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Sumo has always been called "weird." His own mother said he sometimes acted like a savage. He didn't care; he was fine being himself.
He never cared about other people's opinions. Why would he? Everyone wanted to be normal and was weird to the core. That's why Clarence was his best friend.
He never even cared about his appearance, until he met her.
It was June 20th when he met her.
He had dropped his friend Clarence off at his house, so he was heading over to hers.
He was passing by Chuckleton's restaurant when he froze when he saw her come out.
Her hair was tied back in a bun, and she was wearing a short, low-cut light blue dress that showed off the front of her breasts. She was wearing black high-heeled boots and light makeup. It wouldn't have been noticeable if it weren't for the faint artificial blush on her cheeks and the unearthly shine of her lips.
He doesn't know how long he stood still, staring at her, but it was definitely long enough for her to raise her eyebrow at him.
Sumo's ears perked up, causing him to look away and start walking briskly.
"Wait!" the girl yelled, running toward him.
He stopped abruptly at the sound of the strange accent.
Was she a tourist? No wonder she was so cute.
He turned around, his heart beating rapidly at the sight of her so close to him, breathing heavily.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. Are you from here?" she asked once she'd composed herself.
"Yes, I was born here and I live here," she mentally congratulated herself for not stuttering.
"Oh, that's a relief. I came here to visit my grandmother, but no one gives me directions I understand. They tell me to go right, and to the right, there's only a dead end," she complained, pouting slightly.
Tender.
Sumo blushed violently at that thought, quickly erasing it.
"We have a special way of doing things here. Where do you have to go? I'll guide you," he offered.
The girl smiled.
She showed him the paper with the address.
"Oh, it's close by, follow me."
They began walking toward the girl's destination.
The blond man was very nervous, his hands sweating.
There weren't many beautiful women in Aberdale—I could even say there weren't any—and the thought of a beautiful woman setting foot in that town felt unreal.
"Where are you from? Your accent sounds strange," the blond man began.
"Oh, I was born here, but I've lived in England my whole life," she replied, watching in amazement as a bird fell dead to the ground after being electrocuted with a cable.
Sumo stood in front of her vision.
"This place is a dump, sorry," he smiled embarrassedly. Normally, he took pride in his town, but now he felt all that pride was foolish.
She laughed softly.
"It's a nice place, and like all places, it has its pros and cons," she opined, smiling at him.
Sumo smiled back.
Once they reached their destination, they stood still in the doorway, staring at each other.
"I never told you my name. My name is Jeff," she introduced herself, embarrassed that she hadn't said it sooner.
"Sumo."
As she was about to knock on the door, the taller man stopped her.
"How long will you stay?" he asked, desperation evident in his tone.
"One month, I'll stay one month. Will you be my guide for that whole month, Sumo?"
His nickname sounded so good on those glossy lips. What would his given name sound like? It would surely sound fantastic.
He nodded excitedly, promising to return tomorrow at 3:00 PM. She smiled at him as she walked inside.
Sumo felt like she could breathe again.
"It's beautiful," she said to the air, walking toward her house with a glowing aura.
•••
The next day they met again. Sumo introduced her to the entire city; she seemed happy to be with him.
This lasted for a whole month, until that day.
Jeff would be leaving on July 20th, so she was on a cliff with Sumo. She had four hours left until her bus arrived.
The sun was setting further and further, turning the sky orange.
"It's beautiful," Jeff commented, admiring the landscape in front of her.
"Yeah..." Sumo sighed, staring at her.
She turned around and frowned.
"You're not even looking at it, idiot," she pouted, glaring at him.
"Because the sunset can't be bought with your beauty, you're definitely much more beautiful than that," he opined, mesmerized.
Jeff blushed.
"What are you saying?" He turned his head, avoiding her gaze.
But Sumo wouldn't let him. He took her chin and forced her to look at him, giving in to the temptation of kissing her.
He loosened the bun she always wore, causing her hair to flutter in the wind, blocking the tender kiss they were having from prying eyes.
"Stay," the blond begged between kisses, pulling her closer to him.
"I can't, not now," she gasped, letting herself be handled as if she were a porcelain doll.
"Let me be your boyfriend, let me be all yours, let me give my life to you."
She moaned.
"That's too much, Sumo. Long-distance relationships never work."
—We'll make it work, I'll never leave you, no matter what "Come in," he swore.
From then on, Ryan Sumouski went from being the most rebellious bachelor in Aberdale to a fully engaged guy.
•••
"What?"
