Look Me In The Eyes | The Story of Octavius Munez

[Saints101]

15 Years On This Earth

"For all the advances in medicine, there is still no cure for the common birthday."

___

We're ignored for three hundred and sixty four days, and every few years, three hundred and sixty five years, until our birthdays. The day that the person who's birthday it is, might be upset with the idea of growing older and getting closer to death. For everyone else, it's a happy day that should be celebrated.

Well, for me. It was a day that I enjoyed the first five times, but the fifth was the last one that I found enjoyable. Every birthday after that was one that contained arguing. It didn't matter how good my presents were. My Mom and Dad's fighting ruined everything, but would I tell them that? Hell no.

___

"Happy birthday Octavius! HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!"

I faked a smile as my parents and Dad's girlfriend, Penelope, sang to me.

"Time to blow out your candles," My Mom announced.

I leaned forward and blew all fourteen of them out. And I only had one wish, "No fighting today."

Then again, in hindsight, I probably shouldn't have said my wish out loud. Maybe that was what ruined it.

___

"I don't appreciate you bringing your girlfriend in here while I'm here trying to celebrate my son's birthday!"

Once again, a fight was erupting at one of my "birthday parties," between my Mom and Dad. And they wondered why I never brought friends over. Yeah right.

"No one told you to come," My Dad shouted back. He began to run a hand through his hair in frustration.

"He's my only son!"

"And whose fault is that?"

Now, I had to admit, that was a cheap shot by my Dad. He knew too, so he wasn't surprised when my Mom started to cry.

You see, my Dad met my Mom at UCLA when they were sophomores back in 1992. My Mom was studying to become an orthodontist. Everything went good for them for two years and three months after graduating from UCLA, they get married. Then, four months later, My Mom found out that she was pregnant. And my Dad got a contract offer from D.C. United, but he ahd to wait eight months to play a game with the team because the MLS was just starting. Finally, on July 21st, 1994, I was born. Unfortunately, when I turned five, My mother filed for divorce. She let my Dad get custody of me, so she could focus on her dream of becoming an orthodontist, which was pretty selfish in my eyes. Then, looking for a new life after retiring from the MLS, my father moved to Phoenix.

Looks like my Dad never forgave her for what she did. Honestly, I don't think I would have been able to do it either.

I looked back up at them after being lost in my thoughts for several minutes. They were still silent and my Mom was starting to stop crying. Once she fully composed herself, she looked at my Dad and said only ten words. "I want Octavius to come with me for two weeks."

"Fine," My father agreed as he began to leave the room with Penelope by his side.

[VandyRedskins21]

Wow this is really good can't wait for more updates

[Saints101]

Something Different

“A car is useless in New York, essential everywhere else. The same with good manners.”

___

I tried to relax into my seat as the plane soared through the sky. I couldn't get rid of the fear that had taken hold of my cody the instant we had taken off from Phoenix for New York City.

After my Dad agreed to letting my Mom have me for two weeks. I packed my bags and the next morning, we were off for NYC. At first, I was excited about the idea, but now, I wanted nothing more than to get off the damn plane.

Sensing my tension for the fifth time so far. My mother gave me a look, "You okay?"

I answered her question with a quick and simple nod. Afraid to open my mouth in fear of what might come out. Never before had I been on an airplane, and never again would I find myself on one.

___

New York City. The city that never sleeps. Home of the lately infamous New York Knicks. Perhaps the most famous city in America.

That was the city that I was now able to call my location for the next four days. It was unlike anything I'd ever experienced before. The streets were almost overflowing with people. Making it easy to lose the person you were walking with, which was why my mother walked slow, so we could take in the scenery and stay together.

I didn't mind walking slow one bit. The city was so beautiful to my young eyes. The more time I got to look at the mammoth skyscrapes, the better.

"How do you like the city so far, Octavius?" My Mom asked, obviously seeing the interest in my eyes.

"Yeah." I answered quickly. Not taking my eyes off of the Empire State Building.

"Good." She told me. Smiling brilliantly.

I was silent a few moments before I found the courage to say something else to her. "I never thought New York would be this beautiful."

Her smile didn't waver a bit. In fact, it probably grew bigger once she heard every one of the words I had spoken. "I thought you'd think so. That's why I brought you here."

