Rhapsody High: The Tale of Super Zero

Chapter 13: A Guest in the House

School Rule #13: Always gatecrash your cousins or your siblings social circles. We never knew if any of their friends can become your potential crush.

Chapter 13: A Guest in the House

Brenda hurriedly closed the front door shut as soon as she saw Ruben's face. What on earth is he doing in front of her house? Is this one of his prank? Is he trying to caused her to move to a different school by pretending to be her boyfriend in front of her parents or something?

Tip-toeing, Brenda tried to peek through the peephole. She could see the black haired guy expression was as shocked as she was. He was standing there for awhile before turning around and made a phone call.

"Bee, is anybody out there?" Brook suddenly caught her tiptoeing in front of the door.

"No." Brenda answered quickly.

"Really? I could swear i heard the bell rang." Brook tried to push Brenda to the side of the door.

"There's nobody out there, Brook!" Brenda remained strong, standing between Brook and the front door. Whatever it takes, Brook must not know that she is being bullied again.

"You know you suck at lying, Bee." Brook tried to pushed Brenda to the side when the phone in his hand rang. Thank god, Brenda whispered to herself.

"Hey, yeah man. I'm home. Wait, i'll go get you." Brook hang up and stared at Brenda. "My friend is here. You need to go away,"

Brenda hesitated before pushing herself to the side, admitting defeat. Hiding behind Brook, she peeked as the front door is open.

"There you are, Ben. How long have you been waiting? Sorry, man." Brook gave Ruben a hug, while Brenda stood openmouthed, surprised.

"It's... cool." Ruben answered, replying Brook's hug awkwardly. His eyes locked onto Brenda.

"Ah yeah. This is Bee, my baby sister." Brook laughed. "Have you seen her around school? She's new."

"Yeah. Yeah i have." Ruben replied absentmindedly.

"Come on in."

Ruben and Brook walked in to the house while Brenda stood there, still trying to digest. Ruben and Brook are friends? Since when? She questioned herself. Why did Brook have to introduce her as Bee? Now everyone at school will make fun of her.

Brenda was sitting on the dinner table, when Brook came in and introduced Ruben to the whole family. "Ma. Pa. This is Ben."

"Nice to meet you, Ben. I'm Belinda." Brenda's mother walked into the dining room carrying grilled chickens and mashed potatoes. "Now help yourself with some dinner." She winked at him. Brenda's mother always have the tendency of being flirty to all Brenda's and Brook's friends. Brenda couldn't help but to feel embarrassed, but Ruben seemed to enjoy it.

Brook laughed as he sat down and commented. "This guy has a girl already. Stop flirting with him, Ma."

"What a lucky girl she must be." Brenda's father joined in with his newspaper and laughed, while Ruben shot Brook a sharp look. "Ben, i'm Jason Collins." Ruben gave Brenda's father a formal handshake, while introducing himself, "Ben Tyler."

"A Tyler?" He asked. "I never knew, Brook."

Brook laughed. "Yeah, well, i know how to make friends with cool people."

Ruben hasn't sat down for some reason, he was staring down at Belinda setting up the table. Hesitatingly he asked, "is there anything i can help?"

Belinda giggled for awhile. "It's fine, really. Just sit down." She smiled before adding, "there boys. A good example for all of you."

Ruben sat down uneasily, while Brook and Jason were laughing. On the other side of the table, Brenda was still eyeing Ruben attentively. How could he end up in her house?

Ruben kept on giving Brenda a quick sharp glance throughout the dinner while both Belinda and Jason questioned him about his family and school.

"Yeah, Pa. Ben has to crash here for awhile. Do you mind?"

"No. Not at all. You're always welcome in this house." Jason gave Ruben a sincere smile, deep inside Brenda wished that her parents will say no. How could she be living with the biggest gangster and bully in the entire school?

"So you studying in Rhapsody High too?" Belinda added. "Bee also goes there."

"Yeah. I've seen her around." Ruben forced himself to smile.

"Do you mind sending Bee to school then?" Brook asked him. "Since you're crashing with us anyway. I need you to protect my baby sister." Brook messed up Brenda's hair and gave her a pinch on the nose.

"Yeah, why not?" He sounded calm about it, as if it really didn't bother him. As Ruben ate his grilled chicken slowly, Brenda felt her legs weakened. She wondered what Ruben's next prank going to be.