I can't believe National Bubble Gum Day is on a Sunday this year. I have so many ideas for that day.

Last year, I actually beat Max  in blowing the largest bubble and she wasn't too happy about that. She is very competitive. For this year, I've just ordered a cute Etsy shirt that says 'Professional Bubble Gum Blower.' You can flip the sequin gems in different colors. The reviews are great!

However, I still may wear my handmade bubble gum bra I made with Lexi when we were bubble gum machines for the day. It was a cute outfit. I got like two hundred pins for that! Lexi and I gave out bubble gum to our condominium building and a lot of the guys in our building were extra friendly about our gesture. Some kept asking me to put it in their mouths with mine though. Max shut down the bubble gum stand down.

But what really makes me mad is that National Periodic Table day is the same day as Exam Three which is this Friday. That was totally planned by Professor Khan. She doesn't like chemistry, she said it herself.

I'll miss singing that songs with Spencer this year.

I shut my eyes, reminiscing about being in chemistry lab, wearing our matching UM element shirts and proudly singing without a care in the world to our class project.

There's... Hydrogen and Helium

Then Lithium, Beryllium

Boron, Carbon everywhere

Nitrogen all through the air

With Oxygen so you can breathe

And Fluorine for your pretty teeth

Neon to light up the signs

Sodium for salty times

He really emphasized the 'salty at times' part.

I frown, placing the helium drawing of a guy doing yoga to the side of the periodic entry for Um and our shirt.

Spencer loved that day just as much as I did. I tried texting him this morning but again he left me on read. I guess it's just a lost cause. I wish he would talk to me again. I don't understand what I did.

Unless...

My shoulders slump downward as tightness spreads across my chest thinking the worse possible thing. He probably saw the photo and just would rather not talk to me anymore.

I can't believe he would actually think I would do such a thing. If Max, Lexi, and Jessica could believe me, then why can't he? I thought Spencer was my friend

My vision blurs at our fun day polaroids and how happy we were in sophomore year. He begged me to go to the student engagement fair to eat whole bunch of cotton candy to power up before Psychology.

I can't believe he could think of me this way. 

I push the photo to the side and continue to write on my calendar.

Unlike the Mr.Carefree hot pants, I've organized my day planning ahead of time.....

My lips pull up at the corners. But I enjoyed the spontaneous day of fun no matter how much my enteral eye twitched at his lack of planning.

He literally put his actions into words for one day. What more could it be like if it was everyday?

I really enjoyed going over to his aunt and uncle's house yesterday. They made me feel like they knew me since I was young. They made everyone feel like that in the room, like extended family.

I wish I could have enjoyed the rest of the evening when they played Just Dance. Jordy had a ball full of energy after his mac and cheese coma and was at it again. I wish I could joined but my heart couldn't pick itself up off the floor.

Jaylan even asked if I was okay.

I just told him it was past my bedtime. Lexi knew that wasn't the truth, especially because I would have been up and dancing right along with Uncle Steve, Jacob, Stephen, and Jordy to Rasputin and beating everyone's score.

Instead, I snuggled up to Lexi, trying to encourage my heart to be happy.

I really enjoyed laying on Jaylan's arm in the car. Even with those muscles, he actually has a comfortable arm. I just think of it as a lumpy pillow.

My smile spreads wider when I remember how he also carried me inside last night.

You know when you're asleep but not asleep? Well, that was me and I didn't feel like moving. So I made the opportunity to allow him to think I was peacefully sleeping for him to scoop me up in his muscular arms like a bride and take me to my room......

He was in my room...

Another guy has been in my room!

The way Jaylan laid me down gently and kissed me on my forehead made me want to pull him down, rip off his shirt, and... uhh, cuddle with Conor.

This morning, I was already up from just thinking about Mamà and Señor Ricardo.

Señor Ricardo has always been a family friend from what I could remember. He helped Mamà a lot with the electricity at Mamà's hair Salon downtown. She opened it five years ago, since she wasn't able to get her dream shop in America.

He helped her a lot and came over a lot after Mamà announced to us that she and Papà are following through with the divorce. I didn't believe her.  She said her and Papà no longer love each other. I know it was just her, she just didn't want to be bothered with Papà and his smoking anymore. And she didn't want to be second option to cancer sticks.

