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Fifty Eight: Still Smiling
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Tee Shirt Fifty Nine: The Talk Of The School
"How's your studying with Mr. Popular?" Lee asked when they meet up at the cafe by the beach.It's been a week and the study session was a regular thing now. Every day after school for an hour, sometimes longer when needed, Hazel and Marlon locked up in the English lab to catch up with Marlon's studies. Everyone in school knew that now. They can be seen through the window from the soccer field and the girls envied her for having the chance to spend time with Marlon Dean Reynolds.People talked about them. Most of what goes around were just gossip and speculation. Lee was so caught up with his dancing that he was beginning to worry if he had been too ignorant of his girlfriend's new activity."It's fine," she shrugged and kept her eyes on the book she was reading.Nothing had changed between them. She was there for him for every rehearsal and his practices at the studio, except for that one time. They made out every day at their hiding spots around the school, she made time for him whe
Tee Shirt Sixty: A Surprise Visit
It was already the second Saturday since Lee told her that he was leaving. She was counting the days and the weeks 'til the day. Six more Saturdays to spend with her soft and tender boy who has been her constant companion for over a year.She was getting ready for Saturday night, Lee was going to pick her up for his practice at the studio and then dinner and probably a movie when her dad knocked on the door."Sweetheart, your friend is here," he said.She was tying her hair then paused, "You mean Lee?"It was highly unlikely because her dad would've said it was Lee."No, a friend from school, he's talking to your mom downstairs ... Marlon?"There was a jolt in her chest, she never told Marlon where she lived. Though he could've easily gotten the information from someone at school. He didn't say he was coming over, why would he? What could he possibly want?"O ... kay ..." she replied and finished up tying her hair.When she walked down the stairs, she could hear her mom having a frien
Tee Shirt Sixty One: The Introduction
Hazel was hoping that she could tell Lee about Marlon's visit later that night. After Marlon left, Lee came, and then she can tell him the story in peaceful and relaxed circumstances.But luck was not on her side that night because as Marlon stepped out of her porch, Lee's car was parked in front of her driveway. 'Shit' she cursed in silence. She didn't know why she felt agitated, but this was not how she wanted them to meet each other for the first time."Hey," Lee greeted her but his eyes were on Marlon."Hey ... Lee ... have you met Marlon? He just came by a few minutes ago," she wanted to emphasize the time he was in her house."Hi, yeah ... I needed to get something for school, I forgot to take it with me yesterday," Marlon covered for her, and he offered a handshake. "I'm Marlon ... it's nice to finally meet you, Hazel told me all about you," he lied again."Hey," Lee shook his hand, he didn't seem to be pleased to meet him but he tried to be nice."So ... I'll see you Monday?"
Tee Shirt Sixty Two: Help Me Out
Monday they met with Mr. Edgerton to report their progress. Everything was to his satisfaction. Why wouldn't it, Hazel did at least 80% of what was required. Though Marlon could've done it by himself he was too lazy, or too entitled to do so, Hazel hadn't figured out which one."I'm very pleased to see you've done all your assignments with excellent results, Mr. Reynolds," Mr. Edgerton lowered his gaze to the papers in front of him.Marlon shrugged lazily on his seat, "I did my best."Hazel rolled her eyes in her mind."With the help of Hazel of course ... she's been a very good tutor," Marlon added."Yes, I can see that ... so, you two get along fine I assume?" Mr. Edgerton looked at Hazel.She inhaled sharply, "Yeah ... all good." She took a glance at Marlon who was watching her as she responded to that question."Good ..." he put down the papers on the desk in front of him. "This is just the preliminary assessment as I said before, I'd like you to continue this coordination at leas
Tee Shirt Sixty Three: 13th West Lexington Hills
A Mediterranean-style luxurious villa stood high at the peak of West Lexington Hills. The house looked like something out of a high-end property magazine. The number 13 was carved in stone at the entrance gate which opened automatically with a fingerprint recognition scanner.Riding in a Lamborghini already felt like she was in a whole different world than the one she always knew. Entering the home was another level of surrealism. This was where Joshua Reynolds live with his family, a man she only knew from the silver screen. A man whom her mom idolized almost as much as she idolized Harry Styles.The first thing she saw was the massive garage with 4 cars lined up inside. None of which she had ever seen in real life. The vast landscape was well kept, everything looked spotless from the outside and she could see at least four people were working on the entire garden."Are your parents home?" she asked nervously before entering the floor-to-ceiling double door in front of her."My dad's
Tee Shirt Sixty Four: Belinda Mayhew
Life started early for Belinda Mayhew. Her teenage years were mostly spent pursuing auditions for modeling gigs. Her physical superiority had always been her advantage. She was the prettiest out of all her siblings, the tallest, the blondest, and Belinda seemed to have skipped the awkward phase of puberty and looked stunningly gorgeous at the age of 14. She didn't look 14. From the outside, Belinda was 18 for a very long time.She didn't come from a wealthy family, on the contrary, her parents struggled to feed their 7 children, Belinda being the oldest one. With her good looks and posture, her mom was determined that Belinda will be able to use them to earn a living and help the family financially.Her mom was right, but there were consequences. Belinda was exposed to harassment and abuse while making her way to the glamorous life of the fashion industry. All the adults turned a blind eye, even her own mother because the money was good.And turning a blind eye paid off handsomely. Be
