The day after, Debra took a walk from her house down a few blocks over to Andrea's house. Once she arrived, she took a deep breath and rang the doorbell. She started to think about what would Andrea's reactions be if she told her about the chattering of her boyfriend. After several seconds, the door opened with Andrea poking her head out.
"Hey, Debbie!" she greeted.
"Hey, Andy," Debra greeted back.
"What are you doing here? I didn't know you were coming."
"Oh, this is just a quick stop. I need to talk to you."
"Oh, sure. Come on in."
Debra entered the bright orange house with Andrea closing the door for her. Debra took a few steps into the pink and white lobby and turned around to face Andrea.
"Well, sit down, moza amiga," said Andrea.
"Actually, I want to tell you something before I make myself comfortable as it might make you tense."
"Okay. Then tell me."
"Alright. First, how are you and Enrique Iglesias doing?"
"Ricardo Iglesias."
"Ricardo Iglesias. That's what I meant."
"Well, we're doing fantastic. We do better and better every day. I think I might love him."
"Oh, well, you're going to hate me after this," she smiled nervously.
"Why?"
"Um... don't take this personal. Think about me saying it because I love you."
"What is it?"
"Say you love me back."
"I love you. What is it?"
"Well... me and the girls are happy that you got a boyfriend. Actually, more than happy. Ecstatic! But you have this little habit that we want you to look over."
"Oh, is it the way I talk? I started to notice that my voice gets slightly American-sounding when I talk too long. It's probably because I'm near Americans every day. I'll try to work on it because let me tell you: it's freaking me out, too."
"No, it's not about your accent. It's about Ricardo."
"Oh. Well, that makes sense since you were talking about my relationship."
"Yeah. So about Ricardo -- and like I said, we're ecstatic -- you talk about him too much."
Andrea stared at Debra as if she blacked out. "What do you mean?"
"Well, for example, when we asked you about your day, your answer involved Ricardo."
"Well, yeah. I had a good day because I was talking to Ricardo earlier."
"And that's okay. But when you talk to Ricardo, you end up talking about Ricardo."
"What's wrong with talking about a boyfriend?"
"Nothing. Nothing's wrong. It's just that you talk about him more than you talk about yourself."
"Debbie, I'm not egotistical."
"I know but you act like he's perfect."
"He is perfect."
"Nobody's perfect."
"Just because Hannah Montana sung about that doesn't mean it's true."
"Andy, I love you. Me and the girls love you. But we would really appreciate it if you didn't talk about your boyfriend so much."
"Oh, I see how it is."
"I was afraid this was going to happen."
"You and the girls are just jealous because I am the only one in our group that has a man."
"No, it's not that at all. We're just tired."
"Oh, you're tired of me?"
"Now I didn't say that."
"Yes, you did."
"Well, I didn't mean it that way."
"Ricardo makes me happy and you're convincing me to break up with him."
"No, I'm convincing you to stop talking about him."
"So you're admitting you're trying to convince me?"
"Man, I wish talking to girls were easy."
"I can't believe you came to my house to tell me how to date."
"Zen! Zen!"
Andrea paused. "What is wrong with you?"
"I don't know. I actually thought it would work. I don't know what's wrong with me."
"Debra, if you were my friend, you'd want me to be happy."
"I do want you to be happy. And I am your friend! Weren't you listening?!"
"Hey, what's all the commotion?" Ricardo said, running down the wooden stairs.
"Oh, come on!" said Debra. "He's here?"
"Debra, you will one day find a boy who will love, cherish and appreciate you," said Andrea. "But until you do, you cannot pick on my boyfriend."
"I wasn't picking on your boyfriend!"
"You called him Enrique."
"That's because his last name is Iglesias. I can't confuse a teenage Latino with a Latin singer who used to have a mole?"
"I don't care, Debra. I just don't care."
"Well, care about this. I'm leaving!"
She stomped past Andrea towards the door.
"Good, you came for no reason anyway," Andrea turned around.
"Oh, I come for reasons!" Debra twisted the knob on the door but it did not open. She then unlocked all of the four golden locks on the door. "You got too many locks on your door," she said, opening it and exiting. She slammed it closed.
Ricardo walked over to Andrea who sighed deeply. "Whoa, what was that all about?" he asked, embracing her.
"Debra says that she and my other friends are complaining about me talking about you," she replied.
"What?"
"I know, right?"
"There's nothing wrong with talking about your boyfriend."
"That's what I said! But Debra said that I talk about you too much."
"I don't find anything wrong with that. I'm flattered."
"Good. Plus, don't you talk about me?"
"Hardly."
Andrea frowned. "Oh."
"But it's nothing personal. You know you're special."
"Yeah," she laughed, awkwardly.
"I can't believe that your friends would say that though. You need to stop hanging out with them."
Andrea released from Ricardo's embrace. "What?" she scrunched her face.
"Your friends obviously don't like me. You might as well have friends who do like me, right?"
"R- Right?"
"Yeah, you need friends who are normal and don't dress up like John Lennon."
"Her name is Debra."
"Sure. Look, Andrea, it's you and me in this relationship. Not you, me and your friends. So if you stop hanging out with your nappy friends, we can be together for a long time."
Andrea smiled in feign. "Okay. Well, before I do that, may I ask you a question?"
"Sure, you can ask me anything, baby."
"Okay." She walked into the corner of the lounge towards a long, wooden pot. Sticking out of the pot is a wooden cane which she picks up. She walked back to Ricardo, facing him from a foot away and holding the cane pointing up. "Let me ask you this: have you ever heard of a human popsicle?"
