He watched me as I took another bite, throwing the burger down back on its tray. "God, I can't eat another bite..."
He looked at me, and took the burger, sniffing it.
I chuckled. "W-what are you doing?"
"I've never had a hamburger." He continued to study the apparently complex sandwich.
What? How many years has he lived here?
"C'mon. That's a lie." I leaned back in the chair. We decided to go to a local burger joint instead of an ice cream parlor. Not like it was any healthier.
He shook his head, still looking at the burger, pulling the tomato out of it. "Nope. Hey, do you mind if I eat your tomato?"
Odd question. "Yeah, no, I mean, you can have it. Have all of it. I'm so full."
He put the while slice in his mouth before I could finish. After chewing it up and swallowing, he said, "How come it's called a hamburger when it's made of beef?"
I opened my mouth to answer, but I didn't actually know the answer. "Y'know what," I clicked my tongue. For once. For once I wasn't a know-it-all. "That's a good question. I really don't know. Maybe they used to be slaughtered pig?"
He laughed. "Yeah. Probably."
Someone entered the restaurant. I looked past Toni, who was still experimenting with my lunch, and at the person who walked in.
It was a dude. Probably a kid who had the same idea as us. I looked closer as he walked up to the cashier. He leaned casually against the table, scanning over the menu like he owned the place.
The cashier greeted him with a smile. "Hi, Alfred." She smiled, looking at him in an obvious crushing way, him not even acknowledging her.
Alfred.
It was him.
"Hey." He continued to look at the menu. "I'll have two cheeseburgers with everything, large fries, and a chocolate milkshake." He reached into his pocket, took out a wad of cash, and slapped it down in front of him.
The cashier nodded. "Rough day?"
"Yeah." He walked over to a table, right across from where me and Toni were.
He glanced at us. I couldn't tell if he recognized is, but either way, he looked kind of embarrassed.
"Lydia?"
I shifted my attention to Toni. "L-let's go."
I got up, taking my tray of half-finished food with me. And like the complete klutz I was, I tripped on the table leg, falling on my face, causing the French fries to tumble through the air.
"God-" Toni shot out of his seat, helping me up.
I looked over at Alfred. He was staring at me. There was no doubt he saw that.
"You're really clumsy, aren't you?" He looked at me curiously.
He was kind of a jerk. Not murderer material, though.
Toni narrowed his eyes at him, still keeping his hands on me. "Shut the hell up."
Alfred put his hands up. "Sorry, dude. Don't get so defensive. I know she's your girlfriend and all, but I was just pointing out the obvious-"
I widened my eyes. "No- I'm not, we're not..."
Toni cleared his throat, taking a step closer to him. "Go eat your calorie-ridden second lunch and stop pointing out the obvious, because no one really gives a shit about your opinions." He pulled me towards the door, leading me out to my car.
What was that? Did he seriously just do that?
I touched my face lightly, feeling a small smile spread across my face. That was awesome.
He opened the car door for me. I was still smiling. Did he... Like me? He just totally shot down the most popular guy in school. God, was he gonna hear it for that. But he knew that. And he still did it.
I started up the car as he got in the passenger seat.
He looked over at me, smiling a bit.
"Thanks. For that." I smirked.
"Yeah, well he deserved that. He's a fricking jerk. No one ever calls him out, and it's about time it happened." His mouth lifted a tiny bit at the corner, like he was really proud of himself. "But, you're welcome."
"Where now?" I turned on the radio.
He turned his head towards me. "My house."
"Alright. Where exactly is it?" Would we be considered friends?
"45 Gates. In the little Gates neighborhood thing."
"Hey, I live on Gates." I started to drive. It wasn't far from here.
"That's cool." He smiled. "We're like, neighbors."
I nodded. "Yeah." I turned onto Gates Ave. and looked for his house number. Mine was right in the entrance; it was number 4. Finally, at the very end of the string of overpriced houses, we got there.
It looked like a fish out of water, standing out of all of the perfect houses. First of all, it was brown. All of the houses were gray. It looked old, but not ugly. A kind of homey-old. I drove into the driveway.
"C'mon." He grinned at me, unbuckled, and got out of the car fast.
I turned the car off and followed him. He brought me inside the front door, which was unlocked.
"Mi casa." He plopped down on his couch. It was pretty nice, actually. It was kind of small, but enough room for a high school kid, living in his own. Like a college kid, but "less responsible".
"Bueno." I brushed my hand across the old coffee table, and sat next to him. There was a small tv right in front of us.
"So," I looked down at my feet.
"Tell me about yourself." He sat up, leaning forward like he was intrigued somehow by me.
