Sincerely, Romeo

by Amy Sparks

  "Okay so pick anyone you like and I'll wear it for tonight. Also, I want twenty dollars." I stop picking at a dress and turn around to see what the hell she even is talking about.

  "I thought you said you didn't even want any money for all of this." She nods but then turns around to look through the dresses.

  "Yeah well, now I want. Twenty dollars please. Give me." She turns around and puts her hand out for the twenty dollars. I sigh and grab my wallet out of my back pocket and open it to grab a twenty. I take it and slap it on her hand and she takes it and smiles as she puts it in her pocket and messes up my hair.

  "Haha, thanks. Anyway, what dress do you wanna wear anyway?" She thinks for a minute and pulls out a black silk dress that has a deep v-cut so low and on the back too. Only the back is an even lower cut. Jesus Christ.

  "Um... I don't know." She has a confusing face on her as she looks at the dress and feels the fabric and shit.

  "But it looks so nice! It might only be my nice dress, Jacob. Can I at least try it and you can see if you like it or not?" I groan and nod as I know for sure this is gonna be a hell of a torture for me.

  "Great thanks! I'll be right back." She leaves the room in an instant and I honestly collapse on her bed so I can at least take a breath and also because I'm super tired. I then stand up and take a look around her room some more. I see some pictures of her and her brother when they were kids which makes me laugh. Damn, I miss that son of a bitch. I know for sure he's at least in College right now, but yeah, he was my friend and I do miss spending time with him. There are more pics of Addilyn with her parents and her friends.

  "Seriously Jacob? You're looking at old pics of me when I was a kid huh? You do realize we've met when we were like seven. You should remember what I looked like when I was young." I turn around and I'm blown away by Addilyn's body and also beauty.

  "Holy shit. Addilyn you look. I mean you look. Beautiful." I smile as I approach her and honestly take all her beauty in.

  "Wow, thanks, Romeo." I laugh and stare at how that dress honestly hugs all her curves and also on how it's a really low cut.

  "Um well, it is a really beautiful dress and I would be really thankful if you were my actual girlfriend because damn women, that dress is smoking hot on you. On the other side, though.... my mother might kill me..." She laughs which makes me laugh too. Holy shit, a girl actually made me laugh too. That has never happened and I know for sure it has never happened while I was with Veronica too. I stop laughing because this is messing me up. Addilyn doesn't like me okay. Get it right, you stupid idiot.

  "So, I guess it's a no huh?" She says and I nod which is honestly killing me since I love that dress on her. If Ryan was here, he would honestly tell her to keep that dress on and then want to rip it off her since that dude is all about the body.

  "Um yeah. It's a no. Sorry babe, I mean boob no wait I mean Add no wait I mean Addilyn. Haha, that is your name, right?" I'm shaking right now and Addilyn is basically confused on what the hell I just said. I sit down and basically pull my hair so I can become bald and think about what the hell I just said!

  "Jacob, are you okay?" Addilyn says as she sits down right beside me and puts her hand on my shoulder.

  "Can I ask you something?" This is it. First, though I might just lie about the situation and pretend it was someone else's and I'll just hear her perspective about it.

  "Sure, sure. What's up?" I take a big breath and then let it out and all the words then come out like it's nothing.

  "Okay so I know this guy and he has a friend that he's known for more than five years and well, he likes her a lot but he doesn't know if she even likes him." I'm stupid. Extremely stupid. Fucking stupid but that's what I have to do right now. Lie about my life right now. Addilyn nods while she takes all of this in and I'm about to tell her that this "guy" is basically me and that "girl" is basically her. But I can't do that. No way. Maybe Later though, but not now.

  "So, um, do I know this "friend." She puts air quotes around the word friend and I'm about to pass out if she says that it's me and that other girl is her. Addilyn is not dumb, and I hate that she's smart when in cases like this shows her intelligence the most.

  "Uh... you might?"

  "Is it Ryan?" I choke and cough as I imagine Ryan being the guy that likes Addilyn. Addilyn is patting my back while I get my shit together.

