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Wakefield is a small town in Massachusetts and just like any country town, there wasn't much to do. The squares were always full of disgusting old people, the streets were always filled with cars and children couldn't play football freely and there was no gymnastics field in the city center; however, the meeting point for young people for any event or appointment was Joe's Pizza.
The pizzeria was a favorite establishment for any teenager who loved pizza and had a good arcade in the back of the store, which in this case was perfect for Jack Sullivan and his best friend, Quint Baker!
It was the height of summer when the pair decided to go have dinner there without the presence of Baker's parents (who were very protective). The place was huge, with a bunch of groups of girls and boys scattered around the room, chatting loudly and eating their pizzas in the sweltering tranquility of Wakefield. Jack knew they were going to be his high school classmates, but there was a lot of variation, whether it was ethnicity, skin tone, or even hair style.
At the school where Jack studied before moving there were only white people with fragile egos and greasy blondes who tried to bring each other down and sabotage each other. The opposite was evident in his eyes, noticing the good interaction between the teenagers who were going back to school after two hot months.
The intentions of his future colleagues would only be discovered and encouraged by the rest of his students when classes resumed and on the first day, something happened:
— These idiots threw juice in my bag again! — Benny BeCat, a redhead who played American football, shouted in the middle of class, taking his soaked notebook out of his backpack. — There's something else here!
His irritation got worse when he saw that the boys threw lubricated condoms in the middle of all his notebooks, meaning he would have to take everything out to get rid of it.
— Scoundrel... — Benny knew exactly who had done this to him, which was his team captain.
On the team, there was a stupid tradition that every member had to have their first time with the second most popular team in school: the field hockey team. The team captain was none other than June Del Toro, the most popular girl in second year and Benny's best friend.
Did they want to insinuate something?
Had this been a tease?
Well, it was just a bad joke.
(…)
High school wasn't for everyone and Dirk Savage knew that more than anyone.
He wasn't a proud exemplary student; He loved painting graffiti on school walls, skipping classes to smoke and had a deep affection for gardening.
Luckily, there was a nerdy kid who managed to save his average in high school: Quint Baker.
He and Quint weren't that close, as Baker was the straight-laced one and Dirk was the exact opposite of the boy, but an unexpected friendship was made, and he ended up teaming up with Jack and with that, they became the trio The Tree Amigos.
The young man was walking in the hallway, having to separate himself from his friends as they had different classes and he had to go to the gym to introduce himself to the school's baseball coach, as he would be the new hitter.
His sneakers were sliding on the basketball court, where a fat, red-haired man was holding a clipboard and next to him, a brunette girl was staring at him, as if he was dirty somewhere.
— You're Jack Sullivan, aren't you? — the red-haired man spoke again, pulling the glasses on his face forward.
— Yes, sir! — Sullivan corrected his posture, just to cast a charm on the beautiful brunette girl who didn't stop staring at him.
— I'm Coach Bump and this is June Del Toro, the captain of the field hockey team! - he gestured his hand to the girl, who just nodded. — As your captain didn't have the decency to come here because he had more “important” matters with a girl in the locker room, June decided to introduce herself since she is decent.
— Important, you mean have sex. — Del Toro mumbled, his brown eyes getting darker.
— I didn't mean to use that word, but yes. Jack, you're lucky you had the initiative to join the team! They're a disaster…
As the professor went into a silent existential crisis, June approached the young man, wanting to know who he was. Her midnight blue eyes were almost black, like a clear sky in the middle of the night, with no streetlights or trees blocking the view of the beautiful blue curtain that only the night could create, her messy hair said a little about her and she tried to hide that He had a thing for funny and ridiculously stupid guys so that his reputation wouldn't be tarnished among the sportsmen at school. She looked down and her theory about him was further confirmed when she saw the laces untied and the white part of the sneakers covered in mud.
Silly boy.
— Your laces.
— What? — He hadn't noticed her approach and was fascinated by the freckles on her face, which extended from her cheeks to her nose.
— Your shoelaces, they're untied. — she pointed out, hiding a smile when she saw the blue eyes dazzle with embarrassment and immediately go to crouch down to tie it.
Making friends with him wouldn't be bad.
(…)
June del Toro.