Wednesday, April 30, 2014
Tuesday, April 29, 2014
Andrea's New Boyfriend (Chapter 3)
A couple days after, after school, the girls decided to go over Lizzie's house by Andrea driving them all in her jeep to the house. On the car ride to her house, Andrea gabbed about her boyfriend, Ricardo Iglesias, which tired out the girls to their ears. The girls remained looking interested but Andrea kept talking from the car to the house until they finally arrived. After their arrival, the girls settled in the fancy-looking living room and started to help each other with their homework.
"I don't get this question," said Lizzie, tapping her face with her number-two pencil. She then used it to point at the question on her worksheet clipped in her polka-dotted binder. "What is a 'pyramid gore' theorem?"
Madeline, who was sitting behind her on the pale pink sofa, looked over Lizzie's shoulder to read the question on the worksheet. "That says 'Pythagorean Theorem'," she corrected.
"Oh, then that makes so much sense," Lizzie said as she began to write.
"Ricardo is good at math," Andrea noted from a comfy, blue chair. "If you ask him to solve a problem, he will solve it in an instant. I bet he studied geometry as a little kid."
"Well, that's good that you found a guy who is focused on his studies," said Debra, who was sitting on the floor.
"Yeah, he's focused on his studies, sports, family and me. Cute, huh?"
"Yeah, that's adorable," Skye said in deadpan, flipping through her chemistry textbook. "Does any of you know how to solve for a limiting reagent?"
"Ricardo is good at chemistry, also," Andrea added. "He would get a hundred percent on all of his science tests. And he still does. I find that amazing."
"That doesn't answer my question," Skye responded after a pause.
"Go to page two hundred twenty," said Madeline. "There are some notes about that."
Skye flipped through the pages of her textbook backwards to the page.
"Oh, Ricardo is thinking about publishing a textbook when he's older," said Andrea.
"What is he going to publish a textbook about?" Madeline asked.
"Practically everything he knows."
"I don't know how textbooks are made," said Lizzie, "but I don't think you can do that."
"Uh, I think you can because Ricardo can do anything."
"Okay, is there one thing about your boyfriend that you don't like?" Skye asked, frustrated.
"I don't like it when food gets stuck in his teeth," Andrea replied.
"Finally."
"But it doesn't matter because his teeth comes out clean and white by the end of the day."
Skye groaned and buried her face into her textbook.
"What?" Andrea said. "You guys aren't annoyed with me talking about my boyfriend, are you?"
"No, we're pretty fond of it," Madeline smiled, more in a sarcastic way.
"We love it when you talk about your boyfriend for hours and hours and hours and hours..." said Lizzie.
Madeline patted on Lizzie on the shoulder to get her to stop talking.
"Awesome," Andrea responded. She started to pick up her books and dump them into her shiny yellow backpack.
"Why are you putting your books away?" asked Madeline.
"I got to meet up with Ricardo at Starbucks."
"But we practically just got here."
"I know but Ricardo texted me about ten seconds ago."
"You-- You going to drive?" asked Lizzie.
"Uh, yeah."
"But you drove us here," Madeline reminded her.
"I'm sorry but I really got to see him. I haven't seen him in a couple of days."
"It's been twenty minutes," said Skye.
"That's a long time... in some countries. See you tomorrow."
She zipped her backpack closed and stood up, picking it up and carrying it over one shoulder. She walked off out of the living room into the lounge of the house.
"But Andrea, I can't walk home by myself," Madeline shouted.
The girls heard the door close from a distance.
Debra stared at Madeline in a confusing way.
"What?" said Madeline. "It's unsafe to walk by yourself. There are people out there who find girls like me 'too pretty'."
"Uh, narcissist," Skye coughed.
"Please, I rather hear Madeline talk about herself than Andrea talk about her boyfriend," Lizzie confessed.
"You know what?" Skye inquired. "I agree. I am happy that Andrea found a guy that she really likes but come on. I like leather but you don't see me going 'blah-blah-blah' about it."
"Totally," Madeline agreed. "I love Andrea and I just want her to be happy. But if she talks about Ricardo one more time, I'm going to set him on fire."
"That will just make her talk about him more."
"I don't want Andrea to break up with Ricardo," said Lizzie. "But something needs to happen so we don't die from exhaustion."
Madeline turned to her head to look at Debra. "Debra, how about you talk to Andrea?"
"Why me?" Debra asked.
"Because I feel like Andrea would listen to you. Plus, you're calm, cool and you won't tear her eyeballs out."
"I'm flattered. But what do I say?"
"Say that we all love her and we love how she found a man to make her happy. But she talks about Ricardo a little way too much and we would appreciate it if she talked less about him and focused more on other subjects like... food or... animals... or... anything that doesn't involve her boyfriend."
"Okay, I'll try. But just know... that she is Andrea. And Andrea tends to get aggressive sometimes."
"Please, like you're scared of Andrea," said Lizzie.
"I'm not scared. She just needs zen."
"What is zen?"
"A thing you don't know."
"Well, that settles it," said Madeline. "Debra is going to talk to Andrea... tomorrow."
"Tomorrow?" Debra shouted.
"Zen!" she pointed.
Debra sighed and relaxed her face and shoulders. "Yes, tomorrow."
"Okay, problem solved. Now which one of you is going to hold my hand and walk me home later?"
"I don't get this question," said Lizzie, tapping her face with her number-two pencil. She then used it to point at the question on her worksheet clipped in her polka-dotted binder. "What is a 'pyramid gore' theorem?"
Madeline, who was sitting behind her on the pale pink sofa, looked over Lizzie's shoulder to read the question on the worksheet. "That says 'Pythagorean Theorem'," she corrected.
"Oh, then that makes so much sense," Lizzie said as she began to write.
"Ricardo is good at math," Andrea noted from a comfy, blue chair. "If you ask him to solve a problem, he will solve it in an instant. I bet he studied geometry as a little kid."
