Hey guys ;) I dare ya' to try and say the title of this Chapter ten times, really fast. Bet you can't LOL
Anywho, Song to the right is "Blow" By Ke$ha. Thought it fit nicely.
The picture is of what the Firefly cell phone Nahuel gave Elaine looks like xD
There is nothing better than the stench of sweaty bodies rubbing together through the halls (and yes I’m totally being sarcastic). I must admit however that it stills seems to boggle my mind on how distinct each smell is, the variety! There would be combinations of Porter Potties mixed with rancid milk, or even spoiled fruit blended with atrocious raw onions. It was all strong enough to have my eyes flooded with tears as I pinched my nose and refrained from breathing too deeply from my mouth. Yes, that’s right my taste buds could literally pick up the scent. Nevertheless, I had to deal as each unwashed body thrusted mine around like a ping-pong ball as we made our way to the gym. Out of all the places I’d rather be, the gym would hit the last on my list—in fact, it would get a spot on the list in general. The reason I was heading that way…or better said, the reason I’ being ushered forcefully that way is because Mustang High School was having its annual homecoming pep rally and all the students are required to go. As if I already wasn’t having a bad day, just add preppy cheerleaders cheering into your ear while the off key marching band blew their trumpets into your other will ya.
Today, my parents left to catch their plane around five in the morning, so I disdainfully watched from the door as they waved a cheerful farewell. Then, I went back to sleep and woke up late—meaning I missed the bus and had to walk two miles up the road to get to school—not, to mention Nahuel hasn’t been too much fun since our discussion at lunch yesterday. He avoided any conversation that was remotely near the topic of yesterday, even when I tried to apologize for what I said he only brushed the apology away and continued to talk about random things like how amazingly good he was at soccer.
There was a rough pull on my shoulder, whirling me around so I came face to face with Aldana.
“Hey, chica,” she winked, linking her arm with mine, “you excited for the rally?”
“Far from it,” I grumbled, hanging my head as Aldana weaved us through the thick crowd, just as she did on my first day in the cafeteria. She barked out a laugh at my glumness but continued forward nonetheless.
Once we were seated in the far back, I let out a shaky breath. The gym consisted of two floors that ran a full 360 degrees around the large room, leaving just the basketball court in the center as the main objective so wherever you sat you would still get a crystal clear view on the game. We were currently on the second floor that held the larger bleachers, however the first floor had one set only on opposite side of the court. The hardwood floor that made up the 94 by 50 foot court, had the painting of an elaborately made Mustang, all black with a milk white mane—that seemed to give the illusion of it flapping wildly in the wind—it’s hooves were a vibrant red, the two front legs were held high in the air as it balanced itself on only the hind legs. It was a stunning, well painted portrait, surely the pride symbol of this school. I reminisced on the mascot of my old school; it had been a Panther. All in black, however the school colors would be a midnight blue and white. I remember that back in Miami, I would paint paw prints on my cheeks when it was time to prepare for a pep rally. I had been on the cheerleading team back in the sixth grade, but soon dropped out when I realized that all the girls were good for nothing back-stabbers and nosy bitches.
Aldana jabbed me playfully on my ribs with her elbow so my attention was back on her.
“Why the long face?” she queried playfully, “This is a pep rally, not a testing room.”
“I know,” I mumbled, resting my chin on my palms “I’m just not the type of person who likes sitting in crowded areas with loud, smelly people, and cheerleaders, and all the…prep.”
Aldana continued to laugh, then jumped up on her seat suddenly, letting out a howl of glee when the football team came trotting into center court. The cheerleaders followed at their heels, shaking their pom-poms (in all senses of the term if you catch my drift), they balanced on their toes as they ran, and then leaping with the grace of a ballerina they flipped in the air. I flinched as one of them did three back flips, soared through the air in a twist, landing on a spotless split. It looked painful to say the least.
“Where’s Justin?” I asked with genuine curiosity, scavenging our surroundings for a brown head decorated with blond highlights.
