Victor, Victorious

Chapter Thirteen

Two days later, before school, Colin and Courtney stood next to a tree at Huntley Park. They shared a bag of Fuego Takis. Part of a nutritious breakfast.

"It's still not fair, you know," said the girl. "Mom didn't even ground you. Every time I've been to the Dean, I got my phone taken away for a week, or I couldn't watch any T.V."

"But you weren't scarred by the experience," her brother said. "You didn't watch the Dean have a heart attack."

"Yeah, you seem real scarred. You only took a day off from school. Mom was gonna let you miss the rest of the week!"

"I like school."

Courtney sighed. "I really don't get you sometimes."

Colin held the bag of chips. When his sister reached to grab another handful, he pulled the bag away. "You remember what I want you to ask her, right?"

"Yes." Courtney rolled her eyes. "But you really should ask her yourself. Girls like that."

"They like what?"

"Confidence."

Colin offered her the chips again. "I'm not gonna embarrass myself if she isn't interested in me. You're just finding out what she thinks first."

Chewing with an open mouth, Courtney said, "Okay, but isn't she like outta your league?"

"Not anymore."

"Oh, yeah? What's different now?"

Colin chuckled. "I'm new and improved."

"Riiiiight. Whatever you say. But don't all the guys think she's cute? What chance do you have?"

"I've known her since third grade. We were seat partners." Colin had helped them earn "A"s on a few projects together. Had made Mikaela laugh so hard once that milk shot out of her nose.

Courtney said, "You're pathetic."

Colin looked over her shoulder, and said, "Oh, crap! Here she comes! Go, go!"

He ducked behind the tree as Mikaela Martinez approached, taking her usual route to school. She had her ear buds in, listening to music from her iPhone, just as she did every morning.

Courtney stepped onto the sidewalk. "Hey. Mikaela?"

Mikaela removed her ear buds. "Huh?"

"You have P.E. the same period as me. I'm Courtney."

"Okay..."

"I was wondering if you know my brother? Colin Cisneros?"

"Yeah, I do."

"I don't know if you heard about what happened a couple of days ago? When he went to the Dean, he—"

"I thought your brother was nice."

"You 'thought'?"

Mikaela crossed her arms. "He always seemed nice. And then he was saying all those things about Victor Villa. Now, I just think...Your brother's kind of a jerk."

"Yeah," said Courtney. "He is, isn't he?"

"Yes."

"Alright. So, if he ever asked you out, you wouldn't—?"

"No," Mikaela said, quickly. "No way. Not after what he said."

"Yeah, you're right."

"Look, I have to go."

"Okay. See you at P.E." Courtney waved, but Mikaela was already walking away down the bike path.

Colin popped out of his hiding spot and went to Mikaela.

She jumped a little, not expecting him to suddenly appear like that. "Colin! You're here..."

"Mikaela," said the boy. "I've liked you for a really long time." Which wasn't really true. She was cute and all, but not really his type. Not smart enough. But if he could get her to go out with him, to make out with him a little bit, it would drive Victor insane.

Mikaela looked disgusted. "You were there, listening the whole time?"

"Well, yeah. But—"

"Colin. No. Stop. Now."

She brushed past him, putting her ear buds back in place. She left Colin in a stunned stupor.

Who did she think she was? Who was she to disrespect him? What made her so great?

Colin screamed, "Don't you walk away from me!" He put the bag of chips down at his feet and held his palms out to Mikaela, concentrating on the wires snaking from her ears down to her phone.

Now he had power over Mikaela's iPhone and its volume. Colin slowly raised his hands, blaring the music the girl listened to directly into her ear canals.

Mikaela shrieked. She tore out the buds and looked at her phone, totally bewildered.

"Be careful!" Colin called after her. "If you listen to your music too loudly, you might go deaf!"

Mikaela gave him the middle finger and sped off.

Behind Colin, Courtney clapped. "Bravo," she said. "Way to scare her, jumping out like a troll."

"I didn't jump out."

"What was that thing you did with your hands?"

"Nothing." He kicked the bag of chips away from his sister when she bent down to grab some more. Takis spilled onto a patch of crabgrass.

"What the hell?! I paid for half of those!"

Colin glared at Courtney. "You couldn't have stood up for me?"

"'Stood up' for you?"

"When she said I was a jerk?"

"Hey, I told you this was a bad idea from the start."

"You have P.E. with her fifth period?"

"We're not in the same class."

"But you see her out there."

"Yeah, all the time."

Colin took his phone from his pocket. "Here. Put this by her in the locker room."

"What for?"

"Just do it."

"No. Why should I?"

"Maybe I tell Mom about your Snapchat."

"Snitch!" Courtney jabbed a finger into her brother's chest. "Maybe I tell her about you getting hit by lightning and keeping it a secret!"

Colin began to walk off. "She'd be just as mad at you. But go ahead. Maybe I tell her about you going to the movies with Kyle Ortega last week, and not with Julia and her sister."

Courtney chased after him. "How do you know about that? Did you look through my phone?"

"Dust it for fingerprints. I'm innocent, I tell you. Innocent!" Colin smiled. "So, you gonna do me this favor, or not?"

Courtney snatched the phone from his hand. "You are a jerk."

"Thanks."

"Don't blame me if your phone gets jacked."

"Don't worry. Make sure Mikaela is there, and just leave it nearby. On a bench behind her or something."

"Why?"

"It's just a little test." Colin grinned like a maniac. "I wanna see what happens."