Rhapsody High: The Tale of Super Zero

Chapter 18: The Call

School Rule #18: sometimes there is nothing better but your own solitude time. It's always you against the world.

Chapter 18: The Call

The headline news for some reason didn't sound very surprising for Ruben. Now he knew the reason why Renata has been driving Nathaniel to school. She had slept with him.

He wished it was not true, but he remembered what Troy had told him earlier. "A girl gotta feel lonely when a girl feels lonely." He thought Rena was different, clearly he was wrong. It was partly his fault for not answering her phone calls the whole weekend, he just didn't expect that she would throw herself onto his stepbrother so easily. She reminded him so much of his mother. Every women are the same. He thought to himself.

CJ kept on glancing at him throughout the game that it made Ruben felt uncomfortable. "Where were you during the game?" He finally asked when Brenda left.

Ruben knew CJ would bring this up. He really has no answer to that though, he can't say that his little sister lock him in the girl's toilet. "Nowhere." He answered calmly.

"Nowhere?" CJ gave a loud huffing sound. "Northsies beat us up bad."

"I know. He broke Nathan's arm."

"I thought u were gonna stop that from happening?" CJ's brow raised, he wasn't forcing Ruben to answer, he just needed an answer.

"I got locked up." Ruben finally admitted.

"Locked up?"

"Yeah."

"By the northsies or something?"

Ruben just kept quite, CJ would know that he wasn't lying. He just didn't want to talk about if.

"it wasn't because of Rena?" CJ's eyebrows raised. "Are you two alright?"

Ruben sighed. Are they? He doesn't even know what had happened.

CJ finally paused the game and locked his eyes on him. "You've liked her for ages."

"i'm fine." Ruben sighed under his breath.

"Have you talked to her about this?" CJ seemed unconvinced.

"No." Ruben tried to grab the remote from and pressed the play button on the Xbox, attempting to distract CJ.

"You should." Fair enough, after commenting CJ placed his attention back onto the TV.

"She's dating a famous person now. There is nothing much to say." Ruben finally whispered under his breath.

Not long after, he found his phone vibrating on the table. He straightaway got up, wondering if it was Renata. She hasn't called him since the first day of school. He got up and saw the name on his phone. Definitely the last person he ever expected to call him. Benjamin Tyler.

Ruben got up and hurriedly went out of the room. He could feel his heart thumping loud. He pressed the answer button and waited for the other side to speak first.

"Ben?" His father's voice came through the phone.

"Yeah?" Ruben answered coldly. It has been years since he last heard his father's voice, he couldn't decide how he should react.

"Your mother has been calling me non-stop." He exclaimed. "Where are you? Why are you running away?"

"No reason."

He could hear his father sighing loud. "Aren't you happy in the Peak Hill?"

Ruben wanted to scream, "no, father. I am very happy. I had never been happier since you left Mum and me." Obviously he couldn't say any of that and decided to keep quiet. Sometimes he wondered why adults asked such stupid questions.

"Tell you what? Live with me." Ruben almost couldn't believe his ears. "I got a new apartment. It is quiet far away, on the outskirt, but if you don't mind riding to school from here, why not?"

Ruben kept quiet for awhile. He has been feeling really bad crashing and disturbing CJ's family. He needs to take this opportunity while it lasts. "Are you sure?" Ruben carefully assured his Father.

"Yeah." He answered. "I want you to meet someone."

Someone. He sounded like Cecilia when she first wanted to introduce Paul to Ruben. He knew where this is going. He doesn't really care anymore.

"Yeah. Okay."

"I had to leave to Paris tomorrow. So it's either you came today or Whitney will have to send you here."

Ruben couldn't remember which one of her father's many women was Whitney, but either way, he cut him off. "Yeah, i'm leaving now."

In less than an hour, Ruben packed up all his clothes and wished farewell to CJ and his family. Jason reminded him that he will always be welcome in their home, while Belinda packed him some Nachos and Salsa. For some reason the family never ran out of Nachos. Ruben hugged and thanked the whole family and stopped when it comes to Brenda. He couldn't decide if hugging her was appropriate.

He finally decided to mess her hair and gave her one of his metal skull bracelet. "Keep it for me alright?" He knows they wouldn't talk to each other at school anyway, so might as well gave her something to keep. Brenda was nodding at him innocently. There is something about the nerdy super zero that is just incredibly adorable.

Once again, he found himself alone with his Harley and the wind. Enjoying the weather he rode himself to the outskirt of the city.