Capítulo XXIII- El Nuevo Estudiante

     Patience made a new friend in English class. His name was Marcus and he was the new kid in town. Patience had the courtesy to say hello and muster up a conversation so he wouldn't feel alone on his first day. Now, Patience sat next to Adam as Marcus played on his guitar.

     "Aw, sweet! Look at your fingers go! It's like each one has a little brain of its own!" Adam pointed at Marcus.

     Marcus gave him a confused glance, but smiled, "Thanks. You know, you guys are the only people who have talked to me in the whole school. I hate being the new kid."

     Chase crossed his arms, "Yeah, we used to be the new kids that no one talked to. Now, we're just the vaguely familiar kids that no one talks to." Adam smiled, going for a high five, Chase shook his head and Adam awkwardly scratched his head.

     Patience smiled, "It's okay, a smaller group is usually better than a big one," she tapped her foot on Chase's shin, he sent a small smile back.

     Leo strolled to the group of four, "Hey, peeps. What's the deal-io?"

     "Hi, I'm Marcus."

     "I know," Leo fist-bumped Marcus, "we have gym together. And study hall. And also chemistry." Marcus tilted his head, unable to recognize Leo. "We're lab partners."

     "Oh. I did not know that," Marcus pursed his lips.

     Leo and Patience shared similar looks of perplexity. "Uh, Marcus this is Leo, my best friend I told you about," Patience added.

     Marcus smiled, "Oh, I remember." He turned to Chase, "Chase, you ever play guitar?"

     "No, but I've always wanted to."

     Leo cut in, "Well, I'm a jammer as well. My rocking is only eclipsed by my rolling."

     "Leo, your mom said you played the clarinet for three weeks until you swallowed the reed," Chase reminded.

     "I passed it."

     "Here Chase wanna give it a go?"

     "Yeah- Yeah. Sure why not?" Marcus gave his guitar to Chase. He put the guitar strap over his shoulder and placed his hands on the guitar's neck, taking the pick from Marcus.

     Leo and Patience's eyes widened as Chase played the guitar. He slid across the ground and stopped playing noticing he got carried away. Chase rose from the ground and sheepishly smiled, "Uh, well. What do you know? Beginner's luck," he handed Marcus his guitar back.

     Patience knew without doubt Chase used his bionics to scan the guitar. She awkwardly chuckled before Marcus asked any questions, "Okay, how about some lunch?"

     "Yeah."

     "Okay."

     "Sounds good to me."

     "Wait-"

     Patience hooked her arms with Marcus, "Come on, Marcus. Let us join you for your first-day school lunch." Marcus glanced down at Patience, he quirked an eyebrow at her sudden touch. She hauled him to the cafeteria packed with students. "I should warn you, don't expect a five-star meal," she pursed her lips.

     "What do you recommend?" Marcus looked at the food displayed.

     "Uh, you might be on your own on that one. It really depends on what you eat." Patience unhooked their arms and proceeded to get her lunch.

     Patience was the first to sit down at a table after waiting in the lunch line. She ate in peace as she waited for her friends to sit next to her, the lunch line was packed with students just leaving class. Marcus was in line chatting with Adam and Chase as Leo was pushed to the back of the line from the heard of students. Patience sent Leo a small smile sending an apology.

     Adam, Chase, and Marcus set their trays on the table and took their seats. Marcus continued his conversation with Adam and Chase, "So, me and my dad moved around a lot. I was homeschooled for most of my life."

     Adam smiled, "No way. So were we. We are so similar! Do you have a third nipple too?"

     Patience stopped chewing on her tater tot, she glanced at Chase across from her and they pursed their lips. "Anyway," Chase said, "that's a pretty sweet guitar Marcus."

     "Yeah, and your a natural bro," Marcus smiled. "Guys, we should start a band!"

     "Oh, that's a great idea!" Adam tapped his chopsticks on the table to a rhythm. "But what would I play? Oh! I got it. No, I don't got it," he scratched his head with the chopsticks.

     Marcus furrowed his eyebrows, "I think you're gonna be our drummer, Adam."

     "Mm, interesting choice. I've been pondering the french horn."

     "What about you, Patience? You in?" Marcus asked.

     Patience softly smiled, "Oh, I can't, I'm sorry. I got other stuff going on. My dad and I signed up for career day."

     Leo took a seat next to Patience and Chase piped up, "Hey, Leo. Guess what?" Marcus and Adam and I are forming a band."

     "Well, you guys just met. Don't you think it's a little soon?"

     "A little soon for what? Taking a deeply committed step of jamming together?"

     Patience agreed with Leo, "Yeah, I mean you guys just met, don't you guys wanna get to know each other a little better?"

     "Don't worry, Patience. It'll be okay." Marcus grinned, "Now if we could just find someplace to practice. I live in a pretty small place, so-"

     Adam shot up from his seat, strolling to Marcus, "I know a place. The lab." Chase smacked the table, choking on his drink. Leo and Patience's eyes widened and he coughed. Adam stuttered, "Oh, l-labrador retriever park. Yeah, the dog park. Nice acoustics. Plus, they have dogs." Adam leaned towards Chase and whispered, "Saved it."