That name resonated inside his consciousness, whether in class or during training. June Del Toro dominated his mind, with her Latin claws surrounding his thoughts, filling him with deep desires.
One day, he was practicing his swing with his stick and stopped doing that until he saw June score a point for his team, simulating a game. She was beaming, her brown hair bouncing along with her as she ran to her team, who welcomed her with open arms. After that, she wipes the sweat from her forehead with her shirt, pulling the elastic up, passing through the crease of her forehead and pulling it down.
The scene left him guided.
— Earth calling Jack Sullivan! — Quint Baker passed in front of Sullivan's eyes, who woke up to the reality in question. — Were you thinking about her again?
They were in the field, eating their snack in the sun, covered by the clouds of that cloudy day.
- I was. Again. Sorry, it's involuntary. I can't stop thinking of her! If this is bothering you, I'm sorry.
— Friend, I'm not mad at you for thinking about her! I'm so glad to see you liking someone! - the friend hugged him, with a huge smile while holding that horrible-smelling sandwich — I almost see hearts around your head!
- What hearts?
— One here — he taps the side of Jack's head — and one here. — He pointed to the beautiful blue eyes.
— I can't hide it so well, right?
— No, you can't. Everyone at school noticed that you like her, man — the black man admitted, then glancing sideways at a couple of friends who were laughing on their cell phones. — And that's good! Wow, you like June Del Toro, and I think she feels the same way about you.
— Only in my dreams. — the boy left unconquered by his skepticism.
At the end of the field, he saw two very familiar dots going behind the stands, pushing each other and laughing. The shaved brown hair was characteristic of a certain friend of hers and the red sweater, black jeans and blue coat were the clothes June wore today.
Oh no.
It was Dirk Savage and June Del Toro!
Jack left his seat and followed them subtly, being followed by Quint, who wasn't so subtle.
— Jack, what are you doing? — Baker looked everywhere, as if he were trafficking illicit products without permission.
— I'm following them. — Sullivan replied, crouching down and tiptoeing.
— This is, to say the least, strange — the friend whispered, being careful where he stepped so as not to attract the attention of his friends ahead. — Why are we following them? Why didn't Dirk tell me he was close to June? Okay, I'm just a friend, but even friends need to know that!
Jack ignored the fact that his best friend maybe, but maybe, was having a jealous attack over Dirk, but it was probably just another one of his nerdy paranoia.
They get closer to the railings of the stands, but they hear a loud exclamation coming from June:
— Dirk, this is very good!
— I knew you'd like it, Del Toro.
The brunette's blood grew hotter; What did that mean?! Were they staying? Were they lovers? This couldn't be real!
In a brutal movement, he stands up and before he could reach out and scream in Savage's face and Quint went after him to stop him from doing something stupid, the scene was the total opposite of what his dirty mind imagined.
Savage and Del Toro were staring up at the gray sky, lying on their backs, blowing smoke from their mouths. Dirk smoked a cigarette, sucking the nicotine into his throat, only then inhaling it out, releasing all the smoke trapped in his nostrils and mouth.
Wait, were they smoking?
What surprised him wasn't that the blonde liked smoking, since it was obvious that the rebel loved things like that, but what surprised him most was seeing June raise her spine, take a vape out of her pants pocket, the He put it in his mouth, sucked it and also let the smoke escape from his lips.
She smoked?!
How, he thought, could a girl who was called an example and decent like to smoke a vape?
—Are you going to stand still like a statue or are you going to get out of my way? — Baker's irritated tone brought him back from yet another of his daydreams.
— Damn Quint, it doesn't need to be rude. — he goes further forward before Quint pushes him. — Uh, hi guys! — he waved at the duo who focused their gaze on the boy.
— Were you following us? — Savage asked falsely, already knowing the answer.
—Er, of course—
— Yes — June replied before the baseball player lied through his teeth — I noticed. I have to say that this is problematic on your part.
— Problematic? Me? — the boy with blue orbs let out a laugh, causing butterflies to form in the Latina's stomach.
— Yes, you — the older woman's intonation became more serious, causing the same effect on Sullivan.
—How long have you smoked? — he watched the girl smoke her vape again, earning another penetrating look.