"Well, that's good that you found a guy who is focused on his studies," said Debra, who was sitting on the floor.
"Yeah, he's focused on his studies, sports, family and me. Cute, huh?"
"Yeah, that's adorable," Skye said in deadpan, flipping through her chemistry textbook. "Does any of you know how to solve for a limiting reagent?"
"Ricardo is good at chemistry, also," Andrea added. "He would get a hundred percent on all of his science tests. And he still does. I find that amazing."
"That doesn't answer my question," Skye responded after a pause.
"Go to page two hundred twenty," said Madeline. "There are some notes about that."
Skye flipped through the pages of her textbook backwards to the page.
"Oh, Ricardo is thinking about publishing a textbook when he's older," said Andrea.
"What is he going to publish a textbook about?" Madeline asked.
"Practically everything he knows."
"I don't know how textbooks are made," said Lizzie, "but I don't think you can do that."
"Uh, I think you can because Ricardo can do anything."
"Okay, is there one thing about your boyfriend that you don't like?" Skye asked, frustrated.
"I don't like it when food gets stuck in his teeth," Andrea replied.
"Finally."
"But it doesn't matter because his teeth comes out clean and white by the end of the day."
Skye groaned and buried her face into her textbook.
"What?" Andrea said. "You guys aren't annoyed with me talking about my boyfriend, are you?"
"No, we're pretty fond of it," Madeline smiled, more in a sarcastic way.
"We love it when you talk about your boyfriend for hours and hours and hours and hours..." said Lizzie.
Madeline patted on Lizzie on the shoulder to get her to stop talking.
"Awesome," Andrea responded. She started to pick up her books and dump them into her shiny yellow backpack.
"Why are you putting your books away?" asked Madeline.
"I got to meet up with Ricardo at Starbucks."
"But we practically just got here."
"I know but Ricardo texted me about ten seconds ago."
"You-- You going to drive?" asked Lizzie.
"Uh, yeah."
"But you drove us here," Madeline reminded her.
"I'm sorry but I really got to see him. I haven't seen him in a couple of days."
"It's been twenty minutes," said Skye.
"That's a long time... in some countries. See you tomorrow."
She zipped her backpack closed and stood up, picking it up and carrying it over one shoulder. She walked off out of the living room into the lounge of the house.
"But Andrea, I can't walk home by myself," Madeline shouted.
The girls heard the door close from a distance.
Debra stared at Madeline in a confusing way.
"What?" said Madeline. "It's unsafe to walk by yourself. There are people out there who find girls like me 'too pretty'."
"Uh, narcissist," Skye coughed.
"Please, I rather hear Madeline talk about herself than Andrea talk about her boyfriend," Lizzie confessed.
"You know what?" Skye inquired. "I agree. I am happy that Andrea found a guy that she really likes but come on. I like leather but you don't see me going 'blah-blah-blah' about it."
"Totally," Madeline agreed. "I love Andrea and I just want her to be happy. But if she talks about Ricardo one more time, I'm going to set him on fire."
"That will just make her talk about him more."
"I don't want Andrea to break up with Ricardo," said Lizzie. "But something needs to happen so we don't die from exhaustion."
Madeline turned to her head to look at Debra. "Debra, how about you talk to Andrea?"
"Why me?" Debra asked.
"Because I feel like Andrea would listen to you. Plus, you're calm, cool and you won't tear her eyeballs out."
"I'm flattered. But what do I say?"
"Say that we all love her and we love how she found a man to make her happy. But she talks about Ricardo a little way too much and we would appreciate it if she talked less about him and focused more on other subjects like... food or... animals... or... anything that doesn't involve her boyfriend."
"Okay, I'll try. But just know... that she is Andrea. And Andrea tends to get aggressive sometimes."
"Please, like you're scared of Andrea," said Lizzie.
"I'm not scared. She just needs zen."
"What is zen?"
"A thing you don't know."
"Well, that settles it," said Madeline. "Debra is going to talk to Andrea... tomorrow."
"Tomorrow?" Debra shouted.
"Zen!" she pointed.
Debra sighed and relaxed her face and shoulders. "Yes, tomorrow."
"Okay, problem solved. Now which one of you is going to hold my hand and walk me home later?"
Sunday, April 27, 2014
Andrea's New Boyfriend (Chapter 2)
The next day, the girls had their lunch period at school. They all waited for Andrea as she would usually be at the cafeteria before the other girls would arrive. They sat at their table wondering when she would come for almost five minutes. She later arrived to the cafeteria, walking towards the girls arm-in-arm with a handsome, tan-skinned boy.
"Hey, girls," she greeted.
The girls greeted back in a dazed manner.
"This is my boyfriend, Ricardo Iglesias," she continued.
"I love it when you say my full name," said Ricardo.
"I say it for you, baby."
"Nice to meet you, Ricardo," smiled Madeline.
"Nice to meet you, too--" responded Ricardo before Andrea cut him off politely to introduce her friends.
"That's Madeline." She pointed at the girls individually, "And that's Lizzie, Debra and Skye."
"Well, nice to meet you all," Ricardo said.
"Oh, I think I've seen you before," said Debra. "Aren't you in the school newspaper a lot?"
"Yes, I am," he answered. "I play football."
"He's the team's best player," added Andrea. "His awesome skills get him into the newspaper every time."
"I love how you appreciate my football skills," said Ricardo.
"I love them for you, baby."
Skye stared at the happy couple in a blank expression.
"That is why you look so familiar," said Lizzie. "I like football. I go to the games with Andrea almost every month. That's probably why our team wins every game, right?"
"No, that is always why our team wins every game," Andrea responded for her boyfriend.
Lizzie stopped smiling and made a face to herself.
"So Ricardo, don't you want to sit down with us?" asked Madeline.
"I want to," said Ricardo.