I smiled this time, enjoying myself. It wasn't often that I could really do that around my Mom. Mostly due to the fact that I never spent much time with her, so I wasn't as comfortable around her as I was with my Dad, or even Penelope.

This was the first time that we'd hung out in about two years. I knew that for sure and it had be on my mind, but once the smile appeared on my face, I brushed the ugly thought away. Determined to enjoy the beauty of these moments with her.

"Have you ever been here before?" I asked as I swung my head around to watch a taxi cab bustle down the street at an alarmingly fast speed for these crowded New York avenues.

"Two times before, yes."

She looked off at something in the distance, which brought a wave of silence over us for a moment or two, but I broke it.

"I want to come back again."

"You will, don't worry."

[Saints101]

To Live & Die In L.A.

“In Los Angeles, by the time you're 35, you're older than most of the buildings.”

___

After leaving New York, my mother and I headed back to the city she was living in, which happened to be just as big time as New York City.

Los Angeles.

___

"Are you sure you're going to be fine all by yourself, Octavius?" My Mom asked as she stood by the door of her condo. Dressed for work.

"Yeah ma." I replied, ready to head back to bed with it being seven o'clock in the morning.

"Okay. I'll be home at five, and call my phone if you need anything."

"Sure." I muttered, heading back to my room.

___

Groaning, I rolled over in bed. My head was spinning as I glanced over at the clock on my bedside table, noon.

"Not bad," I thought as I finally got up after I could no longer stand the taste of my morning breath.

Slowly, I found myself heading to the kitchen in search of what would now be brunch. When I opened the fridge, I wasn't surprised to see it stuffed with food. Knowing my Mom probably went to the store when I had taken a nap the other day.

I pulled out the orange juice and a chocolate muffin, finally deciding that I didn't care about eating a nutritious meal at all, opting for the quicker one.

___

Barely a hour after I had woken up, I found myself down at the condominium building's basketball court with my ball. The court was nice compared to the one I was used to at home. And it was better that there was a goal at each end, instead of just one.

The court was also nicer than the ones in the gymnasiums of middle schools I had played in during my junior high playing days.

___

"Octavius! Is that you?"

I turned around sharply to see a person I was both excited and surprised to see.

...

"Bianca! What are you doing here?"

I began to walk towards her and met her at half-court.

"My Dad lives in this building, you?"

"My Mom lives in this building too."

Her eyes grew wide. "Really?" I nodded my head slowly. "Dang, what a small world."

I chuckled. "Yeah, I suppose so."

We both stood in silence for the next few minutes, neither of us knowing what to say to the other. I wouldn't exactly call it a bad, awkward silence either. It was more peaceful and reassuring than anything else, and I had no idea why it was that way.

Finally after a few more minutes of silence, I swallowed the anxiety that was beginning to grow in my throat and spoke up. "Wanna play?" I asked motioning towards the basketball in my hands.

"Sure." She agreed taking it out of my hands. "Since I'm a girl, I get ball first."

"Fine." I said with a goofy grin on my face. "You're still gonna lose anyway."

She looked at me with a fake look of seriousness. "You sure about that?"

"Of course." I told her, taking up a defensive position in front of her.

[VandyRedskins21]

lol What a small world... A really, really small world haha

[Saints101]

Can You Feel The Love Tonight?

“For it was not into my ear you whispered, but into my heart. It was not my lips you kissed, but my soul.”

___

"Munez has the ball...Plays with the defender a bit as he moves toward the right wing....Fires up a shot! And it's good!!!"

I could only hear the imaginary announcer's voice in my head, nothing else was audible. Not the bouncing of the ball, the dripping of our sweat onto the floor, nor the sweet sound of the ball finding its place in the net.

"That's ten for me." I told Bianca proudly. I was ecstatic that I was beating her ten-five despite the sour look on her face.

"You don't have to let me know that you're winning every time you f***ing score." She snapped.

I took it in stride, knowing about her temper, and hoping to enrage her enough to throw her off her game. "Yes, I do. Otherwise it wouldn't be any fun."

Ignoring my comment, she put up a shot and it clanked off the front of the rim. "F***!" She exclaimed as I got the rebound.

"You're going to have to do better than that girl." I mocked.