— There are certain things that no one knows about me. — the brunette replied, releasing smoke again through the air.
Jack smelled something; he was good, not as strong as Dirk's nicotine but not as natural.
The smell was like strawberries.
The vape was strawberry-flavored.
Interest in the hockey team captain grew even more.
He noticed that she was also looking at him, as if Sullivan's little smile might indicate something she suspected.
-- If you're going to flirt with your eyes, please do it in private -- Quint grumbled, eating another bite of his egg sandwich.
— Can you give me a piece, B?
(…)
Jack Sullivan has a type.
He always said his type was blonde girls with British accents, but he knew he had a secret secret because of his attraction to other types of girls:
The problems.
Not on the level of attacking you for breathing near other girls, but on the level that would convince you to skip class, paint graffiti on walls, make you try alcoholic drinks just to make fun of your disgusted face.
And that was the type June fit into. Perfectly.
He knew he shouldn't find it attractive to see someone smoke - after all, it's bad for your health - but the Latina made it seem like a normal thing for a teenager to do. She still didn't smoke in the classroom, she was still committed and knew that her habits shouldn't be carried out at school.
Her screaming passion literally screamed when she touched him, whether it was a hug, a shoulder shake or even a simple handshake. He wasn't a passing crush; what he felt was passion.
Jack Sullivan loved that girl, he really did. Her brown eyes twinkling every time he played with his team, the speed of her writing with her cursive handwriting that he couldn't identify and her composure when she had to give a speech in front of the school.
But what he most wanted to know was what her mouth tasted like while she smoked her vape.
(…)
It was a friday evening
Jack slept in his favorite position, which was lying flat on the bed, with one arm out and one under the pillow and snoring, always with a crack in the window to let in the cold air from the street. Crickets sang near a tree next to his window and the rustling of leaves helped him sleep.
His cell phone vibrated on his bedside table and he woke up, wondering who the person would be sending a message at this time.
A message notification covers the face of his Darth Vader wallpaper and he reads the name: June <3
It was Del Toro who sent the message.
Jack cocked his head to the side. He didn't understand why she was still awake, given that they had classes in a few hours and she followed her father's strict rules regarding bedtime. That was enough for him to get out of bed, put a pillow behind his back and open the SMS.
They talked relatively a lot, with countless messages every day, on different topics and even vented to each other. Sullivan there was a good quality; he was a good listener and June was excellent at giving her advice.
Did she want to vent?
He opened contact with the girl and the following message appeared:
Jack, are you up?
He replied:
Your notification woke me up, so yes.
What happened?
I was about to close the cell phone screen, but soon another message from the girl came in. Wow, she wanted something from how quickly she responded.
Nothing.
I just want to know if you don't want to see me.
Was this happening? It had to be a joke!
I want!
Want me to go to your house?
The answer scared him a little.
Find me at school.
What?! That's risky, June!
Do you want me to break into the school just to see you?
Yes.
How was she not afraid of being caught and being told on to her father, who worked in the police? There's a chance they could get caught and get a suspension for trespassing and still put it on their criminal record!
— Damn, I'm thinking the same as Quint — he shook his head, disbelieving that he had had the same thought that his friend would have in this situation.
Another message.
I know a path. Climb up the guardrail, stand by the brick wall, and meet me where Dirk and I go to smoke.
And don't worry, we won't get caught.
I know you were thinking about that.
How did the girl know how to do it step by step?
How do you know where I gotta go?
I told you that time. There are certain things that no one knows about me. This includes you.
— I'll risk my own head — she muttered as she picked up her worn-out Real Madrid t-shirt from the floor. — I hope it’s important.
(…)
About 20 minutes later, he was already wondering if that was too much to do for a girl, as he stared at the railing.
He ignored her intuition and started climbing the railing, being careful where he put his foot. Upon reaching the other side, he landed on the ground deftly, causing little noise.
June was right. He was problematic.
He walked slowly through the field and recognized the alley where Jack had followed the pair of smokers and upon arriving, June was doing exactly what she normally did when she was there: smoking.
The smell of strawberries dominated the air and the moon hovered over the Latina, who didn't seem to mind her presence until he sat down next to her. He coughed as the smoke went into his nostril.
