Jo's blue eyes widened slightly as the cold winds brutally whipped at her flesh. It was three PM and groups of people had already begun to gather near the front of the school upon it ending for the week.
Jo tugged on her olive green knit sweater allowing it to overlap her fingers hoping it could give her greater warmth. As the leaves changed colours and the smell of pumpkins began to waft into the air, the weather had also turned quite colder. Jo had expected the day to be slightly chilly but had not expected it to be quite the temperature it had dropped today.
"Hey" A familiar voice called with a bright smile settled on his face. Rico's brown hair was ruffled and his eyes resembling the specks of cinnamon often placed on pies and other pastries.
"Hey, yourself" Jo said dryly as she let out a small smile in return.
"Where's Danny?" Rico asked as he was beginning to be accustomed to the news stares and the presence of the other teenage boy.
"Soccer practice" Jo informed him with a simple shrug of her shoulders. She began to walk forward slightly down the stoned path towards the diner, her and other students at Green Grove constantly met at. "How was your day" Jo said with a small laugh as she rammed her shoulder into Rico in a friendly matter.
"Well besides getting hit in the head with a rather deadly tool of weaponry in the form of a paper airplane, fine. How was yours?" He said supply a quirk smile shifting his right arm against hers.
"Great. I got my hands on a new Death Cab album. After we grab a drink want to head back to my place and listen to it?" She suggested "The name of the album I just bought is "Narrow Stairs", I think I like it better then "Codes and Keys..." Jo marvelled as she began to ramble on. Rico had a strong belief that everyone had a moment when they were just utterly beautiful and just at their brightest moment of life. When Jo discussed the literature she read, the films she watched and the music she listened to, her face just absoutloutley lit up. Her smile was so bright and iridescent and she just seemed to be radiating utter happiness. He loved seeing her smile like that he liked to think it was rare and preserved just for him. But he knew it'd be selfish to think that and he also would only be feeding himself lies, anyone with eyes could openly see her infatuation with Danny Desai.
"You're staring" Jo pointed out bluntly as she stopped mumbling about music.
"Oh sorry it's just, you had a twig in your hair" Rico lamely lied as she pushed his fingers through her tangled tresses. She wasn't perfect but she didn't need to be. She happened to be the most beautiful person Rico had ever met. "Got it" He said meekly
"I'm sure" She laughed as she opened the door to the diner, holding it for Rico as well.
Lauren leaned on the cash register lying on the bar upon noticing her regular customers. "What can I get for you two?" She asked giving her a lazy yet cheerful smile. Lauren was in her mid-forties with auburn hair that now had greying strands placed in it. Her eyes were still a bright iridescent blue that showed years of effervescent youth.
"I'll get two strawberry milkshakes" Rico announced ordering for both him and Jo.
"I'll get that right now for you two" Lauren drawled a slightly southern accent peaking as she came out shortly with two cups filled with a sweet pink fluid.
"Hey, can we head directly back to my house?" Jo chided as she twirled one of her dark curls.
"Yea-a-ah, ye—ah, sure, whatever you want" He stuttered as he watched Jo completely transfixed on her pair of misty blue orbs. She gave him an odd look with a smile as she exited the shop sipping on the liquid Rico had purchased for her.
They walked along to Jo's house mumbling jokes and jabbing one another playfully in a manner that was simply platonic. Jo quickly wiggled the key into the door of her house swinging open as she entered. "Hey mom, me and Rico are home were going to head up to my room" She called from the doorway as she began to race up the stairs to her room pulling Rico along with her.
Rico grinned as he re-visited the room he so often loved to enter. It was painted a lime green with twinkling lights streaming from every side of the room. Her walls were lined with different pictures she photographed, quotes she liked and different shots of her and Rico. The room had books spread on the floor and different newspaper articles about Danny Desai spread out on the floor. She had a small record player and old telephone set lying on her hardwood desk, Jo rarely told me but she loved to collect antiques. Her room savoured the scent of burning wood mixed with slight peppermint. He quietly set down both of their drinks on a small shelf hanging on a wall.
Jo shuffled across the room absentmindedly as her long, lean fingers searched for her newest record. She let out a victorious beam as she pulled it out, carefully placing it on the record player. She watched Rico from the corner of her eye, as Rico went through her possessions and sketchbook. She hated when people entered her room and hated it even more when they went through her things. But with Rico it was okay, he was sort of like a second layer of skin to her. She could tell you his favourite colour, food, how many places he had travelled, where else he wanted to travel, why he disliked tea so much and other useless facts. He was her best friend and Jo could never ask for a better one, he was quirky and she knew he'd defend her endlessly. He was as loyal as a dog and Jo could tell him anything. She knowingly smiled as she pressed play allowing the record to begin playing.
Jo chuckled to herself as the first song played. She took a seat on the beige carpet of the dark room with the twilight seeping in. She crossed her right leg over her left as she patted next to her on the carpet. Rico stared at Jo in a mix of admiration and amusement as he awkwardly took a seat besides her allowing the music to play. He watched Jo rock and back to each song as she allowed herself to forget everything else and immerse herself into the total piece of art she was listening to. His eyes kept lingering to her lips without his consent. He couldn't help it, something about her stole his attention and kept it.
"This is my favourite song" Jo laughed as she moved even closer to Rico then she had meant almost instantly creating a boner for Rico. Rico frowned as he listened before realising it was "Talking Bird". He grinned as she looked at him. He mused about her, with her hair falling onto her face and the small smirk creeping onto her face. Slowly after a heated argument in his head, his heart won. He whispered huskily under his breath "Jo" placing his fingers lightly under her chin.
"What?" She reckoned her eyes still closed, she then opened them hazily allowing Rico to fall into the pale blue misty abyss. She then began to shake nervously noting his fingers underneath her chin and how his cinnamon eyes seemed so much tenderer then she had ever seen them before. "Ric-c-o" She quavered
Rico simply shook his head as he pushed back a blond strand of her flying in front of her face. He leaned in nervously pushing his lips against Jo's in a gentle manner, he liked to think was classic. The shock and confused was crystal clear on Jo's face but at the moment but Rico was overtaken by the feelings he had locked up for years. He then moved faster as she let out a small moan. Jo placed a hand on Rico's chest attempting to refrain him from kissing her any longer but her traitorous, traitorous hand instead just clenched a handful of Rico's plaid shirt. She smiled as she began to enjoy herself kissing him back, allowing her tongue to quickly enter her mouth. Rico smiled as soothed over Jo's tongue with his own, Jo laughed as she ran her fingers through Danny's hair allowing her fingers to pull on them.
That's when Jo abruptly pulled away. This was so wrong, Rico was her best friend and she had just made out with him. And even worse she had pretended she was Danny. She propped her arms against the ground and pushed her body upwards, standing up. Rico looked up at her in a daze still smiling trying to capture the sweet peppermint smell of Jo. "I think it'd be best if you left" Jo commented as she crossed her arms in a standoffish position.
"What?" Rico asked in surprise
"That was a mistake. Rico you need to go" She announced trying to stay calm but in the end she was hyperventilating and stressing out from everything. She didn't need this. She was busy clearing Danny's name, figuring out what happened with Regina, her father standing against Danny. Everything had gone wrong and Rico was the only thing that helped and now this was happening.
The hurt that shined through his eyes was unmistakable. He bit his lip in the way Jo knew he used to wash his face free of emotions. But she was also hurt and confused and she was not in the place to comfort him. "Oh, okay" He said as he left the room in a rush shutting the door a little louder the necessary.