That Girl

Chapter 4

That girl who's antisocial.

I woke up with a pounding headache, and no, it wasn't a hangover. A hangover would entail someone actually inviting me over and me drinking and partying hard, all of which never happened last night. But even though I wasn't physically present at the raging party, my brain was somehow suffering the after effects of loud, obscene music.

I dragged myself out of bed lethargically. Each step I took weighing down the next, until I finally got to my bathroom, popped an aspirin before taking a shower. I felt instantly relieved when I came out. The pounding had reduced to erratic, but mild thumps and my bones felt less tired. My phone buzzed on my bed while I was tieing my hair in a bun after running my fingers through it. I couldn't be bothered with a comb. There was only one person who actually ever texted me, so I wasn't in a rush to get it.

Sam: Need a ride?

Hmm... How odd.

Sam usually waited for me to ask... But whatever, I doubt I would make it in time if I walked today and I wasn't particularly up for hitching a ride with my brother and Lucas for so obvious reasons. I quickly texted a "K" to her, and rushed downstairs.

Speaking of oddities, I hadn't seen Taylor this morning and I got a whiff of sizzling, hot bacon from the kitchen.

Weird...

My mother wasn't home at the moment and it was just me and Taylor. And Taylor couldn't cook to save his life. Unless... Aliens finally abducted my brother and left me with a clone of his human form who was super smart, super efficient and all the things my brother wasn't. I rushed into the kitchen, remembering to act cool, so the alien wouldn't suspect I knew, lest it abducts me too and I wouldn't enjoy the benefits of living a Taylor free life.

In the end, my super theory of the abduction had gone down the drain as I got in and found Roman, with his back to me, flexing his stupid muscles and flipping eggs and my brother laughing at something Roman said like a hyena. Yup, that was definitely my brother. Stupid extra terrestial section of our school's magazine, making me all crazy.

You may be wondering who Roman is. Well let me introduce you to my mother's pain in the neck youngest brother, Roman Felix Sosa. Well, the-pain-in-the-neck-part was according to my mother. She always complained that Roman only showed up when he was broke and kept nagging him to get a decent job, which was so true by the way. I once compared her relationship with Roman to mine with Taylor. Not so much comparison as I'm the one who's rich and successful and Taylor my hobo brother, and I almost got a shoe in my head.

My near death experience aside, Roman was the take life in stride kind of person who couldn't be bothered by either work or women . Adventurous, unpredictable, hopeless romantic/playboy.I had nothing against Uncle Rome, well except for the time he pranked me by putting a dead lizard in my PB &J sandwich when I was eleven... Yeah, it was years ago.

Pfft....we're cool.. Cool as ice, Cool as cucumber in ice even, but let's just say the cops find some illegal substance on him and deport him back to Mexico, you think I could get away with that? I mean, no one would ever suspect the weeping niece would they?

Heck! What am I saying? I freaking loved Roman, and I'm not just saying that cause he annoys my mom. Okay, that's partially true, any foe to my mom is a friend to me. But still, Rome and I got something special. 
I ran to him, prancing with prowess till I landed on his back. Or at least that's how I pictured it, cause instead of his back I find myself on the floor inches away from him.

Ouch! Flipping chiuwawas...

I think I broke my sacrum. My brother's immature laughter immediately filled the room. Curse you, Roman Sosa. I was so close.

" Epic fail, right there people " Taylor snickered wiping a stray tear of his cheek after recovering from his laughing fit. It was only then I discovered he'd been videoing the whole thing and was probably the one that told Roman to move. I should have known. My dive was flawless.

" Why you stupid, little-" I began but Roman unceremoniously cut in as he helped me up.

" Ah, niña, nice try...You finally made it down. I was wondering what was keeping you. Did you not smell my famous eggs and bacon."

I rubbed my butt, and gladly inhaled the delicious goodness in front of me. Flushing Taylor's phone down the toilet would have to wait. I said a silent prayer and dug into my breakfast. Roman begun to entertain us, as usual, with his never ending stories and conquests. Most of which were made up by the way. I mean princesses in distress and fire breathing dragons, really? Then again he was working in medievalmania for now so you couldnt really blame him. Each job he does has its own related stories. I'm not exactly surprised. Like the time he was working as a janitor in an underground aquarium he battled a shark and swore he saw a mermaid. He tells a pretty convincing story, and I'd have totally believed him... If I was twelve.

" So, Mackenzie niña...Got any hot friends for me?"

Taylor let out a bark of laughter and I rolled my eyes.
" Did you just, even remotely, associate the word friend to Kenny?"

" Shut up dumbass " I glared at him.

" Hey, what'd you mean, what about that  hot girl I saw you with the last time I was here?" Roman asked.

" That'll be Samantha. Although not obvious, is equally as awkward as our Kenny here. I mean, why else would anyone want to hang out with her?"

" You realise you indirectly just called Sam hot right? "

Taylor scrunched up his face and "blehed" while I turned back to Roman smirking.

" Ignore him, he's still mad cause she laughed in his face after he admitted his little crush on her when we were in middle school."

Roman gave a hearty chuckle and Taylor just gave me the signature death glare, the one he always gives anytime I brought up the topic.

Good work Ken. Now we're even. Kenzie 1, Taylor 1.

"Ooh, so she has a sense of humour ... sounds like my kind of woman...So when can I meet her?" Roman
asked.

"First of all, every girl you meet sounds like your kind of woman. Second, eeeww... Aren't you like forty?"

"Hey.. it's 25"

I gave him a pointed look and was about to correctly reveal his real age, but Sam's horn distracted me. Hmm.. She was early. It normally took Sam longer to get here.

" Well, that's my cue... See ya later losers"

"Is that the love of my life Samantha?" Roman asked then spewed some love quotes in Spanish. I rolled my eyes and picked up my backpack.

" I think you're coming on too strong. Plus, she's already taken..."

Roman gave a small laugh and quirked his brows suggestively.

"As if that has ever stopped me. No one can resist me... It's both a blessing and a curse I'm afraid."

Sam's impatient horn came again. This time I let Roman's cocky comment slide, and headed to the door.

" Tell her I love her" Roman yelled from behind me after I'd gotten into Sam's midnight blue Honda.

" Hey, isn't that your hot uncle... Ramos?" She asked re applying her lipgloss as I buckled up. Not that it was necessary, Sam was a safety freak, OCD and all, but it was more out of habit since my mother drove like her house was on fire.

"Yeah that's Roman" I said correcting her. Thankfully he retreated into the house and had not come out here professing his love like I half expected him to do.

"You're early" I said, though it came out more like a question.

"Hmm... " She said giving me a sly smile. " I wonder why that is"

I groaned helplessly. Now it finally clicked. The morning text, offering to take me to school, her coming early. All part of her evil revenge plot against me for tuning her out yesterday.  Could this girl not forgive? Somehow, I wished I could go back inside and listen to Roman's sob stories while eating delicious bacon. But sadly, she'd already pinned down the doors and pressed the ignition. I gulped as the engine purred to a start and then I knew. There was no escape.