— Hi.
— Hi, Sullivan — she opened a smile, coming closer to him. — How are you?
— Just a lot of adrenaline in my blood, thanks.
The Mexican laughed, not too loudly and not too softly; in the right measure so as not to be overheard.
— First time you’ve done this?
- Absolutely! I never felt like breaking into a school.
— So, why did you come?
— Because of you.
She remained silent, alternating her gaze between the vape in her palm and Jack's blue eyes, which grew darker at night, almost being mistaken for onyx black.
— I would say this is romantic, but it's problematic — the brunette smiled, resting a hand on the railing of the bleachers — We're both problematic.
— You could say so — he didn't even have the audacity to disagree — I think, on different levels.
— You think so?
—I think.
His strange fascination with watching her smoke triggers when he realizes that she was going to smoke again, but before that she offers it, with a mischievous look:
— Don’t you want to give it a try?
— No, I don't want to die early, but it was worth it.
She laughed before pulling the strawberry flavor towards her throat, only to inhale the smoke back out, releasing it slowly.
Jack quickly needs psychiatric help.
His heart stopped a beat when he saw that she approached, standing a few centimeters away from him, looking deep into his night-colored orbs. The smell of strawberry was strong on her, he looked down at her lips, then internally wondering what the hell was in his head to do such an act so shamelessly.
— Is your interest in me growing more now? — she whispered, facing him, her arm next to the athlete's leg.
— What? —he didn’t pay attention; he only paid attention to how beautiful June's lips were.
— Do you think I don’t listen to what they say about me out there? — The girl spoke again and this time her right hand went up towards her waist. — They’re saying you want to do “things” with me.
— If doing “things” means asking you out, it’s true; I want — he blushed when he saw the brown hand on her waist. In one movement, she pulled him closer, in very close contact.
— Really?
- Yeah.
—Then why did you keep staring at my mouth? — sometimes he forgot that she was also called a journalist because she noticed certain small actions (and it's the profession she wants to pursue) — Is she that interesting?
—Honestly, it is — Sullivan's face kept breaking the small distance she had made at the beginning.
The tension was palpable, they both knew what was going on between them and had to admit: they had things in common; Even though the Latina denies that she doesn't like the nonsense Jack tells her, it was a total fallacy, she loved listening to him talk about Star Wars or some Mario game. And if Jack said he didn't like karaoke, it would be a badly told lie, as he already went with the girl accompanied by his friends to a karaoke night at Joe's Pizza, in which she and other people rocked the microphone. He even risked singing a Lana Del Rey song, but he knew his singing talent was somewhat questionable.
Did they lie to each other and hide their feelings, perhaps out of fear? Fear of rejection? Perhaps a thought that they wouldn't work out as a couple?
There were many reasons, but what do you do when you want to ignore your fears and just go with the flow?
With her hand on the youngest's waist, June pulled him forward brutally, sealing her lips on his, breaking the distance. He didn't know what to do, after all he was being kissed by the girl he liked and wow, she had a lot of attitude.
He gave in little by little, placing his hands on the Latina's hot face, trying to distinguish the taste of her mouth. The softness of the brown locks made him want to deepen the kiss, but without being invasive. The taste of strawberry mixed with the flavor of toothpaste was mysteriously good, confirming Sullivan's theory that he needed psychiatric help.
The brunette opened her eyes slightly, smiling between the calm kiss, closing her brown orbs and then tightening her grip on the boy's waist, wanting more contact.
They move away due to the lack of air in their lungs, whose eyes are dilated, as if fulfilling a hidden desire.
A smile appears on both of their faces, they lean their foreheads against each other and hug, smelling each other's fragrance.
June nuzzles the curve of the hitter's neck, enjoying watching her skin crawl at the touch.
— Don't you really want to try it? — she asked, raising the vape towards the young man's eyes.
— I'm still going to refuse, but thank you sweetie — he murmured, placing a kiss in the middle of her brown hair.
— Who's there?! — a deep voice said, possibly the school security guard heard their mini monologue.
— Jack, get ready to run! — she whispered before giving the boy a peck and started running.
— You know I'm sedentary! — He shouted in a half-whisper, following her crush, running towards the railing.