𝑬𝒓𝒆𝒔 𝑴í𝒂 | ᴮᵒʸ ᴹᵉᵉᵗˢ ᵂᵒʳˡᵈ

25: Beauty and the Bad Liar

"You said you were in a play, Eres un mentiroso." You're a liar. I yelled at Matteo as I walked to Eddie's car.

"Adriana, just let me explain!" Matteo said. "There's nothing to explain! I saw you!" I said, turning around to look at him. "Hey, she kissed me!" "Oh, and you just naturally kiss back instead of pushing her away?" I said.

"You're acting like we're together." Matteo muttered. "Oh, so those three dates meant nothing? They were just a waste of time?" He sighed. "That's not what I meant." "You know, I don't care what you mean anymore, Matteo. Just leave me alone."

I turned back around and walked into Eddie's car. I got into the passenger seat and slammed the door. "Go ahead. Say it." I mumbled, crossing my arms and resting my head on the window.

"I'm not gonna take advantage of you like that." Eddie said, starting the car. "I can't believe he'd lie about something like that— thinking he was in a play. You're right, Eddie. I am stupid." "Don't say that, Adriana-Camila. You're smart." "Yeah, yeah, whatever."

♥

"Okay, The Scarlet Letter. Hester Prynne has a red letter "A" on her dress. Everybody knows what the "A" stands for, right?" Mr. Turner asked.

"Boring?" Cory said. Some of the class laughed quietly. "Hey, everybody, don't laugh at Matthews, okay. He's never seen an "A" before." I covered my mouth to hide my laughter.

"Okay, the buzz is all over the Massachusetts colony that Hester has taken the pure out of Puritan. It's scandalous. It's gossip. It could've come right out of today's headlines." Mr. Turner held up today's school newspaper.

New principal is Weeny. It read. Cory and Shawn laughed before fist bumping. Mr. Feeny walked in, clearing this throat. "Mr. Feeny, good morning." Mr. Turner said.

"Actually, Mr. Turner, I've had better. You see, I have been forced on his particular morning to go from room to room, asking anyone with information about this little journalistic prank to come forward." Mr. Feeny said.

"Hmm?" I know exactly who it is. "I will go a lot easier on the perpetrator if he or she or they voluntarily confess." No one said anything.

"Very well. I will now return you to your lecture on..." He noticed the board. "On the letter "A." He headed towards the door. "Keep up the good work."

♥

I lay in my bed, reading The Scarlet Letter. I heard tapping at my window. I thought it was the rain until I heard Journey. I got out of bed and opened my curtains.

There he was. Matteo stood in the mud with his boom box, playing "Faithfully" by Journey. "I'm forever yours. Faithfully." Matteo mouthed the lyrics.

I couldn't help but smile. That's when Eddie tackled Matteo getting the both of them all muddy. They began to fight. "Eddie, stop!" I yelled. "Dad! Dad!" I yelled, running to the front door.

"¿Qué es?" What is it? He asked, following me in a panic. The puddle on the corner splashed mud onto my pants as I ran to them. "Eddie!" I yelled, jumping on his back, trying to pull him away from Matteo. He pushed me away.

"What the hell is going on?" Dad asking pulling Eddie to his feet. "Who is that?" He asked. I dropped to my knees and helped Matteo. Eddie looked at Dad then at me. I shook my head.

"Somebody answer me dammit." Eddie looked at dad. "Who is that kid?" "The guy Adriana-Camila was seeing." Dad looked at Matteo. "How old are you, kid?" Matteo didn't answer. "He's eighteen." Eddie answered.

Dad's face dropped as he looked at me. He walked over to Matteo and I. "Proceed." Dad told Eddie, pulling me away from him. "No, stop it!" I yelled, trying to escape Dad's grasp.

He pushed me inside. "Did you know how old he was?" He asked. "Answer me, Adriana-Camila." "Yes..." I said. Dad sighed as he grabbed the bridge of his nose. "I–" He stopped himself for a moment. "Go clear yourself up." He said.

I lowered my head and listened. I grabbed the first pair of everything before going to the shower. I didn't want to hear Eddie beat up Matteo.

I washed the mud off me and scrubbed my clothes so they wouldn't stain. As I left the bathroom, I saw Eddie leaning against the opposite wall, waiting to use the shower.

I didn't say anything and just went to my room. Even with the closed curtains and soothing rain, I couldn't sleep. I couldn't sleep even more when the thunder started.

I didn't want to sleep in Eddie's bed, so I went to find Dad. He was sitting in his recliner staring at nothing as he tapped his fingers on the armrest.

"Papi?" I said quietly, breaking him from his thoughts. He looked at me and motioned for me to come over.

"I heard the thunder." He said. I sat on his lap and rested my head on his shoulder. He grabbed a throw blanket and covered me with it.

I could tell he was trying not to ask or talk to me about Matteo by the way he kept pushing his lips together.

♥

Cory, Shawn, and I sat on the bench by the lockers. "So, you gonna be shooting some hoops today after school with us?" Shawn asked.

"I can't." Cory replied, getting up and clapping his hands together. "I got this little meeting with Mr. Feeny, where he's gonna ask me some questions about something I didn't do." He said, referring to the stunt Shawn pulled.

"And if I don't tell him who did, I get suspended." Shawn grabbed his backpack and put it on his shoulder.

"And I totally appreciate your doing this for me. I mean, after I blew up that mailbox last year, Dad said one more screw-up, and he'd ship me off to Military school." Shawn said.

"You know, I can only cover for you for so long." "How long?" Mr. Feeny walked out of his office reading today's paper.

"Weeny, Weeny, Weeny, Weeny, Weeny, Weeny..." He repeated before flipping the page. "And "Weeny."

"Don't be late, Mr. Matthews." He said. "Cory, just tell him it was me. I haven't gotten in trouble with him for a while. I could break the streak and miss a day or two of school." I said. "No, I can handle it, Adriana-Camila." Cory replied.

♥

"So, in the end, Hester Prynne is faced with a pretty tough decision. Does she rat in the person who's responsible for her predicament, or does she keep his secret and face the scorn of society?" Mr. Turner asked.

Shawn was asleep with his head resting on his hand. "Pretty relevant stuff, eh, Matthews? Eh, Hunter?" Shawn shot up. "Sir! It stood for adultery, sir!" He exclaimed. We looked at him confused. "I was practicing for military school."

The bell rang, and we left. I didn't see Matteo today in the halls or in Spanish class. The only marks Eddie had was on his knuckles where he beat Matteo.