Serenades of Second Chances (BXB)

Open up (sat)

"So," Deven asks as we look at the waterfall in front of us. "why have you never been on a picnic?"

"Well, I guess I had some family issues growing up. My parents weren't very close as I got older, then when my father passed, my mother was already dating another man. I think she was having an affair, but my bio-siblings don't think so.

"For 1) she moved on way too quickly for someone who was married for years and just had that same spouse pass. 2) a month after she told my siblings and me that they were together, they got married, and 3) my mom would always be gone until late, later than her shifts ended, and she'd always go out of town. So? She probably cheated, but that doesn't surprise me."

"Why not?"

"I guess she just always was flirting with other men when my father wasn't around. And she was kinda a slut," Deven laughs at me being blunt, I laugh. "It's true. She's a bitch, and she was a slut. Anyone that had money she leached to and forced them into a relationship."

He laughs a little more, then shoves the rest of his laughter down. "Forced into a relationship?"

"Sleep with me, then tell them they got her pregnant. She was never pregnant. Except, the last 2 times she did that she get pregnant. She did it before my dad, but she never actually got pregnant."

"Sorry to say, but your mom is a bitch."

"Yup, my siblings don't like to say it. But they know bout it, and they don't like to talk to me because I "am a traitor", whatever the hell they mean by that."

"What about your dad?"

"My dad?"

"You weren't close with your mom, but what about your dad?"

"Well, I was as close with him as I could get. I look a lot like him, not a lot of people can tell I'm even my mom's child because there's not any resemblance. I look more like my dad than my other siblings ever could. My personality is a lot like his too, which I guess makes sense to me now. But, I was a 'daddy's child'.

"My dad was always the one there for me, I would try and be like him when I was little, when he would be home I would always be with him more than my mother or siblings ever were. He was a Drill Sargent, then went onto a tour. I guess during that tour, they were attacked, and he was just one of the few that didn't make it out. But, I got to meet the guy he was saving when he passed. Didn't make 17 year old me any happier."

"He sounds good, caring, helpful, like you."

I smile and nod slightly. "Thanks, he was. Well, what about you and your family sob story?"

He chuckles then looks back to the sky. "Well, I already told ya a bit, but I guess I didn't say why my parents left. Well, I knew my parents were never happy together. Always on edge about stuff like police and getting deported, when they knew my sister and I would be fine because we were born here. My sister and I even got support from the government, especially because she is disabled. But, all of the stress made them fall out of the little love they had completely.

"My mom found a new man, a rich white guy, no offense," I give a smile as he looks over, "and completely left us. Never paid child support, never contacted us, nothing. When I had a job, and we were in a decent house, and I was 18, my dad left a certain amount of money and was gone. I haven't contacted his sense, but he stays in contact with his brothers and sisters, who are in contact with me.

"I won't lie, I hate both of them for leaving us like that, but I've just managed. And, I will continue to manage without them, because I have for a while. May, on the other hand, barely remembers them. She's 15, I'm 22, that's a 7-year gap. When I was 18, and they left, she was 11. She barely remembers."

"Does she miss them though?"

He smiles. "No, and I'm happy she doesn't. All she knows is me, her aunts and uncles, Alex, Tessa, and her teachers/counselors. In her eyes, that's all she needed."

I grab his hand. "And how are you?"

"Me?" He looks down at our hands, then turns his hand in mine so he's holding mine back. "I'm happy. More than I've been in a while, to be honest with ya."

"So," I turn so I'm across from him. "Who do you look like more?"

"My mother sadly."

"Sadly? If you're this good-looking she must have been stunning?"

He raises an eyebrow, still smiling. "Thanks, but I say sadly just because I don't like her."

"You don't have to like her to like your looks. You are good-looking, though you got a few bags under your eyes."

"Speaking of looks, I noticed your hairs curly. Naturally curly, meaning all the times I've seen you with straight hair was a hair iron?"

"Yeah, I blame Ronny's girlfriend, Ashly."

"I like it curly, though, you should grow it out more."

"And I think you'd look good with a pixie cut, your hairs long."

"It's not that long," He puts his finger to the end of his hair, with is at the top of his neck. He laughs, making me confused. "And, I haven't had a pixie cut since middle school."

"Why'd your get rid of it?"

"Pixies and I don't go well together."

"I doubt it."

"You wanna test that?"

"Of course I do."

He immediately pulls out his phone, I start laughing knowing he's going to find a picture. He is scrolling for a minute then pushes the phone to me. I take it and look. It is a shorter him, I'd say about 5'6-5'7 in a hallway with a girl and guy at his sides. He has his amazing black hair pixie cut, and braces on his big shiny white grin.

"You were still really cute when you were younger. Pixie cut and braces or not, you were adorable."

"Oh lord, I forgot about the part of the braces," he takes back the phone, looking back at the picture.

"Ehh, still cute."

"I don't know how you can find that cute."

"Hey, I find you cute, and if drunk me gave you approval, that's saying something." He grins, then shakes his head slightly. "Drunk and fucked up me have some higher standards than sober me. You wanna take that as a compliment."

"Sure," he picks up a grape then throws it at my face. "Whatever you say."

I, playfully, glare at him. I grab one, then throw it back at him. He eyes it, then moves to the side a little. He pulls his head back, opens his mouth, and catches it.

"Of course you can do that."

He laughs then grabs one. "Come on, I'll kinda teach you how."

I chuckle, then smile softly. This guy is seriously perfect.

"Open up."