What Are We?

Chapter 3

13 years ago

I walk in to the Spanish room carrying a plate of cinnamon rolls for our fiesta today.  Señora Rivera told us we'd get 10 extra credit points if we brought in a homemade dish for our Cinco de Mayo celebration today. And trust me when I say, I am going to take advantage of every point I can get. Sitting in the front of the room has definitely helped me do better this year in Spanish 2, but my steady B that I've been maintaining is not like the usual A's that grace my report card. 

I place my plate on the table by the front board with the other extra credit offerings. Señora Rivera has decorated the room for the occasion and provided a walking taco station making area. I know it's only 1st period, but my stomach is more than ready to take one for the team. 

I head back to my seat just as the final bell rings. My classmates start sliding into their seats around me as Señora Rivera closes the door behind her. The room hushes at the sound. 

"It's fiesta day!" Señora Rivera excitedly proclaims. "Feliz Cinco de Mayo! What a great way to start our Friday off! Your dishes look delicious. Feel free to help yourselves! Today's class is all yours. Enjoy the Spanish music! Talk with your friends! Enjoy some yummy treats!"

As soon as she moves out of the way, the teenage boys race to the front of the room to fill their plates. Typical. Nicole, Kiana and I wait in our seats, turning to talk to each other while we wait for the line to dwindle down. 

"Did you bring anything to the fiesta?" Kiana asked. 

Kiana nods her head. "Si! My stepmom is Mexican. She stayed up late last night and made churros for our class."

I licked my lips and Nicole laughs. "Way to make my cinnamon rolls look bad. I don't think it took a full hour for me to grab a roll of Philsbury rolls, go home, and put them in the oven."

"Those are my favorite!" Nicole squeals. "You guys are making me hungry. I'm going to jump in line before the boys have devoured every last delectable dish. You coming?"

We shuffle our feet and join the line. Before I know it, I'm grabbing a paper plate and filling up with more food than I probably need at 8 am. How can I say no to tacos and churros? Let's not forget the cookies, fruit salad, and 4 different types of salsa. My eyes have always been bigger than my stomach. 

For most of the class, I sit there picking at my food and trying to find a way to possibly cram it all down my throat by the end of the class in between topic changes. The three of us girls talk about all the usual things: Make-up, the spring dance, who is dating who, and the funny stories from throughout the week.  We don't have much to talk about with the actual high school kids that are frantically preparing for AP tests around us and making last minute Prom plans. For the most part they leave us alone unless they are stepping over our backpacks on their way to get more food. 

I lean back in my seat and begin patting my very full stomach and newly acquired food baby. "I am tapping out. I can't take anymore. It was all sooo good." I begin to pile my trash onto my plate. "I'm going to make a garbage run. Want me to take your plates?"

Kiana and Nicole are shaking their heads no as I feel my plate gently tugged from my hands. "Allow me." Charlie smiles at me before turning around with our plates to take them to the trash can by the door. 

Before long, he makes his way back over to our row. "Thanks," I say as he makes his way over. I assume he is on his way back to his seat, but that was not hat happened at all. Before I have time to process it, Charlie is sitting on my desk, gazing down at me with that big toothy grin of his. I feel myself blushing as I look up into his hazel eyes. 

"Are you enjoying Cinco de Mayo?" Charlie asks as he runs his hands up and down his thighs.  

I brush a stray hair out of my face as I try to bring my attention back to his own. "Heck yeah. Why don't more classes just take the day off to eat food for the day?"

He chuckles. " I couldn't agree more. It doesn't get better than this. This is the kind of thing dreams are made of. This is easily the highlight of anyones week."

I shrug my shoulders. "Let's not be overly dramatic. It's not necessarily the thing I have been looking the most forward to this week. But it's definitely top 3." I find myself self consciously fidgeting with the silly bands on my wrists. 

"Oh yeah?" Charlie questions as he crosses his arms and raises a questioning eyebrow in my direction. "You got some big weekend plans O'Brian?" I try to not let my surprise show. I had no idea he knew my last name. Are we actually that close now? maybe he's been paying attention during attendance.  

"If you must know, my birthday is this weekend" I reply full of glee. "Kate and I are going with our families to Kalahari to celebrate. Virgin strawberry daiquiris, here I come!"

Charlie gives me a smirk. " Is that so? Does Señora Rivera know? It's not too late to get the whole class to sing Feliz Cumpleanos to you. In fact---" Charlie starts to turn towards Senior Rivera to grab her attention as my eyes widen in shock. I hate being embarrassed in public. As he calls her name, his voice is drowned out by the bell ending first period. 

Around us everyone shuffles to shove books and papers into their backpacks and stampedes towards the door. There is a flurry of activity around me as everyone crams throughout the doorway and into the even noisier hallway. Before long, it's just us final stranglers zipping our bags and saying goodbyes. 

As I  stand up and slide my cardigan back onto my arms before heading outside, I feel a hand gently land on my shoulder. I turn around and see Charlie giving me a big smile. "I hope you have a good birthday. Have a drink for me." 

I smile back at him before we walk towards the door side by side. We turn to walk down opposite ends of the hallway. I hurry my way down the stairs and out the door. I find myself the last person to slide into a seat before the bus closes its door. All the way back to the middle school, I find myself grinning out the window. The only thing I could think about was Charlie wishing me a happy birthday.

Okay, okay. And maybe that  2nd churro may have been a mistake.