You Dont Exist, Denise Twice Rendon [highly recommended books txt] 📗

Chapter 1: Sleeping

Red fiery eyes stare into mine. A silhouette of what appears to be a huge animal stands tall, about seven feet to be exact. I could hear the animals breathing, short but heavy. I don’t know why but I don’t feel afraid nor worried about being with this animal all alone in midnight. I feel secure and…comfortable. I took a step forward, the animal backed up and soon howled a long, heartbreaking howl.

“Marley!”
My eyes burst open, I lift my head off my blue soft pillow. “Wha-?” I mumble to myself. Once my eyes vision got clear, I spot my sister -Annabelle who is 25 and still living with mom and dad with two kids of her own- throwing an outfit onto my bed. “You are late!”
I lay my face back onto my pillow, “Late for what?” I muffle into my pillow.
“Kimberly’s Sweet Sixteen dance rehearsal.”
I throw my blanket off my body and rush off. My feet hit the cold wooden floor, Shit I’m late again! I run out of my room turn left and two doors down, I ran into the bathroom.
I open the medicine cabinet -more like my hair products cabinet- and unwrap the cord to my straightner. While it sat on the sink countertop I run back into my room. I eye the outfit my sister laid out for me. Okay, this is okay. My gray off the shoulder Dodgers shirt, under that a white spaghetti strap, my blue jean bootie shorts, and on the floor, my black and blue Jordans. I quickly slide off my hot pink Victoria’s Secret sweats off and slide on my shorts. I throw my shirt on the floor and pull on my white spaghetti strap on. My straightner! Dammit! I rush to the bathroom, I grab my brush and roughly brush my hair. Then I start to straighten my hair. After twenty minutes of that and an extra five just to flip my bangs over my right eye I go to my room and finish dressing. I grab my black and white checkered ‘Los Angeles’ hoodie and grab my phone.
I run downstairs to find my mom cooking eggs with chorizo. I whiff some of the smell and under its spell, I walk into the kitchen.
“Nu-uh your late.” she says pointing towards the exit of the kitchen. I whine, “Ma! I’m hungry…”
“Then Kimberly’s mom can feed you. Now go.” she pushes me out.
I pout, “Love you too.” jeez. I put my arms through my hoodie’s sleeves and lift my hair out.
I walk into the living room to spot my brother and his friend -Erbondo or some shit like that but me and my sister Tiffany call him Irvine- shouting at the Xbox 360 because they just got killed on Modern Warfare 3. I walk past them, blocking the TV. “Ay! Pendeja we’re playing here!..” my brother shouts at me. I stick my tongue out at him, “Like I give a fuck.” I scan Irvine’s face, he smiles, “See you when you get back.” I smile back, Irvines kind of cute. He has caramel smooth skin, he’s really tall about six feet two and he has a kid face. Which is by the way so turning me on the most. Oh, and he’s in a gang.
“Be home by eleven!” my brother yells at me while I shut the door. I wave at him.
I walk five blocks up Pico and turn right to Fifth Ave. I walk up to a two house apartment building, up the small hill and walk into the backyard. There I spot my friends dancing. Kimberly who just did a spin stops suddenly facing me. “MARLEY GET YOUR ASS OVER HERE!” she yells. I smirk, “Sorry I’m late, I had a-”
“A?” she holds the ‘a’ sound. I shrug, “A dream about the animal again.” I mumble. She sighs and face palms herself. “Just go with Giovanni already. He had to pretend you were dancing with him which by the way is hilarious.”
I giggle. “Wow, I’m sorry Gio.” I tell him while slipping off my hoodie. I throw it on the cement porch and stand next to Giovanni. He shrugs, “Glad your finally here though.” he nudges my arm. I laugh.
Kimberly stands with Angel -her boyfriend- and yells, “One, two, One two three.” then Giovanni bends down on his right knee and holds out his hand in a gentlemanly manor with his other hand behind his back. I smile -as told to do- and place my hand gently on Gio’s. In which he bows his head, and stands straight up. He lifts his hand which is holding mine and I spin. When I face Giovanni again I fall into his hand and I lift my leg up -with the help of Giovanni’s hand caressing my thigh- lifting my leg higher. He pulls me back onto his chest and I start grinding on him. I them push him away, and take a step away. But he grabs my hand and pulls me -spinning- back to him. I land on his chest and he places his hands on my waist and pick me up into the air. He spins my body around and slowly brings me back down. Then, I back up away from Giovanni -still facing him- and soon a line of us girls stood. There’s five of us. Starting from the left the guys w rush up to their partner, meaning Giovanni rushes up to me. He places his hand on my waist, he walks circling around my body, like a shark stopping his prey from moving. He looks down into my eyes, his eyes so sincere and serious. His lips calmly landing on each other. His hand moves up from my waist, up my arm landing on my neck. I land my hand on his neck, and he leans into my face. Right when we’re about to touch lips, I fall back. Bending my back, he holds me. I hang there, in which Kimberly and Angel continue to dance. Then when Angel’s cued to kiss Kimberly, Giovanni pulls me up and lifts me up into a short peck on the lips kiss.
“Okay.” Kimberly says.
But Giovanni still has me in a kiss with him. And I’m not complaining, Giovanni is-I like him. I mean, ever since I got to know him, since ninth grade for me, and he was a tenth grader when we met. We started talking last year when I was a tenth grader and he was a eleventh grader. His lips were smooth against mine. And I enjoyed his smell of chocolate Axe. His hand caressed my back> creating chills down my back to my legs.
“Uh, guys?” Kimberly taps on my shoulder. I back away from Gio to look at her, “What?” I ask, disappointed at the moment ending. She places her hands on her hips, “That move for the dance was over a minute ago.”
I look at Gio’s blushing face. He smiles, “Sorry.”
I raise my eyebrow, “I’m not.” I murmur. Kimberly and anyone who heard me gasp. Gio smirks shyly.
“Yea, yea, yeah. Sooo you guys wanna go in my house and watch movies?” Kimberly asks us all.
So, we agreed and all scattered into Kimberly’s house. We walk up stairs, and then we all gather into Kimberly’s medium square living room. Three girls twist and turn on one of the couches, Kimberly and Angel sat on the floor, with her leaning on his body. The three guys are also on the floor, one laying down falling asleep the other two watching the movie. I sat on the other small couch, and Giovanni walks up to me, “Mind if I sit with you?” I shake my head, “No, come sit down.” I pat next to me. He smiles lightly and sits uncomfortably at first next to me.
Heat starts flooding my body, I can feel my face turn red. So, I try to ignore the feeling, at least until the movie starts getting into the beginning when it usually gets you hyped up. “AHHH!”, “EEEH!”, “AHHHHHHHH!”, all you hear is Kimberly, Madison, Emily, Sophia, and me screaming and jumping and gasping. It’s not until I felt something warm that I notice I’m hugging Giovanni. My body tenses and I cant let go, “Uh,…I-I’m scared.” I look away nervously. Giovanni’s arm wraps around my back and he fixes me to lean on his body, letting my head rest on his shoulder. I sigh, and cuddle among his body. His hand lands on my rib cage and he starts caressing me to calm my nerves down.