"But he can't," Andrea finished his statement. "He took a bathroom pass to come and see me. Isn't that so sweet?"
"Yeah," responded Lizzie, "but wouldn't you get into trouble?"
"Yeah," Ricardo answered, "but it will be totally worth it. As long as I get to see my baby."
"Aw!" Andrea uttered. "I'm his baby."
She squeezed Ricardo as he kissed her on the cheek.
"Yes, you are," Debra said blandly.
"So Ricardo, since we're going to be friends, can I call you Ricky?" asked Skye.
"No!" Andrea responded.
Skye flinched and scrunched her forehead as Andrea's 'no' startled her.
"Ricardo is a cute name," she continued. "So we shall call him Ricardo."
"Sorry," said Skye. "I was just trying to be casual."
"You can call me Ricky," Ricardo answered for himself. "But I do prefer Ricardo."
"See?" said Andrea. "And Ricardo you shall be called."
"I love it when you talk all fancy."
"I talk like that for you, baby."
Madeline tried to hold in her laughter by covering her mouth.
"Oh, Ricardo and I should go on a double date with you and your boyfriend, Madeline," recommended Andrea.
Madeline put on a serious face. "I don't have a boyfriend."
"Oh, then you should get one."
Madeline made a face towards Andrea but she ignored it.
"I have a friend that I can set you up on a date with," Ricardo recommended. "He's good-looking, kind but he used to have a bit of a drug problem."
Madeline scrunched her eyebrows. "Why would I go out a guy with a drug problem?" she chuckled lightly.
"Used to. He used to have a drug problem."
"Uh, I think I'll pass."
"Maddie, be nice!" Andrea said through her teeth.
Madeline stared at Andrea as if she was a crazy person.
"Well, I enjoyed talking to you guys," said Ricardo, "but I got to go. Using the bathroom for more than fifteen minutes might cause suspicion." He faced Andrea. "So I will see you later."
"Dame un beso," Andrea uttered.
"Por supuesto, cariño."
Ricardo planted a kiss on Andrea's lips while embracing her. The girls stared but not in a surprising way since the two are a couple.
"Bye," she pulled away.
"Bye," he said back. He slowly pulled away from the embrace and walked out of the cafeteria.
Andrea walked around the table and sat down in her spot. "Isn't he a sweetie pie?" she asked with a smile.
"Depending on what kind of pie that would be," said Lizzie, "then yes, he is a sweetie pie."
"Hey, girls," she greeted.
The girls greeted back in a dazed manner.
"This is my boyfriend, Ricardo Iglesias," she continued.
"I love it when you say my full name," said Ricardo.
"I say it for you, baby."
"Nice to meet you, Ricardo," smiled Madeline.
"Nice to meet you, too--" responded Ricardo before Andrea cut him off politely to introduce her friends.
"That's Madeline." She pointed at the girls individually, "And that's Lizzie, Debra and Skye."
"Well, nice to meet you all," Ricardo said.
"Oh, I think I've seen you before," said Debra. "Aren't you in the school newspaper a lot?"
"Yes, I am," he answered. "I play football."
"He's the team's best player," added Andrea. "His awesome skills get him into the newspaper every time."
"I love how you appreciate my football skills," said Ricardo.
"I love them for you, baby."
Skye stared at the happy couple in a blank expression.
"That is why you look so familiar," said Lizzie. "I like football. I go to the games with Andrea almost every month. That's probably why our team wins every game, right?"
"No, that is always why our team wins every game," Andrea responded for her boyfriend.
Lizzie stopped smiling and made a face to herself.
"So Ricardo, don't you want to sit down with us?" asked Madeline.
"I want to," said Ricardo.
"But he can't," Andrea finished his statement. "He took a bathroom pass to come and see me. Isn't that so sweet?"
"Yeah," responded Lizzie, "but wouldn't you get into trouble?"
"Yeah," Ricardo answered, "but it will be totally worth it. As long as I get to see my baby."
"Aw!" Andrea uttered. "I'm his baby."
She squeezed Ricardo as he kissed her on the cheek.
"Yes, you are," Debra said blandly.
"So Ricardo, since we're going to be friends, can I call you Ricky?" asked Skye.
"No!" Andrea responded.
Skye flinched and scrunched her forehead as Andrea's 'no' startled her.
"Ricardo is a cute name," she continued. "So we shall call him Ricardo."
"Sorry," said Skye. "I was just trying to be casual."
"You can call me Ricky," Ricardo answered for himself. "But I do prefer Ricardo."
"See?" said Andrea. "And Ricardo you shall be called."
"I love it when you talk all fancy."
"I talk like that for you, baby."
Madeline tried to hold in her laughter by covering her mouth.
"Oh, Ricardo and I should go on a double date with you and your boyfriend, Madeline," recommended Andrea.
Madeline put on a serious face. "I don't have a boyfriend."
"Oh, then you should get one."
Madeline made a face towards Andrea but she ignored it.
"I have a friend that I can set you up on a date with," Ricardo recommended. "He's good-looking, kind but he used to have a bit of a drug problem."
Madeline scrunched her eyebrows. "Why would I go out a guy with a drug problem?" she chuckled lightly.
"Used to. He used to have a drug problem."
"Uh, I think I'll pass."
"Maddie, be nice!" Andrea said through her teeth.
Madeline stared at Andrea as if she was a crazy person.
"Well, I enjoyed talking to you guys," said Ricardo, "but I got to go. Using the bathroom for more than fifteen minutes might cause suspicion." He faced Andrea. "So I will see you later."
"Dame un beso," Andrea uttered.
"Por supuesto, cariño."
Ricardo planted a kiss on Andrea's lips while embracing her. The girls stared but not in a surprising way since the two are a couple.
"Bye," she pulled away.
