July 13th
2:01pm
Cotton-headed dandelions brushed along Antonio's bare ankles as he walked down the edge of the driveway, the patter of loose flip flops sounding off his every step. Blocking the sun with a spare arm, he squinted off into the sky out front, distractedly catching on a stray airplane emerging out of a patch of clouds. Casting a vapor trail, the teen watched as the airplane disappeared behind another cloud before he looked down at the beautiful willow-tinted house across the street. The one with the swaying lily-white curtains, flowering bushes, and the little pot of daisies on the front step. "What a beautiful house..." he whispered, wonder filling his eyes. "I wonder what kind of people live there..." he trailed off, falling into a summery daze before re-catching his wandering attention with a little jump.
Oh right.
He was supposed to be retrieving the last of the boxes.
"Ah, so hot~" he breathed hotly, trying to draw himself out of his exhaustion-fueled trance.
With the back of the truck being only a few meters away, he gave a little stretch in his walk, squinting far down the yard at his younger brother playing in the grass before coming upon the truck bed.
"Shouldn't he be asleep...?" he wondered absentmindedly turning on his heel in front of the bed. Only two boxes remaining on the truck, he was mentally thankful and more than ready to adjust to his new life. With a little hop, he climbed up into the truck and wiggled his hands underneath the stack of boxes. Muscles tightening, he lifted them with ease and jumped down with a solid plop and an almost twisted ankle. Absentminded, a tense grin took form on his face, accentuating his clenched jawline and sharp eyes. Although he naturally had every reason to be on edge, it only worsened the jittery nervousness bubbling in his gut. It was as if reality had really set in.
He was finally in same town as his soulmate.
The person he was going to spend the rest of his life with.
The eventual love of his life.
The source of these delicate butterfly tingles.
Even if he met them today, of course, he knew that not everyone immediately falls in love with their soulmate right off-the-bat...
...
But even so, Antonio determined he just might've already fallen.
Especially since he's been under the onslaught of their ticklish kiss-like touches all today, giving rosy-cheeked distractions here and there between moving furniture and lunchtime. It was a miracle that even his parents haven't noticed his occasional little jumps and yips.
With a soft smile, Antonio stood for a moment to collect his thoughts, wanting to finally return those sweet gestures in privacy. "Lemme just take these upstairs" he hummed softly.
Taking his time, he meandered back into the house after watching on Tomás for a few moments. Padding upstairs and to the right, he abandoned the boxes on his parent's mattress before escaping to his own room. Closing the door with a quick click, he busily dug through his duffel bag for a water bottle. Letting the cool drink dribble down his throat, he spied his parents leaned against the deck in the backyard through an open window. The tall pines rustling above their heads, filtering little streams of light through their aimless banter, intertwined fingers, and fleeting kisses.
Moving into such a beautiful house with their family must feel like a dream. It's no wonder that they've been so caught up with each other all day.
With a little smile, Antonio wandered away from the window and flopped onto the mattress, letting the hums of Spotify play in the background. Fond memories flickered across the young man's face as he absentmindedly ran fingers back and forth across the heart behind his ear. Shirt-ridden up above his toned stomach, he laid under the fan and let his thoughts and dreams slosh around.
"I want to be in love like mamá and papá..." he whispered to himself with impatient hope.
Sitting in silence, he closed his furrowed eyes peacefully, a pleasant peachy warmth simmering up into his cheeks.
...
It was minutes before he opened those jade-encrusted eyes again with a renewed sense of energy. Lips pursed into a gentle smile, he anticipated all that was going to come.
A new life at a new school...with new friends...and eventually, a new love...
This move will change him forever.
...
Not waiting to start his new life, the Spaniard sat up slowly from the mattress with a creak and a stretch. Straightening his T-shirt, he kicked off from the bed and sauntered towards all the manila-colored boxes pushed close to the headboard, ripping them open one-by-one with little reservation.
Meanwhile outside...
The blur of a coppery chubby face suctioned itself against the sun-warmed glass of the living room window. Cherry kool-aid stained lips puckered agape, he released gasps of hot breath onto the dirty glass, that of which was reflected the life-teeming flower pot he stood atop. Childish excitement livened up the supposed-to-be sleeping boy as his sticky fingers jabbed incessantly on the window, smearing god-knows-what on its surface. Images of playgrounds, sandboxes, tree houses, and swing sets sloshed around the turbulent watery-like confines of the child's mind as he faced to the right, focused upon the dense foliage of the backyard. Pines and Oaks soared high above the fence and he couldn't help but to sprout a toothy grin, his little legs bouncing off the overgrown flower pot and away into the jungle-like front yard.
To his left, facing outwards towards the street, sat a world he's never seen before, teeming with life. Big fuzzy bees fluttered lazily around the 3-year-old and with every little wobbly step he took, he felt the part of a conquistador exploring an new land.
With purposefully uneasy footsteps, he peeked out into the street, peering behind the trashcan with huge grassy eyes. Beetles and ants scurried out of cracks in the concrete carrying twitching grasshoppers and stale crumbs.
From his spot on the sidewalk, he heard the squeak of sneakers and the airy laugh of his mother through a window screen.
Oh, they must've come inside. And he was supposed to be taking a nap in his new room.
With a little jump, Tomás bounded out of the yard, darting across the street and halfway into the adjacent yard. Stuffed Sonic flopping in his vice-like grip, his short spurt ended with a little tumble into the clover and dandelion-lined yard.
Although he was face down in the dirt, and his mom had told him never to wander away, he couldn't give up just yet!
After all, there was so much to be explored!
Unbridled motivation surged through his veins as he picked himself up and sprinted some more, running along the right side of the house before making it to the fence.
Approaching the wooden boards, his heart pumped with anticipation as he followed it further into the yard, chubby fingers dragged side by side against its faded mahogany. It was only until he trailed it to the end of the yard that a little slip between the fence reached up and snatched his foot, sending him plummeting headfirst into the grass and rocks below. Face down, he snatched his head up, tears brimming in his eyes and blood dribbling down his nose. A little whimper broke through as he slowly twisted himself into a sitting position.
Stubbornly, he kept a weep from breaking through and attempted to tear his ankle away, only to be met with firm resistance. With harsh, impulsive little yanks, he tried his hardest to it was clear that his foot wasn't going anywhere anytime soon. With skinned knees, a ripped sock, and a nosebleed, he sniffled pitifully, wiping his bloodied nose on his sleeve.
"M-mamá...!" he started, balling his fists together in an attempt to keep it together.
"..."
Met with silence, he aggressively wiped away the tears down his cheek and cried out again.
...
"Mamá~!" he sobbed again, this time unable to keep his distraught tears from falling.
"..."
Too far away to hear him, a wail broke out and rocked his little body, the sound of his voice ringing much louder than the carefree breeze and rustling trees.
He was sure that nobody would ever hear his cries for help. And that he'll die here alone...
A/N- In which Antonio looks forward to his days ahead and lil Tomás feels like his days have come to an end.
