5 Chapter 4 – Nothing Lasts Forever

Eve had netball practice so said goodbye before hurriedly departing, leaving me alone for the rest of the afternoon. I therefore decided now would be the best time to perform some long ignored cleaning in order to free up the evening for my own colourful pastimes (anime and games of course).

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"I'm coming, I'm coming!!!!!" Shaking my head helplessly towards my inconceivably messy room wondering what Miss spick-and-span Eve would say, were she to wander into my room in the near future. Reality must have some form of contracted agenda against me, preventing me from accomplishing any meaningful tasks...Somewhat similar to females I thought as I opened the door.

"How can I help...Lu....Lucy???? What.....What are you doing here?" Is it possible that Lucy has some unknown superpower which turns me into a blithering idiot whenever she's in my local vicinity? Of course my self-conscious lack of confidence in the presence of a beautiful girl couldn't have anything to do with it....Yeah let's go with that tripe.

"Sorry for turning up unannounced like this Shimon....I only live down the road and after everything that happened in class on Friday I thought I'd come see how you were.....I don't think I've ever seen Miss Valdez get angry like that before!"

During my "loner development years" (as I often refer to them), I cultivated my innate ability to effortlessly procure stonewall lies in order to excuse myself from social gatherings such as sports or after school activities. Developing this useful ability required the endless analysis and subsequent removal of any subtle movements or gestures which could possibly give me away; Inadvertently moulding me into an expert on the topic.

With this in mind were I paying any attention whatsoever to Lucy's suspiciously wandering eyes, the apprehensive tone to her voice or even her nervously trembling hands, I could have easily deduced Lucy was merely making this up as she went along.....Too bad I was completely and utterly mesmerised by the sight of her perfectly toned thighs, barely covered by her insatiably sexy denim shorts.

"Oh that's really thoughtful of you thank you...But honestly it was my fault for pushing Miss Valdez a bit too much and I kind of deserved it...She actually apologised to me for getting mad." A mixture of self-consciousness and nervousness caused me to stumble in my words as I noticed Lucy's gaze continuously shifting apprehensively towards her watch.

"...Would you possibly.....Like to.....Come inside for some tea Lucy??"

"I'm really sorry Shimon I'm kind of in a hurry to meet someone...I'll take a rain check on your offer if you wouldn't mind? Take care Shimon." Not permitting a reply, Lucy provided me her customary cute wave before briskly turning on her heels and walking away. Lucy's enticingly elusive figure never left my watchful gaze until finally disappearing around a corner; A deep sigh escaping my lips as my back leant wearily against the door, slowly forcing it to close.

Could one intentional and one unintentional encounter with one of the most intelligent and beautiful girls in school in the space of barely two days be interpreted as purely coincidental? Perhaps I'm overthinking things, after all Eve speaks to guys all the time without any ulterior motives (I think). Subsequently Anna must really be hating my sudden fascination with three dimensional females....

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Seriously that doorbell is getting on my fucking nerves, at this rate my intentions to clean my room and play video games are entering the realms of fantasy and fiction. I swear if stood behind this door there's either a suffocatingly cheap-cologne doused, two-bit fake-smiling sales-person halfwit, (Hah feminism support at its finest!!) Or even worse some fanatical over-enthusiastic reborn-again religious advocate imploring me to repent for my apparently endless list of sins....Well let's just say that concord's won't be the only man-made phenomena to have broken the sound barrier!!!

"Yes how can I help....Oh it's you.....God you look awful what happened?? Did your asinine boyfriend finally muster the courage to take those short steps over a very large cliff??"

Religious irony not withstanding, the gorgeous girl currently scowling daggers towards me was Eve's childhood friend Sofia Fernandez. A true Hispanic beauty, silky long black hair down to her waist, jaw-dropping figure, piercing blue eyes, naturally pretty and with the sexiest long legs imaginable (for a high school girl). Sadly though naturally sharp, Sofia wasn't particularly studious preferring to party hard as opposed to staying at home and reading books. Furthermore Sofia was the definition of a clutz, it isn't an exaggeration to state what an achievement it was that she managed to walk through my door as opposed to walking into it!!

"I'd appreciate it if you didn't undress me with your eyes, I'm not your next free meal Shit-mon!"

