Sudden Complications of Life
2.
"What kinda school starts off the year on a Thursday?"
"Ours.."
"Yeah, I wouldn't be complaining, since it's just closer to the weekend! Party!"
"I guess.. a Friday cheerleading tryout is sorta nice.. if you don't make it, then just go party it away, right?"
"Not like we won't make it though!"
"Hahaha, right!"
Bartolomeo couldn't take it anymore- listening to stuck-up wannabe-models at a cheerleading tryout was certainly not on his to-do list, yet there he was. Meanwhile, Luffy seemed to be nonplussed by the other girls and merely sat in between Nami&Ursela and Bartolomeo on the bleachers, waiting for their turn to impress Boa Hancock, the gorgeous captain.
"NEXT!"
The next girl stepped up for inspection.
Nami, Ursela and Bartolomeo rolled their eyes as Boa looked over the frightened navy-haired girl, taking into consideration every physical feature.
"Take off your glasses," Boa instructed the girl, who fumbled them off her face and.. onto the floor. She bent over to pick them up blindly, attracting Boa's gaze to the girl's backside.
"You'll do, I guess.. just get some contacts, 'kay, uh..?"
"T-tashigi!"
"Yeah, Tashigi, good job.. NEXT!"
"I don't know whyyy I know I'll make it," Nami joked, leaning forward to stick her tongue out at Bartolomeo, who merely 'tch'ed and crossed his arms. Nami pouted.
"You're no fun.." Nami mumbled, crossing her arms like him, unintentionally. Ursela agreed with Nami. Bartolomeo rolled his eyes with a smirk.
"It's better that way, 'cause bitches like you don't deserve fun, busty or not." Nami seemed taken aback by this and fumed.
"Well, your opinions don't even matter to me, you dou-"
"NEXT!"
"It's your turn, your highness," Bartolomeo noticed, pulling Nami off the bleachers by the nearest arm. Nami righted herself and flipped Bartolomeo the finger as she huffed off towards Boa. Luffy laughed at Nami and Bartolomeo's argument and leaned against Bartolomeo's side. Bartolomeo cringed, scooting over to the point where Luffy plain fell over on her side on the bleachers. Ursela looked at Luffy with pity and then up at Bartolomeo with annoyance and was soon off the bleachers and talking with another group of girls.
The remaining two were in silence for moment before Luffy yawned and sat up again.
"I wonder what Sanji's doing here," Luffy mused, pointing to the blonde at the other end of the bleachers, bleeding profusely from his nose. He had his eyes set on a girl by the name of Violet, another one of the busty new girls who were trying out for a spot on the cheerleading team.
"Searching for a new victim.. again," Bartolomeo answered, rolling his eyes for the millionth time at that tryout. Luffy nodded slowly, watching Sanji intently.
He didn't seem like that, though, so whoever he chose wouldn't come out of it too beat up, Luffy figured.
Luffy got lost in her memories and thoughts and ended gazing into Bartolomeo's chest and was only brought back to the real world when Bartolomeo hesitantly put his hand on her shoulder and shook a little.
"Hey.. hey, it's your turn."
"Oh. Thanks.."
Luffy hopped off the bleachers and walked toward Boa with a surprisingly normal look about her. As soon as this reached Luffy's mind, she turned on the grin again and skipped the rest of the way, landing with a jump in front of Boa who had an amused expression plastered on her face.
Boa looked Luffy over from her chair and then stood up, walking up to Luffy. She took Luffy's chin in her hand and looked into Luffy's round, chocolate eyes. Luffy blinked down her memories and concentrated on the blue color in Boa's eyes till the girl unhanded her.
"You have a spot, gorgeous. What's your name?" Boa asked, putting her hands on Luffy's shoulders gently. Luffy gulped.
"Luffy! Monkey D. Luffy!"
Luffy grinned up at Boa Hancock.
"Luffy. How oddly fitting. I like you, Luffy.. I'll be seeing you at our first practice, then," Boa concluded, turning Luffy back towards Bartolomeo with a shove, "NEXT!"
Bartolomeo was just a bit confused when he saw something like nervousness in Luffy's eyes, but only for a split second before she was back on the bleachers next to him, talking away like usual.
Suddenly, the talking died off and was replaced with the silence of an empty gym; the others were long gone.
"Bartolomeo.."