  "Um, maybe. Who knows. Okay, I gotta go now before um, I die on your bedroom floor." I stand up and open her bedroom door and walk out of it as Addilyn calls after me. I'm running down the stairs and I open the front door and leave as fast as I can. God, I hate myself. I'm so weird and I basically just ran away like some little boy from Addilyn. I make it way to my porch and as I try to unlock my front door I turn around and I see Addilyn watching me from her window carefully and of course, her face is filled with confusion. I stare at her and that's when I actually know it and Ryan was also fucking right. I love Addilyn. I love her and I have to cover it with lies so I won't get broken into pieces when she tells me that she doesn't even feel the same thing that I feel for her. Dammit, Ryan was right. I'm falling hard for this girl and she doesn't even know it. I shake my head and then I look back again and she's gone. Yeah, my imagination is messing up with my mind. I open my door and as soon as I go in and I close the door my dog, Charlie, comes running in and jumping on me while he licks my face.

  "Whoa dude, calm down. How are you boy?" He keeps on licking my face and I laugh at how a dog can make someone so happy in a second. I hear my name being called and I know for sure it's my mom from the kitchen calling my name. I groan and get up and make way to the kitchen without tripping over my dog. I find a tennis ball and I throw it downstairs and my dog chases after it. Okay, that's good, now I can have a decent conversation with my mom without my dog barking in the background. I open the kitchen door and there's my mother making a salad and wearing an apron that says, "mother always knows best." I roll my eyes and grab an apple and take a huge bite out of it as I sit on a chair.

  "Hey, mom, lots of food for tonight, right?" My mother turns around and that's when I get scared. She has that face where I know it means trouble. For me.

  "Jacob Sebastian Wilde, you do realize your late right. It's almost five! And where on earth is your girlfriend? And please tell me that you are not wearing that to the dinner." I stop my mom as I put a hand up and stand up while I take another bite of my apple.

  "Uh well, mom. I'm gonna change so don't worry. And about the girlfriend, um," I swallow the chunk of apple I have just bitten and of course, it goes the wrong way in my throat and so I choke on it like some little boy who swallowed a Lego piece for some stupid reason.

  "You are bringing Veronica, right?" I choke even more when I hear Veronica's name being said by my own mother. I finally get my gear together and I finally can talk to my mom about this whole situation that does not include Veronica.

  "Mom, I broke up with Veronica remember? also, I'm kind of with someone else now mom." My mom sits down and I sit down as well as she somehow takes this in.

  "So, who is it then Jacob?" I take deep breaths and I know for sure that I have to get this off my chest. Oh, hey mom, Addilyn is my "fake" girlfriend for tonight. Haha, surprise! Yeah, so fucking funny.

  "Um well. It's kind of Addilyn." I try to look at my mom's reaction on her face and I can't really decide how she feels about this. I mean look, she loves Addilyn, but I don't think she actually thinks this is the truth or some shitty joke. My parents honestly know that Addilyn and I have nothing in common. I love sports and she doesn't even understand them. I love going out and she would rather stay home and read a damn book in bed. I'm somewhat shy at what I do and Addilyn is wild and not afraid of anything. My mother then starts actually moving instead to becoming a statue.

  "Well, that's wonderful darling. It's just that, she's quite something, isn't she?" I stand up and look in my mother's eyes to see what she actually means by that.

  "What do you mean quite something mother?"
The way I said mother cringes throughout my whole body but now I'm kind of getting mad.

  "Well, she is kind of peculiar darling. Like you know, kind of a weird girl. I liked Veronica more darling." I'm about to punch something hard and I know for sure my mother loves just getting on my nerves. She likes Veronica more? Why the fuck does she like her more than Addilyn? Addilyn is the angel while Veronica is the devil.

  "Weird mom? You're calling the girl I've been friends with more than ten years weird?" I'm now raising my voice and my mom scoffs and continues to make that stupid salad. Oh hell no.

  "You know what I mean Jacob. You’re so different from her and so she is too. Veronica was also more beautiful then Addilyn Jacob. Are you sure this is not a joke you’re playing with me?" My mouth is opened and I know for sure I'm gonna break something tonight.