Tee Shirt Sixty Five: The Unlikely Friendship
What happened at Marlon's house had somehow drawn them closer. Though they never talked about the incident to anyone or with each other, there was something intimate about sharing the experience and keeping it a secret.They continued their study at 13th West Lexington Hills, but they took the back door ever since that initial encounter with Marlon's mom. She was always home, always drunk, and sometimes she can be seen wandering around the house, but she usually stayed in her room for a long period of time.Hazel caught someone coming out of Marlon's mom's bedroom when she came out to use the bathroom. A young man, he couldn't be older than 25 years old. She was shocked, to say the least, because the guy was zipping up his fly and Belinda can be seen half naked on the bed when the door slowly closed.She didn't know what to do or what to think. She wondered if it was a regular thing around the house and if she had to say something to Marlon. But she chose not to. If there was anything
Tee Shirt Sixty Six: Friday
Joshua Reynolds lived a pretty healthy life. He had stopped smoking for almost 20 years and stopped drinking for the past couple of years. Although the drinking came back after his son died a few months earlier. He struggled, but he was coping with it in his own way. He kept in shape and at 58 years old, he still looked like the Hollywood star that he is.A fedora hat hung above his blonde hair that he kept longer than how he used to in his younger days. The grey blended nicely with his very light yellow hair. While his peer resorted to plastic surgery to make their face look tight, Josh let his wrinkles flourish every time he showed his million-dollar smile from his signature pouty lips.Expensive sunglasses helped cover the upper side of his face, and he looked good in any type of shades he can afford to put on his face. He was wearing a casual outfit, nothing fancy, but Josh Reynolds had an aura about him that when he walked into a room people would notice and know that he didn't b
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Tee Shirt 121: It's A Wrap
Okay ... let me wrap this up for you ... I decided to finish high school at Pinehurst Valley because ... well ... because I wanted to be close to Hazel for another year at least. I've never had a friend like her before and ever since Eli ... she's the one thing that made my life seem livable again. We spent the rest of the summer in Goldstone with my dad's charity program. We worked with under privilege children in the nook and cranny of the city. We volunteered at the nursing home. Hazel loved that one because I had to perform every week for the elderlies, they loved my singing, apparently, they think I was adorable and reminded them of their grandsons. Made me feel less special knowing there are at least 7 kids that looked like me. The whole program went well. She got extra points for her portfolio. So did I. Though it didn't matter to me because I know I'm not going to Uni after this. I'm concentrating on my new channel which Hazel had agreed to help with. She loved that to
Tee Shirt 120: Baby
She finally came out of her bedroom looking fresh out of the shower. Her mom felt a heavy burden just lifted off her shoulder. Hazel was feeling better. There was still deep sadness on her face but she forced a smile and said 'Hi' and gave her a long hug. The day was getting dark and Claire's relief was short-lived because Hazel was on her way outside to meet the boy in a designer hoodie in his white Lamborghini who looked like he hadn't had a good sleep in days."He's been waiting for an hour," Claire said.She had turned on the light on their porch so the two of them can have a good talk on their new balcony swing. Claire poured a generous amount of red wine into her mug and peeked outside their window and saw the two kids embracing each other warmly."Hey, baby ... how are you doing?" he said and kissed the top of her head.She shook her head and started to cry in his chest."Oh ... I'm so sorry ...""No ... I'm sorry ..." she said and held her tears back. "I'm sorry I missed your
Tee Shirt 119: Boys Don't Cry
Claire was leaning against the door frame of their entrance with her arms folded in front of her. He waved at Theo as he climbed into his car with all his stuff in the backseat. The boy had been crying, she could clearly see it on his face. She could still remember what it was like to be young and in love and heartbroken. It was the best of times and it was the worst of times. Theo had told her everything. She appreciated his honesty though she was disappointed at the same time. But he was devastated, Claire knew that people sometimes underestimated how deep the emotional scar is for boys. Some men couldn't really recover from the hurt they feel in their younger years. It only goes to show how Theo really felt about Hazel. She wanted to understand the situation though she can see how much it had hurt her daughter too. She let out a sigh as his car drove further away from their house. Theo was going back to Gastonbury after many attempts to apologize to Hazel. She had closed her doo
Tee Shirt 118: Birthday Boy