     Chase suggested, "Well, you know, Marcus, we have a pretty big place. We can all just jam there."

     "Woah, woah, woah. Hold your horses, cowboy," Leo pulled Chase and Adam from Marcus next to Patience. "Chase what are you doing? Do you really think it's a good idea to let a total stranger into our very private home?"

     "What about Patience?"

     "I've known Leo and Tasha since middle school," Patience calmly reasoned.

     "It's okay, we don't have to jam. Not everyone needs a bright spot in their otherwise horrible life," Marcus's voice cracked.

     "Oh, look, Leo. You're making him feel bad." Chase said, "Don't worry, Marcus. We'll practice at our place later. Come on over."

     The frown on Marcus' face disappeared and a smile invaded his features, "Great. See you guys after school." Marcus left his tray on the table and left the cafeteria.

     Patience tilted her head at the strange mood swing Marcus expressed. Leo's eyebrows knitted together, "You guys are making a big mistake. I mean, you've only been in the real world for a little while. There's still a lot of stuff you don't know."

     "Look, Leo, I'm not gonna run my playdates past you. Hello! Genius!"

     Patience shrugged, "Yeah, but Leo's got a point. We just wanna make sure you guys are in no danger."

     Leo added, "What you have is book smarts. I have street smarts and I gotta watch what's happening on the street."

     Adam groaned, "Oh, Leo, Patience. Relax. We are not going to be playing in the streets. We're going to be playing in the house." Adam grabbed Leo's shoulder and leaned towards Chase, "These guys."

      Patience and Dante set up their booth next to Bree's and Mr. Davenport's booth. After convincing Principal Perry to Give Patience the specific spot to plug in their equipment, Patience and Dante connected the two portable stovetops.

     Patience and Dante had their food in a cooler and four cardboard boxes of food and utensils and other kitchenware. They turned on the speaker they connected to Patience's phone and played music. Dante and Patience moved along with the rhythm making tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches. It was an effortless snack, but they couldn't do much considering they didn't have a whole kitchen.

     It was a great moment for Patience and Dante because Dante always spent his time working. He was the head chef in the restaurant he worked in, which meant he got up early in the morning for work and came home late at night.

     Patience rarely got to spend much time with her dad. On the day of Bree's first sleepover, she couldn't attend because Dante got the weekend and they spent it together. They watched movies and cooked dinner and dessert together whilst listening to music.

     Students' parents would occasionally talk to Dante about his career and he made small talk with them while offering them some homemade tomato soup and grilled cheese he and Patience made.

     Patience and Dante plopped on their chairs, enjoying the soup and grilled cheese. They watched as Bree and Mr. Davenport played the guitar and enjoy their time together.

     "Are the Davenport's still joining us for Dinner when this is over?" Dante asked Patience.

     "Uh, I think so."

     Dante had invited the Davenport-Dooley family to dinner. Mostly to thank them for letting Patience hang out at their house so she wouldn't be sitting alone at home bored and to get to know the Davenports too. He had already met Leo and Tasha countless times.

     By the time career day was over, they grouped near the gym doors already with their stuff packed away. Leo paced into the gym, "Well, well, well. If it isn't my old friend Marcus."

     "Sorry, Leo, you're too late. We've safely packed away all the guitars. Maybe now you can find something else to break. 'Cause you broke the guitar," Marcus deadpanned.

     Leo held a tablet out, "Excuse me, I would like everyone's attention right here. I have proof from our home security system."

     Marcus nervously glanced around as Eddy appeared on the screen, "Hi!"

     "Now watch, as I-"

     Marcus intruded Leo, "I got a confession to make."

     "Oh, no, you don't."

     "I did it. I broke the guitar?"

     Leo exclaimed, "That's not fair! I was gonna crack this case wide open!"

     Patience furrowed her eyebrows, "Guitar? What guitar?"

     Eddy laughed, "Ha! He got you again!"

     Mr. Davenport asked, "What's going on here?"

     Marcus sighed, "I broke my guitar and blamed it on Leo. I owe everyone an apology."

     "You broke the guitar? Why didn't you just say so?" Chase asked.

     "Yeah, why didn't you just say so?"

     "Because I had already cracked the guitar, but if my dad knew that I broke it I'd be in so much trouble because my family is so poor and I just want everyone to like me because I'm always the new kid, so I made everyone think that Leo did it because I'm so scared and it's so hard to make friends and I'm just a dumb kid compared to all of you and my grandma just died!" Marcus cried.

     Mr. Davenport's eyebrows pinched together, "Are you crying? Is he crying?"

     Bree smiled, "It's okay, Marcus."

     "Yeah, it's no big deal."

     "We don't think you're dumb," Chase reassured.

     "Yeah, and your grandma didn't really die." The group's eyes widened at Adam's words. Adam mouthed, "I don't know."

     Dante put a hand on the boy's shoulder, "Marcus, come to dinner with us. I'm sure it'll be great to have another friend of Patience join us."

     Marcus nodded, "Mm-kay. You guys go ahead. I want to apologize to Leo."

     Patience tilted her head skeptical about Marcus's behavior. She glanced back at Leo and Marcus before leaving the gym.