It's the holiday season, just like any other year, and it's Christmas time. My grandmother's place is like the center where humans and werewolves gather to celebrate.
Her place is like a large pack house usually filled with the familiar faces of my old crush, my exes, my cousins, and even my old classmates. I see everyone! Every fucking one except Barry.
Let me tell you some things about Barry. He's one of those guys who enters your life, acts like the demon he is, screw it, and then reappears to cause even more chaos. If there's a captain of these troublemakers, it would be him.
Barry is the type of guy parents warn their daughters about, but then, my mom and grandmother are literally in love with him and would never find fault in anything he does. He is like an angel to them. Angel, my ass! He's far from being one, and I hope one day they would see that.
I recalled the first time I saw him. At that time, I was just a young teenager, full of curiosity and can be known as a mischievous girl.
That particular year, I was at my grandma's place for the holiday. Barry was sitting on an armchair in my living room, capturing my attention with his presence. He was older, looked more experienced, and carried himself with an air of confidence that got my attention.
I couldn't help but take a good, long look at him, trying to understand whatever is hidden beneath his charming exterior. I made some crazy guesses about his love life and even had the audacity to strike up a conversation.
"You strike me as someone who would have six wives at the same time when you're older!" I boldly blurted out.
He paused, his fingers halting on the keys of his phone, and turned to look at me. His gaze swept over me, assessing me briefly, then he replied casually with a shrug "I don't plan on settling for just one wife."
In that moment, I just knew deep down that Barry was destined to be a bit of a troublemaker in the future. Most girls would have run for the hills, following their instincts to stay away from bad boys like Barry. But instead of doing what any normal girl would do, I found myself staying, like any other crazy girl would.
"So, how many girlfriends do you have?" I asked curiously even when I knew my question should be: 'Do you have a girlfriend?' but even at such a young age, I had a feeling that guys like Barry had a way with the ladies.
He glanced up at me, his eyes boldly meeting mine "I don't have a girlfriend." He simply replied.
I frowned "I don't believe you." And that was the truth. I was not fully convinced.
He shrugged casually. "That's your problem"
He does not even care if I believe him or not.
I rolled my eyes and watched as he turned his attention back to his phone, but soon another voice chimed in, breaking the conversation. It was a guy, around Barry's age.
"If Barry says he doesn't have a girlfriend, then he doesn't." He talked confidently like he knew Barry well.
I let my gaze wander towards the owner of the voice, noticing the striking resemblance between him and Barry. They shared a similar appearance, but there were subtle differences that set them apart, even in their characters.
"Are you like his spokesperson or something?" I asked, giving him a serious look and taking notice of his beautiful blue eyes.
The guy chuckled, taking a sip from his water bottle. "Nah, I'm not his spokesperson," he replied.
The way he spoke gave off this mature vibe that drew me in. Meanwhile, Mr. Barry over there was too engrossed in his phone to even acknowledge anyone around him. So, naturally, I wanted to chat more with this guy. He had a good way of drawing people in, like a magnet.
"So, who are you then?" I inquired, crossing my legs and trying to bring out a mature aura.
"I'm Barry's uncle, my name is Peter." He flashed me a charming smile, showing off his pearly white teeth. "But you can just call me Pete" he added in a friendly manner.
And just like that, I became friends with Pete, and got to know Barry's name. I didn't even care if Pete was a bit too young to be Barry's uncle. That part didn't really bother me at all, so I never questioned it.
"My name is Pixie" I introduced with a smile.
"Interesting," Pete dipped a hand in the pocket of his jeans. "Both of our names start with the letter P."
My lips parted at the realisation, and he chuckled. And from that moment on, I started crushing on him. I admired everything about him, especially his curly brown hair and blue eyes.
Now that I've grown older, my feelings for Pete are still the same. I still have a crush on him, but sometimes I feel like the feelings fade away for a while and then come back when he gives his affectionate words and adds his panty-dropping smile. Let me give you an instance.
After I talked to Pete for almost an hour the first time I met him, I asked a question. A question lingering on my mind.
"Do you have a girlfriend?" I questioned with my brave tone.
"Uhhh...." He scratched the back of his neck. "Not really."
"When Pete says 'not really', it actually means 'yes'" Barry inputted, talking for the first time in minutes.
I turned my gaze towards him, staring hard at him. His green eyes were so clear, and for a moment, I found myself torn between Pete's mesmerizing blue eyes and Barry's captivating green ones. "I wasn't talking to you" I retorted sharply to Barry.
He scoffed in response. "I was just trying to save you from getting a heartbreak, but it seems like that's what you want for yourself."
He was damn right, but I'm a stubborn girl.
"Well, the thing is..." Pete brushed his hand through his brown hair "I actually do have a girlfriend..."
He's got a girlfriend.
Oh no.
Crash. Crash. I could feel my heart cracking at Pete's last sentence. And just like that, I experienced my first heartbreak.