The party was held at The Silver Tongue, the most exclusive club in Goldstone. As the son of an A-list celebrity, he spared no expense and went all out for the celebration. He booked the whole third floor for the event and invited everyone he knew in the city. Including Mandy and Dennis. As soon as Marlon and his entourage arrived, the party began in full swing. The music was loud and thumping, and the dance floor was packed with guests showing off their best moves. Marlon was the center of attention, surrounded by his friends, who were all dressed in the latest designer clothes and jewelry. The bar was fully stocked with top-shelf liquor, and bartenders were serving up creative cocktails in elaborate glassware. The party-goers were drinking and toasting Marlon's big day, and everyone seemed to be in high spirits. He wasn't in a particularly good mood that day, a big part of it was because he hadn't heard from Hazel since she went back to Chestnut. As if she had disappeared from t
Tee Shirt 117: Tangled Up
Theo sat on his bed, his head buried in his hands. He couldn't believe the mess he had gotten himself into. He loved Hazel with all his heart, but he had lied to her. He couldn't even remember how it had all started. He left his girlfriend in Gastonbury because he knew he wanted to spend the summer with the girl that got away. The moment he saw her at the dance, he was instantly back to where he left off and his girlfriend just disappeared in the background. Grace ... her name ... his girlfriend. It was never serious with Grace. It was never serious with any of the girls he had been with after Peyton. Subconsciously, he was trying to move on from losing Hazel because he was too much of a coward to fight for her in the first place. He knew it would have to be Hazel. He had taken their relationship for granted for years, but they were just kids. One year apart from her had only made his feelings stronger and he had ruined it for the both of them when he couldn't stop himself from fa
Tee Shirt 116: Surprise
It was a nagging feeling. That's what she had. It was bothering her and she couldn't ignore it any longer. Sure ... she needed to get her stuff to better prepare herself for the summer program. But Theo will only stay for so long and she needed to be with him, at least to explain in person how her summer is going to be.She wanted to stay in Goldstone, it was her initial plan before Theo came along. The nagging feeling told her to go back to Chestnut to see if their new relationship was going to last beyond that summer.She didn't tell him she was coming back, she wanted it to be a surprise. The minute she arrived, she went straight to Theo's house.He was surprised or more like shocked to see her. The look on his face was not what she expected. His eyes bulged wide, his face was drained of colors, and his mouth gaped open."Micky?" his voice was almost inaudible.She laughed, "Yeah ... who do you think it is? I wanted to ask you if you're surprised ... but it's pretty obvious," she r
Tee Shirt 115: Change Of Plans
He had planned to ask Hazel at the end of her stay in Goldstone, but he found himself asking her on the first day she arrived. The thought had been haunting him for weeks since he left Chestnut for his family therapy. The only thing stopping him from executing his original plan was his unexpected friendship with Hazel. He would consider anything not to lose what he had with her. Having her around made him feel excited and energized to do whatever it is he was planning to do. Being with her made it easier for him to forget how fucked up his family situation was. Every day spent with her was joyful. Even Dr. Seymour told him that he made huge progress since the last time he was in therapy. Marlon knew it had a lot to do with Hazel. He introduced her to his YouTube team and let her hang out when they were working on their next project. He wanted her to be interested. He wanted her to want to be involved. He wanted her to change her mind though neither of them had made any decision, Ma
Tee Shirt 114: Neon Dreams
She remembered the first time she arrived in the city of Neon Lights. This time she arrived in style, in a white Lambo with one of the most eligible bachelors in town. He was high, she was laughing, and the music was loud but Goldstone was louder. Hazel had underestimated how famous Marlon really was. It's different in Chestnut where she was used to him being her 'buddy', her celebrity friend from the Big City but Marlon never felt too big for her. In Goldstone, he's a Rock Star. People recognized his car. There were literally fans asking for autographs and pictures with him. She could hear people calling his name while they walk on the sidewalk. Eating out in fast food restaurants was not an option, they would have to go to Hotels or fine dining or have food delivered to his penthouse. "You should try going out in public with my dad," he said and put on his sunglasses at 8 PM. "Worse?" she assumed. He shook his head a little, "You can't," he tilted his brow. "He has bodyguards
Tee Shirt 113: Road Trip
Marlon took a drag of his cigarette while leaning on his car. He glanced at the pair after a while and muttered, "For fuck's sake." It's been 15 minutes since they said they were saying goodbye to each other and every time he looked over his shoulder they were kissing passionately on Hazel's porch. They finally stopped when Hazel's mom stepped out of the house. They hugged and her mom said something about not drinking, don't do anything illegal, and calling her once they get there. Things his parents never said to him. He dropped his cigarette on the ground and put it out with his Givenchy sneakers. "Drive safely, young man," Claire said to him when walking Hazel toward his car. "I mean it ... it's a fancy car, and I know what it can do ... but not while you're driving my baby," she tapped on his Lambo. "Yes ma'am," he gave her a two-finger salute. "How about we video call you all the way to Goldstone so you can see how slow I drive?" he teased her. "That's not a bad idea, actua
