Free Spirit

Pelicans and Running Mascara

It's Saturday at 3 pm. Another beautiful sunny day. Earlier in the day, I picked up Brandon and we went to Lakewood where they were proctoring the ACT. Of course, we went to Dunkin and got our drinks. I put my top down and we blasted my playlist without any of his rap music bullshit (I decided to be nice and let him put one song but he put Mo Bamba so I had to immediately retract the cord from him).

It was very much hell, having to be there for four hours doing nothing but working my brain. But this is the second time I've taken it and I'm aiming for a 32 since my last one was a 27. I'm sure I reached my goal and hopefully I end up achieving that or higher.

After I took him home, I went by Mallorie's. Her grandmother is back from Peru and is living with them for the next month. I love her so much. When I rang the doorbell, she answered.

"Ay, mija! Well if it isn't my favorite girl. Come in, mija. Mallorie is upstairs," she ushers me in. She smells like warm cinnamon and love.

"Hola, abuelita. I've missed you so much. How's life?" I ask and Mallorie's dog, Churro, comes running up to me and I pick him up.

"Same old chingaderas, mijita. Arthritis and high blood pressure. I won't keep you very long. We talk later, okay?"

"Sure thing, Abue," I started for the stairs and I see Mallorie is in her bed, reading her teen romance novels. Such a hopeless romantic. I hand her Churro and he licks her face.

"Listen, sometimes when Marc doesn't give me attention, I turn to these to fill the void," she says, rubbing her eyes as she takes off her glasses. Mal only wears them at home because she says they don't fit her face shape and the frames cover her eyebrows so she won't wear them to school.

"You guys have been dating for the longest time. Surely you've told him what bothers you right?" I ask her, picking up a lipstick she bought from Sephora. The label said 'Moody Mauve'. Definitely Mal's shade.

"Ugh, sometimes I feel like I'm being annoying and clingy so I hold off. Couples must always try to maintain a balance between their time with and without each other. Communication is key, I know, but there is some things best kept to yourself," she explains. I already know she picks this stuff up from all the books she reads. But Jesus, having a relationship sounds like hard work. Maybe it is best that Brandon and I have been just friends...

"Anyways, I forgot to text you about this yesterday but I was in trig and I heard Sana talking about Brandon to Noemi Siskopoulou," she sits up and glares at me with serious I-have-tea eyes.

"Really? What about?" I place the lipstick down and join her on her bed. I am intrigued.

"So she was telling Noemi about how she wants him to ask her to prom. And if he doesn't ask her soon, she wants to ask him. She was totally gushing about how hot he is and how he flirts with her. But she's scared that he'll ask you because she always sees you guys together everywhere and he walks with you to class. She thinks it's only fair if you end going with someone else but you're so pretty and can get any guy. Poor Sana, if only she was smarter than to talk about this when I sit RIGHT NEXT to her. Like obviously I heard and I would tell you. Anyways, you think there's any chance he would say yes to Sana?" She asks me, placing her glasses back on her face.

Hmm, interesting. Prom isn't until mid April and people are already talking about it? I haven't even given it a second thought.

"Honestly, no chance. At least I hope so. He totally blew her off for me, Mal. And he's taking me to Cesarwoods tonight," I informed her.

"Wait, no. WAIT. Are you shitting me? You think he'll ask you to prom tonight?" She started to shake the bed in excitement.

"Um, no. It's way too early. I just think he wants to talk and hang. But I wish he would literally tell me how he feels," I answer, removing my hair tie and redoing my ponytail.