone to love at that moment?
"Well, what about you Daniel? What would you do for valentine's day?"
I panic for a second, because I honestly don't know.
"I don't know, probably go read a book somewhere and eat somewhere, and listen to music under the stars."
"Aww, that's so cute!" Say Leslie and Riley at the same time, and then they laugh about it. I hear a phone ring, for a second I think it's mine, but I see Riley reaching into her backpack and pulling out her phone. She whispers into the phone quietly while Leslie and I have a conversation of our own until Riley hangs up.
"Sorry guys," She says as she tucks the phone back into her backpack. "My boss just called me. I have to go to work. I'll call yall later, bye!" She says as she rushes off to work at a cafe nearby, and now it's just me and Leslie. "You wanna go to my house, or do you just want to go home?" Leslie asks me as she throws her cup into the trash can near us. "Yeah, I'll come over to your house. Unless you're going to be busy- I don't want to bother you."
Leslie laughs. "My parents aren't home, it's just going to be me, I'm going to be so bored and alone. At least you'll keep me company and we can work on our homework."
I giggle a little. "Ugh. Yes! I need help with my chemistry homework! Alright, let's go to your house." We leave the park and walk to Leslie's house.