Girl Mechanic

Epilogue

Girl Mechanic by JellOfAllTrades
Epilogue

"Tell me why you're so hard to forget
Don't remind me, I'm not over it
Tell me why I can't seem to face the truth
I'm just a little too not over you
Not over you"

Suzie turned off the car radio and then turned right after entering the subdivision.

"Oh, shit." She cursed herself when she remembered that she shouldn't have made that turn.

Suzie has been actively avoiding that street for two whole months now. Not that the street has any potholes or anything but because her former crush and friend lives there.

She wondered what Levi Mariano could be doing at the moment and then smiling to herself when she thought of Levi working on her Volkswagen Beetle. But the smile disappeared as fast as it came when she remembered that Levi could be spending her afternoon out with her boyfriend Kurt.

Letting out a sigh, Suzie remembered how she drove away crying that night she confessed and then hid away, avoiding the university canteen and the engineering department where she knows Levi would be.

But Levi Mariano didn't give up on Suzie that easily. She tried to talk to her in school and went to their house. But every time she gets near, Ronnie would stop her so that Suzie could get away and Mrs. Martinez didn't really let her in the house per Suzie's request. After two weeks did Levi finally stopped trying to reach out and talk to her.

It's been two months. Suzie admits that she misses Levi and as the white house came into view, Suzie decided that it's about time she says sorry for what happened-- and for running away. She shouldn't have avoided Levi and should have listened to Levi explain. She should have just understood that Levi's sweet to all her friends and that Levi didn't mean to let her fall.

Suzie parked the car in front of the Mariano house, at the same place where months before, her car broke down. She got out and looked around. The day is warm and the sky is blue with a few clouds, just like the first time she stopped here.

She made her way up to the front of the house but stopped herself from pressing the doorbell. She heard laughter at the right side of the house, coming from the garage. 

Taking a deep breath, Suzie decided to check the garage first, knowing full well that if Levi isn't in her room building model cars, reading the latest Batman comic book or drawing on her cluttered study table, she would be in the garage, working on her beige colored Volkswaggen Beetle that she got for her eighteenth birthday.

"Congratulations!" A man's voice shouted from inside the garage. "It's about time you finished it!"

"Now you don't have to use your bike to uni!" Another voice said.

"Heck, I'm still going to use the bike!"

Suzie stopped upon hearing the unmistakable voice of Levi Mariano.

The laughter in the garage died out as soon as the people inside saw her standing by the open garage doors.

There, circled around the Beetle, holding different cans of soft drinks and beer are Levi and her best friends Paul, Johnny, Allan and Dominic.

"Suzie," Paul was the first one to recover from the shock.

"Hi," Suzie almost choked.

It's been two months. Two whole months of avoiding Levi Mariano. Two long months of moving on. But apparently, those months of evasion were useless.

The sight of the black hair tied back in a messy ponytail, the long side bangs, that toothy grin and those piercing grey eyes was enough for Suzie to realize that her feelings for Levi never left.

"I'm sorry to intrude."

"No, it's okay," Levi said, "we were just celebrating."

"You finished the Beetle?"

Levi nodded.

"That's great," Suzie forced a smile, trying to think of a way to get out of the awkward situation that she made for herself.

"We're gonna go grab something inside," Allan declared as the four guys backed away to the kitchen door.

"Don't leave! I'm about to go anyway. I just stopped by to say hi." Suzie blurted out, embarrassed.

"Wait!" Levi left her can of Cherry Coke on top of the red cooler and rushed to stop Suzie from leaving.

"I'm really sorry," Suzie sobbed, avoiding Levi's gaze.

"Suzie, it's okay. We broke up."

Suzie faced Levi, shocked of what she heard.

"Kurt and I, we broke up." Levi repeated. "Dominic saw him dating another girl a week into our relationship. I confronted him and he admitted that I'm not the only girlfriend he has."

Suzie wasn't sure about what to feel about the news. Her heart was pounding so hard in her chest it hurt. Her tears are continuously streaming down her cheeks and she eyed Levi's hand on her arm.

"I missed you." Levi mumbled, wiping away the tears from Suzie's cheeks. "I missed you so much."

"Rea--really?"

"Yes." Levi wiped the remaining tear away and then hugged Suzie tight, hoping that the contact would banish the two months they spent without each other.

"I missed you." Suzie sobbed on the girl mechanic's shoulder. She returned the hug, regretting the two months apart

After a few seconds, Levi pulled away, her hands still on Suzie's shoulders. She flashed her toothy grin.

"C'mon now. Stop crying, I'm here."

"I'm sorry."

"Let's go ride the Beetle?" Levi waved away the apology. "I promised you long ago that we'll be the first to ride it when I finish."

Levi pulled Suzie towards the cream colored Beetle and opened the door for her.

"Aren't you mad at me?" Suzie stopped by the door, looking at the expectant Levi.

"Nonsense. I was never mad at you."

Suzie smiled, her worry disappearing in one flash of Levi's toothy grin.

"Go on," Levi gestured her to sit inside and she did.

"Thank you,"

Levi leaned in and planted a chaste kiss on Suzie's lips.

"Thank you for coming back."