Bartolomeo was nervous.. he didn't know why.
"Yeah..?
"You're my friend, right?" Luffy asked, looking up at him with a longing in her eyes. Bartolomeo was ensnared and couldn't speak.
"...Right?"
"Uh.. that's kinda random, hahaha.. talking about climbing trees one minute and now this.."
"Bartolomeo." Luffy stared at Bartolomeo with that look.. that furrow-browed look of intense longing. The boy sighed and rubbed the back of his neck, looking up at the ceiling.
"Why do you ask?" he finally managed to ask, looking back at Luffy in her sunshine-yellow shirt and jean-shorts. Luffy bit her cheek and looked up at the ceiling.
"Because."
"Because why?"
Because I want you to be my friend."
"Why?"
"Because."
"You're getting nowhere with this.."
Luffy closed her eyes and then looked down at the floor, pushing her hands under the backs of her knees, concentrating on her thoughts for once. To be honest, it was freaking Bartolomeo out that she was thinking something silence-worthy.
"Luffy..?"
"I.. I just need a friend, okay!" Luffy finally muttered, putting her forehead on Bartolomeo's shoulder suddenly. Bartolomeo felt like pulling away would be too terribly rude for the unusual state that the girl was in. Swimming in the silence, the young man had to make a decision..
"Then.."
Luffy looked up at him.
Bartolomeo smiled down at her and sighed, "..you've got a friend."
Luffy smiled in utter joy and buried her head in Bartolomeo's chest, wrapping him in a tight bear hug. Bartolomeo hesitantly put his arm on her shoulder, letting her know that she was safe with him.
The two would be nearly inseparable from then on.
Standing outside the gym in the warm late summer breeze with backpacks on their backs, Bartolomeo and Luffy continued their conversation there since the janitor had kicked them out of the gym. A strong gust swept Luffy's hair from behind her ears and she grinned happily, suddenly dancing down the sidewalk with the wind, laughing. Bartolomeo blinked and watched, finding himself both holding down his hair and following his confusing new friend; after picking up the bookbag that she had dropped upon beginning her dance.
"I love the summer wind!" Luffy called out to him, turning to cross a street and sending peace-signs the cars' way, with Bartolomeo hurrying behind her.
"I can see that!" Bartolomeo called back with a smirk, his pace picked up to a trot.
"Don't you like it?" Luffy asked with a grin, skipping backwards till her foot met with the edge of a curb, sending her backwards. Dropping both backpacks, Bartolomeo gritted his teeth and pushed his legs, grabbing Luffy's body just before her head would've clashed with the pavement. Luffy blinked rapidly, looking at Bartolomeo's scared-to-death pale expression.
"Dear god, are you okay?! Nearly cracked your skull there!" Bartolomeo whispered hurriedly, hauling Luffy back to her feet on the sidewalk. Luffy merely sighed and nodded her head with a smile.
"Thanks! Thought I was goner!"
"So did I.." Bartolomeo mumbled, looking down the sidewalk above Luffy's head as his heartbeat calmed down again.
They had made their way to a dead-end street with a single house at the end. It was a two-story house, looking neat and pretty in its new coat of baby-blue paint with light-green shutters. The lawn was bright green with neatly trimmed round bushes near the front porch, and lilac flowers and green hastas graced the rest of the front flower-beds. Bartolomeo picked up the backpacks again, still studying the house.
"C'mon! Let's go inside!" Luffy chirped suddenly, pulling Bartolomeo up to the house. Bartolomeo nearly fell over.
"We can't just go inside someone's house!" Bartolomeo screeched, holding firmly to Luffy's wrist. Luffy turned and gave him a confused look.
"Why not?"
"It's not yours!"
"Yes it is," Luffy countered, standing on her tip-toes. Bartolomeo couldn't tell if she was telling the truth or not.
"It really is! Uncle Shanks said that since this is just his summer house, I can use it during the school year!" Luffy explained, rocking back on her heels with a happy smile. Bartolomeo shook his head in disbelief and was soon following the girl into the beautiful house.
"You have this place to yourself?" Bartolomeo kept asking as he got the grand tour. Every time it would answered with a happy nod.
Hardwood floors, light and airy wall colors, bright and colorful furniture and accents.
It was like heaven for the eyes.