“He’s up front with the twins,” Aldana shrugged, “Alex has a huge crush on Trent, the quarterback of the team, and so they’re all down there to help encourage her to talk to him.”
“Why aren’t you down there with them?”
She shot me a sidelong glance that I couldn’t quite decipher, turning back to her cheering she decided to ignore my question.
Aldana continued to cheer in excitement for the next fifteen minutes, and just when I thought she was done with her pesky, auspicious yelling she bends over and yanks me up by the arm with her. I recoil away as her constant screeches penetrate through my comfort zone.
“Come’n Elaine, live a little,” she encouraged, holding my hand up in the air as she bounced up and down like an over energized Mexican jumping bean. “The purpose of a pep rally is to cheer for your school.”
“But I don’t do cheering!” I hollered over the cacophony of voices. And this will never be my school, I wanted to add but decided to keep that in my secret box of unneeded thoughts.
“Well today is going to be your exception.” She smirked, “now open your mouth and scream like you’re about to be run over by the football team.”
Biting my bottom lip, I let a small yelp escape past my tongue. Aldana grimaced and shook her head disapprovingly.
“That,” she indicated, “was horrible! It sounded like you got something stuck in your ass and you can’t seem to push it out.”
Now it was my turn to grimace…in disgust.
“I didn’t sound like that!” I asserted.
“Did too,” she countered, crossing her arms and lifting a thin brow, “now scream like you mean it. Or I’ll just have to make you scream the old fashion way.”
“I got it,” a smooth voice growled into my ear, before a pair of warm arms snaked around my torso. One of them hit the back of my knees, buckling my legs and sending me falling to my doom. I let out an ear splitting scream as the seat of the bleachers neared my face. Screaming again, I shut my eyes tightly while my body tensed in preparation for the impact that never came. Cracking one of my eyes open to a slit, I eyed around and saw that I was safely levitated inches above the gleaming metal bleacher. Strong arms bounced me back up so I landed securely on my feet, I stumbled a bit but those same hands assisted in steadying me.
“Now that,” the overly familiar voice continued, “was a scream.”
I snapped my head towards the voice behind me, and glared as my gaze met two dark orbs. “Nahuel, you’re such a bastard, I could have face-planted the ground!”
“But you didn’t,” he countered waving a finger in my face, “So get off your period and calm yourself.”
Ew. Why would he even say that?! Especially in a public area!
“Whatever. You had your fun, now leave.” I growled to him before flickering my gaze over to the eerily silent Aldana beside me. She had her eyes slightly narrowed, focused solely on Nahuel. He ignored her however, as if she weren’t even present.
“Nah, I think I might stay a while,” he stretched out his arms then draped one over my shoulder languidly. I pouted, mouthing an apology to Aldana as she continued to glare at his arm around me as if it were a venomous snake poised and ready to strike out at her. Catching my pleading eyes she pressed her lips together and mouthed something else in return.
‘Fix it.’
Great, why did I have to be the one who had to settle the situation all the time?
“Nahuel,” my voice wavered.
“What, nena?” he glanced down at my troubled face.
“Can’t you bother me some other time?” I whined, nodding over to Aldana as an indication that I preferred to be with a friend than having to deal with him.
Nahuel sighed, eyes oscillating from Aldana to me then back again. A troubled look hovered over his features before he settled on a scowl.
“Fine, I’ll go.” He stated in resignation. His arm dropped from my shoulder and he took a step back, “I’ll call you after the pep rally. I had to go hang out with Lucas and the guys anyways, so I’ll catch you later.” He turned and left. I bothered me that he always took things the wrong way. He easily got so upset then seconds later he was all hyper happy. And they say I’m the bipolar one. I nudged Aldana, wanting to lift up the atmosphere again but she remained relentless.
“Why are you going out with that douche!” she suddenly snapped, plopping herself back down on the bleachers. I joined her, bringing up my knees to my chest in a fetal position.