"Ooooh feisty I like it.....Tell me Sofia have you graced us with your presence today in order to invite us to your auspicious graduation from nursery? I guess all that hard work finally paid off eh??" Flashing my cheesiest playful expression towards Sofia left her unable to control herself as she burst out laughing.

"OK OK funny man, enough of the jokes....Where's Miss Student Council President hiding?"

I imagine your sat wearing a painfully confused expression regarding my out of character care-free jibes towards this irresistibly stunning female. Sofia attended the same primary school as myself and Eve, remaining close friends with Eve even though having to attend a separate high school. Our numerous meetings over the years had substantially lowered my inhibitions towards her, and therefore Sofia remained one of the only females I'm particularly comfortable around.

Doing my best butler impression as I bowed majestically: "Please do come in mademoiselle the lady of the household should be promptly arriving."

"Huh???" Ever had that annoying feeling where you've delivered a punchline with exquisite precision yet present company wouldn't realise even if you jumped through a ring of fire carrying a sign saying [duh]; That goes some-way to describing my current exasperations.

"She should be finishing netball practice soon and will be home shortly.....Now go sit down and I'll bring you something to drink Sheeeesh!!!" Shooing Sofia onto the couch before I slammed my head into a brick wall, I carefully took a few deep breaths hoping to provide a modicum of composure before pouring us both some tropical juice.

"Shimon...."

"Yeah?"

"I heard about what happened on Friday with Eve.....I know the girl's who did it and I'll sort this....So try not to worry too much.....OK?" Sofia's famous fiery South-American rhetoric rears it's ugly head once again. Miss hit-first-ask-questions-later Fernandez would undoubtedly exterminate any and all opponents who stood in her path, however my beautiful yet extremely timid sister would last all of two seconds in an actual fight. This situation required scrupulous planning and attention to detail I thought, carefully placing the drinks on the table and taking my seat besides Sofia.

"Sofia I know your only trying to help....But think how bad it would look for Eve if something happened to these girls.....She is the girl's student council president after all."

"So what are you suggesting? Don't tell me your going to do something?"

"I don't know.....I'll need some time to think."

"Not good enough, no offence but your a guy and you guys don't understand how women think..... Especially you." My muscles began to eagerly tense and twitch as my gaze narrowed angrily towards Sofia.

"Getting personal are we?"

"I'm not trying to start an argument Shimon, if you weren't around to perform your little party trick who knows what might have happened."

"But I was....And I always will be." As the words escaped my lips I could almost picture my own reflection laughing towards me in the deepest recess of my mind. This was merely a fallacious argument spurted by a pathetically over-protective sibling attempting to selfishly reciprocate for lost time.

Sighing hopelessly Sofia grabbed my hand, holding it tightly between her grasp as she inched closer towards me. Regardless of how comfortable I was around Sofia (coupled with my vaguely reduced introverted behaviour of late), preventing a steady stream of testosterone release whilst her warm touch inflamed my natural male instincts was almost impossible...Right now I was about as useful as a hedgehog in a condom factory.

"Shimon your finally acting like the older brother I always hoped you'd be...However Eve won't be around forever, one day she'll leave too....Thanks for everything Shimon it's been great seeing you again, tell Eve I stopped over but couldn't stay long K?" Sofia wrapped her arms around my waist, hugging me warmly before promptly standing to leave without speaking another word.

Why had Sofia's words sounded so ominous? Lowering my gaze towards the now empty cup perilously swaying between my trembling hand, as if awaiting for a Godly figure to reveal some divine wisdom unto my poor undeserving soul; Funnily enough nothing of the sort ever arrived.

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(11:38pm) Wearily lying prone across my bed, the familiar sound of the front door being locked catches my attention; I guess Eve went out with her friends for dinner after netball practice.

"Eve won't be around forever, one day she'll leave too." Since Sofia left, those haunting words have constantly reverberated around my mind. Whilst you wouldn't consider Sofia Einstein's equivalent, her many past relationships had provided her with invaluable experiences allowing her to effortlessly highlight my attitude shift towards Eve.

"But I was...And I always will be." My indiscriminate words were fruitless at best, pitiful desperation at worst. Sleep was becoming almost an inevitability as I felt reality slowly slipping away, however one final important thought lingered as I subconsciously reached out towards a hand that would never return the favour.

I won't always be there.....I only wish I was.