The family table fell into an awkward silence at what Sumo said.
"I have a girlfriend, and she's from England," he repeated excitedly. He regretted not being able to formally introduce her, but he needed his father to know.
His older brother, Joseph, laughed uproariously.
"You? With a girlfriend?" He burst out laughing again, causing all his brothers to join in.
Sumo frowned.
"What's wrong?!" he shouted amid the noise, letting out a growl.
"Well, you look more like a dog than a human. You still look nine at 15."
His cheeks colored.
"That's not true!" he retorted, looking at his parents, hoping they would rebuke Tanner for what he'd said.
However, the two adults averted their gazes, not wanting to meet his.
He stood up, annoyed, leaving the place.
He sat on a tire, feeling helplessness run through his body.
Did Jeff think that? What if she accepted him out of pity?
He wasn't attractive; he had a mullet, his blond hair looked dirty all the time, his clothes were always black, and he wore his leather rock jacket everywhere. The sneakers he wore were worn and the soles were peeling off. He had a tongue piercing, and his ears were covered in hoop earrings. Plus, his back was covered in tattoos. He was definitely not attractive to look at.
She was so neat, without a single blemish, her long brown hair that he wanted to cut because it bothered him when he cleaned, her white skin without a single blemish, pimple, or even scar.
She was so perfect, a real fan, and he looked like he'd come out of the trash.
He sighed, holding back the urge to cry.
What was so good about him?
His phone intruded on his thoughts, startling him.
He answered quickly, thinking it was Clarence.
"Hello?"
"Hey, Ryan," said that voice with that strange accent that made his heart want to leap out of his chest.
God, he was grateful for the day he'd let her call him by his first name. His name, spoken through those lips, sounded unreal.
"J...Jeff," he stammered, fixing his hair as if she could see him.
"Is something wrong, honey? You sound weird," he asked.
"It's nothing, I just told my parents about you. Let's just say they didn't believe me," he sighed, remembering how his family had mocked him again.
"Do you want to video chat?"
That surprised him.
"What?" he asked, stunned.
"Let's video chat. We can get to know each other at the same time. I think it would be really nice, even if it's from a distance. What do you think?"
"Yes! I'd love to. I'll find the computer now, okay?"
"I'll wait for you here."
He hung up and walked abruptly inside, scaring his family.
"You're going to eat your words," he pointed at them and quickly went to find the computer. He found Jeff and pressed the video chat button, placing the device on the edge of the table, waiting.
His family looked at him as if he were crazy.
A woman with long brown hair, prominent eyelashes, and a white shirt appeared on the screen.
"Bon appétit, Sumouski family. It's a pleasure to meet you, even if it's just digitally. My name is Jeff Randell, and I'm Ryan's partner," she politely introduced herself, blinding everyone with her brilliant smile.
Her mother squealed.
"She's beautiful!" she said, looking at the screen and then at her son.
The brunette blushed.
"Thank you so much, you are too."
"What are you doing with Sumo?" Mel asked.
Jeff laughed.
"Ryan is the best boy I've ever met. I love him so much," she replied, her eyes shining at her partner.
Sumo blushed.
"Ryan? Since when did you let yourself be called Ryan? Not even Mom can call you that," Brandi commented, looking at him with a raised eyebrow.
"Oh, sorry if I bothered you. Ryan told me he prefers I call him by his first name, not his nickname."
"You're madly in love, bro," Joseph whispered.
Sumo just nodded; he was at that girl's feet, and he wasn't going to deny it.
They talked for a long time; his mom and Jeff got along famously while his dad was amazed by the girl's intelligence.
The lottery was an understatement to the amazing girl he won.
"And you don't want to come live here, Jeff? We could live with you," Tinona offered.
The brunette smiled.
"I'd love that, but I can't cut my studies in half; I still have a year left to finish school."
"What do you mean, a year?" Joseph asked.
And there he was, Jeff showing off.
"I'm 15, but I'm ahead of the kids my age, so I'd be finishing school at 16 or 17, so when I finish, I could go live in Aberdale."
Could I ask for a better woman?
Mel gaped at her, while everyone congratulated her.
Unfortunately, Jeff had to study, so he said goodbye, promising to talk another day.
Once the call ended, everyone bombarded him with questions.
"She's too much for you," his father opined, making everyone laugh.
He He knew it, but Jeff chose to be with him, so he'd make the most of that time.
That night he received a message that said:
My wife🖤
I loved your family, they're lovely 💘
And they loved you, even though
they still think it's fake that we're dating.