Can you blame her?

Yes, and no, but she's dealt with his issues long enough.

But what about us?

Señor Ricardo started showing up, spending time with all of us, eating our food and playing games.

"I'll be back to help finish the living room." Lexi eyes all my scattered, colorful sticky notes, markers, and the decorations we got.

"Bye." Not looking at her and huffing, I write in blue that we have two essays we have to write in a week.

"Did you eat?" Lexi says, walking towards the front door.

I nod and she smiles, shaking her head knowing I hadn't. "I'll get something later," I lie but smile at her.

"Take a break," she scolds, holding her journalism textbook to her chest.

"In twenty minutes," I promise.

Her narrow eyes show she doesn't believe me. "Elizabeth."

"Alexis," I tease.

Jaylan is rubbing off on me.

"Eat!" She furrows her eyebrows and walks out the door.

Finally, peace at last.

Once silence wraps around me, my chest expands with a deep breath, which I exhale loudly. With it comes a weighted sense of emptiness.

Tears blur all my scheduling supplies and begin to stream down my face again. With both my hands, I wipe them away, still feeling overwhelmed from Isabela's text. Late last night, I was also tagged on the Take Down Jersey Chasers page somehow. I wish I never looked.

I hate being a long-distance big sister sometimes. I can't help them when I'm 1,910.4 miles with morning traffic. Sometimes I don't know what to do or say or feel because I don't know how to process the changes myself.

What Mamà is doing to us is unfair and she only cares about herself. She didn't even care when Papà went to the hospital that night when he had his myocardial infarction. I rode with him there and stayed with him.

She only cares about herself.

And I don't.

I wipe my eyes, causing my glasses to shove up a bit as I glance over at Conor. Slumped over sideways, he feels the same way.

"Oh, Doc Mc. Stuffinssss," a familiar voice sings through our call box.

Is it? Can't be.

I gasp and get up, rubbing my eyes to peek out the window to see Mr. Carefree dressed sooooooooo Caliente. It should be illegal for him to wear grey sweatpants. My heart beats faster as the butterflies are released at the sight of him... unscheduled.

Gosh, did he groom his beard?  He looks like a yummy meal right now. I really want that sweatshirt.

"I know you are in there. Alexis told me," He teases.

Alexis Lanise.

I furrow my eyebrows and march right over to that call box. "I'm not here, I told you it's planning day," I say and he laughs.

"Oh, so who is the pretty girl I'm talking to then," he replies arrogantly.

My mouth gapes open and I could hear him laugh mischievously.

He called me pretty. I need to teach him how to say muy bonita someday.

"Hey Jaylan," a girl's voice purrs at him and my face flushes when he says, 'what's up.'

I twist my lips to the side and debate if I want the little rascal in here... I mean, I've never been with a boy alone...... In my house.... Max says that's always trouble. Go figure, that's why we walked in on her and Marcus' steamy telenovela.

"Doc McStuffins," he says again, this time a little bit more sternly. "It's cold out here."

"Well, that comfy sweatshirt should keep you just fine," I say in a pouting voice, because I really wa-

"If you let me in, I'll let you have it," he teasingly sings.

I scrunch my face at the call box and he lightly chuckles at the dead silence between us.

"Oh, hey Jaylan," Another girl from my building comes inside. He says hello again and I roll my eyes.

"You just going to let me freeze?"

My nose wrinkles. "Yes."

"Oh wow, Jaylan I didn't know you lived around here," another feminine voice says in a velvety tone, like the evil Valeria on Amor En La Calle 33. I already have to deal with Camila aka Blondie already, Valentina's arch nemesis.

Oh, that's it.

I stand on my tippy toes and press the button to let him in. I better hide my candy now because I know Max is going to ground me to the end of the century.

As I gather my Jolly Ranchers and Oreos, a lighthearted knock hits on my door. I grumble as I tuck the Chips Ahoy cookie package under my chin. Another knock follows, but a little louder and I huff because I can't carry all this stuff in my hands. I open the door to see Jaylan leaning against the door frame, scanning his eyes up and down at me. His eyes look warm but he's eyeing me either in judgment of my shirt or all this sugar in my hands.

I furrow my eyebrows and he chuckles to let himself in.