“I don’t know,” I confessed, resting my cheek on my arm as her eyes widened incredulously.
“How do you not know Elaine?!” she threw her hands up in the air in frustration, “I mean you yourself had said he was buggin’ the hell outa ya’ and now here you are. Dating the same jerk you had been complainin’ about not even four months ago.”
I couldn’t answer, so I just shrugged and fixed my gaze on the metallic boards that aligned together to make the bottom of the bleacher. Aldana sighed, bringing me in for a half embrace.
“You know, if you’re in any kind of trouble,” she began with slight hesitation in her thin voice, “you can always tell me and I’ll never hesitate to help you. You don’t have to be alone in this; in whatever you’re going through…whatever led you to have to make a deal with Nahuel, it must be big. I just want you to know that—”
“OK OK everyone please settle down, I’ve got some ravishing news to give!” Mr. Springer—the school’s Principle—hollered into a megaphone, cutting Aldana short. Mr. Springer was a jolly looking man with a rounded gut and long legs. His head was bald; waxed to a spotless perfection. I straightened up in my seat as all the students around me began to simmer down their ruckus. Aldana shot me a we’ll-talk-later look as she showed Mr. Springer her undivided attention.
“As many of you might already know,” he continued in a booming deep voice, his squinty eyes dancing over each face. “Last year we competed with MacArthur High School, our rival since 1990.”
There was loud booing and curses being thrown around by numerous students. Others stood up and with their thumbs down they expressed their disagreement by throwing empty water bottles. Mr. Springer frowned, this eyebrows creasing and lowering deeply to the point that his eyes were almost completely hidden behind those two bushy caterpillars.
“Now please take your seats and show some respect!” he growled into the megaphone, his voice a raspy deep rumble that sent my bones rattling. Waiting patiently until the students settled down again, he beckoned for someone to bring him a seat. My first guess was that he was going to sit down, only he planted one foot on the flat surface of the chair and propped himself up until he was well balanced on the seat.
“As I was saying, we competed against them for the Summer Soccer County Tournament. And I am proud to say that we won!!!” Everyone jolted from their seats and let out an enraptured scream; beside me a guy took off his shirt and waved it in the air like a flag. The uproar of the cheers was almost too much for me to take, and seeing that I was a rather short specimen, I couldn’t see past the freakishly tall guy in front of me.
“Settle down, settle down,” he used his hands, waving down the kids that still remained standing. “Yes, I understand we are all super excited, especially when we’ve been losing to them for over five years, but now. Now we have done it! There for we celebrate!” there was more hollers and clapping, the football team even did some wolf howls as they pumped their fists in the air. Mr. Springer was then handed a small wooden box by one of the cheerleaders, she had pencil thin hair that was tightly pulled back in a ponytail. Her skin was heavily coated in bronzer and other tanning specimens. It made her look like an orange moving statue in a red and white mini dress with corn blond hair, not very attractive if you ask me but considering the many whistles and appraising looks the guys were giving her I would say they didn’t mind taking an orange skinned girl to their bed.
Thanking her promptly, the principle opened the wooden box and pulled out a wad of cash, thick enough that he couldn’t quite wrap his wrinkly, sausage fingers around it. He handed the empty box back to the girl as he used both his hands to hold up the cash for all to see.
“This is the million dollars awarded to the school in the Mid-Summer Science Decathlon. Give it up for the Science Club!” there was plenty clapping, and even some whistling but they were definitely not as enthusiastic as they were just seconds ago. Mr. Springer went over the list of names of all the participants in the Science Club, and to my utter surprise, Rose was one of them. Sheepishly she strolled up to the principle, shook his hand and received the ribbon he offered. Her chin tucked down and her eyes never leaving their contact with the ground throughout it all. I took the liberty to stand with Aldana so I could cheer my friend on, I might not be into pep rallies but I sure wasn’t so cruel as to not cheer for a good friend.
