Post by Destructor! on Sept 13, 2010 15:16:42 GMT -6
The Return of a Hero
Part 7 of 10: ”Between a rock and a hard place”
Leslie: “Oh my God and then Amanda was like ‘No way she posted that on FB!’ And I was like, ‘She totally did!’ She couldn’t believe it!”
Luke: “’FB’?”
Leslie: “Facebook, duh! I mean, you have a Facebook, right?”
Luke: “Don’t think so…”
Leslie: “Oh my God, I am totally going to make you one! Let me just take a pic of you and I’ll do it on my phone!”
Like advertised Leslie whips out her phone and takes a quick shot of me. The flash is blinding, I swear that my retinas are permanently damaged. It’s kind of distracting me to what I’m really doing on this date…
What, did you guys think that I forgot what happened earlier today? Sure it feels like it happened five days ago, but it all happened just a few hours ago…Mr. Jennings and John Allan asked me to come back to wrestling. And I declined. Well, I held off on it anyway.
I’m between a rock and a hard place.
I have a lot to think about, so while Leslie is spouting off at the mouth at God knows what I decided to make a list. Reason why I should go, and reasons why I should.
WHY I SHOULD NOT GO BACK:
- I enjoy not getting my ass kicked every week
- Staying far, far, far, far, far, far away from Jaymie
- Have a steady job with steady pay
- Maybe able to go back to school (though I don’t want to!)
- Hang out with Leslie more
- Rebuild my relationship with my mom
- Jen is here
- I enjoy not getting my ass kicked every week
- Staying far, far, far, far, far, far away from Jaymie
- Have a steady job with steady pay
- Maybe able to go back to school (though I don’t want to!)
- Hang out with Leslie more
- Rebuild my relationship with my mom
- Jen is here
All valid reasons I think. I mean, I don’t really have a complaint with any of those; I do enjoy waking up every morning not feeling like I just got hit by a boss, and the pay at my job now isn’t too bad.
But then I look at the list of reasons why I should go back. It’s really short, but what it says is powerful.
WHY I SHOULD GO BACK:
- It makes me happy.
- It makes me happy.
I can lie and pussyfoot around it, but am I lying when I say that? There was nothing more exciting than being in that ring performing in front of hundreds of people, acting like a fool. I loved wrestling…
Leslie: “So like, what’s your e-mail address?”
Luke: “What do you need that for?”
Leslie: “For your Facebook page, duh!”
Luke: “Don’t make me a Facebook, please.”
Leslie: “But why, everybody has one-“
Luke: “I don’t want to be like everybody else. Leslie…listen, I have something to tell you.”
For the first time since knowing her, Leslie looks concerned. It might just be her normal face, but I could never tell seeing how she’s always talking a mile a minute anyway, but this is something new.
Luke: “I don’t think this is going to work out…”
Leslie: “Listen if you don’t want to make a Facebook that’s okay-“
Luke: “It’s not about a Facebook page. It’s this whole thing between us. I mean, you’re a great girl, you really are but…but we’re two different people. You’re still in high school trying to discover yourself, while me…well, I’m trying to avoid the harsh reality of things.”
Leslie: “But I love you.”
Well this just got awkward.
Luke: “Come on Leslie, you don’t really mean that. I’ve only known you for three weeks, no way do you love me.”
Leslie: “I’m totally in love with you. Every time I see you my stomach hurts and I can’t help smiling, I think that’s love.”
Luke: “Leslie…I’ve only known you for three weeks. It’s not love. I know the feeling I had it, and when I look back at it now…well, it wasn’t love. It wasn’t even like. I just thought that’s how I should feel without really looking at things clearly, I mean…you should love somebody you know you can’t live without. You love somebody when even through the toughest times you can’t help caring about them. You know you’re in love when every time you think of the person you feel like nothing can go wrong. I mean…do you feel that way?”
She doesn’t look at me directly when she answers this question, but she doesn’t have to.
Leslie: “No…not really.”
Luke: “Listen Leslie…you’re a great girl. I’m sure you’re going to find somebody else, because come on let’s be honest, you’re an awesome person. It’s just not me you’re looking for. I know you think I’m cool and all that, and I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t flattered, but I can’t keep you around to inflate my ego.”
I get up, and I get ready to leave. I don’t really want to say anything else and just go, but I can’t leave Leslie there. So I lean over and give her a kiss on her cheek.
Luke: “Sayonara Leslie.”
I’m not trying to be a superman, I’m just trying to be Luke Stevens, the kid trying to be a man. I left Leslie with how I really feel, and if she hates me for it I don’t blame her.
I just have more important things to do.
Remember that thing I was saying earlier, the whole love thing? Well, it just doesn’t apply to people. I mean, it means a lot of things, like your job or the video game you just bought.
If you love something, you can never let it go, and never let it go away without you telling it how much you love it. Wrestling IS in my blood after all, how am I just going to leave without telling it how much I love it?
Oh, and it can totally apply to a girl. So here I am, in front of her house (I run quickly, don’t I?) ready to tell her how much I love her.
I run up the steps to the front door, and look around to make sure somebody is there. I knock, and immediately regret doing it. I should run, go away now!
No, no more running away. If you love something, you should tell it every day.
The door swings open, and that knot in my stomach untangles, and the words begin to come out.
Luke: “Hi Jen.”
Next Time on The Return of a Hero:
”The Moment”
”The Moment”