"You need a hand?" He tries to take my mint oreos. I protectively maneuver away from his grabby hand, making him laugh.

"No, I'm just preparing when Max kicks you out Fresh Prince of Bel Air style," my shoulders bounce as I head to my secret box to hide all my sweets when Lexi or Max find out I did something naughty.

"Doc McSutffins," He breathes out a chuckle and observes planning day all over the floor.

"Watch your step," I say, as he maneuvers over the organized colorful posted notes.

He laughs as he takes a few things out of my hands. In his reach, I take a glance at him smiling. The way he observes my eyes flickering back and forth curiously makes me sink my teeth in my lower lip.

I hope I don't look like I've been crying. I use my shoulder to press up my glasses that are falling down the bridge of my nose.

We quietly go to my secret hiding spot, the storage closet in the December box storage bin. Max wouldn't dare to touch it because she hates celebrating Christmas early for some reason. So she'll never guess that my candy is in this secret wrapping box. I put my snacks in the box as Jaylan watches me, looking down at me with a smile.

"What," I breathe out, as he chuckles and rubs his jaw. He flashes me the tattoos on his arm as he lifts it.

Why is that hot?

"Can't I just look at a beautiful woman?" He schmoozes and my face tingles, knowing a blush is radiating brightly like Rudolph the red nosed reindeer's nose.

"Stop," I say, looking down at my knees.

"Nope, it's the truth," he teases.

I twist my lips as silence falls between us and I realize that Alexa is playing the wrong music. I said February playlist Firey playlist. Not sure how she got that confused. I said February correctly.

"How has your day been?" Jaylan begins and I nibble my lip, looking at him for a second and grabbing the big, medium Christmas wrapping paper box.

"Okay," I softly say as I open the box, which thankfully still has everything in here.

"Just okay, Doc McStuffins," he teases, bumping my knee with his foot.

I snicker and nod as I reach up, taking the candy out of his hands and placing it in the box. "I told you it's planning day," I remind him and he lets out a soft chuckle.

"I know. Can't an acquaintance come hang out with you?" He looks down at me with a smug smile.

"Not unplanned," I say sassily, standing up. He reaches over and pokes my side, making me squeal and smack his hand. He does it again. "Stop!"

He cackles, "Where are your pants, chuckles?" he teases and my mouth gapes open. Looking down, I double check but forgot my shirt is bigger than me. Soooooo yeah, it looks like I'm pantless but promise I have shorts on.

"Under here... Hey, cut that out," I scold him as he blocks his view with his hand as I show him my grey cotton shorts.

"I'm going to tell Max you flashed me," he teases taking out his phone.

"You better not!" I drop my box on the ground, and he cackles while holding his phone up, recording me.

"Better record this so I know I didn't dream it up," he teases. "My acquaintance flashing me."

My face heats up to molten level and I frown. "I did not! You're about to not get your first sticker on your chart!"

Jaylan cackles, still recording. I stomp my foot and he stomps it back. I grunt and he does it too. At least I'm making his hand shake so his recording will look like an earthquake.

What is he, Mateo?

"Jaylan!" I laugh as I reach for his phone, gathering my composure. He waves his phone higher above his head and I jump up to get it but when he stands on his tippy toes, his phone clunks right into the ceiling.

I gasp because the neighbors above us hate noise, mainly because Max likes to blast Beethoven in the evenings.You never disturb law students just as much as Nursing students. I grab his elbow and tug it down, making him jiggling his phone right out of his hand.

"HA!" I say, grabbing it off the floor, giggling, and running the hallway. Almost getting awa-

"JAYLAN!" I yelp as his hands circle around my waist. In one tug, he flips me upside down onto his shoulder and takes the phone back with ease.

Wow, his conga drum is bigger than mine... Well, not really.

"Put me down," I wail and he laughs loudly. .

I can't believe my conga drum in his face like this right now.

His hand disappears from my lower back like he's raising it. I squeak loudly thinking he's going to spank me, but he puts it down gently, right on my conga drum with a few light taps. Still, it makes me arch my eyebrow.

My hands are low enough, I should spank his.

Jaylan lets out a hearty chuckle as he eases me down onto the sofa. I blow all the mess up hair in my face as he just smugly smiles at me. He tosses his phone up in pride like a cool guy and holds it up again to record me.

