Dating Aaron & Other Forbidden Things - Yesenia Vargas Page 0,1
spring.
Aaron and David had been best friends for a long time, but what almost no one knew was that Aaron and I had been friends first.
Ironic, huh?
When we were kids, David would play with us down at the creek once in a while, but he usually played with another boy who had lived down the street at the time.
When that kid moved away, he and Aaron got closer while I began hanging out more with actual girls. I got into make-up, clothes, and cheer.
These days, Aaron and I talked or texted sometimes. We were in the same grade so we were often in the same classes. There was also definitely a pull between us, but that was as far as it went.
I think we both knew that David would not be happy if we acted on our feelings for each other.
Aaron was his best friend.
And I was David’s little sister.
The fact was he was protective, and he didn’t like it when any guy hit on me. He had already decided that no guy at Jefferson High was good enough for me.
If Aaron ever made a move, I was pretty sure their friendship would blow up, no matter what Aaron and I said.
David always said that he knew what guys his age were thinking, and he wasn’t about to let one of them hurt me.
So, according to him (and my traditional Puerto Rican dad), boys were a hard no for like… ever.
According to them, I’d always abided by their wishes of not dating, but the truth was that there was only one boy that I would ever be interested in.
I sighed and walked up our driveway.
In the time I’d gone out for a walk, Dad had gotten home from work. He was working on a car as usual.
He was a mechanic and ran his own shop. He also fixed up and sold old and messed up cars on the side for some extra cash.
When it came to cars, he lived and breathed them.
I walked up to him as he took some kind of wrench thing and loosened something.
“I was about to call you,” he mumbled. He didn’t like it when I went out for walks on my own. That’s how traditional and conservative he was.
I stopped for a minute. “I’m fine, Dad.”
The car he was working on had a few dents here and there and could have used a serious paint job. Most people would automatically think it wasn’t worth buying or fixing, but I knew what Dad could do. This car had a lot of potential.
Kinda like when I helped Scarlett with her make-up. The beauty was there. She just didn’t see it.
“Hey, Dad,” I said, hopeful all of a sudden.
He grunted in response.
“Did I tell you that I passed my driver’s test?” I hinted.
He didn’t look up from his work. His look of concentration hardly wavered. “Yes, I was there.”
The slight tone of annoyance only made me want to laugh, but I held it in. Instead, I gave him my best smile. “You know, David is gonna be leaving for college in a few months. I bet this would be a great starter car for me to get to school and stuff.”
He grunted again. Skeptically.
“Come on, Dad,” I said, my voice sounding a little whiny despite my best efforts. “For all the babysitting I do…” He didn’t seem to budge, though, so I tried a different approach. “I get good grades, and I’d make sure to keep them up.” He didn’t bite. “I’d even be willing to get a part-time job on the weekends and stuff and help pay for the repairs.”
Dad was the kind of person who valued self-motivation and hard work and all that. He didn’t always like cheer, especially the uniforms, but the fact of the matter was that I was more like him than he thought. I wasn’t afraid to get my hands dirty.
He finally looked up at me. Grease and sweat stained his forehead. “I already have someone who’s interested in this car. Besides, you don’t need a car just yet. David takes you to school.”
He went back to loosening or tightening or whatever in silence.
I exhaled. He had a point.
But was I doomed to ride to school with my brother forever?
“Yeah, but he’s gonna leave for college this summer. Can I have a car then?” I asked, biting the inside of my lip and trying to stay hopeful.
Dad stood back and analyzed the engine situation or whatever. “Maybe. I’ll think about it.”
I could