Everything Led Me To You - [Underwriting]

Chapter 12 - Screamin' Beans

"Hey! I'm here" called Val for me, and I turned my eyes away from my phone.

"Nice. Let's go!"

Valencia and I decided to walk to Screamin' Beans, a nearby cafe. There was a bit of awkward silence between the both of us at the beginning until she broke it.

"So, tell me about yourself. I don't think know enough", she said and then giggled.

"Okay, let me think of some things. What do you wanna know?"

"Everything."

When she said that, I felt a sudden hit inside me and couldn't help but smile like a fool and I noticed she blushed too.

"Alright." She said. "You told me you changed schools. Where are you from then?"

"I'm not from anywhere but Greenville. I transferred schools for sophomore year and went to Evergreen Private because.." I paused with a frown.

"Because?"

"I was here in Stanton only for freshman year."

"I know that, I was just fooling 'round earlier. I know you were in freshman. Back then, we didn't talk or see each other, but I knew you by name."

"Really? Wow, I was asocial back then." I laughed. "Wait! Didn't you ask me if I'm new on the very first day of junior year?" I narrowed my eyes.

"Oh damn." Valencia blushed. "I was just fooling around back then too." She giggled. "Why did you transfer though?" She asked, seeming to be stubborn over her question. I didn't feel intimidated though. Somehow, even if I didn't know much of Valencia, she made me feel comfortable.

"Something happened at the beginning of sophomore year which made me do so. This will sound crazy, I cringe over it now, but it was what it was."

"Go ahead. I'm all ears."

"I believed that I fell in love. He said he felt the same but, guess what? He broke up with me because he fell for my best friend instead. This sounds very very very trivial but I used to suffer from panic attacks then, so I was severely affected."

She paused and sighed. She then said, "You feel what you feel. You don't need to justify it."

"Thanks for understanding, Val. I thought you'd walk away, thinking I'm a chicken."

"What?" She laughed. "That's shitty! Why would I do that?"

I pursed my lips, smiling.

"How are you now? Your mental health, I mean", she asked, as we passed by the park Caleb had taken me to earlier that day. I suddenly zoned out, staring at that bench until Valencia asked again, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah- it's just that, can we rush and go to the café as soon as possible? Seems like I really need something to drink something." I rattled, making an excuse to change the topic.

"Skylar, the café is just towards the next block." Val said, pointing out towards it, sounding as she was a bit concerned. "You're not okay", she whispered under her breath.

~

"Can I have an Aroma Mocha with cream on top, please?" I said to the barista.

"Uh- I'll have the same", continued Valencia and smiled at me, looking deep into my eyes.

Was this a date? It was seeming to be romantic at times. Was Valencia..gay?

"You know, I've been through a lot too." She said as we sat ourselves by the table, facing each other. "My parents got divorced a year ago." She continued, dejectedly. "I live with my mother now, and my brother, who I was the closest to, chose to stay with my father. On the other side of the country."

"Valencia, I'm so sorry." I said, weakly.

"Nah, it's fine now. I don't talk enough with him I agree but I'm okay with it. It's all about acceptance, you know."

"I'm sorry you have to have it that way."

"Sip onto your mocha, Fisk! You wanted to drink something, remember? We're not here to grieve." Val said, cheerily.

"What are we here for?" I thought to myself as I relished my favorite mocha.

Valencia was beautiful. Just a moment ago, she was sad and now she's cheering me up so that I wouldn't feel low because of her issues. Altruistic. Her smile felt contagious, I think she lit up everyone around her with it. As she was fixing her hair with her long, slender arms, her skin glistened up and it surely caused my heart to skip a few beats.

"Will it be weird if I tell you about some boy drama right now?" I hesitated.

"Caleb?" She asked, tilting her head slightly with a smirk.

"Caleb." I nodded and pursed my lips. "Saw that park we crossed by while walking this way?"

"Yeah, and as much I observed, you behaved to be anxious there."

"Yes. Remember, him and I took off in English suddenly?"

"Yeah, what about it?"

"He took me to that park and he..." I said as a frown grew on my face.

"Oh my god. I hope it wasn't something bad-"

"Kissed me."

"What?" said Valencia with a frown on her face now. "So you like him?" she asked, reluctantly.

"Yeah, I- I do." I sighed. "Yes, I really do, very much actually."

Was I saying the wrong things if this was like a date? But, nothing was sure, I was just presuming stuff, right? No one's gay here.

"Isn't that a good sign then? He kissed you, shouldn't you be happy?" she smiled.

Alright, she's not gay. No one is gay here.

"Look, he said to me he doesn't know why he did what he did. That's crazy!"

"Give him time. He'll figure it out and come back to you", she said. "Let's go now? We've spent quiet some time here."

"Yes."

I walked back home alone as Valencia didn't live close by to my block. I checked my phone and it had blown up with texts from Rachel and Anne, asking me where and whom had I gone with. They seem like my make-shift mothers sometimes.