"Look who got handled?" He laughs.

I stick out my tongue and he just chuckles as I pull Mariana's purple scrunchie out of my messy bun. It took me hours to get it like this. I was trying to take another photo for my Pinterest messy bun aesthetic. I knew I should've taken the photo earlier.

Jaylan watches me as I tie up my hair, his eyes starting to dilate which makes me arch my brow at him. He looks down and chuckles at my heart shaped arrow headband, putting it on. I can't help but giggle at how silly it looks on his big head. I twist my lips as he poses, snapping a photo.

"Don't you have homework to do?" I question meekly and he furrows his eyebrows.

"Stop trying to get rid of me."

"But it's planning day," I remind him... again.

"That's why I came," he assures me and looks over my spread-out efforts.

I giggle, sitting back on the sofa as he looks through all Lexi and I's February storage bin of fun things. He pulls out my paper cut out letters for Jello Week that are still in tip top shape like how I left it last year. Max, Lexi and I ate all twenty-two flavor jellos the entire week. Max being sneaky put in peach vodka in the peach jello last year. Let's just say we skipped school that day and made a whole bunch of home videos that are black mail worthy for the time is right. Especially Max's singing 'I will always love you' by Whitney Houston.

"Oh, I like this day, when are we becoming friends?" He smiles widely and holds up Maxine's naughty paper garland of 'Shower with a Friend Day." She actually celebrates it with Marcus a lot lately.

"That's not going to happen for aw-" my eyes stretch wide and Jaylan laughter bounces off the walls.

"I can't wait." He winks. My face burns hot at his comment and he throws his head back in laughter. I palm my forehead.

"Don't count on it." I huff and go over to Jaylan's color-coded behavior chart and hand it to him. He arches his brow and smugly grins at me.

"Jaylan's Behavior Chart," he reads off the title, mimicking my voice but I do not squeak that much.

"Stop!" I furrow my eyebrows and giggle.

He counts playfully the twenty square boxes and arches his brow. "So... What do I get if I get twenty stickers?"

"Anything." I shrug, but I swear two horns pop out of his head. His devilish grin makes me blink slightly.

"Anything." He smirks and I sink my teeth in my lower lip.

"Not just anything," I sheepishly take the word back.

"Nah, you said anything," He teases, pointing at me.

I giggle uncontrollably, shaking my head and dismissing his thoughts but Wait... I wonder what he was thinking?  I was just thinking about getting ice cream for breakfast, not sure what he thought.

"We'll come to that time when you earn twenty stickers," I tap my finger at the bottom of his chart and he purses his lips at me.

Of course, my stupid self left the heart stickers next to me. He takes one sheet and puts four on his chart. "JAYLAN!"

He cackles and I huff, leaning over and trying to scrape them off. He playfully touches my chin. He observes all the scattered papers and looks back at his, where I thankfully get two off. I grumble as he pulls it away, taunting me to start him out with a negative number of stickers.

Looking at my calendar, he lets out a hearty sigh. "So you really live all by this?" Jaylan says perplexedly, gazing at all my organized chaos. He touches Black History Month and smiles proudly how big I wrote it and shoots me a wink. I sink my teeth in and nod my head as he marvels at it. "Why celebrate all these days?"

"Because living one day at a time makes a day worth celebrating," I softly say, getting off the sofa and back on the floor.

Jaylan squats down but quickly sits on his conga drum because of his hurt ankle. I shoot up and go over to the sofa, grabbing the heart pillow and prop his foot up. He chuckles and looks in my eyes like he's trying to read me.  "Doc."

I shyly look down and continue to work on the last week of February. There was one day I just don't know how to celebrate because I know it will not be a happy day.

"Why is that day blank?" He points at the empty space and I nibble my lip.

"Umm I don't know, there's nothing to really celebrate that day."

"We can make up a day," he offers.

"But Jaylan has to be a national thing," I softly say, avoiding the blank space that's internally making my eye twitch.

"What about our candle ceremony?" He picks up a black marker, but i snatch it up playfully. He picks up another one and I block my calendar with my other hand. He laughs and taps my head with the marker.

"¡Ay!" I snatch the other one.

"Come on, we need a day," he begs and I snicker at his eagerness.

