Promises - Joel Pimentel

Chapter 14

"Dad can we go to the beach?" I asked skipping into the lounge room where my dad had a bunch of CNCO related papers spread out onto the table.

"Why?" he looks up.

"Because I want to get a tan obviously"

"Don't be silly Maya, you look beautiful the way you are" my mum enters the room with a bowl of fruit in her hand sitting next to my dad on the couch.

"So, you want to go to the beach to use the sun?" my dad asked lifting an eyebrow in confusion.

"Well" I look up at the ceiling taking in what he said "Now that you put it that way...yes pretty much" I smiled hoping he would say yes.

"If you want to tan so badly the suns outside right now" he replies continuing with his work.

"But daaad" I whined stomping my right leg lightly in annoyance.

I walk back into my room and stop midway next to my bed thinking of an idea before smirking. Grabbing my towel, lotion, sunglasses and changing into my bikini, I head downstairs. Walking past the lounge room where my parents were, I head out the front door.

"Maya get back in here!" my mum yells.

I walk back inside stopping at the doorway just enough for them to see me.

"Yes?" I ask.

"What do you think you're doing?"

"Tanning at home of course. It was dad's idea" and with that, I head back out into the front lawn again.

"Is she serious?" I hear my mum whisper to my dad but I continued to do my thing.

I laid the beach towel onto the front lawn slowly making sure it was flat before putting on my sunglasses. After that, I applied some moisturizing lotion and laid flat on the towel with my arms resting behind my head. Placing my headphones in and playing the song 'Casi Nada' by Karol G featuring CNCO, I drifted off into a nap.

1:26pm

"Damn that's a nice view"

I didn't even have to open my eyes to know who was standing right in front of me.

"What do you want Ryan?" I annoyingly ask keeping my eyes closed and staying in the same position.

"A piece of that a-"

"Don't even think about finishing that sentence" I cut him off.

After a minute of silence, I opened my eyes and removed my sunglasses from my eyes and placed them on top of my head.

"Can I help you?" I snap at him.

He looks around placing his hands in his pockets before answering my question.

"Oh, I was just wondering. We don't talk anymore"

"We never talk. Now evaporate please" I placed my sunglasses back onto my eyes and shut them.

He still doesn't move but continues to stand there eyeing me up and down every now and then while looking around trying not to be obvious.

"Why don't you just take a picture, it'll last longer" I say.

"Actually, that's not a bad idea" he takes out his phone and points his camera at me as I heard the sound of a photo being taken.

"Hey! What is wrong with you delete that!" I stand up.

"It was your idea. Jeez Maya. If you don't want people taking pictures of you then you shouldn't be lying in your front lawn naked like a prostitute on display"

"Oh I'm sorry but do you see your name on this grass? No. It's my house and if I want to lay in my lawn then I'll lay on my lawn. So buh-bye".

He doesn't reply except laugh to himself while looking at his cell phone screen.

"Delete it before I get Joel, my boyfriend, to come at you" I place both my hands on my hips.

"Joel your boyfriend who was out with that smoking hot YouTuber Amber last night?" he chuckles.

"You're a jerk! Ahh!" I scream not caring if the whole neighbourhood heard me.

"I swear Maya you just keep getting more and more mental each day"

Before I had a chance to reply back, I hear my front door open and Ryan's eyes widen before he dashed off running away as if he was scared of what or who would be coming out that door.

"What are you yelling at?" my dad asks standing in the doorway.

"No one" I sigh and pick up my things heading back inside.

Joel's POV

The boys and I were currently trying out outfits for the Latin Grammy's that were coming up. Amber was also there since she would be my date to the award show. This was all managements idea. I took out my phone dialling Maya's number attaching it to my ear as I heard multiple bells go through.

'Hi this is Maya, Sorry I can't pick up, leave a message and I'll get back to you'

It had sent me straight to her voicemail.

"Why don't you ever pick up" I groan as the voicemail was recording.

Hanging up, I dial her number again and head out of the dressing room into an empty hallway.

"Well what do you know? Mr celebrity finally calls"

Her voice. That's exactly what I needed to hear. I didn't care if she was yelling, crying, screaming with joy or even talking. I just needed to hear her voice.

"What are you talking about? I always have time for my girl" I begin to walk back and forth in the hallway.

"Hmm, I'm sure" she mumbles. "How was your date with Amber?"

Saying that sentence, her voice had a different tone to it. She seemed somewhat...jealous?

"Horrible. The whole night I kept wishing it was you who I was having dinner with"

"Well, the pictures say so otherwise. I saw the photos on Instagram and twitter"

"Baby you know I had to fake all that" I reassure her. "Look, I didn't call to start an argument. I called because I miss you"

"Oh, that's nice" she replies back emotionless.

"Maya please don't do this" I pleaded.

"Fine" she sighs. "I miss you too" this time it sounded real and I couldn't ask for anything more.

"I will be back soon I promise. I just wanted to see how my girl was doing" I smiled as I said those words knowing she missed me as much as I did.

"Do you promise?" she sounded emotionally tired.

"I promise. But for now, I have to go. Can I get a kiss before I go?" I asked.

"Joel" she replies not sounding very enthusiastic.

"I'll start" I detach the phone from my ear placing it in front of my mouth and kissing the air into the phone loud enough so she could hear me.

She giggled at my attempt to kiss her over the phone. But I did receive one back and that's all I wanted. Hanging up the phone, I turn around to see Amber heading my way.

"Was that Maya?" she asks.

"Yeah" I look down at my phone staring at my phone screen which was a photo of her.

"She must be a lucky girl if she has someone like you in her life. She seems like she makes you really happy. Keep her" she places a hand on the side of arm giving me a warm smile before heading back inside leaving me in complete confusion.