Always and Everything

4

Three Years Earlier, The Davies Residence

I reread the same line three times before I give up altogether. I can't focus with the sounds of gunshots and yelling coming from Alex's room. Levi came over about an hour ago and they haven't shut up since.

"Can y'all shut up?" I scream from my room.

I wait for a response, but none comes. In fact, I think they turned the volume up louder.

"Oh my god," I mumble to myself as I throw my notebook on the bed and stand up. I storm out of my room and throw open Alex's door. Alex and Levi are sitting in bean bag chairs in front of the TV which, as I expected, is on its highest volume setting. They have the yell to talk to each other, but neither of them seem to mind or even notice that I've entered the room.

"Guys!" I yell, but they continue to ignore me, yelling congratulations to one another on another in game kill. 

I walk over to block their view of the TV.

"Move, Jules," Alex says, annoyed, eyes trained on the TV behind me.

Their game continues without interruption.

"Turn the TV down and I will," I say back.

"It's a fucking Saturday Jules, why are you doing homework anyways?" he says as he leans back and forth in an attempt to see around me.

"It's called I have a major project due Monday, just turn it down." I'm getting impatient and irritated. 

"How about I don't and say I did?"

"I will turn off your TV," I threaten, finger hovering over the power button.

"Just turn down the fucking TV dude," Levi finally chimes in.

"Thank you, Levi," I say, "At least one of you is a decent person."

Alex gives Levi a sideways glance as he pauses the game and the excessive noises finally stop. I can see the volume going down on the TV as Alex fumbles with the remote and I sign in relief.

"Well, turning the volume down on the TV was the easiest way to turn the volume down on you so..." he trails off. Alex smirks at this.

"God, you are such a dick."

"That's part of my charm," Levi flashes me his perfect smile.

Sometimes I forget how full of himself Levi is until he says something like that. It doesn't help that he's good looking. It's not very hard for him to get girls, especially the pathetic ones at our school that throw themselves at him. And trust me, he can be charming when he wants to be. He just saves his charm for everyone but me. If only girls at school saw the Levi I saw: the sarcastic, arrogant tool. Then they would stop fawning all over him as he dates and dumps them one by one. Then maybe he ego would deflate, maybe...

"We turned the TV down, get out," Alex says, gesturing for me to leave.

I roll my eyes and head towards the door.

"Don't forget to shut the door on your way out," Levi chimes in.

I stop and give him the dirtiest look I can manage.

"Thanks, you're a doll," he says as he winks at me. Then without another thought, they resume their game.

As I close the door behind me I hear Levi say, "Y'all are fucking children. I swear."