Burning Passion: A Leo Valdez Love Story

Chapter 2

Once he'd even reprogrammed the electronic billboards in Times Square to read: ALL DA LADIES LUV LEO... accidentally, of course.

******

I ran downstairs, alarmed, yelling, "mom! What is it? Are you okay?!?"

When I got to the kitchen, she was sitting on a chair at the table, holding a little white box in her hands.

She turned to me, a huge smile on her face, her bright brown eyes sparkling-but she didn't look entirely there. If you know what I mean.

"Roberto proposed!" she cried, smiling incredibly widely.

"What the hell, mom? How long have you known him anyway?" I exclaimed.

"Oh, a month. We've spent loads of time together! I just wasn't sure how you'd react, so I didn't tell you until yesterday. But we're very clearly in love." she added.

"Mom, um... Isn't it a bit early? I mean... It's just... I don't know him at all. Like at all."

"So? You're not getting married to him, are you?" Mom pointed out.

"No, duh. But if he's going to be my flipping step-dad, I should have at least met him! And properly! Not just, "oh hi Naia, this is my boyfriend Roberto", And then announcing, "we're getting married!", like you just did!" I sputtered.

"Naia! Don't talk to me like that!" Mom gasped. "Aren't you happy for me? A grateful, caring daughter would be!"

"And a "caring" mom would have told me about her fiancé earlier! Way, way, earlier!" I exclaimed.

Mom looked hurt... And then, naturally, she started to cry. Yay.

"Mom..." I pleaded, "can you please not go all dramatic on me? All I said was something perfectly reasonable!"

"Naia, I don't care for your opinion about my life. Since you're displeasing me so much, I have no choice but to punish you. No food untill dinner. Is that clear? Now go. Get ready for school."

"Mom, it's Saturday-" I started to say, but she interrupted me. "Naia Izar Johnson, go upstairs and get ready for school! None of your tricks, I won't fall for them anymore. I went to sleep on Thursday night and got up on Friday morning. Today."

What... Oh, damn it. She'd slept all of yesterday as well as tonight? She must have been really drunk.

There was no point in arguing with her now. "Yes, mom," I said, and ran upstairs.

So, now what? I couldn't stay here, mom was in one of her crazy moods. Where could I go...

Then I decided. Michael's house. He'd given me an address to it for some reason, and said that it was for his house. He told me I could come over any time I wanted. He had some things to discuss with me.

Hmm... Perhaps not the bestest best idea ever. You can never tell if someone's a pervert or whatever.

But I was really curious. I mean, like, who keeps a sword in their office, a sharp one, that can kill monsters? Someone who's not normal...

Uh... Maybe an even worse idea, thinking of that.

But if he had wanted to-er- try anything with me, he had the chance when he was healing my wounds. And that was all he had done. Heal me.

So he couldn't be all bad, could he? I was going to have to trust him, I was pretty sure, because I bet he knew all about what had happened to me.