AllFreeNovel
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“Yeah. It’s been a long time since I came to Los Angeles, so I thought I’d come for a long visit. I registered in school here, that way I don’t miss any studies. One of my friends goes there, so I’ll also have time to spend with him. You’ll probably be working during the school times, anyway. I’m visiting a lot of people this trip, so a week isn’t enough,” he explains, dropping his leg and fixing his posture. Oh yeah, he has friends here. He always used to mention them, although I don’t know their names.
“That’s great. I’ll try and free up as much time as possible so I can hang out with you. Though Oliver isn’t the lightest.”I warn him, then take another sip of the drink I ordered.
“Who’s Oliver?” he asks with a deeper tone. His hands are joined together in front of him as he leans closer to me with a confused face.
“My manager.”
“Oh yeah. I remember you saying his name once.” He backs up, his voice returning to its normal state. “Well, he has to let you. I didn’t come to visit my best friend to be stopped bysomeone who gets paid only because of her.” He announces, insulting a person he hasn’t even met before. I tilt my head, giving him a look.
“It doesn’t work like that,” I tell him. But he ignores that and continues to talk. Why? Because he’s Lorenzo, why else?
“So, how are your mom and Ellie?”He changes the topic.
“They’re good. Ellie has a friend. A couple. She’s still against the existence of the male species, but I don’t expect that to change.” Ellie is what I call “boy phobic.” She hates boys. She’s against every one of them, except our uncle. Even Lorenzo was someone she didn’t like, though she always loved to tease and annoy him.
“That’s Ellie.” Yeah, it is. He takes the last sip of his drink, putting it back down on the table with a small thud. “You’re free now, right?” He asks, shifting his weight onto the table.
“Yes. I have some things to organize and schedule, but I’m planning on doing it at night,” I reply.
“Can I come over for a bit? I haven’t seen your mom in a while, and as much as Ellie hates me, I still miss her,” he says, squinting his eyes slightly as he smiles.
“Yes, of course. We should start going now, though, before my mom spams me about my whereabouts.” He laughs as we both get out of our chairs. Suddenly, my phone vibrates. Another vibration follows. And another. And another. There it is. The spam of notifications. I look at Lorenzo, who’s grinning.
“What did I say?” I open my phone, making sure to tell her that I’m okay and that I’m coming home.
“I’m not surprised. It’s Carol Hart we’re talking about,” he admits. He’s not wrong. Guess she’s going to have to wait until I get home.
We go to Lorenzo’s car and drive back to my house. I direct him through the back and let him park there instead of the front. There’s a whole set of turns to get to the back of the house, andyou have to park inside and ensure the car isn’t out in the open. “Why is your parking system so complicated?” he exclaims, getting out of the car.
“It’s called keeping my home a secret.” I tell him as we walk to the door. I insert my key in the hole, turning it, and Lorenzo moves to stand behind me. I turn my head to look at him.
“You’re taller than me. Hiding behind me is useless, she’ll see you,” I tell him.
He shrugs his shoulders. “Where else am I supposed to stand?” he replies.
I laugh slightly before turning my head back around to the door. I open it slowly, revealing my mom sitting in the living room. She stands up, looking at me, then above me, then at me again, a confused look on her face.
“Surprise,” I mutter with little enthusiasm.
“Hey Ms. Hart.” Lorenzo tilts his body to the side, waving from behind me.
My mom’s confused face stays consistent as she smiles, walking to the door. “Hello Lorenzo.” She looks back at me before asking. “Want to explain?”
“Surprise. He’s visiting. For two months, apparently,” I answer.
“Hey Lorenzo. Welcome.” She moves to the side, letting us walk in. We enter the house, Lorenzo looking around. He sits down on one of the couches, with a weird look on his face.
“What, are you not impressed?” I ask him as he brings his legs up and crosses them.
“No, just surprised that one of America’s most well-known artists lives in a house as simple as this. It’s not ‘celebrity like,’” he says to me.
“We don’t want to attract attention. Plus, this house is enough,” I tell him.
“That reminds me. How do you deal with all the fame? You have a short temper.”
Ha. Funny he should ask. I guess he didn’t look at yesterday’s news.
I do have a short temper. Not in the context of rage or anger, it’s more of a tolerance thing. Too much stress or people can trigger me. But I’ve learned to control it, and a lot of help came from Lorenzo. Which is why he’s my favorite friend. And my only one, but that doesn’t really count.