I twist my lips and he cracks a smile at me. "Maybe," I tease.

"Aye, I don't see you penciling me in on Kazoo Day this Sunday." He points at Sunday, which I've block-filled with activities I have for Kazoo Day with Lexi.

I nibble my lip, looking away and he laughs while reading them off, "Telegram to the cafeteria, make paper kazoos, kazoo cake? Listen to kazoo international music, go to Port Discovery and the harbor with Jaylan," he adds at the end and I cover my face, hiding.

He laughs, pulling my hand down and licking his lower lip. The butterflies are sitting on the sofa eating popcorn when he lets out a soft chuckle, making them squeal at his attractive facial expressions at me.

"Don't you want to get a brand new kazoo with me?" He pokes out his lip, making puppy dog eyes.

"Stop it." I playfully push him.

"I never celebrated it before," he pokes his lip out.

I look down and keep writing on my planner in silence only for him to keep his syrup sticky gaze on me. Seriously, a group project on National Jello week February is already short as it is. She is probably doing this because of spring break. Jaylan chuckles at how neatly I write it out and I glance at him.

I arch my brow as he mimics back. "I need more on the calendar. Oh, that day too." He points at Valentine's Day with minimal activities.

"Jaylan," I warn him because I am not sure if he is teasing.

"Lizzie," He smiles at me, making me crinkle my nose at him. I sigh and write down in pencil Jaylan's requested days for this Sunday and Valentine's Day.

"Forgot one," his finger taps at the 28th, the only blank space left.

I slant my eyes and he laughs. I nibble my lip at the hidden weight in blank space day and write in pencil Jaylan's third requested day.

"I like this schedule already." He smiles, taking my hand softly and threading his fingers in between mine.

I didn't realize how my hand missed his. He begins to doodle on our picked days. For the candle day, he puts two stick figures holding hands together. But my stick figure is much smaller, with big mangoes and a big conga drum. My face is super hot now as if I ate a fresh Jalapeño from Abuelo's garden.

"Don't worry, I like it." He shoots me a wink and I blush because no one's commented on my mangoes before. Well, if they have then Max must have chloroformed them after saying it.

Jaylan might want to be careful.

I gasp and he laughs.  "I'm not that short." Pointing at the tiny figure.

"What are you four-foot-eleven?"

I hit him in the arm playfully but he only laughs harder. Now, made the stick figures kissing each other, making me blush super hard and lean my cheek into his arm. He pauses, so I snatch his pencil because his fun is over.

I look away over my shoulder and look back at him, catching a shared glance with him.

"So what did the doctor say," I curiously ask, looking at his ankle.

"I can't play." He sighs a bit and I frown. I knew I should have wrapped when he made me ride with Babbler Mouth Bree.

"I'm sorry, Jaylan."

"It's alright. That means I can bother you more." He shoots a wink and I furrow my eyebrows at him.

He playfully touches my cheek, softly with the tip of his finger, and I shyly lift up my shoulders. "I have school," I whine

"So do I," He mimics my voice.

I crinkle my nose "But I'm in nursing school," I correct and he laughs with a smile that makes the butterflies swirl in joy.

"We have to hang out because I'll be gone for the wholeeee month of March." His lips spread wide flashing his fresh crest smile.

"You are?" I question, a slight bit of sadness rain on the butterflies party making them go inside their house.

"Yup but you can come see me onnnnnnnn," he says, flipping to my blank large calendar page in April, pointing to the 4th. "You can come see me play this day." He points.

"What if you come back earlier," I sheepishly grin and he gasps at me.  "Ye of little faith."

I giggle and lean my face on my shoulder. "I'll think about it," I say, flipping back but he stops me.

"Write it down," he orders in a serious tone that flips my heart around.

"No way," I move all the markers away from me.

He takes a lime green marker and writes sloppily on the day.

"Jaylan!" All the air in my lungs escapes and he starts cracking up, falling on his back.

I grunt because it's a permanent marker!  "Jaylannnn!" poking out my lip at the ugly markings, side eyeing him as he wipes his eyes.

"Come on, chuckles. I'm hungry, you can finish later." He rubs his eight abs.

