When Love Walked In

Chapter 4

Chapter 4

I collapsed in a heap on my bed and groaned. I was always tired after school, but this was going way over the limit. Someone knocked on the door. "Come in!"

Gustavo came in and shut the door. "Rough day, huh?"

I hugged a pillow to my chest. "You have no idea."

He sat on the corner of my bed and stroked his chin. "Hmmm. Tell me about it."

I bit my lip to stop from laughing and sighed. "I don't get it. How can one person go from being invisible girl to public enemy number one all in one lunch band? I mean, really? How? Can you please tell me?"

Gustavo was quiet for a minute. "Public enemy number one?"

I nodded. "Wow . . . what did you do?" Gustavo asked. I smacked him hard on the head with the pillow and flopped back down on the bed.

"Ow. You know violence is never the answer," he said.

"Help me," I whined with my face in the pillow.

"Why don't you try explaining to me what happened?" So, while Gustavo sat tentatively listening, I replayed today's lunch fiasco. "Let me see if I understand. You got food dumped on your head just because you bumped into some girl at school?"

"Not just any girl, G. Courtney Oakley, the most popular girl in school," I said.

"And she dumped all that food on your head?"

"No, her two parrots did."

Gustavo snorted. "Her parrots?"

"I mean her friends. Chloe and Iris. I call them that because they repeat everything she says."

"Oh. But they're human right?"

"So missing the point," I groaned.

"Okay, okay. So, this guy Damien. The name sounds familiar."

"That's because he was at our party last year? You know the Christmas one?" I said.

It was as if a light bulb went off inside Gustavo's head. "Damien! Good kid, good kid."

"Uh, that's definitely not even close to anything the teachers at our school would call him," I said.

He shrugged. "So Damien . . ."

I looked at him. "Huh?"

"Do you like Damien?"

I hesitated. "What makes you say that?"

"Oh, so you do like him."

"I never said that."

He patted me on the head and smirked. "You didn't have to sweetie. It's written all over your face."

I narrowed my eyes at him. He pretended not to notice and jumped off my bed. "I know just the thing to cheer you up." He reached into the back pocket of his jeans and pulled out a folded piece of blue paper. I took it in my hands and un-folded it. "'Come see the Blackjacks perform live! At the Scorpios Cub November 21.' November 21? That's today right?"

Gustavo grinned. "Yup. And we're going."

I laughed out loud. "You're kidding right?" It's a club. I'm still a minor. How am I supposed to get in?"

"Don't worry. There's no age limit to get in. Just for drinking at the bar. Everyone's welcome to dance and listen to some live music."

"But what about Mom and Dad?" I argued. "There's no way they're going to let me go on a school night." At least I hope not.