Our Senior Year - A Joe Mazzello Fanfic (Sequel to In Need of a Friend)

Coming Home

As I sat on the plane heading back to New York, I thought about this summer. I loved living with my Aunt Lucia and I actually enjoyed some of the time I spent with my brothers. Though, there were moments where they really pushed my buttons. I was mostly thinking about the week I got to spend with Joe. I loved showing him around my hometown. He even tried to pick up some Spanish. I stress the word *tried*. His mother carried around one of those dictionaries that has English with the Spanish translations and vice versa. He and his mother shared a room in Aunt Lucia's house. She has a room that she basically uses for storing decorations, but she cleared it out and had a friend (who had plenty of extra room) hold on to the things until they left. She also went out and bought two inflatable mattresses for Joe and his mom. Joe's mother was so incredibly grateful. I had to translate for her when she spoke to Lucia and when Lucia spoke to her. 

Joe and I had so much fun together. We visited one of my favorite malls in the city. It has 150 stores! We had a couple of lunch dates at cafes (there are wonderful cafes in Buenos Aires!). As a group, all of us went to the Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes. It's a very old art museum with work by famous artists like Van Gough and Picasso, along with many South American artists.

However the event that sticks out in my mind - is what happened the last night Joe was there. He snuck into my room at night. I had not been ready before. He hadn't been ready before. That night, though, we both felt like we were ready. We're in love, we're soulmates, I'm wearing a ring that says I'm his forever - I think it was okay to go ahead and...do what we did.

I don't regret it. I really don't. I know Joe doesn't either.

Or at least I hope he doesn't regret it. I noticed after he got back to the states and would talk to me on the phone or on skype, he seemed nervous and anxious.

Oh no...Was it about...what we did that night?

Did we act too much on impulse?

Should we have waited?

I thought it was time for-for...sex...

Fast-forwarding to when I got off of the plane and everyone was there to greet me and welcome me back. Mary was there this time since there were still two weeks before school started for us and for her as well.

Everyone was commenting on my hair. Lucy said I looked stunning. Two days before I came back, I decided to get a cut and a new style. It had been super long all my life. So, I wanted a change. I got it cut to where it falls a little past my shoulders and got these cute thin bangs. In addition to that, I got my ears pierced again so now there are two holes in both ears. I think it looks so cool. After begging my aunt, she took me to a piercing shop last week. The last time Joe and I skyped was two weeks ago (we'd still been talking on the phone) so my new appearance was going to be a surprise for him.

Finally, through the crowd of people who included Joe's family, Lucy (who I mentioned before), Rami, Ben, and Gwil, I finally got through to my Joe.

He was looking at me...almost in disbelief.

I stepped closer to him and smiled.

"Umm...wow...you sure do look different. I've never seen you with your hair this short." He said with this half chuckle coming out. He sounded strange.

"Well, to most people this isn't even considered short." I said, laughing. "I mean, it's still way longer than Lucy's. It's just that you're used to seeing me with elbow-length hair."

"True." He responded, giving me a small smile.

I pulled my hair behind my ears because I wanted Joe to see the new piercings. I decided to ask a question to draw his attention to my ears.

"So, Joe, like my earrings?" In the bottom holes, I was wearing gold-colored triangle-shaped studs. In my second holes, I was still wearing the earrings I was pierced with which were small yellow gold balls.

Joe looked at my ear and was going to say something, but then tilted his head slightly and squinted.

"Oh cool. You got another piercing?" He asked me. I nodded proudly.

"Wow, you're like a whole new person." He replied.

"Well, I'm the same Valentina on the inside. Oh, and why have you not hugged me yet, you goofball?!"

"Oh, sorry...I was just sort of taking in everything." Joe said as he gave me a tight hug.

"No kiss?" I joked (though, in my head I was really wondering why he hadn't kissed me yet...)

"Oh. Of course. Sorry, babe." He said, laughing nervously.

We, then, exchanged a kiss on the lips. We'd had more passionate ones before. So this one sort of...fell flat. I was coming home. I thought he'd be more enthusiastic about my return. 

Something was off.

Did he not like the changes made to my appearance?

Were there problems at home he hadn't told me about?

Or was he regretting what we did that night?

I was determined to find out. Our senior year was set to begin in 2 weeks and I didn't want there to be any issues in our relationship when it started. So, I needed to get this fixed now - whatever it is.

I was determined our senior year would be the greatest year of our lives.

"Oh um...Valentina...sometime when we're alone a little later...could we-could we talk?" He asked as I stared into his hazel eyes - hoping this wasn't like going to be anything like the last time he asked if we could "talk"...

Hi everyone. So, here is the first chapter. More to come. Surprises and laughs and drama and all that. Hope everyone likes this book. If you stumbled upon this, but haven't read the first one, read In Need of a Friend - a Joe Mazzello Fanfic or else you may get a little lost here :)  

See you guys next time! 

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