"I'm really lucky! I had no clue what I was going to do once Grandpa passed, so when Uncle Shanks told me to stay here and go to his school, I was so relieved!" Luffy announced, plopping down into her favorite red armchair while Bartolomeo chose the matching red couch across from her.
"Yeah, you're lucky to have relatives like that," Bartolomeo agreed, still looking around the living room in amazement. Luffy nodded.
"Now! D'you wanna help me with homework~?"
"I see how it is.."
"Hmm~?"
"'Course, of course."
"Hey, it's like.. 8 o'clock," Bartolomeo noticed, looking down at his watch. Luffy turned and looked at his watch too, as if he was lying to her. Luffy's stomach rumbled loudly, making Bartolomeo smirk.
"You hungry?"
"For what..?" Luffy whispered quickly, backing away slightly. Bartolomeo froze; what did he do? All he did was ask a question..? Then again..
"For a hot-"
Luffy cringed.
"-meal?"
Luffy shook her head and retreated to her chair, looking at the ground. Bartolomeo studied her body language and expression.. she was obviously nervous about something, but.. what?
"What's up with you?" he asked, knowing full well not to touch her. Touching, even if its just a pat or a gentle stroke, can send everything overboard; especially with unpredictable people.
Luffy looked up at Bartolomeo with wide eyes. The sunset coming in through the side window seemed to be caught in her brown eyes, making them light up to an amber color. Bartolomeo wasn't sure how to feel.
"I'm just wondering if you want to go with me and maybe.. uh... stuff your stomach with my mom's homemade food?"
Bartolomeo hoped that his question couldn't be misinterpreted..
"Food?" Luffy asked, perking up.
Bartolomeo nodded slowly, confused.
"You mean.. like.. real food? Noodles, chicken and vegetables-type of food?" Luffy continued, on the edge of her chair.
Bartolomeo nodded again, getting the drift.
"HELL YEAH!"
"Awesome. Let me pack up my stuff and we'll be on our way."
Luffy grinned and helped her friend put all his book back into his bag, and upon the reminder from Bartolomeo, locked up the house as they walked through the sunset to Bartolomeo's house.
"Welcome home, Bar- Oh? What did I tell you about bringing home busty girls?" Bartolomeo's mom, Makino, told him sternly, turning from the stove to glare at him.
"Mom, I can expla-"
"Mhm, that's what you say every time. So, let me hear it."
"This is Luffy. She's my... my.. friend. Luffy's my new friend. She's new at school and has had a rough.. past.. so I thought maybe a welcoming dinner would be good for her," Bartolomeo told his mother outright, gesturing back to Luffy who stood quietly in the doorway, hands clasped behind her back innocently. Makino looked her over.
"But why can't Miss Luffy have a welcoming dinner with her own family?" Makino asked, not convinced enough.
"I don't have one!" Luffy chirped, popping up beside Bartolomeo with her large happy grin. Makino went wide eyed and put a hand to her mouth while Bartolomeo stepped past her to keep the food on the stove from burning.
"I am so sorry, sweetheart.." Makino whispered, taking a confused Luffy into her loving arms, "of course you can stay here for dinner, and stay the night even! I don't care!"
Luffy processed the thoughts in her mind and decided that 'sure, why not?'.
"Okay!"
"Mom, the food..?"
"Oh, thank you."
Soon, the three were at the dinner table, feasting away on meatloaf and homemade baked macaroni. Luffy looked like she was having the time of her life munching on her food, and it made both Bartolomeo and Makino happy.
"So, Luffy, where are you living?" Makino asked at the end of the meal as all three sat back and digested.
"Ummmm..."
Makino looked at Bartolomeo who smirked and gave her a shrug."
"Not far from here!" Luffy decided with a grin. She wasn't lying.. it only took about ten minutes to get from Luffy's house to Bartolomeo's. Bartolomeo realized that it only took ten minutes to walk to school in the morning. So, in other words, school, his house and her house all formed a sort of ten-minute-triangle.
"She's right. We walked there and I think it was on.. Garden Street? Somewhere around there," Bartolomeo further explained to his mother who smiled and nodded, looking at Luffy intently, "she just moved there last week, so give her a break for not knowing."
"Ah, I see. Do you pay for the house on your own?"
"No, Uncle Shanks says that I can use it since it's his summer house," Luffy told her. Makino looked at Bartolomeo at hearing 'Shank', like, 'Principal Shanks', and Bartolomeo nodded.