Backing up to make sure I had the needed room. I quickly bounced the ball through her unsuspecting legs and sped past her to reach the ball. As soon as I felt the ball in my hand, I took two steps and went up for the layup. But as I did, a shove in the back sent me way off course and into the hard floor.

"My bad." Bianca apologized sarcastically.

...

Crossover. Layup. Shove. Face. Floor.

...

Jump shot. Elbow to the stomach. On my knees in pain.

...

Crossover. Layup. Tripped. Face. Floor.

...

Do I even have to say anything else?

...

"Stop playing so f***ing dirty!" I shouted as I went to the floor in pain for the umpteenth time.

"Quit acting like suck a little b****. This is what you'll be getting next year, so get used to it."

I scoffed off the last part of her comment. "I'm not a d*** MMA fighter, so I don't expect to get hit like one. Got it?

Bianca went to open her mouth, probably ready to fire off another smarta** remark, but a man's voice shot out over the court.

"Bianca!"

I turned around to see a red haired man approaching us. It didn't take long for me to realize that he was Bianca's father. My first guess had been brother, but he was too old.

"Who's your friend here?" He asked when he finally reached us.

"This is Octavius." She told him pointing at me. "We met at that Arizona camp a few weeks ago."

Her father nodded, reaching out a hand to shake one of mine. I stuck out one as he requested and winced a bit at his firm grip, hoping he didn't notice it. "Really now? What's he doing up here?"

"My Mom lives in this building too." I told him. Quickly answering for Bianca as I met her father's gaze.

"What are the odds of that?" He asked rhetorically, chuckling to himself. "Well Octavius, how would you like to come upstairs for a snack?"

"Dad!" Bianca whined. "We're teenagers, we don't eat snacks."

"No." I said stepping in for her. "It's fine. I'm hungry anyways."

Her Dad smiled. "Glad to see you like your milk and teddy grahams, Octavius."

I returned the smile weakly. Hoping that he was just joking.

___

"Mom?" I exclaimed, surprised at my mother's presence in the hall when the elevator door opened. I stepped out with Bianca and her father, but didn't stop walking like they did. Instead, I continued to my mother.

"What Octavius?" She asked as she opened the door to her condo.

"Nothing. Just surprised to see you up here."

"Well, I do live in this building you know."

I shook my head at her remark. "No. I mean, I didn't expect to see you here when I stepped off the elevator with Bianca and her Dad." I explained pointing back to where they were still standing, just outside of the elevator's doors.

Again I was surprised as my mother's eyes widened when she saw Bianca's father. "Derek?" She exclaimed loudly.

"Veronica?" He exclaimed just as loudly as she had. He quickly moved forward, pulling Bianca with him, to get a better look.

"Wait." I demanded. "How do you two know each other?"

My Mom pointed at the door directly across the hall from her's. "Well, we're neighbors."

"Oh." I said lowly.

"Yes." My Mom said before moving toward Bianca's Dad, Derek. "Didn't know you knew Octavius."

He chuckled as he shook his head. "I didn't, but Bianca here did. Said they met at that University of Arizona basketball camp they attended a few weeks ago."

She nodded her head. "Oh yes, I remember Octavius telling me about that. Well, how would you and Bianca like to come over for dinner?"

"We'd love to." He told her, grinning from ear-to-ear.

___

"Weird that our parents know each other huh?" Bianca asked me as we rode the elevator down to the basketball court not even thirty minutes after eating dinner. Our parents were still upstairs, drinking coffee and talking.

"Yeah, it's really weird. But kinda cool."

"How is it cool?"

I shrugged my shoulders. "I guess because now we can hang out whenever."

"Yeah, that sounds awesome."

I looked over at her expecting to see a look of sarcasm, but a big, genuine, beautiful smile was where the sarcasm usually was. And I had to admit to myself, I liked this new look, a lot.

...

"Ready to get destroyed again?" I mocked.

"You never beat me the first time."

I nodded my head. "Technically, I didn't. But your Daddy isn't here to safe you this time."

"I don't need him to save me." She told me as she rocketed the ball at my chest. Preparing to D me up.

Quickly, I put up a shot and she was completely unprepared for it, as I expected her to be. The shot fell through the net beautifully and I looked her in the eye. "You sure about that?"

...

