Of Jerks & Drama

Chapter 8

"What did you even tell coach so he could let you out early?" I ask as a Justin Bieber song plays in the background.

"Oh I just told him my dad was really sick and I needed to visit him and he let me go." He states and stops at a red light.

"And he let you go?" I ask, bewildered. I probably look like the emoji with white eyes, blue covering the top part of the emoji, it's mouth forms an 'o' and its hands are on either sides of its cheeks. (The one that looks like the home alone boy) Alexa has made up more petrifying lies than my fingers can count and he doesn't even believe those ones.

"Yeah." He let's out a breathy laugh when he sees my face, that fills the car, cancelling out the music temporarily. "A little bird told me his dad wasn't feeling to good either, so thought if I played sick dad card, he'll let me go."

"Oh, nice job." I congratulate him. "You have finally broken Coach Fitzgerald, and giving me a gateway ticket to no p.e."

He laughs some more and shakes his head at me.

I never knew Mateo would be my friend in a million years, I didn't think people like me — cue the cricket noise — and people like Mateo — cue the applause and fangirling — could mix, ever. But seeing as it is happening, anything is possible. Silence dawns on us as the fourth Justin Bieber song plays.

Wait a second...

I've never heard a jock listen to a JB song, not to talk of four. The big bad Mateo everybody is afraid of likes Justin Bieber — not so big and bad after all... well he still is kind of big, so not so bad after all.

I laugh, thinking of Mateo dancing to one of his songs.

"What's so funny." He asks, glancing over to my direction briefly before turning back to the road.

"The fact you like JB." I smirk.

"What do you mean?" He mouths at the at the same as Justin sings it and I break into a fit of giggles.

Once I've calmed myself down, I retort, "Well, that answers that."

My stomach makes a gurgling noise and my hand flies to pat it, it's like I haven't eating in years — well last night. I look out the window because I'm too embarrassed to look him, even though I know his eyes are already trained at me.

I notice we've already stopped moving and parked at a parking lot.

"We can't have you starving." Mateo says then he pulls his keys out of the ignition and I follow his suite, but not before pulling out a twenty dollar bill out of my wallet and stuff it into the pocket of my black jeans. I catch up with him and we enter the small restaurant.

The place is almost empty, just three people in here, us including.

We walk to the woman behind the counter who I presume will take our orders. Mateo orders first, he orders: two cheese burgers, a large portion of fries and two milkshakes. It's almost as if he has two stomachs, what if he does this on a daily basis, where does all this food go? Once its my turn to order, I order the cheapest thing; a steak.

We take our seats by the windows and wait for the food to come.

"You know, you didn't have to bring me here." I say.

"No I wanted to."

"Thanks." I smile, fiddling with my fingers in my lap.

The food comes and Mateo's order takes one end of the booth we are in to the other.

"Would you like anything else." The waiter asks, with a forced smile on. I know this smile, I can spot one from a mile away. I've used slash seen it so many times at my dad's smoothy shake it's etched in my brain. I gave him a sincere smile and tell him no.

Mateo and I dig into our food and I can't tell you the steak was nice.

It was chewy and—

Wait, is it supposed to crunch?

I look at Mateo and he seems to be enjoying his burger and my mouth waters.

He notices my distaste and pushes the steak away from me, and but a his plate in the middle.

"Here," He offers with a mouth full. "I only got two of everything because of you anyway."

I shift my butt on the shiny red leather chair and it squeaks. "Are you sure?" I ask and he nods, taking a big bite of his burger.

He also slides one chocolate milkshake towards me and I gladly sip on it after I've taking a bite of my burger.

~•~•~

I pat my belly with a faint smile on my face as we walk up to my house, I probably look pregnant.

After we ate, we just stayed in there and talked about a bunch of random things. I learnt Mateo's favorite color is black — no surprise there — he's and only child and he's been playing basket ball for four years, since freshman year.

"Thank you again." I say fetching my house keys from my bag. "T'was really fun."

"My pleasure." He responds, smiling down at me.

I look to my right and see Foster scowling at me from his bedroom window.

"Wanna come in?" I ask and nods then walks in after me.

I show him to the living room and we sit down. I sigh and run my hands over my facing, thinking of how I'm going to ask this question.

"You okay— ”

"Would you be my fake boyfriend?" I ask. An emotion I'm not quite sure of flashes through he's eyes but it left as quick as it came.

He stays silent and I continue to talk like an idiot. "I mean you don't have to, I suggested it 'cause we both are not really fond of Foster and he gets jealous go some reason when he sees me with you, so...this is the part were you answer so I can stop making a fool out of myself."

He blinks and runs his hand through his black hair and it flops back into place. "Yes," His voice sounds strained so he clears his throat. "Yes, I'll do it."

"Okay, bit you know you can say no, you don't have to say yes—"

"No I want to do it." He states and his phone buzzes. "I have to go now."

I show him to the door then he gives me a hug and Foster's (still by the window) mouth hung open.

Mateo's body is warm. Considering the chilly air that is blowing, his body is still warm. When he releases me, I feel light wind nipping at me bare dark arms.

That feeling bubbles up in me again and I swear I've eating.

03•01•17  (unedited)