"How lucky.. well, would you need to go back home to get anything if you're going to spend the night?" Makino asked, grabbing the plates off the table with Bartolomeo to clean up. Luffy looked up at the white ceiling and then back at Makino, shaking her head in her carefree-manner. Makino smiled at her and then was off to the kitchen, washing the dishes as Bartolomeo came back out and sat next to Luffy at the table.
"So.." Bartolomeo started, running his hand through his hair and Luffy turned towards him.
"Mm, where am I going to sleep, Bartolomeo?" Luffy asked curiously, cocking her head in the cutest way. Bartolomeo had a brief moment of emotional-confusion but soon got over it and passed on the question to his mom.
"Mommm, where's Luffy gonna sleep?"
"Oh, well.."
"You didn't think of that either?"
"No... well, she could sleep in your bed."
"Mom, you can't mean with me... righttt?"
"Righttt."
"Damn."
"Luffy-chan, how about you sleep in Bartolomeo's bed and he'll just sleep where he falls asleep, alright?" Makino told Luffy, peeking out of the kitchen. Luffy laughed and nodded in agreement while Bartolomeo felt somewhat abandoned.. left on his own to fend for his sleep-needs.. all alone in the world!
"And Bartolomeo..?"
"What now?"
"Leave your door open when you two are in there, okay? I know she's different, but..."
"Mom, dear god, she's the first girl I consider my friend-friend! I would kill myself if I tried anything..."
Making looked at her son, studying him carefully. She could tell that Bartolomeo was being oddly serious, and she trusted him only at those rare moment. Makino smiled and put her hand on his shoulder.
"Alright."
Bartolomeo gave her another rare smile and then turned back to face Luffy in the dining room who was now searching around for something. She was opening drawers, looking under furniture, glancing behind the curtains. Bartolomeo walked up to the detective-for-the-moment and leaned out till she caught sight off him within 5 inches of her face.
"Whatcha lookin' for, ya snoop?"
"Um, I just wanted to see if you had any paper and a pencil, maybe?" Luffy asked sheepishly, clasping her hands behind her back again. Bartolomeo raised an eyebrow and then beckoned her to follow him up the stairs to his room.
It put both kids on edge a little to be really and honestly out of view of anyone else inside that room, but they decided that it was just a barrier that needed to be broken, or at least weakened a little. Bartolomeo didn't want to shut the door completely, out of fear that Luffy would freak, so he left it half-way open before looking for an old sketchpad and a pencil.
Once he found them, awkwardly tucked underneath his bed, Bartolomeo handed the objects to Luffy and sat down next to her on the floor. Luffy was soon looking through the half-full sketchbook, going sparkly-eyed at several of his drawings. Bartolomeo just sat quietly, scratching his neck.
"Will you let me draw in here?" Luffy asked eagerly, leaning in towards Bartolomeo with a grin. Bartolomeo nodded quickly, just as eager to see what she could do.
Soon, Luffy was laying lines all over the page, looking up at Bartolomeo every once and a while with her grin. Bartolomeo couldn't tell what she was drawing, since his view was upside down, but eventually the picture became clearer with the details that Luffy added after the basics. Luffy never stopped smiling, and broke into a fit of happy laughter upon finishing her picture about 10 minutes after she started. She put the pencil down on the floor and then turned the sketchbook around, leaning in to show Bartolomeo what she had drawn.
Bartolomeo looked at his black-and-white reflection.
Luffy had taken in every detail of Bartolomeo's face, piercings, shadows and hair and put it down on paper for all to see.
"Hey, you forgot to sign it."
"Hahaha, that's all you have to say?" Luffy teased, pushing the sketchbook into his chest. Bartolomeo smirked, pulling the book from his lap to look at again. His eyes.. were his eyes really that.. deep and mysterious?
"This is amazing.. shows how much she thinks of me," Bartolomeo thought to himself, looking up at Luffy who soon caught his glance and smiled.
"Can I copy this?" Bartolomeo asked, standing up from the floor. Luffy blinked and then nodded. Bartolomeo closed his eyes and smiled, walking out of his room to scan it.