The score was 20-18, with me in the lead. All I needed to do was keep Bianca from making this shot, and make my own.

She decided to post me up, thinking it would be easy points. But I was determined not to allow her to score. No matter how many elbows she threw at me.

We battled back-and-forth for position for nearly three minutes before I began to feel something grow in my pants. Looking down, I realized I was getting a boner. I mean, I wasn't surprised since Bianca and I were basically dry humping right now.

Yet, I didn't want her to feel it and get weirded out, so I shoved her to the ground. "How does it feel to get fouled?" I asked as I stood over her, acting like it was payback. But a single tear fell down her cheek.

Immediately, I was sorry for what I had done as I helped her up. "I'm so sorry." I told her as I ran my right hand across her cheek.

"It's okay." She whispered as she leaned in to kiss me.

Our lips met and it was instant magic. Maybe it was a cause of our chemistry, or maybe it was because this was my first kiss.

[Saints101]

If Only The Days Could Last Forever

“This is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning.”

___

As Bianca and I were lying under the sun, I couldn't stop my mind from wandering back to that memorable kiss we had shared almost two weeks ago. It had been nothing short of magical, but nothing close to perfect.

I turned my eyes from the clouds above to the gorgeous girl laying by my side. The last two weeks we had gotten to spend together were perhaps the best of my young life, and I wanted to relive them over and over again.

But that was far from possible. I was going to be ending back to Phoenix the next day. Yet, I wasn't as sad about it as I thought I would be.

The pain I expected to feel in my chest was absent. In it's place was a warm buzz, most likely of joy.

After thinking about it for a moment, I wasn't surprised that I was feeling this. How could I expect myself to be sad when I had Bianca laying at my side, willing to love me as much as I desired.

...

"I know what you're thinking about." Bianca stated matter of factly. Her sad tone caught me off guard.

"You do?"

She turned over and used her elbow to prop herself up. Looking into my eyes, she whispered the words both of us wanted to say to each other. "I wish we could spend forever together."

"I do too." I whispered back. Feeling a tear begin to form in the corner of my eye, I wiped it away, and took a minute to compose myself before more began to flow. "I love you."

The look on Bianca's face was one of sheer compassion and surprise. "I love you too."

And once again, our love was celebrated with a kiss.

[Saints101]

Walking Alone

"What’s agitating about solitude is the inner voice telling you that you should be mated to somebody, that solitude is a mistake. The inner voice doesn’t care about who you find. It just keeps pestering you, tormenting you."

___

The clouds that seemed just within reach outside of my window on that plane ride back to Phoenix gave me comfort beyond belief. Instead of sulking about having to leave Bianca behind, my mind was on other more complexing things.

Things I had never thought about before. Things I would more than likely find myself thinking about again.

___

"Welcome back." My Dad greeted as I got into the car.

"If only I felt welcome." I muttered, hoping it was low enough for him to not hear, but he did hear it.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Shaking my head, I turned away from him to the window. "Nothing. Let's just go home."

Obliging to my request, he started the car and pulled out of the parking spot.

I was back in Phoenix once again after two weeks of being away. Two weeks that I had thoroughly enjoyed. Two weeks without being in dry, hot Arizona. What I would give just for another hour with Bianca. It was almost unimaginable.

___

I had only been home for a hour before I could no longer take sitting inside. Bianca hadn't replied to the text I had sent as soon as I was off the plane and waiting for her response was killing me the most.

So I finally picked up my basketball and headed out the front door. In search of a relaxing walk.

I hadn't been walking with the ball for more than five minutes when I saw a park in the distance. Without further hesitation, I picked up my dribble and raced for the park.

When I finally reached it, I found two full basketball courts, with only one being occupied by five other boys who were just shooting around. And instead of going to join them, I went to the empty court.

___

"Welcome to the ninth grade at Desert Vista High School. I'm your homeroom teacher, Mrs. Woodrow, and I'll be your guide so to speak for the next nine months."

I was sitting in the back of the class, trying to keep as far from everyone else as possible. I didn't know anyone at Desert Vista. None of the people I went to middle school with went here, they were all going to Carter High over on the other side of town, but I had to go here just because Dad was the soccer coach.

With envy, I watched as everyone greeted their friends from middle school. They all had smiles on their faces while I was the loner. The f***ing loner.