by Chloe Smith
Denzel repeated asked if I was okay, and I had to keep telling him I was fine. But he still kept looking toward me with worry in his blue eyes.
I felt Percy looking at me, and I knew I wasn't paranoid because I glanced his way. His eyes were intense…but a calm intense.
He was so different than Clinton. Where Clinton would outright show his emotions in his voice and face, Percy was more of a mystery.
After the hundredth time Denzel asked if I was fine, I was a little more than glad the bell rang.
With a quick "bye!" I left the room as fast as I could.
"Monica!" I looked around thinking it was Denzel, but Jackson came striding up to me. "Are you okay?" He looked so worried, I couldn't roll my eyes at him. I smiled and patted his arm. "I'm more than fine. I'm glad I have you to worry about me." He rubbed his neck with one giant hand, and looked away, a slight blush tinting his face.
"I-uh, wanted to ask you something else." He said, his eyes, not meeting mine. It was so weird seeing him like this. So…nervous. I giggled.
"Yes?"
"Well, ah…would you like to…go to the Dance…with me?" He didn't look at me.
I was glad he didn't because I was shocked. Of course, for a girl who never had been asked anywhere by friends, it was a big thing for me. The shock wore off and I smiled.
I waited until is doubtful eyes finally sought mine before I answered. "Of course."
Chapter 42
I couldn't help but smile as I made my way to my last class of the day. Jackson had asked me to go to the dance! I giggled. It had surprised me. Mostly because I hadn't thought Jackson would do something like that.
I didn't have much time to smile about it for long. Someone passed by me, clipping my shoulder with their own. As they passed me, I got a mouthful of red hair. Gela.
I wasn't stupid. I had my suspicions on who was doing all these things to me. The question was, would Gela be that type to nearly kill me? I couldn't be sure about it though. Gela seemed to type to post pictures like that everywhere, but the slashed seats…something didn't add up.
But she still made the top of my list.
I entered the classroom, ignoring the girl sitting behind me. She ended up talking to me anyways.
"You know, whoever's doing this, I applaud them greatly. Commoners like you should know where they belong." Gela sneered.
I calmly took out my things from my backpack, trying my best to ignore her. It would have been way easier if I had a roll of duct tape.
"I kinda wish I could've been the one to do it though." I heard her delicately sniff and I could just imagine her studying her pristinely done manicured hands.
"Although, this way, I don't have to dirty myself, but I can still have the satisfaction."
Really, I think earplugs would be such a dream right now. I folded my arms on the desk and plopped my head down. Gela quietly laughed.
"If you-"
"Suarez!" My head whipped up at Mr. Tobit's irritated voice. "someone's here to see you?" His thumb jabbed itself in the direction of the doorway.
I sighed. Why did this feel like déjà vu?
Except this time, Clinton's copper eyes were intensely on me, his ever-present smirk was gone. Oddly, this serious face made something in my chest thump hard.
I got up and followed Clinton out of the classroom.
"What is it this time Clinton?" I said, folding my arms. Not like I'd let him know I was attracted to this serious side of him.
Clinton had stopped with his back facing me, but he turned at my question. "Basically the same thing. My mother wants to make sure you get to dinner, so she's not waiting until the weekend."
"Okay…" And I was thinking of what this weekend was. The Dance.
"So tonight."
"Tonight?" I asked. He nodded.
"It'll be the same arrangements-"
"Clinton!" Of course, redhead would have to butt in. It was only appropriate since it happened last time.
"Well! I better get back in class!" I said, not wanting to remember what happened last time, but my mind had gone straight to it anyways. I didn't want a repeat of it if the consequences were going to be the same. I turned smartly on my heel.
"Wait!" Clinton's hand grabbed my arm and I looked up at him.
"Was there something else you wanted to tell me?" I asked, forcing myself to politely look up at his face.
He released me quickly, if not reluctantly. "Uhh…no. Just be at the front after school."
I nodded and smiled. "Okay." I walked back to class, my mind in confusion. The more I was around the guy, the more I was confused about him. And lately, he's been…different…
I shook my head as I sat down. I couldn't think about the guy. I would only end up getting hurt like last time.
I opened my lifesaver, my sketchbook…but for once in my life…I didn't know what to draw. I dropped my pencil onto my desk, plopping my face into my folded arms.
Shit. As much as I said…thought not to…I just couldn't. The guy was a mystery…and boy, there was nothing more thrilling than solving the mystery.
Man, I just kept on collecting mysteries to solve, didn't I?
First Gaya, and now Clinton. For some reason, Clinton posed as the harder mystery to solve.
Chapter 43
"What do you want Gello?" Clinton asked, making sure to keep his back to the girl.
"It's Gela! Get it straight!" She huffed.