"Bye," he said back. He slowly pulled away from the embrace and walked out of the cafeteria.
Andrea walked around the table and sat down in her spot. "Isn't he a sweetie pie?" she asked with a smile.
"Depending on what kind of pie that would be," said Lizzie, "then yes, he is a sweetie pie."
Friday, April 25, 2014
Andrea's New Boyfriend (Chapter 1)
"I need a new razor," confessed Madeline, taking out a bottle of mineral water from her lunch bag.
"How shocking," said Skye, smiling.
"What's wrong with the one you have now?" asked Lizzie.
"It cuts me," answered Madeline. "A lot."
"Do you shave fast?" asked Debra.
"Sometimes. But that's because I keep getting stumble, stumble, stumble. And boys don't like stumble on ladies."
"Not all boys," Skye joked.
"And now, I have cuts all over my legs," said Madeline. "So until the cuts heal up, I have to wear pants."
"Oh, well, that isn't so bad," said Lizzie.
"But we're in California and my legs sweat."
Skye scrunched her forehead at that comment.
"That's natural?" Lizzie asked.
Debra looked closely at Andrea, who was smiling and gazing at the ceiling with her elbow on the table and her head resting in her hand. Debra could tell that Andrea was barely listening to the girls' conversation.
"Andrea..." she sung.
Andrea continued to look up at the ceiling.
"Andrea," Debra repeated.
Still no response.
"Andrea!" she yelled in a gruff voice.
"What?" Andrea jumped.
Debra giggled as if she never yelled. "What's going on? You're being quiet."
"Oh, I don't have much to say today," Andrea shrugged.
"Well, that's odd," said Madeline, opening her bottle of water. "You usually have something to say. Other than Skye."
"Hey!" Skye called.
"What? It's true."
"Yeah, I know," Skye said in a calmer voice.
"So tell us," Madeline looked at Andrea, "what is up?"
Andrea sighed. "Okay, I have something to say."
"Of course you do. What is it?"
"I... have a boyfriend!"
"What?" Lizzie gasped.
"You have a boyfriend?" Madeline slowly smiled.
"Yeah," Andrea giggled. "Tengo un novio!"
"I'm so happy for you," said Debra.
"Thanks, Debbie."
"Wait a second," said Skye. "That means you've been a dating a boy for a while and didn't tell us."
"Oh, yeah, what is that all about?" Madeline lost her smile.
Andrea's eyes widened. "Well, when I met Ricardo-- that's his name-- I wasn't that interested. But later, I gave him a chance and I started to really like him. So I didn't know how to tell you guys about us since we were moving so fast. Then we settled for a relationship and I have to tell you guys about that."
"Well, we can't get mad at you for dating a guy without telling us," said Lizzie.
"Unless the guy's a serial killer," Debra mentioned. "That's important."
"Well, Ricardo is not a serial killer," said Andrea. "He's sweet and kind and thoughtful."
"Aww..." Lizzie uttered.
"So when do we get to meet your Ricardo?" asked Skye.
"You can meet him whenever," answered Andrea. "He goes to our school."
"He does?" asked Madeline. "I never heard a 'Ricardo'."
"Well, he's in one of my classes. That's how we met."
"It's possible that we've bumped into him before," mentioned Debra. "We just don't know who he would've been."
"I can get him to come to our lunch period," Andrea recommended.
"Won't he get in trouble?" Skye asked.
"Probably but I bet he'll get into trouble for me. He's so favoring. Oh! I can show you a picture if it'll refresh your memory."
"Maybe later," said Madeline.
"Okay, later. Wait, after-school-later or at-my-house-later?"
"Why?" asked Lizzie.
"Because I want to show you today."
"You said we can see him whenever," reminded Debra.
"Well, we can see him today."
"Okay, hold your horses," said Madeline.
"My horses are held!"
"We will see him when we see him. There's no rush."
"You're right. I'm sorry. I just really like Ricardo and I really want to flaunt him."
"We know you do. You flaunt everything."
"What were we talking about earlier?" questioned Lizzie.
"Madeline's leg stumble," replied Skye.
Madeline glared at Skye but playfully.
"If you guys don't want me talking about my leg stumble," she started, "then buy me a razor for Christmas."
"But Christmas is nine months away," Lizzie responded.
"That doesn't mean you can't start shopping."
"How shocking," said Skye, smiling.
"What's wrong with the one you have now?" asked Lizzie.
"It cuts me," answered Madeline. "A lot."
"Do you shave fast?" asked Debra.
"Sometimes. But that's because I keep getting stumble, stumble, stumble. And boys don't like stumble on ladies."
"Not all boys," Skye joked.
"And now, I have cuts all over my legs," said Madeline. "So until the cuts heal up, I have to wear pants."
"Oh, well, that isn't so bad," said Lizzie.
"But we're in California and my legs sweat."
Skye scrunched her forehead at that comment.
"That's natural?" Lizzie asked.
Debra looked closely at Andrea, who was smiling and gazing at the ceiling with her elbow on the table and her head resting in her hand. Debra could tell that Andrea was barely listening to the girls' conversation.
"Andrea..." she sung.
Andrea continued to look up at the ceiling.
"Andrea," Debra repeated.
Still no response.
"Andrea!" she yelled in a gruff voice.
"What?" Andrea jumped.
Debra giggled as if she never yelled. "What's going on? You're being quiet."
"Oh, I don't have much to say today," Andrea shrugged.
"Well, that's odd," said Madeline, opening her bottle of water. "You usually have something to say. Other than Skye."
"Hey!" Skye called.
"What? It's true."
"Yeah, I know," Skye said in a calmer voice.
"So tell us," Madeline looked at Andrea, "what is up?"
Andrea sighed. "Okay, I have something to say."
