BAD REPUTATION [SCOTT REED]

FOUR

'DIOS MIO, MAMÁ. NOT EVERY BOY I TALK TO IS MY NOVIO!"
——

Alona was sat at the third row of her Calculus class when she felt her phone vibrate from her back pocket.

She pulls it out carefully and frowned when she got a text from an unknown number.

unknown
you and me. monet's. after school.

alona
who is this

unknown
it's scott

alona
how the hell did you even get my number

scott
you really wanna know?
it took me forever to get it
and also costed me 50 bucks
zach wouldn't give it to me so i had to take matters to my own hands
you see, i got it from monty who got it from mike who got it from jameson who got it from sheri
sheri asked for something in exchange and i had to pay jameson to bribe sheri

alona
wow so my number went through a lot of people?
guess i'll have to change it to a new one then, thanks to you

scott
WHAT NO
don't worry 'bout them
so, as i was saying
come with me at monet's after school?

alona
no

scott
come on
please? :(

alona
if this is some stupid bet you and your stupid ass friends made, im out

scott
it's not
i'm serious
please go out with me

alona
jesus, we just met for idk a week or two ??? wtf is wrong with u white boy

scott
haven't heard of love at first sight?

alona
i don't do love, white boy
bye 💀

The last bell rung and Alona shoots uo from her seat, dodging people rushing out of the room hurriedly. Scott cussed and demanded people to get out of his way as he tries to come after her, he ignores his friends' shouts after him, stepping out of the school and to the parking lot where he sees she was headed.

He places a hand on her shoulder when he caught up with her pace and she groaned, turning back to face him. "I'm not up for your games, Reed."

"I'm not playing any games, Vergara. This is all me."

"Whatever. I'm leaving, my brother's waiting for me."

"Soon enough, you'll change your mind, Lonnie!" He calls out after her retreating figure.

"Wait until Hell freezes over. Goodluck about that!"

♔

Joaquin walks straight to the kitchen and into the refrigerator grumpily, answering his mother with minimal replies. Isabel waits for her daughter to enter the kitchen before asking her, "What's up with your brother?"

"He's just upset I was a little late when I picked him up." Alona concludes nonchalantly, grabbing an apple from the table.

"A little late? Jesus, you came half an hour late for some reason. Se trata de un chico!" Joaquin grumbled, pulling out a box of cereal and a huge carton of milk.

"No es un tipo, idiota!" Alona protests defensively, preparing to aim the fruit at her brother.

"Hey! Quit it!" Isabel warns her.

"It is! I saw this guy texting you multiple times to go out with him at Monet's and something about what you've talked about at the parking lot—"

"You read my text messages notifications?!" Alona asks incredulously, she throws a placemat at him and it hits him straight on the face.

Isabel shoots her a disapproving look, "If this boy is courting you, dinner first here in the house."

"Dios mio, mamá. Not every boy I talk to is my novio! They're my friends too."

"I know. I'm just saying, if there's a boy who likes you, you don't get to be with him until you bring him over for dinner. Am I understood, young lady?" Isabel points out and her daughter sighed in defeat, nodding.

Isabel poked her son on the rib lightly, whispering. "What was the boy's name?"

"Mamá!" Alona cries out and Isabel and Joaquin laughs to themselves. "I told you it was nothing!"

"I believe the name of the sender of the text from her phone was Scott." Joaquin reveals and Alona yells out in anger, pulling out her shoe amd aimed at his brother's back, hitting him square on it. Joaquin screams in pain and doubled over, mewling exaggeratedly about how he won't be able to stand or to even walk again.

"If it is nothing then why do you act like this, then?" Isabel counters with a knowing smile.