  "Wow, mom. Just wow." I walk out of the kitchen and my dad jumps on me which of course is not making me happy at all. I hear my mom call me and I actually wanna punch this goddamn wall apart. I grab my keys and open the front door and slam it as I make way to Addilyn's house. Her parents are still not there and of course, I just let myself in her house like it's nothing. She never really locks her door anyway and so it's fine for me to just walk in there. Though they should actually lock it. I run up her stairs and knock on her door.

  "Come in!" She yells through the door and I open it to see her putting on some makeup and carefully making sure that she doesn't mess up with it. She changed that sexy, beautiful dress in a dark purple cocktail dress that also still hugs her curves and since the dress is long it makes her look even taller. She curled her hair and honestly it looks so beautiful on her that I really want to I don't know. Kiss her. Ugh Ryan, get out of my head, you filthy animal.

  "Hey what's up," She says as she stands up and then sprays some damn good perfume on herself and on her hair. I have never really seen Addilyn dressed up like this before and honestly, I fucking love it. I love her. Damn it! I cough as I think of actually telling Addilyn that I love her.

  "You look beautiful Addilyn. Really beautiful." She smiles as she walks to me and checks me out.

  "And you look the same." I laugh and nod as I should actually change but honestly, I just want to be with Addilyn the whole time.

  "Don't worry I'm gonna change it's just that..." I groan as how I'm actually thinking of actually telling her this.

  "That what? Come on Jacob, spit it out." She waits for me to actually speak and I'm dying on actually coming up with something. I can hear Ryan's words telling me to actually ask Addilyn out and actually make her mine. I also though hear my mother's stupid voice in the background saying that Addilyn being my girlfriend is a joke and how she's somehow "weird." Before I can actually say something to Addilyn I think of the best thing I can possibly do. I grab Addilyn by the waist and hold her tight.

  "Jake... What's going on?" Before I can say anything and before I regret actually doing this, I shut Addilyn off with a kiss. I kiss her wanting for her to kiss me back and it's killing me that it's not happening. After kissing her with a more stronger force, Addilyn kisses me back and she puts her hands around my neck and pulls herself closer to me. I'm actually kissing Addilyn and she’s kissing me, and there's nobody in hell who can stop that. Nobody at all.

  Addilyn

  I'm kissing Jacob. I'm kissing Jacob in my room. I'm kissing Jacob! Holy shit I can't breathe. I knew for sure that Jacob was acting a bit weird as he came in my room and when I saw him out my window went he was on his porch. That kid is so weird I don't even know... But now this! I'm overthinking about this too much right now but also Jacob's lips are so soft that I can't stop kissing him. I'm putting a little force in it and now I'm running out of breath because of it. I let go and I'm right now breathing super hard since I actually almost lost my oxygen. Jacob is also breathing hard too but still doesn't stop looking at me.

  "I uh. I don't even know what I just did. I..." Jacob stutters and I know for sure he did not plan this through. Well haha, neither did I. If my parents were here and they saw me kissing Jacob they would honestly actually be happy about it. I remember when I was in grade ten and my mom asked me why I wasn't with Jacob. My father would also question that but he didn't really care since I don't think he would want to set up his only daughter with a boy. Last comes my brother and of course, my brother doesn't really give a shit. He does though give a shit if a guy hurts me and actually breaks my heart. I'm getting all over the place with this that I can still hear Jacob stuttering as he's trying to come up with something to say. His stuttering is now getting on my nerves and on how he's really shy about all of this.

  "Oh, shut up," I say as I move closer and kiss his neck slowly and slowly as he begins to actually shut up. He smells honestly so good that I really wanna kiss him more and more but now I'm realizing how stupid this actually is. I kiss his Adam's apple and he groans as I kiss it even more. I stop and look at his shirt and I'm realizing now that I wanna tear off his shirt and kiss him everywhere now. I bit my lip and try to think about the consequences that could come with this. I mean I am posing as his fake girlfriend but kissing him? I don't know about this...

  I take a step back from Jacob and look down on the ground.

  "Addilyn I--" I put my hand up as to stop him from talking and so I can actually think this through. Today is the day as I fake being his girlfriend and the day I act like someone I'm not. I take a deep breath, fix my hair and dress and I smile as I pick my phone off my desk and check the time.