Meanwhile, Luffy sat leaning against Bartolomeo's bed on the hardwood floor, observing everything that was owned by her friend. Posters of bands on his walls next to his drawings, bumped stickers on the edges of his mirror, painted vertical stripes on the top drawer of his dresser, and bright blue sheets on his bed. She was so engrossed in admiring a drawing of a depressed smoker that she almost didn't notice when Bartolomeo came back in the room. Luffy smiled up at him.
"So, do you want the original or the copy?" Bartolomeo asked her. Luffy inspected both from afar and chose the original. It was in the middle of being torn from the sketchbook when Bartolomeo had a sudden thought that made him freeze.
"I should give the sketchbook to her."
"What? Why?""I doubt she has a sketchbook with her, and.. she really liked all my drawings." "Fine.. but are you really su-""Yes, I'm sure."
Bartolomeo snapped out of his daze and then closed the sketchbook slowly, making Luffy curious. Bartolomeo closed his eyes and sighed, smiling as he handed the book to Luffy who received the thing hesitantly, as if she was afraid she was stealing a part of him. The green-haired teen nodded his head and sat down next to Luffy, just watching how happy she was as she drew and drew and drew till the clock read midnight.
Standing up, Bartolomeo beckoned for Luffy put down the sketchbook momentarily.
"I need to change, so.."
"Okay!"
Luffy didn't move.
Bartolomeo gave Luffy a weird look.
"You should.. probably go out in the hall?" Bartolomeo suggested, gesturing to the hallway with his thumb. Luffy slowly nodded and then grinned, skipping to the hallway, even closing the door behind her.
Bartolomeo sighed as he stripped off his clothes and put them in the hamper, pulling his pajama pants off the foot of his bed. He thought about sleeping with a shirt, but he never did before, so why then?
Then, it hit him.. Luffy couldn't sleep in jean shorts. That's like a rule- denim of any sort shall not be worn when sleeping!
Thinking hard, the only thing he could come up with was a pair of old boxers that didn't fit him anymore. It would have to do, since Makino was asleep like a rock. So, Bartolomeo scrounged up the boxers from way back in his dresser and threw them at Luffy's face as soon as he opened the door. The two stood in silence as the boxers slipped off of Luffy's face; Luffy burst into laughter with Bartolomeo following suit shortly, and they soon had to bite their lips and keep quiet, realizing that Makino was sleeping just across the hall.
Bartolomeo gestured for Luffy to changed in his room and she did just that, opening the door when she was done. Bartolomeo stepped inside his room.. noticing that Luffy had bothered to take off her bra and display it on top of her shorts on the floor next to the bed. He sighed; she just didn't know her limits.
However, despite the major distraction for poor Bartolomeo, Luffy seemed more interested in his tattoo on his chest, poking and touching the winged ring.
"It's cool!" she chirped, admiring Bartolomeo even more while the admiree stood and laughed sheepishly.
"Really? I'm not at all scary-lookin' to you?"
"Nope!"
Sooner or later, the two were back sitting on the floor, drawing till Luffy fell asleep on Bartolomeo's shoulder. Seeing that he couldn't move, really, he had to do something.
Taking the pencil from her hand before she ruined her own picture by gravitationally-forced lines, Bartolomeo then pulled the sketchbook away, closed it, and put it gently next to his pillow. Next, carefully, as gently as possible, Bartolomeo picked Luffy up in his arms and deposited her on his bed, pulling the sheets up to her shoulder. He stood back with hands on his hips to merely observe his new friend.
She really was an adorable girl.
Bartolomeo turned off the light and walked downstairs, falling asleep before he even hit the couch.
Later in the night, Luffy awoke in a panic from a terribly realistic dream from her memories, and she instantly began a search for shelter. Stumbling down the stairs, she saw the moonlight glowing Bartolomeo's skin as he slept. She immediately ran to him and snuggled up next to his chest, hugging him tightly as if he would disappear.
Bartolomeo dreamt of Luffy crawling into bed with him, warmth pressing against his bare chest, and he smiled as he put a gentle arm around both the dream and real Luffy, making Luffy in both worlds feel oh so much safer.
You could say that Bartolomeo and Luffy weren't the most normal friends, but, with weird people comes weird relationships.
As long as Luffy was comfortable, Bartolomeo decided that he would be fine with whatever came of their friendship.
Luffy grinned as she looked up at Bartolomeo, who woke up gently to give her a sleepy smile in return.
~ + woot woot. the long second chapter DONE. XD + ~