"Of course you do. What is it?"
"I... have a boyfriend!"
"What?" Lizzie gasped.
"You have a boyfriend?" Madeline slowly smiled.
"Yeah," Andrea giggled. "Tengo un novio!"
"I'm so happy for you," said Debra.
"Thanks, Debbie."
"Wait a second," said Skye. "That means you've been a dating a boy for a while and didn't tell us."
"Oh, yeah, what is that all about?" Madeline lost her smile.
Andrea's eyes widened. "Well, when I met Ricardo-- that's his name-- I wasn't that interested. But later, I gave him a chance and I started to really like him. So I didn't know how to tell you guys about us since we were moving so fast. Then we settled for a relationship and I have to tell you guys about that."
"Well, we can't get mad at you for dating a guy without telling us," said Lizzie.
"Unless the guy's a serial killer," Debra mentioned. "That's important."
"Well, Ricardo is not a serial killer," said Andrea. "He's sweet and kind and thoughtful."
"Aww..." Lizzie uttered.
"So when do we get to meet your Ricardo?" asked Skye.
"You can meet him whenever," answered Andrea. "He goes to our school."
"He does?" asked Madeline. "I never heard a 'Ricardo'."
"Well, he's in one of my classes. That's how we met."
"It's possible that we've bumped into him before," mentioned Debra. "We just don't know who he would've been."
"I can get him to come to our lunch period," Andrea recommended.
"Won't he get in trouble?" Skye asked.
"Probably but I bet he'll get into trouble for me. He's so favoring. Oh! I can show you a picture if it'll refresh your memory."
"Maybe later," said Madeline.
"Okay, later. Wait, after-school-later or at-my-house-later?"
"Why?" asked Lizzie.
"Because I want to show you today."
"You said we can see him whenever," reminded Debra.
"Well, we can see him today."
"Okay, hold your horses," said Madeline.
"My horses are held!"
"We will see him when we see him. There's no rush."
"You're right. I'm sorry. I just really like Ricardo and I really want to flaunt him."
"We know you do. You flaunt everything."
"What were we talking about earlier?" questioned Lizzie.
"Madeline's leg stumble," replied Skye.
Madeline glared at Skye but playfully.
"If you guys don't want me talking about my leg stumble," she started, "then buy me a razor for Christmas."
"But Christmas is nine months away," Lizzie responded.
"That doesn't mean you can't start shopping."
Monday, April 21, 2014
Sunday, April 20, 2014
The Skye's The Limit (Chapter 5)
"I am so glad you guys came!" smiled Skye, picking her cup of punch up from the dining room table.
"Why wouldn't we?" asked Madeline. "We're your friends and we should support you."
"We started realizing how important this was for you," said Lizzie, "and we didn't want to let you down."
"And even this party isn't much of a big deal," Andrea commented, "it's a big deal to you and we're sorry for even thinking about not coming."
"How insincere the first part sounded," Skye smiled, "but I know you have meaning so thank you."
"Do you forgive us?" asked Debra.
Skye sighed. "Of course I do. You're my girls."
"Oh, let's hug!" Lizzie grinned.
The girls group-hugged, letting the weight lift off their shoulders.
After releasing, Debra commented to Skye, "You sounded so good!"
"Thank you, but I am nothing without my band," said Skye.
"Well, does your band have a fan page on Facebook?" asked Andrea. "Because if they do, I am 'liking' it!"
"I think you will gain plenty of fans after this party," said Madeline.
"We do rock," Skye smiled.
"And you probably have enough money to buy that synthesizer," said Lizzie. "Thanks to me."
"Thanks to you?"
"Yeah, that Phil guy asked for twenty dollars; I gave him twenty-one dollars."
"Oh, Lizzie," Skye smiled but said in deadpan, "that's so sweet of you."
"I know, right?"
"Girls, whether or not my band does buy that synthesizer, I would still have something money can't buy: friends."
"Aw!" uttered Andrea. "That's cheesy, but aw!"
"Oh, Madeline," Lizzie whispered, "Sean is coming."
Madeline turned her head and tilted it back where her eyes were looking at the ceiling. "Aw, geez," she moaned.
Sean walked up to Madeline and rested his guitar by its head on the floor. "Hey, Madeline," he smiled while resting his arm on the top of the guitar.
"Hi, Sean," Madeline greeted.
"Don't you mean, 'Clumsy Idiot'?"
Madeline giggled awkwardly. "I guess so."
"So how-- how did-- how did you like the performance?"
"It was good."
"Yeah, it was because-- because I play guitar."
"I know, Sean."
Skye snickered to herself. Her snickering made the other girls want to laugh.
"Well, I'm going to go," said Sean.
"Okay," Madeline nodded.
"I'm going to leave now."
"Okay. Goodbye, Sean."
"Bye. I love you."
He picked up his guitar and rushed past the girls. He dropped his guitar after the second he ran, but scooped it up clumsily and managed to disappear out of the girls' sight.
Andrea slowly looked at Madeline, who had a confused look on her face. "Looks like somebody has a boyfriend now."
"Skye, go and tell him that I don't like him," said Madeline in a high-pitched voice.
"I would but I don't want to break his heart," Skye giggled. "You should tell him yourself."
"Ugh, I don't like hurting people's feelings."
"Yet you do that all the time," Andrea mentioned.
"Hey, I said I didn't like it. I didn't say it wasn't easy."
Skye laughed. "Don't worry, Maddie. I tell him you don't like him. I was planning to set him up with somebody anyway."
"Really?" asked Madeline. "With who?"
"Lizzie."
"What?" Lizzie responded loudly.
"I'm kidding, Liz'," Skye laughed. "I was going to set him up with one of my not-so-close friends."
"Well, that's nice, Skye," said Madeline.
"You're so sweet," Lizzie added.