“What are you?” I ask the black silhouette curious about it’s self. The silhouette doesn’t answer, instead all I could hear -besides the animals breathing- was twinkling of the grasshoppers. The animals red eyes lowered, I think it’s laying down from standing. I sigh, “Well, I don’t like this whole ’me talking to myself’ situation…” I whine at this animals stubbornness. Then, the red eyes close, “Sorry.” a whisper. A whisper so clear as if it was said by me, myself. The voice was of a boy. “You’re a boy animal?” I ask back. Excited about the fact I’m not crazy and talking to myself. The red eyes appear back on. A scorching ear hurting howl let out.

I wake up, it’s dark. I’m still in Kimberly’s living room. I hear snoring. I sit up and look at the boy next to me. Giovanni. I remember! Me and Gio were watching the movies together. I must’ve fell asleep while we were watching Pirates of the Caribbean At Worlds End because I’ve seen that movie thousands of times. I look on the floor and I see everyone laying down, sleeping with blankets over them and pillows under their heads. Kimberly’s mom must’ve put them on… I yawn and lean on the opposite side of the couch -not wanting to wake up Giovanni- I grab my phone out of my back pocket and check the time, eleven fifty…oh I guess I should text my mom saying I’ma be spending the night.. and so I do and I place my phone beside me. I lay my head on the arm of the couch and close my eyes.
My eyes soon open from weight being shifted on me. I open my eyes and I see Giovanni’s head on my stomach. He’s facing the ceiling. He’s asleep…on me? But what could I do? He looks so gentle and childish. I couldn’t bear the thought of waking him up, so I just lay back down and sleep to the sounds of the TV.


It’s cold…as I’m staring at this animal I’m jealous. He’s probably warm and not freezing. He’s laying down on all four legs. He’s not tired because his eyes are open and looking back into mine. “So, animal do you have a name?” jeez how dumb I sound trying to talk to this animal. I