My eyes drift over to the color coated completed calendar, I know there is something I miss in there. I don't want to miss like I did in January Festival of Sleep Day. "But I-"

"You are done, look at your calendar." He points at all the filled boxes.

I cover my mouth but he pokes my cheek popping the giggle right out of me. "But I have to finish. I'm so close!"

"What more is there to finish?" He wears a half grin.

"I don't want to stay up all night like I did in January. That was a long month!" 

Jaylan presses his lips at me. I giggle and wave him to stop as he continues to do it to be funny.

"Lizzie I'm hungry," Jaylan dramatically falls backwards.

"Go get something," I squeak.

He groans, standing and picking me up without another word. With another haul of me over his shoulder, he walks down the hallway, to my room.

"Wait Jaylan, you can't go in my room!" I squeak.

Before I protest even further, we are down the hall. This actually is not not too far from how my normal fantasies go.... Wait a minute.

"¿Dónde vamos a comer otra vez? (Where are we going to eat again?)" I squeak when he flops me down on the bed. I huff and get up since he made me crush Conor.

"No Lizzie, I will not take my shirt off in your room." He laughs and stretches his arms a bit.

Oh okay... Wait, what!?

"I didn't say that!" My hands cover my mouth and Jaylan throws his head back. "I said where did you want to go to eat!"

"Right." His lips twitch and I roll my eyes. "Come on, put some pants on. I'm hungry," Jaylan orders, making my cheeks flush from trying to control my giggles.

Wait a minute, Jaylan is in my room.

I go to my dresser and grab the quickest black leggings I could find. He sits down and makes himself comfortable on my bed.

Jaylan is on my bed.... Mira Nomas

"Hey, watch Conor!" I furrow my eyebrows and he arches his eyebrow at me, turning his head and grabbing Conor's body roughly. He snuggles up to him and I could hear Conor yell in agony with his button eyes to get off him for squeezing him too tight.

"You are going to hurt him!" I say, rushing over and climbing on the bed to rescue Conor.

In my rush, I reach over Jaylan's head, where he's using Conor as a pillow. He's suffocating him, I can see it.

"He alright, get your pants on... Wait, Lizzie stop!" He cackles as I'm now trying to rescue Conor from his arms. I didn't realize what is happening on my bed. I palm one hand next to his side and lean over, reaching for Conor but he tightens his grip.

He freezes when my face is close to his, so close I taste his cinnamon breath on my lips. Our eyes catch each other but I look away and snatch Conor out of his hands. I don't move though but instead drop my eyes to his lips, which look so warm and inviting.

Right as I think about leaning down and closing the gap between us-

"Achoo!" a sneeze surges up and breaks the moment.  He lets out a soft chuckle.

"Bless you," He softly cups my chin making our eyes slow dance back and forth. I spring off him and rush to my closet and close the door. I hear him chuckle and mumble something under his breath.

I sink my teeth in my lower lip with a smile but my eyes widen at what just happened.

I almost just kiss Jaylan.

I walk out proudly with my leggings on, only to find Jaylan shaking his head and chuckling at me.

"You ready now?"

"Not quite," I say, going to my sock drawer to put on my tie dye white Nike socks that I happened to find in Max's drawer. She wasn't using them.

Jaylan's eyes watch me and he shakes his head. "You are something else, you know that?"

I turn around and look at him again and the glint in his eyes literally memorizes my whole life. I smile back at him as I slip on my Nike Slides.

"My kind of girl," he teases, and I look down.

He gets up and holds his hand out. Like a good acquaintance, I shake it but he pulls me into a hug, resting his chin on the top of my head. His arms are warm and strong around me, his heart is beating strongly behind my future sweatshirt, like mine.

I'm hugging Jaylan in my room... And he smells nice... He kisses me on the head, making the butterflies jump up with glee. My heart also wants to jump out of my chest.

"Ready for endless french fries?" He chirps.

A smile spreads across my face and we walk out my room with him flicking off the light. When we get into the living room, a loud Boston gasp comes from the front entrance. I giggle as I see Maxine holding her hand over her heart while Jaylan is holding my hand and we are about to leave for Red Robin.

Her voice comes out a loud, shrill screech, making me shrink into Jaylan's side. "Elizabeth Maria Lucero!"

Good thing I hid my candy.

Edited by: still_just_me