Clinton sighed. "Does it matter? We're not going to be meeting too much in the future."
It was silent. Clinton was almost tempted to turn around to see if the girl had secretly snuck off.
Of course, though, that wasn't Gela's way. She would make a dramatic entrance, and a dramatic exit. That was just her way. That's what kept him still.
Finally, "What's so special about that commoner?"
"Huh?" Clinton asked, the question shocked him enough to turn around and look at the girl he'd previously dated.
She raised an eyebrow and folded her arms. "Don't "huh?" me! What's so special about that girl?" She had her hands clenched in front of her, and she was shaking in anger. "I'm better looking than her! I'm richer than her! So why isn't it me?"
Clinton sighed again. The girl was exhausting. The reason he'd gone out with her in the first place was because…well, they looked good together. But that was freshman year. He looked at Gela and said, "I don't like redheads." And walked away, leaving Gela looking at his back, a look she'd never show him adorned on her face as she clutched her heart.
Chapter 44
The limo was waiting in the front of the school like Clinton had said. Gaya and Martin walked me to it, making sure I was in the car before they waved goodbye. Clinton was already seated in the seat across from me, his arms folded as he regarded me. He looked like he was angry.
Wait…not quite…it was as though he was holding back.
From what?
I shook my head and looked out the window of the car.
A few minutes later, when all I could see was the green, Clinton cleared his throat. "Monica. Are you going to go to the Dance?" He asked.
So of course the question had me off guard. That and the fact that I was a little reluctant to tell him I'm going with Jackson.
But wait! Why would I be?
I turned to him. "Yeah. One of my friends asked me to go with him, so I-"
"What?" Clinton went from looking mildly interested to enraged in less than a second. "Who?"
"Why do I have to tell you?" Haha. Was it obvious that I didn't want him to know?
"Tell me." He demanded.
"No." I crossed my arms.
"I said. Tell. Me." He commanded in a more frightening tone than when he was yelling.
I couldn't get any kind of words out of my mouth. There was a deathly glare in those copper orbs that paralyzed me. It was like he was about to go kill.
"Damn you Monica, talk!" His fist came down on the armrest, and I involuntarily flinched.
Suddenly, his expression started changing, as if he was seeing how scary he was being. "Monica…" For some reason, I flinched again. Horror took over his face. "Monica, I wouldn't hurt you…" I kept close to my door. He sighed, a look of utter sadness filled his face. But I couldn't change it. Those flashing angry copper orbs just kept popping into my mind. He was so terrifying then.
He used a button on the top of the limo to roll down the soundproof black glass that separated the driver from the passengers. "Pull over." He told the driver. When the car stopped, Clinton climbed out. A few seconds later, I heard the passenger door in the front up with the driver open and I saw Clinton climb in up there. A few seconds later, that black glass went up, blocking the sound of Clinton's voice, and the sight of him altogether.
I sighed and put my feet up on the seat, wrapping my arms around them as my eyes looked out the window…yet I didn't register anything they saw.
"I'd never been afraid of anyone like that. Why it frightened me, I had no idea. It just did. It almost looked like he would've pulled a gun out and shot something. That unmerciful anger…I never wanted it directed at me.
But why had he gotten angry? I'd just told him that someone had asked me to…was he about to ask me to the Dance? Is that why he was angry? Or did he not like the fact that I was going with someone? Did he want me to suffer going to a dance with no one? Did someone ruin his plans?
Ugh. I rubbed my temples. Too many questions, no one to answer them. Up above me, the sound of an mechanism working caught my attention, when I looked up, the sky roof was opening up.
I smiled. A lot of movies taught me what I could do at this moment. I stood up and stuck my head out the window. I gasped at the wind that slapped my face and cleared my head. Gosh! It felt so awesome! The sudden happiness that had appeared bubbled up inside me and spilled over from my mouth in laughter. "Whoooo!" I yelled to the wind. My hands went up and I embraced letting the wind twirl around the upper half of my body sticking out of the car.
I knew it had to be Clinton who opened it for me. Was this his apology? Even if it wasn't, I already forgave him when I saw the sky up above. And I believed his words. "Monica…I wouldn't hurt you." I believed it from this point on and forgive the past.
My phone vibrated in my skirt pocket a few minutes later, and I had to sit down to take it. "Hello?"
"Hey stranger!" The person who spoke to me in Spanish was…
"Mamma! Are you going to be at the dinner tonight at Hilary's?" It was so good to hear mamma's voice. And only then did I realize how much I missed her.
"No, I have work tonight. I wasn't able to get this day off."
"Aw mamma. Will I be able to see you before I leave back to school?" I asked, hoping I could…"
"No, I don't think so. But no worry. Enjoy it at Hilary's. Have fun for me, okay mamasita?"
I sighed. "Okay. I will."