"It smells like throw-up in here," Debra threw out there.
"Why wouldn't we?" asked Madeline. "We're your friends and we should support you."
"We started realizing how important this was for you," said Lizzie, "and we didn't want to let you down."
"And even this party isn't much of a big deal," Andrea commented, "it's a big deal to you and we're sorry for even thinking about not coming."
"How insincere the first part sounded," Skye smiled, "but I know you have meaning so thank you."
"Do you forgive us?" asked Debra.
Skye sighed. "Of course I do. You're my girls."
"Oh, let's hug!" Lizzie grinned.
The girls group-hugged, letting the weight lift off their shoulders.
After releasing, Debra commented to Skye, "You sounded so good!"
"Thank you, but I am nothing without my band," said Skye.
"Well, does your band have a fan page on Facebook?" asked Andrea. "Because if they do, I am 'liking' it!"
"I think you will gain plenty of fans after this party," said Madeline.
"We do rock," Skye smiled.
"And you probably have enough money to buy that synthesizer," said Lizzie. "Thanks to me."
"Thanks to you?"
"Yeah, that Phil guy asked for twenty dollars; I gave him twenty-one dollars."
"Oh, Lizzie," Skye smiled but said in deadpan, "that's so sweet of you."
"I know, right?"
"Girls, whether or not my band does buy that synthesizer, I would still have something money can't buy: friends."
"Aw!" uttered Andrea. "That's cheesy, but aw!"
"Oh, Madeline," Lizzie whispered, "Sean is coming."
Madeline turned her head and tilted it back where her eyes were looking at the ceiling. "Aw, geez," she moaned.
Sean walked up to Madeline and rested his guitar by its head on the floor. "Hey, Madeline," he smiled while resting his arm on the top of the guitar.
"Hi, Sean," Madeline greeted.
"Don't you mean, 'Clumsy Idiot'?"
Madeline giggled awkwardly. "I guess so."
"So how-- how did-- how did you like the performance?"
"It was good."
"Yeah, it was because-- because I play guitar."
"I know, Sean."
Skye snickered to herself. Her snickering made the other girls want to laugh.
"Well, I'm going to go," said Sean.
"Okay," Madeline nodded.
"I'm going to leave now."
"Okay. Goodbye, Sean."
"Bye. I love you."
He picked up his guitar and rushed past the girls. He dropped his guitar after the second he ran, but scooped it up clumsily and managed to disappear out of the girls' sight.
Andrea slowly looked at Madeline, who had a confused look on her face. "Looks like somebody has a boyfriend now."
"Skye, go and tell him that I don't like him," said Madeline in a high-pitched voice.
"I would but I don't want to break his heart," Skye giggled. "You should tell him yourself."
"Ugh, I don't like hurting people's feelings."
"Yet you do that all the time," Andrea mentioned.
"Hey, I said I didn't like it. I didn't say it wasn't easy."
Skye laughed. "Don't worry, Maddie. I tell him you don't like him. I was planning to set him up with somebody anyway."
"Really?" asked Madeline. "With who?"
"Lizzie."
"What?" Lizzie responded loudly.
"I'm kidding, Liz'," Skye laughed. "I was going to set him up with one of my not-so-close friends."
"Well, that's nice, Skye," said Madeline.
"You're so sweet," Lizzie added.
"It smells like throw-up in here," Debra threw out there.
Saturday, April 19, 2014
The Skye's The Limit (Chapter 4)
Sean opened the door from inside his house after he heard the ring of the doorbell.
"Oh, hey, Donald," he greeted the boy with blond hair in front of him.
"'Sup, man," said the boy.
"'Sup, man," Sean responded before putting out his hand. "That will be twenty dollars."
Donald dug into the pocket of his jeans and pulled a wad of cash. He counted the dollar bills and handed Sean the twenty.
"Thanks, man," Sean said, placing the money in the pocket of his hoodie.
Donald entered the house. "I hope this party has beer," he pointed at Sean.
"There's one can on the table," Sean closed the door. "Try to fight for it."
"I hope enough people came," Skye said to David, playing with a strip of her straight, blonde hair. "I don't want us to throw another party when we're so close to buying that synthesizer."
"And I don't feel like cleaning up another time," David added. "Sean's house is too big."
"Yeah, I don't feel like cleaning up another time, either. I think I saw a girl throw up a couple minutes ago."
"And you didn't do anything?"
"I didn't want to believe it, Dave. I didn't believe it. But if it did happen, I'll clean it."
"Or we can get Kent to clean it."
Skye nodded. "Yeah, we can do that."
"Everybody should be having a good time anyway. There's food, there's punch with hopefully no liquor, and there's going to be entertainment: us!"
"We do rock."
"Yeah, and if everybody has a good time, we'll be able to keep the money... I hope Sean didn't lose."
"He is a klutz. But he's our klutz."
"Let's hope for the best."
"For the best."
David picked up a plastic cup full of fruit punch from the table behind him and sipped it.
"Does the drink taste liquor-y?" asked Skye.
David looked into the cup. "No, but I haven't drank punch in so long, it's hard to tell."
Skye giggled.
"Hey, guys," Sean shouted rushing up to them. "I asked Phillip to watch the door and get the money so we can play. Is that alright?"
"Well, I don't know Phillip," said David.
"Oh, he's a friend of mine."
"Does Phillip steal?" asked Skye.
"No, I asked him," said Sean. "He said no."
"Well, what did his eyes say?" questioned David.
Sean paused. "You know what? Let me go check."
He turned around and walked back.
"'What did his eyes say?'" Skye repeated.
"Yeah, I was just messing with him," smiled David.
Skye grinned and giggled.
Skye turned on the microphone in the garage. "Welcome, ladies and gents to the garage of Sean Bronstein's house," she spoke into it, her voice amplifying from the surrounding speakers.
