Toto and the Boys I: Jackie

Chapter 7

Thank God it’s Wednesday, I thought. It meant tomorrow would be Thursday and it mean I’d be with Georgie. I couldn’t believe Jackie would leave me here to be put on shame! Other cars and their owners looked at me with amusement as they started to leave.

The BMW beside me was talking about how unfortunate my situation was. It wouldn’t stop talking! I wanted to kick its shiny bumper and leave it limp for the rest of eternity until it would be weighed for scrap.

I was still partially blinded by the stupid orange cardboard that read, “I love you, Jackie! Please say yes!”

“We’re here! Yes, yes! Oh my God!”

I almost jumped on my four tires when I heard George’s voice. Georgie?

A small gasp followed George’s cry. Dannie?

And sure enough, there they were. Both of them were staring at me with shock on their faces. And then the shock turned to anger. George stormed toward me, her slit eyes now in lines, and grabbed the stupid cardboard. She ripped it away from me and I cried in glee.

“Sick bastard!” George cried, staring at the rose petals on my hood. “Okay, I change my mind! We definitely need to get rid of him!” She used the cardboard to sweep the red rose petals off me.

Dannie was looking at me, still in shock. “I really thought Jackie was just exaggerating when she told me about this guy.”

Come on, girls! Jackie has been in hell since this guy came into her life!

“We should have known he’s doing more than sing outside our apartment,” George said in agreement. “Shoot!” she uttered as she checked her phone, the one she was holding in her other hand. She brought it back to her ear and said, “Jackie? Sorry, we just had a shock when we saw Toto. He was covered with rose petals!”

“And a cardboard!” Dannie added beside George.

“Where? Art District? Why are you there?” George was asking. She threw the cardboard right beside the narcissistic BMW. Good throw, Georgie!

I saw George’s shoulders drop. “Okay, we’ll get there.”

“Why is she in Art District?” Dannie asked, walking to my passenger side.

“They’re following her boss,” George answered, searching her big backpack for the keys. “She should really stop leaving Toto behind,” she added in frustration.

Tell her that, Georgie!

“I was waiting for her outside the school when she called me to pick Toto up,” Dannie uttered conversationally when George finally managed to open my doors. “But you said she was following her boss with who--” Dannie did not finish her sentence. “Right. She’s with Troy.”

“And she said she has a ‘shocker’ thing to tell us,” George added, putting me in gear.

Drive faster, Georgie! I want to know what this shocker is!

  *****

Art District was located at the back of Lopue’s Mandalagan, a supermarket/department store. It was where most people who would want a night with music and good drinks would go. I used to call it a “park of bars” because there were just different small bars surrounding the amphitheater found at the center. These bars had tables and chairs set up outside so people who would like to spend their night breathing in fresh air could enjoy. And there would always be music. It was named Art District because it was a place that collaborated music, art works, food and drinks. Colorful murals on the walls gave the place a cool look and then there were those exhibits of statues made from scrap! At the entrance, you would find large concrete balls, some of them painted to look like giant billiard balls. Others had pastel colors and they were gigantic. It was cool, actually. I was just unlucky that I was a car and I couldn’t join the boys and their friends whenever they went here. They used to park me at the back, right behind the supermarket, but that parking lot was closed now. So I had to content myself by just hearing and getting a glimpse of the fun from outside the main entrance.