Although You're My Best Friend

CH 2 - What are you hiding?

"- and so, my name is from the god of salvation,mercy, forgiveness, and etc." Clementia looked up from her paper as she finished.

"So, your mother mostly picked out your name?" Mr. Smith asked. He liked to communicate with his students as much as he could.

"Yes, she was obsessed of Roman Mythology since she was 9."

"That's interesting to hear. Thank you for sharing Clementia. Now, Lev, why don't you share all about your name?" Mr. Smith looked at me.

"Uh, sure," I walked up to the front with my paper in my left hand as Clementia came in to sit back at her seat. 

"Well, Lev is a boy's name of Hebrew, Russian with an origin meaning of 'heart; lion'. My Russian father wanted me to be as strong as a lion and my mother wanted me to be heartful. So they chose a Russian name which matched their opinion perfectly, Lev." As I finished I looked up from my paper proudly. I didn't read out loud everything written on my paper, just the first few lines.

"I didn't know Lev had those meanings. Nicely done, which parent did you interview?"

"My mother, obviously." Maybe the word 'obviously' wasn't necessary.

"Oh, why is it an obvious answer?" He wasn't trying to be nosy, I could tell it was pure curiosity.

I didn't like telling people about this. I didn't want people to feel sorry for me or pity me in any kind of way. 

"Uh, well, he, just um. He died because of cancer."

"Oh, I'm-"

"No, it's fine. I'm okay, thanks." I couldn't help myself but to cut Mr. Smith off. It may have seemed a bit rude but I just couldn't stand people saying 'I'm sorry" of my father's death. I wasn't comfortable of people pitying me and those two words brought back memories of him.

My father was whom made my childhood the best that anyone could ask for, until I was five years old. He suddenly, out of nowhere, became an alcoholic and abused my mother, who protected me so dearly. But after living 9 months of hell he slowly changed. He tried so hard to stop drinking, got medical and mental help. But when we finally got all better, making the family stable once again, he died of cancer. 

It isn't a memory that would haunt me to death, but that doesn't mean it's a good memory to hold onto.

______________________

"What? Hey Lev!" Clementia called me. We were just hanging out together after school.

"Hmm?" I looked up from my phone.

"Did you know that Kelly and Victor broke up today?" She held out her phone for me to see. It was a Instagram story of Kelly's saying she was single. Kelly and Victor were a cute couple at school that everyone liked. We all knew that they had a fight but nobody knew the reason to it.

"Well, we all saw that coming, didn't we? It was predictable."

"I guess, but I still ship them. Oh, and I almost forgot. There's this girl in science that I know. Her name is Jin."

"And?" I asked in suspicion.

"Let's just say I helped her out." She started to mess with her hands. A habit of hers when she got nervous.

"With what?"

"I gave her your number." Well, I clearly didn't see that coming.

"You gave her my number? For what?" Without knowing I raised my voice.

"She told me that she had a crush on you for a few months now. She's really pretty, cute, smart and super kind. Just go on one date, who knows, you might actually like her."

"Well guess what, I don't care Clementia! I am not going on a date with her."

"Why are you getting so angry about it? It's not a big deal, I did you a favor."

"A favor? Are you kidding me? I never asked you to. It's my choice whether I give out my numbers or not! Besides, I know Jin but I don't know know her. Whatever. I'm not going on a date with her."

"Why? Are you gay? If you are I'm cool, I'm not homophobic but you could have at least told me."

"What? What the hell? No, I'm not gay. How the hell did we go down that hill?" One second I was about to say I was, but then the thought of Clementia finding a boy for me slipped through my mind.

"Then what's the problem? I haven't seen you date anyone for the past years, or at least make out."

"That's because-" I nearly let it slip. Being so angered up I wasn't think straight. "I'm aromantic." Wasn't the best answer, but wasn't the worst.

She froze, functioning it in her head, just like I was. "Oh, I.. Okay. That's fine. It's okay to be aromantic." Clementia said.

Silence fell in between us. Clementia just sitting there looking at the atmosphere and me standing up just trying to figure out WHAT THE HELL I'VE JUST DONE.

"I, uh yeah." I replied awkwardly.  I'm so messed up.

______________________

I was looking for Jin to tell her that I couldn't go on a date with her. Clementia told me that she had something to do so I was looking for Jin all alone. As I was about to turn around the corner I heard Clementia's voice. 

I was about to ask Clementia if she had seen Jin but her words made me stop my tracks.

"So, did you set him up for me?" I heard Clementia say.

"Yeah, I told him it was a complete blind date." A blind date?

"Good, it's tomorrow right? 7:30?"

"Yep, I hope it goes well. I'll see you around Clementia."

"Thanks, bye Jin." Jin? The Jin that I was looking for?

I waited for Clemenia to come this way as I heard her footsteps getting closer.

"Sorry- oh, hey Lev. What are you doing here?" She bumped into me and as soon as she saw it was me she started to mess with her hands.

"I was looking for Jin but seems I'm too late."

"Oh, um, did you hear everything?"

"You make it seem like you've done something behind my back, and I shouldn't find out about it. Care to share?"

"Well, I-I um, it's just some, it's nothing really. Nothing important." She tried to brush it off by smiling. But as much as I would fall for it every time, this time wasn't the day.

"Since it's nothing important it wouldn't hurt to share with your best friend, right?" I was pushing her. It felt like I just had to know this information. But as she opened her mouth to say something the bell rang.

"Gosh look at the time, gotta run. I'll see you later." And Clementia ran away from me, heading to her next class.