“This money is going to be used for the Homecoming dance as well as the Homecoming Parade that will be held next week.” He paused as the cheerleader beckoned him toward her with much urgency, he inched toward her and cupping her hands over her ruby red lips she whispered excitedly into his ear. The audience buzzed with anxiety to know what she was saying, the only hints we got though were that of the principles facial expressions; the gentle pressing of his lips, then the puckering of his thick brows before he settled it all into a genuine grin and nodded shortly at her. Bringing the megaphone up to his lips he spoke out the secret, “so it seems that this year, since we have earned more than enough money, the school will be doing its very first carnival as well—” Surprise, surprise, he was interrupted by an uproar of overjoyed students, each one exclaiming on how excited they were. Aldana shook my arm as she squealed in glee, her clear eyes brightened with excitement.
“Oh My God! Can you believe it Elaine! We are having a carnival, I’m super excited!” she jumped up on her seat, hauling me up along with her, as she threw her hands in the air and fell in sync with the rest of the cheering students.
“…Don’t mess with the best, ‘cause the best don’t mess! Don’t fool with the cool, ‘cause the cool don’t fool! Mustang High School rules!!!”
Wow, who knew a school can be so proud?
“Now for the Trophy,” Mr. Springer shouted over the jumble on noises, “Since the soccer team played at its best, I will let them come up here and give a speech. And the one who will bring out the Golden Mustang Trophy itself will be no other than our top player, Nahuel Corona!”
I shot out of my seat at the name; so did everyone else. Only I stood in shock since everyone else just cheered out his name as he sauntered leisurely to center court, holding a very heavy looking Statue of a Horse. It was a polish gold from head to toe, only the eyes glinted in such a beautiful silver hue that had me dazzled the second I laid my eye on them. Nahuel raised the golden trophy in the air, his face animated with great joy as he howled out with his team. I noticed he had changed his clothes as well, before he was wearing his casual attire consulting of faded jeans and a white cotton T-shirt—that although loose still managed to sketch out his well built torso—yet now as he stood at center of attention, he had a red jersey on along with black shorts that had a white stripe on the sides. My eyes drank in his muscular calves, bulging and meaty, my mouth watered at the site. His cleats were also black and white, as his bounced on his toes in sync with the rest of his teammates. I whirled over to Aldana with many questions running through my mind. To my surprise she was seated, her chin propped up on her palm as she glanced at me with weary eyes.
Briskly I sat beside her and let the questions stream out of my mouth, “Nahuel is in the school soccer team? For how long? Are you sure that it’s safe for them to let him hold on to that expensive looking trophy? What did the principle mean when he said Nahuel was the best player?”
Aldana let out a sigh, opening her mouth to speak only her words were drowned down by the megaphone as Mr. Springer got on again.
“Nahuel, would you like to do the honors and tell us of what that stunning trophy is made of?”
There was a deep chuckle that I defined as Nahuel’s; snapping my attention back to the court where I saw as he lowered the trophy back down to his eye level so he can appraise it much closer.
His lips split into a cheeky grin, “Sure! This beauty is made up of twenty karats of solid gold, the eyes are raw mercury incased in crystal, so all in all this baby is worth much more than Trent’s stupid Porsche out in the parking lot.” He chortled along with the majority of the rest of the students in the gym. Mr. Springer laughed along with him and patted his back approvingly. Nahuel’s eyes glinted as they scanned the stands until they halted on me. His grin dimmed down to a smirk as he held out the Trophy in my direction with a solid wink. In return I rolled my eyes and turned back to Aldana, who looked just as uncomfortable as I did.
“He’s been in the soccer team since the ninth grade,” she informed me, “always scoring goals and getting the team to the top. I’m not going to lie; he’s a very talented player, but not a very humble one either. The fame has gotten to his head and it’s made him a full on jerk, going from girl to girl as if he owned them all. A womanizer—girls don’t even take him seriously anymore.” She leaned in closer so her mouth was at leveled with my ear. Lowering her voice she added, “He’s a true player—in all senses of the term.”
