My Lost Love

Chapter 3 - The Bodyguard of My Heart

Me and my brothers and some others were hanging out in the studio at our house. We were working on some stuff at first but then we just all got to talking and yapping about nonsense. Emily and Maya were with us. We noticed Maya kept speaking to us in Spanish. She was in middle school now and she had a Spanish class she was taking but she seemed to be really into it. Too much. Then she asked us a question and we realized why.

"Do you consider me black or white?"

"You're both idiot," Randy said laughing.

Marlon slapped him in the head for the name calling.

"Why did you ask that?" Marlon asked her.

"Because when I was in elementary school I could never make real friends because I wasn't black enough or white enough."

"Wow," was all of our reactions, except Emily. I saw her roll her eyes.

"So I came up with a solution. I tell everyone I'm Spanish."

We all laughed at her because we thought she was playing around but she wasn't.

"I tell them I'm Puerto Rican. What's so funny?"

     "Spanish people are from Spain by the way. But don't pretend you're something you're not, Sweetie," Tito said.

"I have to or else I won't ever have any friends."

"The kids in your school suck if they can't accept you for who you are."

"Black kids don't hang out with white kids in your school?" I asked.

"They didn't in my old school but they kinda do now I guess. But I already told everyone I'm Puerto Rican so I'm stuck this way otherwise I'll be known as a big phony. My middle school master plan for friends backfired on me."

"Wow that sucks."

"Yeah but its okay."

"No its not," Emily said. "Michael let's go upstairs to your room."

Everyone was dead silent. It was so awkward.

"Why?" I asked.

"I'm super sad. I want to talk to you in private." She didn't sound that sad to me.

"You're not allowed in my room."

"Let's go to my house then," she said smiling at me.

"Yeah go ahead Michael. We're all done here," Marlon said giggling.

"I really want to talk you about something." She pulled me up out of the corner.

"I'll just walk you home," I said.

"Fine."

We walked outside and I told the house guards I would be right back. My father wasn't home so I wasn't scared to just leave the house at that moment.

"Ronnie broke up with me," she said as we were slowly walking.

"Oh really? Why?"

"He thinks I'm cheating on him."

"With who?"

"His best friend. But I'm not," she said quickly.

I didn't say anything. I didn't know what to say.