True Story [Complete]

Chapter 5

"One green-tea peach with jellies," Finn says as he passes the drink to Maylissa (while I try to get a glimpse of his tattoo but is covered surprisingly well by his sleeve). "Honey Milk with no tapioca-"

"No tapioca?!" Maylissa accuses Melvin.

"What?" Melvin says taking his boring drink from Finns gigantic hands. "I watched this Youtube video that explains the toxins found in that thing," he points to the tapioca pearls at my drink and Finn's.

"So? Yet you have a diet limited to only Chee-tos and cereal. Did you know that food colorings in that junk can cause cancer?"

"Well, at least I'll die happy. Oh yeah, did you know that that's also a choking hazard?" Melvin eyes Myalissa with a smirk.

"You. Dirty. Son. Of a fucking bitch!" And just like that, Melvin's out the door laughing and Maylissa's chasing after him with her drink uncapped. What a waste of five bucks.

Finn turns to me. "You owe me fries." I give him a face and he chuckles. "Well I won didn't I?" I reluctantly nod.

We made a bet on our way to school on whether Melvin or Maylissa will provoke the other. I voted Maylissa, he betted on Melvin. Goodbye to my allowance.

**

On the way home, Finn and Melvin find a lounge chair sitting on someone's lawn with a Free sign. So we spent the next 15 minutes (on what should have been seven-minute walk) taking turns carrying the hunk of junk around the neighborhood. When we got to our stop, Melvin and Finn rock-paper-scissored to see who can keep it. Melvin won and dragged it over to his house, which is behind the house to the right of my place. While Maylissa crossed the street to her place as she waved back at us.

"So..." Finn began, shuffling his feet, "how was your day?"

I turn to him, adjusting my backpack strap. "It was cool... how was yours?"

"Fine. " silence. "Ey at least we got two classes together."

"Yeah," I say (hoping that my eyes don't look too lit up). Silence. (again). "So..." I clear my throat. "You got a tat?" He looks up and smiles. "Can I see?"

He pulls up his sleeve and flexes (face palm). And there it is. A green Chinese dragon looking down at me. I tip toe and put my hand on his shoulder to get a better look at. Finn then crouches down a bit. He chuckles, "too bad your not growing anymore." I make another face.

The dragon has white eyes that seem to be glowing. Its head adorned with has yellow horns and some whisker-like strands growing from its nostrils. The scales are extremely detailed, painted with some hues of green-blue and blue.

"Did it hurt?" I ask him. He stares at me. That's when I realize how close we are and my cheeks begin to redden. I close my mouth and focus on the dragon, at which I trace my fingers on.

He brings a fist to his mouth and coughs. He stands up to his full height and undoes the fold his sleeve, "Nope."

We look at each other now. "Why didn't you tell me you were going to get one?" I ask curiously.

"Well, I didn't think you needed to know."

"Why not?"

"'Cuz, I don't know."

"What do you mean you don't know?" I look at him now with furrowed brows. "If you were getting married would you tell me?"

"Whoa, whoa there," Finn holds his hands out at me to calm down. "How did we get from my tattoo to marriage?" He smiles at me teasingly and ruffles up my hair, "so what if I didn't?"

My ears are as red as a lobster and my head is boiling, while my heart is beating so loudly (and I hope he doesn't hear anything). I swipe his hand away. "Then... I would never forgive you."

Finn looks at me like I hurt him (I'm not a dog). "Rennie, what the hell's going on? Do you really hate tattoos that much?" I don't say anything and look at the ground. "Or are you mad 'cuz I didn't say anything?" Nothing. "You don't need to know everything, okay!" He throws his hands in the air, yelling. He spins around slowly with his hands on his hips, his expression pissed.

"It's not like you tell me everything!" He points accusingly.

"What do you mean? I tell you everything!"

"Like your period? It's that wonderful time of the month again isn't it?!" I stand in shock. Did he just pull that offensive card on me? "What happened that night Rennie?! No couple breaks up because of an unwanted kiss. You guys should have made up the next day somehow." Is he lecturing me now? "Couples break up because of long-distance and abuse or..." Yup he's lecturing. "Or 'cuz one of them likes someone else..." he whispers now and slowly adjusts his head to get a good look of my eyes.

Before he can say anything else, I sprint across my lawn, open the front door, and lock it once I'm inside. My heart's pounding so much now. It hurts. I look around the room and spot Murphy already writing (on what I assume is on WritersCorner).

He must have seen my frantic eyes because he then asks if I was okay. I tell him yes and that I was going to go take a shower. He nods with worried eyes and continues typing on our laptop.

I take my shoes off and slip on my house slippers. Then I go to my room and take out my home clothes. After taking off my jade bracelet (so much for good luck), I head over to the bathroom that's right next to my room. I turn the dial of the shower to let it warm up. I take my clothes off and slip into the shower and let the water hit my head with a downpour. Thinking to myself and plotting on what I should do tomorrow besides watching anime or reading.

All I know is that I will never have the heart to avoid him the whole day.