Beck
Travis was sleeping. His head was leaning on my shoulder.
We were watching Baywatch. Travis was going to be upset. Pamela's on the screen now.
"Mmm." Travis grunted in his sleep. His head moved around on my shoulder.
"Travis, get off." I whispered. He moved his feet and exhaled deeply. I shrugged. "Travis."
He wasn't going to move. I rolled my eyes and reached for the remote. I clicked off the TV. Travis awoke immediately.
"Hey, I was watching that." Travis mumbled, rubbing his eyes.
"No you weren't. You were sleeping." I corrected him. "Anyways, you've seen enough TV for tonight. Its two AM."
"Theres no such thing as too much TV." He reached for the remote.
"The suns gonna come up soon, Trav."
"So?"
He turned on TV again.
"Mariana's leaving today, isn't she?" He asked. I thought she would have told him.
"Yeah, Travis, she is."
He breathed in deep. "Thought so. Its better off that way."
"Really?" I asked, not believing his maturity.
"No." He whispered. "I'm gonna miss her."
A lonely tear rolled down his cheek.
"I know." I whispered. "I know."
Travis
"You want a drink?" I ask Beck. I'm slready regretting what I plan to do.
"Sure." Beck says, leaning back on his chair.
"Rootbeer?" I ask. "Coffee?"
"Maybe just some juice." He says back, watching the TV.
"Okay." I stand up and walk in the kitchen. My stomach feels sick. I take a glass of water out for Beck.
I open the fridge… there has to be some in here some in here… there they are.
Konlobos. With a K. I breathe in the air. I still feel sick. But my heartache takes over.
I carry it over to the glass of water. I cut a small hole and squeeze. Drips of Konlobo juice fall in the cup. Lucky for me, they turn out to be transparent.
"This better work." I mumble. I take red food colouring to make it look more like juice and pour it in.
I walk into the room with his glass of 'juice'.
"Thanks Travis. You're a great guy." Don't say that. I think. I hand him the juice.
"Here." I say, shoving the glass towards him.
He takes a long sip. "This is really… watery. What is this? It's good." He looks at me strangely.
It takes him a moment to realize what I did.
"Travis, no." He whispers.
"I'm sorry, Beck."
He drops the glass and collapses on the couch.
"I'll be back for morning. You should be able to stand up by then. Sorry."
"Travis…" He whispers. I shake my head.
"I truly am sorry, Beck." I say, getting ready to walk out the door. "But you don't understand love." And then, I slide on my jacket, pull on my boots, and walk up to Mariana's room.
Beck
I was lying on the couch.
God damn it.
I trust Travis for three hours and he poisons me! Stupid. I'm so stupid.
God knows what he's off doing now. Something to do with Mariana.
He mentioned her, didn't he? He said something about love.
Oh, he better not hurt her or I will strangle him personally. How dumb can a guy get?
I need to move. I need to get out of this ridiculous state. How dare he paralyze me. I thought we were friends.
Travis
I run upstairs to her room.
"Mariana, theres something going on in the field next to the Miller's farm south of here. Someone's there…. You know them. You need to help me, their here to get us."
She looks at me with a confused look. I feel sick again, worried that she might not believe me.
"Whats going on?"
I bite my lip. "I lied."
"It was obvious." She stated simply. "What do want, Travis?"
"You're leaving. Today. I thought… I mean… it ended so soon… me and you… I thought… we could talk, together, you know, as friends. One last time before you leave me for good."
Mariana rolls her eyes. "What is there to talk about?" She asks.
"Everything. I need to talk to someone."
She shrugs her shoulders. "Fine. As friends."
"Thank you."
"Must we go to the field?"
"I think so." I whisper. "Please."
"Fine. We'll go."
"Beck said I could use his car." I said quickly. Yet another lie.
"Fine."
I walked down the stairs with Mariana following. This was actually happening.
"Beck is asleep." Mariana pointed out. I prayed to God he wouldn't yell.
He didn't.
"Yeah, he's uh… asleep."
"Lets go, Travis. Its almost morning."
--
I lay a blanket down to sit on. The cold bites at my feet.
"Mariana?" I ask.
"Yes Travis?"
"I was wondering… why… you broke up with me."
She sighed and leaned on the backs of her hand. "Because, Travis. Mister Beck was right."
"Beck? Beck told you to break up with me?"
She stared at me with her brown eyes. "No. But he obviously didn't like us as a couple. He told me that you were immature and irresponsible. He said that you and I were nothing alike."
I squinted my eyes, trying to understand.
"I tried to ignore it. I tried to imagine I never heard it. But Travis…" She sighed again. "He was right. I'm much more mature then you."
"But… I thought…"
"I thought I was going to take care of you. Be the provider of our family. That is what I told Mister Beck. But Travis… I cannot take that responsibility of you. I cant live to provide for you. I'm not that person, Travis."
"You could be." I whispered.
"I'm sorry. Its too much of a burden."
"I'm too much of a burden?" I asked.
"No. Your past and conditions are."
I held my head. I felt warm water spurting from my eyes.
"But… Mariana…"
"Sorry."
I sat there looking at the ground for a long time. Crickets sang around us. The smallest breeze was like ice pricking at my feet.
"Mariana?" I said, looking up, into her eyes.
She looked at me.
I know that she saw the heartbreak in my eyes. That's all I cared about then.
But then I felt the hunger for more.
I leaned in towards her.
"Mariana." I whispered. I kissed her soft lips. Her breath still smelt of honey. It made me want to smile. But I didn't dare try anything that might stop this moment.
I leaned closer to the ground, and to my surprise, Mariana's body followed. I kissed her passionately, on her lips, her neck. She moved her leg on top of mine.
"I still love you, Travis." She whispered on my lips. "I'll never stop."
Beck
Travis came crashing through the door at about 5 AM.
I screamed… what you would call screaming… at him.
"Travis, goddamn it, You are so DEAD!!" I yelled, but since my mouth was frozen partially open it sounded kind of muffled.
"I'm sorry." He said quietly. His voice shook. "I'm really sorry."
"Why Travis?!?!?" I yelled. "Why???"
"I said I was sorry!" he yelled, voice still trembling slightly.
"What did you do?" I asked in a hushed tone.
He walked over and sat on the ground. He looked at me with scared eyes.
"What did you do???" I yelled.
His hands were shaking. He was crying.
"Travis?" He looked up.
"We made love." He whispered.
I could feel my eyes widen. "What?"
He let out a sob. "She left. She's gone."
"Oh, Travis." I whispered. It came out muffled still.
I felt so bad for yelling at him moments ago. He was just a kid in love.
"I'm sorry, Beck." He whispered. Then he stood up and walked in his room.