Loving Cupid

Gap Models

It appears that most of you are in confusion. If you've been catching the conversation up to this point, you would have heard (or rather, read) a few mentions of Conner being my assistant and work being done in my apartment room.

I'll explain it all in a minute.

But first, I think there's something about me you need to know. Something vital.

Something I should probably have told you before I even got you caught up in this mess.

I'm Cupid.

Yeah, no shit, hunny. What else is new?

And if you know anything about that naked flying baby, you would also know that he's blind.

Say what? I thought he just never used to open his eyes!

But calm down, guys. I'm not blind.

Oh, thank goodness! How awkward would that be, am I right?

Well, not completely. I just don't have one eye.

...yeahhh, we're leaving this book. Bye.

I'll explain everything later, I swear! Just give me a second, okay?!

________________

Conner and I were Gap models.

At least, that's what we called ourselves.

I was five years old and at the back of the school bus when he walked in.

The girls at the front stopped throwing apples at my head to look at him. The apples were forgotten as they took him in.

Conner was hot for a five year old.

His eyes were huge and round. His eyebrows were thick and brown, a contrast of his halo of fair hair. His cheeks were chubby in the most adorable way. His lips were pink and looked like he had a permanent pout on.

I don't know what it was with five year olds and their love for pink, pouty lips, but the second those girls got an eyefull of him, there was no peace.

"Hey, my name's Denice! Come sit with me!"

"There's hardly any space beside you, Denice. He should come sit with us! Me and Nancy have all the room in the world!"

"Liars! You're just squeezing each other against the bus!"

"Shut up, Lizbeth!"

"My name's Alice, would you like to sit here?"

"Back off, Alice! I saw him first!"

"Finders Keepers, Denice!"

"Come over here, new boy!"

"No! Over here, over here!"

I buried my head further into my hoodie and tried to keep the tears at bay. I couldn't believe Mom and Dad made me come to school today. I couldn't believe I came anyway.

"What's your name, little fella?"

The ancient croak of our first grade assistant teacher silenced the bus. She was an old hag, but you did not want a spanking from those palms.

Ms. Hanibull put an old, wrinkly hand on the new boy's shoulder in attempt to make him welcome, even went as far as displaying a few yellow teeth that still remained in her mouth.

I didn't look up to see the look on his face as he introduced himself, but I was surprised at his voice.

"I'm Conner. Conner West. My family lives over there, right behind that huge tree. I'm not very good with people but... I'll try my hardest to be super nice to everyone, okay?"