The people standing in front of the band cheered.
"This seems really indie," Skye continued, "but we are A New Yesterday and we wanted to see if we could gain a few fans. So enjoy as we will be covering Yellowcard's 'Ocean Avenue'."
"And if you don't like us," said David, walking in front of Skye and into the microphone, "we're letting you know that there are no refunds."
Most of the people in the audience groaned.
"Okay, let's do this," said Skye.
David walked back to his position and played the chords of E major, F minor and D on his guitar along with Sean. Kent played his drums into the intro before Skye started singing in her fluent, punk voice:
There's a place off Ocean Avenue
Where I used to sit and talk with you
We were both sixteen and it felt so right
Sleeping all day, staying up all
Night
Staying up all
Night
If I could find you now
Things would get better
We could leave this town
And run forever
Let your waves crash down on me
And take me away, yeah-ee-yeah
The audience cheered and applauded as David played the chord of A5 during the bridge. Him and Sean played their part of the bridge with their required chords as Skye jumped in.
We look up at the same night sky
We keep pretending the sun will not rise
We'll be together for one more night
Somewhere, somehow
If I could find you now
Things would get better
We could leave this town
And run forever
I know somewhere, somehow
We'll be together
Let your waves crash down on me
And take me away-yeah-ee-yeah
David and Sean played the same chords from the beginning to end the song as Kent played the beats to finalize. The crowd cheered and applauded more loudly than they did before.
"Go Skye!" a familiar voice called.
The voice stunned Skye as she tried to gaze into the crowd to find out that voice. She looked for several seconds until she saw her four best friends clapping and cheering from the back. She grinned and giggled responsively at them as she was super giddy to see her friends show up.
"Oh, hey, Donald," he greeted the boy with blond hair in front of him.
"'Sup, man," said the boy.
"'Sup, man," Sean responded before putting out his hand. "That will be twenty dollars."
Donald dug into the pocket of his jeans and pulled a wad of cash. He counted the dollar bills and handed Sean the twenty.
"Thanks, man," Sean said, placing the money in the pocket of his hoodie.
Donald entered the house. "I hope this party has beer," he pointed at Sean.
"There's one can on the table," Sean closed the door. "Try to fight for it."
"I hope enough people came," Skye said to David, playing with a strip of her straight, blonde hair. "I don't want us to throw another party when we're so close to buying that synthesizer."
"And I don't feel like cleaning up another time," David added. "Sean's house is too big."
"Yeah, I don't feel like cleaning up another time, either. I think I saw a girl throw up a couple minutes ago."
"And you didn't do anything?"
"I didn't want to believe it, Dave. I didn't believe it. But if it did happen, I'll clean it."
"Or we can get Kent to clean it."
Skye nodded. "Yeah, we can do that."
"Everybody should be having a good time anyway. There's food, there's punch with hopefully no liquor, and there's going to be entertainment: us!"
"We do rock."
"Yeah, and if everybody has a good time, we'll be able to keep the money... I hope Sean didn't lose."
"He is a klutz. But he's our klutz."
"Let's hope for the best."
"For the best."
David picked up a plastic cup full of fruit punch from the table behind him and sipped it.
"Does the drink taste liquor-y?" asked Skye.
David looked into the cup. "No, but I haven't drank punch in so long, it's hard to tell."
Skye giggled.
"Hey, guys," Sean shouted rushing up to them. "I asked Phillip to watch the door and get the money so we can play. Is that alright?"
"Well, I don't know Phillip," said David.
"Oh, he's a friend of mine."
"Does Phillip steal?" asked Skye.
"No, I asked him," said Sean. "He said no."
"Well, what did his eyes say?" questioned David.
Sean paused. "You know what? Let me go check."
He turned around and walked back.
"'What did his eyes say?'" Skye repeated.
"Yeah, I was just messing with him," smiled David.
Skye grinned and giggled.
Skye turned on the microphone in the garage. "Welcome, ladies and gents to the garage of Sean Bronstein's house," she spoke into it, her voice amplifying from the surrounding speakers.
The people standing in front of the band cheered.
"This seems really indie," Skye continued, "but we are A New Yesterday and we wanted to see if we could gain a few fans. So enjoy as we will be covering Yellowcard's 'Ocean Avenue'."
"And if you don't like us," said David, walking in front of Skye and into the microphone, "we're letting you know that there are no refunds."
Most of the people in the audience groaned.
"Okay, let's do this," said Skye.
David walked back to his position and played the chords of E major, F minor and D on his guitar along with Sean. Kent played his drums into the intro before Skye started singing in her fluent, punk voice:
There's a place off Ocean Avenue
Where I used to sit and talk with you
We were both sixteen and it felt so right
Sleeping all day, staying up all
Night
Staying up all
Night
If I could find you now
Things would get better
We could leave this town
And run forever
Let your waves crash down on me
And take me away, yeah-ee-yeah
The audience cheered and applauded as David played the chord of A5 during the bridge. Him and Sean played their part of the bridge with their required chords as Skye jumped in.
We look up at the same night sky
We keep pretending the sun will not rise
We'll be together for one more night
Somewhere, somehow
If I could find you now
Things would get better
We could leave this town
And run forever
I know somewhere, somehow
We'll be together
Let your waves crash down on me
And take me away-yeah-ee-yeah
David and Sean played the same chords from the beginning to end the song as Kent played the beats to finalize. The crowd cheered and applauded more loudly than they did before.
"Go Skye!" a familiar voice called.
The voice stunned Skye as she tried to gaze into the crowd to find out that voice. She looked for several seconds until she saw her four best friends clapping and cheering from the back. She grinned and giggled responsively at them as she was super giddy to see her friends show up.
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