Chase

Theater class has been my second favorite class since freshman year. I like it because it's the only time I can pretend to be someone I'm not without being given a lecture about being myself.

It's the same with writing. It's you behind the words, but that doesn't matter. You're always too deep into the character that you forget about yourself and before you realize it you are no longer yourself, you are a reflection of your characters.

Because life isn't perfect and is most times unfair it of course had to throw me a curve ball that goes by the name of Leonardo Jensen.

I always knew that if I didn't tell Camila how I felt about her she'd eventually find a guy who could be 100% honest with her. One that would always tell her what's on his mind. I always wanted that guy to be me, but I wasn't.

I was her best friend, the one who had to go through her heartbreaks with her, the one who wiped away her tears when she cried, the one who had to stand all the girl drama because neither of us had someone else to go to. I was her other half, just not in the way I wanted to be.

When Leonardo came into the auditorium I immediately decided my cause of death. Someone had gotten so much on my nerves that my body was suddenly full of electricity and I died. There's not much science in that, but there's a reason I've been so close to failing all of my science classes.

What used to be one of my favorite classes went by in a blur. I was no longer concentrating on what Mr. Erickson had to say but on the looks that Leonardo was sending my best friend. Even if I wasn't crushing on Camila I'd be defensive. It's my nature to be of protective of her.

I was walking out the door when Camila yelled at me to wait. I mentally scolded myself for being such an idiot and basically running away from her, but I couldn't help it. I hated the way Leo looked at her. I hated competition. I hated that I didn't have enough balls to tell her how I felt. But honestly, what would telling the truth do? She didn't reciprocate my feelings; I was like a brother to her.

"Hey! Wait!"

I turned around and breathed out. I was beyond annoyed by how Leonardo was with her and that she didn't mind at all.

"Will we eat lunch by the track?" I nodded and started making my way to class. She grabbed my wrist and I had no choice but to face her.

"Are you mad at me?"

Yes. Yes I'm mad at you for not minding my enemy's presence! Of course I'm mad you babosa! (Word taught to me by Camila which means idiot.)

But I didn't say that. I shook my head quickly, way too quickly. After that I walked away to my class.

Writing was an amazing way to calm my jealousy and anxiety. Three poems later I felt much better and ready to take over the world. The thought of Camila and Leonardo - if they were even a whole thought - had vanished from my mind and was far gone.

At lunch I bought Camila and my lunch. I was sitting at a table far away when I saw Camila walking over with a girl I remembered from Theater class. She was the only one - besides Camila, of course - who laughed at my "talk" with Mr. Erickson.

Mitchell Erickson might act like a tough teacher and ready to tear me to pieces most days, but deep down everyone knows I'm his favorite student. That wasn't a regular thing for me so I kind of took advantage of it.

The girl, Valery, was pretty. She had hair to her shoulders with the tips dyed purple. She was a very talented singer and guitar player. If I wasn't so smitten with my best friend I would have considered asking her out. But I was faithful to Camila, even if it wouldn't be technically cheating and we weren't technically together.

It was weird seeing Camila walk with Valery as if they were lifelong friends. As far as I knew, they'd only spoken a few times in class. Camila and I had never been very interested in spreading our social wings, we only had each other. So when I saw the two girls walking together in my direction I knew there was more to what met the eye. I may be bad in science, but I'm not dumb.

Camila then walked alone to the table. "You were so checking her out." Nope. No, I wasn't. I was too busy checking you out. Or well, maybe I was checking Valery out, but not like I did with Camila. Okay, maybe I was checking both out. Sue me and my teenage hormones.

Camila and I walked to our usual spot by the track and sat down under the shadow of a tree.

"Okay so, third week of senior year. Least and most favorite teacher, shoot."

Camila had a thing for these kinds of questions to begin conversations. They usually ended in the both of us laughing because we were frustrated of thinking so fast.