Haha, why? You're
the best.
To them, I'm a mangy dog.
they*mangy*
So then you're my dog.
You'll only give me mange, right? Haha.
I'd give you 70 children if you wanted to.
This contact has blocked you.
He laughed quietly, turning off his phone, knowing that the next day it would wake up unlocked.
• • •
"Stop lying, Sumo," Belson told him.
Sumo frowned. She wasn't even talking to him, what was she doing?
"Do you have a girlfriend, Sumo?" Clarence asked incredulously, eating his nuggets.
"Who would want to go out with you?" Chelsea mocked.
Sumo rolled his eyes.
"Yes, I have a girlfriend, Clarence. I don't know, Chelsea. Ask your 13-year-old self when she asked me to be her partner."
The taller girl blushed.
"It was just a spur of the moment!" she exclaimed.
Sumo knew perfectly well that it wasn't a spur of the moment, because she still liked him.
"If a girl goes out with you, she must be really ugly," the curly-haired girl said, sticking her tongue out at him.
Ryan frowned.
"My girlfriend is the most beautiful woman I've ever seen."
The two exchanged challenging glances.
Chelsea slowly approached him.
Oh no, that brought back bad memories from when they were 9, when they'd fight and kiss.
No, that wasn't going to happen, never again.
He jumped up from his bench.
"Don't come any closer, you'll give me lice!" he yelled, storming off.
What did it matter if they didn't believe him? His family accepted Jeff, and that was more than enough.
• • •
That year would mark two years since they'd met, and Sumo was working hard to earn money to go to England. He would see his girlfriend, no matter the cost.
"Does Jeff know you're working day and night and barely going to school because of work so he can see her?" his mother asked him one day while they were out drinking beer.
"No, he doesn't have to know; he'd be scolding me all the time," he said.
His mother sighed.
"You shouldn't neglect your studies."
"All I do is disapprove. What's the point of continuing with something I don't like?"
No one said anything.
That week, he didn't receive any messages from Jeff, and that was worrying him a lot.
He couldn't do his job well because of the worry, causing his boss to scold him frequently.
• • •
He was fixing Chad's car; he was underneath the vehicle, trying to fix the problem.
Chad would pay him $20 for it; he had to make the most of it.
He felt someone hit him on the stretcher, eliciting a grunt from him.
"Stop bothering me, Clarence. If you keep bothering me, I'll run you over with my car," he warned.
He thought his friend had understood the message, but he was pulled out of the car.
"What the...?!" He fell silent when he saw the image in front of him.
"Poor Clarence, is this how you always treat him?"
She was there, in front of him, wearing a white tank top with a cream-colored skirt. Her now short hair reached just below her shoulders, her wine-colored lips and bright brown eyes stared at him.
"Jeff..." he whispered in disbelief.
The girl sat on top of him, causing him to react to the weight of her lap.
"Hi, baby," Jeff greeted.
He stood up with her in his arms, kissing her devotedly, his kiss reciprocated.
"Wait," the brunette gasped between kisses, wanting to talk.
Sumo didn't let her go; he needed to feel her soft lips to know she was there, that it wasn't an illusion, it was real.
When they had to separate due to lack of air, Sumo laughed softly.
The perfect lipstick the girl was now wearing was smeared across her face. Surely he looked like that too.
"My lipstick, Ryan," she complained, without getting off her boyfriend.
"I'm sorry, I couldn't resist the temptation. How come you're here?"
"Well, I'm done with school, so I wanted to spend our anniversary here," he explained.
Sumo kissed her again.
"I love you, I love you so much. I was so worried when you weren't answering, I thought something had happened to you."
She happily received the kisses on her face.
"Sorry, I wanted it to be a surprise, and you know how hard it is for me to hide something." She pouted as the blond kissed her.
"I know, God, you're the most beautiful woman in the world. I love you."
He couldn't find any other words; he couldn't believe he'd be spending his anniversary with her, even though he was already mentally preparing to spend it on a video call.
"I know, I'm the best thing that could have happened to you," he joked.
He smiled like a fool in love. If it were possible, he'd probably have heart-shaped pupils.
He reluctantly lowered her, still looking at her as if she weren't real.
"I'm here, Sumo. I'm real," she clarified, causing him to kiss her again.
• • •
When they had calmed down and Jeff had fixed his makeup, they went to the brunette's house.
"I really want to see all the Sumouskis," the brunette said as she walked She was holding her boyfriend's hand.