"I just wanted to hear my daughter's voice again. I have to get ready for work now, so I'll talk to you later, okay?" She said. I missed talking to her.
"Okay."
"Adios, mija. Te amor!" Roughly translated: Bye my little girl, I love you!
"Te amor, mama." I love you, mama.
She hung up first. I cradled the phone to my ear a few seconds longer, feeling the warmth of mamma seem to go away with each second since I last heard her voice.
This was when my homesickness started kicking in. I missed home.
Chapter 45
As soon as the door opened, I was engulfed in Hilary's arms. "Monica! I've missed you so much! Have you done what I've asked?" The last sentence, she dropped her voice so that only I heard the question.
"Uh…yeah. What's in those boxes anyway?" I asked, disengaging myself from her arms.
"Oh, just this and that." She waved off my question." Did you like the gifts I sent you?"
"Yeah. They were nice."
She smiled. "Good. Have you used the third necklace yet?"
I blushed and looked away. "Ah…no…"
She laughed. "That's fine. You will when you feel like it!"
"Um…mother, do we have to sit at the door and talk? Aren't we here for dinner?" He was behind me when I looked, and when I turned around, his eyes were anywhere not close to me. I guess he'd decided to keep his distance.
"I'm sorry Clinton!" She moved from me to him. "Mommy loves you!" she probably squeezed him harder than she did me.
"Clinton pushed away from her. "What's wrong with you?"
Hilary looked a little sad for some reason, but it didn't look like it was because Clinton pushed her away. I think she was already used to that. But I had no time to think about it because she was seeping us all to the Dining Room.
As soon as I actually looked around,, my mouth dropped open. This place was…huuuuge! If I looked straight up in the Guest Area that we passed through, I could see the biggest chandelier I'd ever seen It was beautiful. The wire work was gold, and the lights glancing off diamonds cast shadows of colors. I wish I had one of those…
But, where the chandelier was anchored into the ceiling, a magnificent painting branched off from there. On one side of the painting, a sun shone brightly and cheerful. On the opposite side, a moon glimmered softly and romantically. The middle was a mix of stars and clouds. The background color was a beautiful blend of baby blue and royal blue.
I wanted that too.
The rest of the house bas nearly the same. the awesome gilt work around the doors and doorways also amazed me. Twisted into beautiful swirls and twirls.
We finally made it to our destination with lots of ooh's and ahh's from my part, and sighs and yawns from Clinton's part.
In the dining room, There was a long table, nearly similar to the popular table in the cafeteria at home. The food had already been laid out, and sat steaming under covers made of silver. There were lots of penguin people standing to the side. Servers.
Besides that, there was only three seats. One on both end, and one chair set to the right of one.
"Who sits there? I pointed to the lone chair one side of the table.
"Well, Clinton."
I think I made a noise or a face that Hilary caught because she turned to me. "Would you like to sit there?" She asked.
"No…um…could I suggest something even though I'm the guest?"
"Of course! And please, you're family here, so go ahead."
I smiled. "Well, could we eat in the Guest Area?"
She looked a little shocked at my request." "If that is what you want, sure. If it's okay with Clinton…" He shrugged. "Okay, so let me move some couches and things so the table can fit-"
"Wait! Can't we just use the table in there?" She was even more shocked. "Because I don't like to sit so far away from everyone. It's better when we sit together so that we can enjoy each other's company."
Hilary looked a little awkward. Most likely because she'd never done that before, or thought about it either. But she went with it. "Sure."
So we can make our plate here, and carry it there?" I suggested even more.
"That sounds like a dandy idea!" This light was coming into her eyes at doing something she'd never done before. I think this was how she looked when the thought of going grocery shopping for the first time entered her mind.
Three penguin men stepped out and each grabbed a plate. One came up to me and bowed. "What would the miss like?" He asked. I turned to see Hilary already pointing to food she wanted on her plate. Clinton was nodding at dishes too. The men with their plates were scurrying to get a serving of each. I looked back at the guy.
"Um…could I make my own plate?"
He bowed without a question. "Of course."
He handed me the plate, and I started gathering foods I wanted. More than half of the menu, I'd never tried, so I took a small serving of each.
All of a sudden, I saw Clinton's arm reach over me. He was reaching towards the bread basket, and I turned to him. He had his own plate in his hand. Had he followed my lead? It slipped my mind quickly when
I realized how close his face was. Heat filled my face and I had to look quickly away before he looked at me. Trying to put space into him, I nearly toppled over Hilary.
She had her plate in her hand now too as she reached for the tongs to grab some of what looked like shredded beef. She had done the same.
When my plate was filled, I stepped back and waited for them to finish. From the looks of it, they'd never served themselves at home. Even Clinton seemed a little excited about doing it. It made me smile a little.