I probably shouldn’t have but I laughed at that. She was correct when it came to that; Nahuel was a player, and not just in soccer. The soccer team was also awarded ribbons and then they trotted back to the sidelines, allowing the pep rally to continue. My eyes involuntarily followed Nahuel as he sauntered over to where all the cheerleaders were, handing one of them the trophy with a broad smile. One of them in particular, pulled him down to sit beside her. It was that same orange skinned girl that had handed the money box to the principle. She had her polished pink fingernails all over him, whispering small nothings into his ear in which he responded by bursting out in laughter and whispering into her ear in return. Against my will, a pang of jealousy erupted through my chest, seeing how his eyes clouded with lust as she continued to bat her ridiculously long—probably even fake—eyelashes at him. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders bringing her in even closer. I couldn’t see what they were up to anymore, since the guy in front of me stood up as the Steppers took center court now. Stomping their feet to a contagious rhythm that had everyone on their feet. I didn’t feel much in the mood anymore, so standing up as well, I excused myself.
“Where ya goin’?” Aldana asked, concerned look knitting at her brows.
“I’m not feeling so hot anymore. I think I’m going to get an early head start to the bus.” I lied, averting my gaze so that perhaps she wouldn’t quite see through it. wedging myself farther away I decided it was best to not even give her a chance to protest, “I’ll see you Monday! Bye!” I scurried down the steps, taking two at a time best I could with such short legs then made my way to the nearest exit. Not looking back at Aldana or at Nahuel with his flirty little cheerleader.
Later on, I was well boarded on the bus. Ms. Linda had let me on early since I told her about me not feeling too well and having to leave early from the Pep Rally. Students were beginning to exit the school, making their way to their cars/buses so they could finally head on home. More minutes passed and my bus was nearly loaded with most of the passengers in normally took—all but Nahuel. I bit my lips as I contemplated over the thought that he wasn’t coming on the bus for the second time.
The buzzing of my Firefly cell phone interrupted my thoughts. I slid it out of my side pocket and the screen lit up with the word Dad (which was really translated into Nahuel since his number was programmed in the Dad-call button).
I pressed on the answer key, “Hello.”
“Ah, yes, nena,” Nahuel said, almost distractedly from the other end, “listen I won’t be going on the bus. I ah got some celebration, party plans to do today.” There was the sound of a giggling girl way too close to the speaker that had me wondering if he was still embracing that Snooki-looking girl.
“Ok,” I muttered in a breathy whisper, “I’ll see you Monday.” Why did I sound so disappointed? I shouldn’t be!
“Yeah, no. I’m going to stop by your place tomorrow, just a heads up.” He informed, there was another giggle followed by a moan. Holy shit, a moan!! What the hell?!
“What are you doing?” I found myself asking—or demanding. My voice was having mixtures between rage, jealousy, and confusion.
“None of your business, nena,” he chuckled, “Tomorrow, I’ll be there around ten in the morning sweet-cheeks so be ready. Bye now.” He hung up.
I stared down at my phone incredulously. Did he ready just--?
Taking deep breaths I mustered all the strength to not throw my cell phone out the window and across the street. The words Aldana had whispered to me reverberated in my head to the point that I banged my palms against my temples in fruitless attempts to erase those wretched words.
‘…going from girl to girl as if he owned them all. A womanizer—girls don’t even take him seriously anymore.’
She was right. All the facts were there, indicating at how right she was. Then why was my mind making the effort to believe that somehow it wasn’t really true? What did I plan to gain by hiding from the cold, hard facts?
I seriously had no idea anymore.
Copyright © 2012 Cynthia Montoya
All rights reserved
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Not-revised. Yeah I know, it's starting to become a habit that i must stop -__-
Either way, please vote and comment ;) criticism; I'm looking for that stuff lol!
Upload in a few days, be looking out for that haha <3
Ta!