"They'll spoil you once they see you."
Once they arrived at the Sumouski house, they went inside.
"I'm here," he announced, yawning as he entered.
"You don't have to always announce your arrival," his mother said as she entered the dining room, gasping at the person next to her son. "Jeff!" she shouted in surprise, going to hug the girl.
That shout alerted everyone in the house, causing them all to rush out to hug the girl.
After greeting each other, they sat in the living room, leaving only Jeff sitting on the couch. Mr. and Mrs. Sumouski were on the individual couches, and all the siblings were sitting on the floor.
"Are you real?" asked one of the triplets, Trevor.
"Of course, why wouldn't I be?" and the British accent he let out made Sumo sigh.
"You're so cute," Brandi blurted, blushing up to her ears.
"Oh, thank you so much, Brandi," the English woman thanked her, reaching for the girl's hand and stroking her unruly hair.
The girl blushed even more.
Ryan groaned.
Jeff looked at him and copied the same gesture he had made with Brandi, stroking his boyfriend's blond hair.
The blond man purred.
"It seems you've tamed my son well," Mel opined, making everyone laugh.
They spent the whole afternoon talking while Sumo took advantage of the situation and lay on his wife's lap, dozing off under the soft caresses.
• • •
The next day, Sumo had plans to meet up with his friends, and now that Jeff was with him, he would take her.
"Do you want to go with me to see my friends?" she asked as soon as Jeff opened the door to his apartment.
Her hair was disheveled, her eyes half-closed, and she was still in her pajamas.
She babbled.
Sumo held her in his arms and picked her up, entering the house.
"It'll be fun, I promise."
"I just got here yesterday, can I rest?" he yawned.
"Then we can sleep together and do whatever you want. If you want, I'll cook you some potatoes afterward," he coaxed.
Jeff smiled and kissed the blond.
"What if we take a shower?"
Ryan nodded, and they headed for the bathroom.
After getting ready, they got on Sumo's motorcycle and headed to the park.
"Sumo!" Clarence shouted as soon as he saw him park and approached, Belson and Chelsea in tow.
"Clarence!" the blond greeted.
The three of them froze when they saw a girl getting off the motorcycle.
"Guys, meet my wife, Jeff."
She smiled.
"Good afternoon, Ryan's friends," she greeted.
Clarence ran to hug her.
"You're real!" Her euphoric tone made Jeff smile.
However, it also made her uncomfortable; it was too much physical contact.
"Clarence, you're suffocating her," Belson commented.
Clarence quickly let her go.
"Sorry, I'm Clarence, Sumo's best friend."
"Belson."
Everyone looked at the missing girl, who was frowning.
"This is Chelsea. Her tongue must have been eaten by mice," Ryan said.
Jeff laughed.
"Nice to meet you."
They decided to walk through the park to the woods, talking about everything.
"How did you two meet?" asked Chelsea, who had been quiet all day.
Jeff looked at her.
"I came to visit my grandmother, and Ryan showed me around town," she replied.
Chelsea raised her eyebrows and fell silent again.
At some point during the get-together, Sumo and Clarence tried to climb a large rock.
"Be careful, Ryan!" the curly-haired girl shouted.
Sumo looked at her strangely. Since when had Chelsea called him that?
Jeff stared at her.
"Excuse me?" She didn't mean to sound offended, but she didn't care.
The brunette looked at her.
"What?"
"Who gave you permission to call my boyfriend by his first name?"
She didn't mean to sound jealous, but it made her very jealous to see another girl who clearly intended to have something with her boyfriend calling him by that name.
"I've been friends with Sumo for years. Why can you call him that and I can't?"
"You know Sumo doesn't like her," Belson opined.
"But she's known him for less time; she's known me for years!" he complained.
Jeff frowned.
"And yet you'll always be that, just his friend. If he hasn't given you permission to call him Ryan for so many years, what makes you think he will now?" He approached the other girl, looking at her defiantly.
Chelsea snarled.
In the blink of an eye, Sumo was in front of the two girls, separating them.
"What in the world is going on?" the blond asked.
"Ryan, have you given her permission to call you by your name?" Jeff questioned.
Sumo frowned.
"No, never. You're the only person who can call me that, honey."
Randell smiled, grabbed the back of his boyfriend's neck, and planted his lips against hers.
Ryan was surprised, but quickly responded.
When they separated, the curly-haired girl was already gone.
Jeff didn't mean to be cruel, but that girl's intentions were very obvious, and it was clear she didn't want to give up.