"I already told you. I'm rich, and fast. That's about it. What about you?"
"First of all," he looked me in the eye, his green eyes hinting an odd emotion. "You're not just that. You're... I can't even explain it. But it's good."
I looked away. He was making me blush. I couldn't understand, why someone as nice, and cute as him would ever hang out with me, a spoiled little rich kid who uses her money to get what she wants.
"And now me. I'm from Spain. Already told you that. I have 4 siblings, but they're all back at home. Madrid, Spain to be specific. And then I had a talent for soccer. That's why I'm here." He leaned back on the couch.
Does he have a girlfriend?
I shook the thought out of my head. Don't. Let. It. Get. Awkward.
I picked at my fingernails, not looking at him. He scooted closer to me, putting his hand on my leg. ON my LEG.
My eyes went wide. I got the strangest feeling. It was a small buzzing, like butterflies in my stomach, but the feeling wasn't IN my stomach. My muscles tensed.
"Are you okay? You're sweating." I scooted out of his reach.
"N-no, I'm fine, yeah, but I've really got to um- go. That was really fun though. Thanks for everything." I needed to get out. He was making my body feel like it was burning. I stood up quickly, walking over to the door.
He stood up as well. "Um, well you're welcome, I guess..." He looked kind of hurt. Emotionally, that is.
I stopped. He thought he did something wrong... "Toni."
He looked up at me, his dark green eyes a little disappointed.
"It's not you, it's me. I- um, I'm-" I tried to conjure up some lame excuse. Anything except for, "you're making me feel odd, and I like it too much."
"Oh. Your-" he signaled with his hands something that implied something. Whatever it meant, I was cool with it.
"Yeah, my- my..." I mimicked his arm movements. "Well, I'll see you soon." I opened the front door.
He scratched the back of his head. "Y-yeah, I guess... Bye..."
"Bye." I got into my car quickly, driving away. Luckily, my house was less than a minute away. I parked my car when I got there, and ran inside, running up to my bedroom, and flopping down on my bed. I panted heavily.
What the hell was that?
I was sweating. I took off my school sweatshirt, and changed into a thinner t-shirt and some sweatpants from my jeans and school shirt. Not that it was uncomfortable. It was just him. I needed to wear looser clothing.
He made me feel so odd... I couldn't even explain how, what, or why he made me feel like that.
His hand, it tickled my skin so tenderly, what would it feel like further up?
No. Stop it.
I pulled the blanket over my head. Maybe I was sick.
Knock.
Oh god, who could it be? I didn't want to get up. I just wanted to lay there and die.
KNOCK.
The knocks got louder.
I reluctantly got up out of bed, and walked into the living room, where the front door was. I opened it. "What?"
Shoot.
It was even worse.
It was Alfred.
"Um, hi." He kicked the ground awkwardly. How did he get my address?
He looked pathetic, standing at my doorstep. I kind of even pitied him. And then I remembered what had just happened less than 30 minutes ago. Why was he here? "Yes?" I tapped my foot.
"I just wanted to say sorry." Sorry? He didn't seem like the type to apologize. Maybe that's why he was acting so awakened. He probably wasn't used to it. "I-I know I'm kind of a jerk. I get it. But that," he pointed behind him like the previous scene was a person behind him. "Then, that was pretty uncalled for. And look, I just want you to know that I'm not a complete jerk. I mean, I caught that football for you. It was a pretty good catch. Did you see it?" God, he talked a lot.
I nodded. "It's fine. It's kind of true." I didn't once look at his face. I couldn't tell if he was looking at me obviously, but I didn't think he was either. "I mean, I was trying to play basketball or something the other day." I laughed.
He did too. "Yeah, that was pretty funny. You looked like a bird or something who was being burned alive." He laughed again. "I can teach you how to play football. American football, not like that Spanish dude's idea of it."
"Um alright." I smiled. Did he just ask me to do something with him? A hot, popular boy who turned out to not be a complete bone-headed jerk? I think yes.
"Well, I'm gonna go. School just ended, and I went home 'sick', so, I mean, Amelia's waiting for me too, so, I should go." He backed up. "It was nice meeting you. Wait-" he came back to where he was standing. "I don't even freaking know your name." He laughed.
Of course Amelia was waiting for him. "I'm Lydia. Sanborn." I half-heartedly smiled, leaning against the doorway.
"Cool. I'm Alfred. See ya'!" He hopped down the stairs, and ran down the street.
That. Was. Strange.
I shook my head, chuckling as I went back to bed. New school, two new boys. This is going to get interesting.