RESPONSABILITY RAIN

II

"I'm falling for him." Lucy told her friend, Noa. "For real."

Noa looked at her and smirked a little.

"Are you being serious, right now?" she asked.

Lucy glanced at her and blushed. She nodded and looked down with a shy smile. Noa took a sip of her glass of wine.

"I mean, no big news, there. I kind of knew it already. Do you think I can't see the way you look at him?" she admitted.

Lucy sighed, dreamy. The sound of the movie they were watching was turned down low. Two girls holding each other's hands were crying on the screen.

"Looks like you and me, when we're on our period." joked Lucy. Her friend laughed a little and then they stayed quiet, both just staring at the TV. After a moment, Noa broke the silence.

"This thing going on with Tyler reminds me of that crush you had on that jock in high school... What was his name, again?" she asked playfully.

"Oh, my God, don't talk about that!" screamed Lucy as she buried her head in the couch. "I had an unhealthy obsession with him and he didn't even know I existed!"

Noa giggled and poked her friend's ribs.

"It was something like Sebastian... Or maybe Sam? Simon?"

"Are you listing random names starting with the letter s?"

Noa laughed and nodded.

"Seth." sighed Lucy and she came out of her hiding spot. "It was Seth McCall. The most jock-ish name ever."

"He was an ass." continued Noa. She started listing his flaws. "He had this very annoying habit of mansplaining everything to everyone all the time. Remember that time he felt an urgent need to explain to that Mariah girl the concept of a book she had just finished reading, at that very same moment? Oh, and he thought he was entitled to every girl in the school, going around, disrespecting everyone... He was so arrogant and full of himself!"

"But he was so handsome..."

Noa eyed her friend and frowned in confusion. She playfully hit Lucy's shoulder.

"You're supposed to learn from your mistakes, not repeat them at the age of 23, dude!"

Lucy laughed. She used to have the biggest of crushes on Seth. Tall, muscular, blonde, bright-smiled boy, his looks used to take 15-year-old Lucy's breath away. Always winking at every girl whose path he crossed to make them feel special – when really, he had no idea who they were – he was a true narcissistic player, but oh-so-attractive. No adolescent girl could resist him – except maybe Noa – and he knew it well.

Lucy used to talk about only him and his great performance on the Lacrosse field or how she dreamed of going to Prom on his arm.

"So, he can show you around like you're some kind of trophy? No way." said Noa firmly, feminist fire burning in her eyes. She took her friend by the arm and led her to the hallway Seth had his locker in. He was leaning against a wall, flirting with a brown-haired girl who was twirling her hair between her fingers, blushing. "I bet you that's another one destined to end up in his bed. And when the deed is done, she'll only have her tears to cry. I'm not letting you be a vulnerable victim for him to chase after, like all of those basic brats. You're more than that."

Lucy looked down.

"How old is that guy anyway? He looks like he should be in college by now, not in Junior year!"

"Okay, I got it, stop!" Lucy replied loudly. "Do you think it makes me happy when all I can think about is him even though I should focus on a hundred other things? Well the answer is no! I'm aware that he doesn't know I exist, but I can't help it if I want him to kiss me under the moonlight and hug me before leaving in a rush to go back to his hou-"

"Holy freaking cow, you'll never stop, will you?" Noa said, annoyed. "You know what? Let's find you a guy who deserves you. Not some kind of playboy who can't even put two and two together."

That's how Noa's obsession with Lucy's boyfriends started: a desperate attempt to get her friend away from a douchebag. Then came the double-dates, messy set ups, blind dating and meeting apps. Nothing really worked, until Noa came home very excited (almost ten years later, though).

"Lucy, Lucy! You are not going to believe what I have planned for you." she screamed.

Lucy was scrolling through her Instagram-feed and put her phone down to look at her roommate-slash-best-friend-slash-pizza-thief. Her dark skin looked flawless and her blonde braids were tied high in a bun. She smiled with her full lips and adjusted her round glasses.

"What now?" she asked with a half-worried, half-amused sigh.

Noa started jumping around in her room and sat down on the bed after a few moments of foolish wiggling.

"So...you know how that guy Brad, that I met last week, took me out on a couple of dates?" Noa asked and Lucy nodded. "Well, today we were walking out of the movies and – you'll never guess what happened – we bumped into his friend – who's smoking hot, by the way – and he invited us to a party he's having tomorrow! And you are totally coming, 'cause I heard that our host is single, and ready to mingle!"

Lucy rolled her eyes. "You're ridiculous!" she said.

"Aw, come on! Don't be such a fun-blower. It'll be just like the old times!"

"And by the old times do you mean the high school party experience? Because I've had enough of that. Red cups full of disgusting beer and vomit all over my shoes while someone is blasting bubblegum pop at three A.M. is not really my thing, anymore. If you haven't noticed." replied Lucy.

"He said it was going to be chill: just a couple of his friends, snacks, drinks and jazz-music."

Lucy was still a bit suspicious.

"I have a strong feeling you invented this story a second ago, just to make me go." she paused and Noa pretended to be offended. She mumbled something like "Me? I would never do that." Under her breath and turned away. "But you know what? For the sake of old times, let's just go. Whatever." Lucy continued. "That friend of Brad's can't be worse than the last guy you introduced me to..."

Noa grimaced in disgust.

"You know very well that I am so sorry about Leo. How could I know he lived with his mom and would take her with him on every one of your dates? That's not even sweet anymore, it's just plain creepy." she said, and started planning the fun night they were going to have.

Turns out, the "chill party" Noa was talking about wasn't that chill at all. Fortunately, Tyler saved Lucy from the drunk crowd by taking her to the balcony.

"You are doing a better job at being my best friend than my actual best friend. I got to say, I'm a little disappointed in her." Lucy told him, pointing at Noa making out with Brad in a corner. Tyler chuckled.

"Aw, let them have fun, mommy, they're young." He said and smiled widely.

There they were, standing above the city of New York, the world in their hands, and when he kissed her in the moonlight, she didn't even know who Seth was anymore.