"Uhh... Least favorite teacher is by far Mr. Doyle and favorite teacher, of course, Mr. Erickson."

She coughed (in a very fake way) into her fist muttering, "Teacher's pet."

I glared at her and took a bite from my apple. It tasted weird. I threw it away into a bush earning a smack on the back of my head.

"Okay you go then. Favorite and least favorite teachers."

She thought deeply about it. Her lips pushed lightly together and pouted a little. Her eyebrows became a little closer to the center of her face and her eyes wandered to the field.

I liked to watch her as she did simple things. I liked remembering the things she did and how she did it, as if knowing these little things somehow made me closer to her. As if I always knew what she was thinking then maybe she'd always come to me and no one else because only I knew her as well as she knew herself.

"My favorite teacher at the moment is Mrs. Jackson. She's my chemistry teacher and then my least favorite teacher is Mr. Doyle, by far. Seriously, if he hates his job then why is he still working here? It doesn't make sense!"

I nodded at her response. I was too busy staring at the girl heading in our direction. The sun made it hard for me to see who it was but the toned, tanned arms were not easily confused. Leo the ass was coming to out tree. Camila and I's, no one else's. Ours. And for some reason he could interrupt our very important conversation.

"Chase! Are you even paying attention to me?"

My head whipped in her direction. My hate was blinding me. Or well, making me deaf.

"What?"

She sighed and rolled her eyes. "I literally called your name five times. What's the matter with you?"

I pointed my chin to Leonardo's direction. Camila's body tensed at the sight of him but brushed it off quickly.

As soon as Leonardo saw her he started walking back here.

"Oh look, your knight in shining armor is coming here." I said, with a mocking tone in my voice. I knew very well how the comment would affect her.

She immediately became the same color of the apple I'd thrown away earlier. She was frozen in shock when Leonardo was finally standing over us. Yes, I was jealous, but the sight of my frozen best friend was enough to make me want to crack up.

"H-hey Camila, Chase. Sorry for interrupting your lunch but, uh..." He was nervous and stuttering? That doesn't sound like the Leo I know and hate.

Camila and I both raised our eyebrows in the same way expecting for him to finish whatever he wanted to say.

"Yeah, so, um, well."

I couldn't stand the sight of him making such a fool out of himself. Yes, I hated the guy, but letting him sound like thirteen years of education he'd received were for nothing.

"Dude, just get it out. We don't bite, you know? We just laugh at everything and everyone."

This made him laugh which made Camila giggle which made me want to vomit. Somehow I managed to keep my lunch in my stomach instead of his shoes.

"Sorry. I'll start over. There's this play on Saturday in town. We're allowed an exit pass if we go to the play and we have to be back here by nine. I was wondering if both of you wanted to come with me."

Camila and I frowned and looked at each other. There was something weird going on. Leonardo had enough friends to go out with one every day for a century, and for some reason he was inviting us to go with him.

Though maybe it was just an excuse to go out with Camila without upsetting us both. I decided to test him.

"I'd love to, I mean, I love theater. But my parents are supposed to pick me up on Friday to go home for the weekend. Maybe you two could go together."

Camila's face lit up. She thought I was helping her when in reality I was...okay so maybe it was helping her, but not in the way she thought.

Leonardo seemed to understand my test. He passed.

"I can ask my parents to speak with yours. That way the three of us can go together."

Crap. He was good.

Then Camila spoke for both of us.

"Yes! You can do that. We'll both go, right Chase?"

There was nothing I could do but nod with fake excitement. If I couldn't make her happy by being hers then at least I'd make her happy by giving into her wants.

I love how the book is just starting and I'm already putting in some drama.

I'm not sure when the next chapter will be posted since I'm having some trouble writing (it was about time) so maybe I'll write some more and post one or two chapters a week, I'll think about it!

Any thoughts on Valery? Now that you've seen a little bit of her through Chase's eyes.

Thank you to those reading, have a nice life!❤