  "We should go now, Jacob." He nods but then stops and looks straight at me. I feel a bit awkward now with Jacob since we just kissed and also since we just kissed!!! I like Jacob, bit only as a fucking friend. I don't think I can ever see him more as something else.

  "That was only a pretend kiss Addilyn. I uh, wanted to make sure we were fit for the part. So, my parents, especially my mom don't think there's something wrong." I nod and feel a bang in my heart as Jacob just said that our kiss was pretended. I brush that aside and fake a laugh as I walk out of my bedroom and through the hallway.

  "Of course it was, Jacob. I was pretending also. Like did you actually think me kissing you back was real? It was all performance for tonight. We are so gonna win this." I make way downstairs fast and open the door as I then turn around and see that Jacob hasn't even moved. He's still on the top of the stairs with a sad expression on his face. He then looks up at me and his face returns back to normal in a second. He rushes down the stairs and goes straight out the door. Weird. I close the door and lock it as I start walking up to his house. I feel so thankful that I'm not wearing any high heels are anything because I know for sure I might trip and die because of them. I make a jump on their porch like some little girl and I look at Jacob and he's not even laughing. Let alone smiling. My chest soon begins to hurt as to seeing Jacob like this and wondering if I made him sad. What did I even say though?

  "Okay. Ready?" His voice breaks through my thoughts and I realize that he's talking to me. I look up and nod as he opens the door and welcomes me to his home. The home I haven't been to in about five years. We're finally doing this. I'm finally doing this. The good news is that we might run away with this. The bad news is that I might throw up and have a panic attack because of all of this.

  Jacob

  I'm sitting on the couch with Addilyn right beside me and I feel broken. Addilyn's talking to my family and I just feel all broken on the inside. I keep on looking at her and trying to blink to see if she's some dream or a ghost that keeps on haunting me over and over again. What's funny about this is that it's not the first time that I've been in love with Addilyn. I remember in grade nine when it was so freaking hot and somehow my parents wanted me to pass out that they forced me to go outside and have some "fun." I brought out my basketball to shoot some hoops and as I walked outside, I saw Addilyn outside on her lawn, sitting on a beach chair wearing a bikini. She was wearing sunglasses and had her earphones in her ear as she hummed to the music. I stared at her for
about a whole twenty minutes until I stopped since I thought how creepy I must be just staring at her and not doing anything. I tried to walk away but could never even move. Instead of playing basketball I watched Addilyn just stay there while getting a tan and listening to music. As that day, I remember that day was the day I actually fell in love with her. Not just because she was in some sexy bikini, but also on how innocent she looked. Even if she saw me looking at her, she wouldn't really care because she's not those girls who want guys to stare them down whatever they do in life. Even though grade nine was the year that I stopped basically talking to Addilyn, I know that somehow, the asshole I am stopped talking to her because of that day. The day I was scared to even look at her because I didn't want to feel those emotions again. No more. Yet somehow, right now those emotions have come back haunting through my skin and my own heart.

  "Jacob, are you okay darling?" I look up and I see that my mom is talking to me and Addilyn is looking at me with concern.

  "Uh yeah. I'm fine." I rub my face and I stop as I feel a hand on my thigh. Addilyn is gonna kill me someday and it might be now. I look up and she smiles which of course the asshole I am doesn't even smile at her. She stops smiling and sighs.

  "So Addilyn, have you met Jacob's friend? I believe his name is Ryan right, Jacob?" I stare at my mom and I get confused on why she even brings up Ryan right now. Of course, Addilyn knows who the hell is Ryan. She's known him for about two years. Like what the hell?

  "What do you mean mom? Addilyn knows Ryan. What are you even talking about?" My voice sounds mad and annoyed at how my mother just asks the stupidest questions ever.

  "Jacob I was just wondering how her relationship is with Ryan and her. Like do they get along together since somehow you guys are together." I'm clenching and unclenching my fist since this is honestly getting me furious. Addilyn looks at me and she puts her hand on my hand telling me to calm down.