CHAPTER 9

I had heard nothing from him. Nada, niente. For two days straight I had mourned his presence. Never in my life would I have thought I'd miss a pompous guy like himself. What was the world coming to, honestly? But it is what it is - I missed Angelo Henriquez and I wished he'd call me over to his house so I could see him, even if that meant I had to get on my hands and knees and get dirty cleaning. Urgh! When I thought of it like that, it just made me sound like a life-deprived loser.

"Lucy! Wake up or we're gonna be late picking up Ryan and Julian up!"

At the sound of my eager brother outside my room, I cleared my bugging thoughts as I reluctantly rose from my bed to take Bobby and his friends ice skating. I wasn't really bothered to be honest because all I had to do was supervise.

I made my way into the bathroom, brushed my teeth then I stripped myself off of my clothes. I never made a show out of being in a shower, for obvious reasons like not liking to look at my nakedness for too long but the hot burst of water was just something special and I couldn't help but revel in it a little longer than usual. Unfortunately it wasn't too long before my mother was banging her hand against the bathroom door telling me to get out and using the opportunity to remind me how irresponsible I was and blamed me for the rise in the water bill and then went on further to curse out my absent dad and blah, blah, blah. Nothing new.

When I opened the door to the bathroom she was still standing outside. "It's about time you finished, thought you were going to sleep there."

I took in my mum's appearance, she looked exhausted. The shouting must have taken a lot out of her.

"Good afternoon mum."

She looked at me curiously before replying in a more civil tone. "Here's thirty dollars for you and Bobby, I might have gone to work by the time you guys come back."

"Ok, thank you", I said holding up the thin bundle of notes.

"Alright, I'm going to bed now", she said before turning away in the direction of her room.

Reaching into my room, I heard my phone ring and I went over to my bedside to answer it, checking the caller ID, I realised it was a number I did not recognize, so I just pressed the 'Accept' button.

"Hello, who's this?"

"Why have you not being picking up my phone calls?"

"What do you want?"

To say keeping my composure on the phone was easy would be a Pinocchio-classified lie. Goosebumps automatically blossomed on my body and the hand clutching my phone grew sweaty just hearing his voice.

"First of all I want to know why you didn't save my number."

"I forgot to save it."

"Well, how about you remember to do so now?"

"Okay, whatever."

"I really don't like that attitude of yours."

"I really don't like that face of yours, but I'm not complaining."

Lies. Lies. Lies. Even to my own ears it sounded like a lie, it was no surprise that I heard him burst out in laughter over the phone.

"Did...did...you...hahaha...just...haha...Oh my gosh please someone help me!....hahaha...I'm dying of laughter....hahaha...Did... you just try to call me... ugly?"

He dropped his phone but I could still hear his ridiculous laugh in the background as I patiently waited for him to finish. Why? I was just a patient person. Lies! Okay but after moping about for the last two days I'd be silly to just cut off the line.

"Okay...haha...I'm done now", he said at last still sniggering. "Honestly though, have you seen what a cleverly structured being God has made me and need I remind you to the day we first met and you called me hot."

Willing myself not to remember that day, I said, "If you're done with your self-praise, I'm going to get off the phone 'cos I have things to do."

"Like what? Coming to my house to do my dirty laundry?"

He'd officially pissed me off and it'd taken less than two minutes but of course I'd be the bigger person. "No, like taking my brother ice-skating."

"And what about me?"

"What about you?"

"You're supposed to be working for me."

"Well if you had called me well in advance then I would have made myself available. I can't just cancel my plans. I can come tomorrow instead."

In my head I thought how was it possible that he'd already messed up the house that I had cleaned with my sweat and blood just two days ago?

"You're taking far too many liberties with this out-of court settlement."

And when he said that, that's when it hit me. I was taking liberties. My heart bumped a little quicker at the thought that I wasn't taking our current arrangement seriously enough and he'd be straight on the phone to his lawyer, but then I heard him speak again. "Fine. You better come tomorrow 'cos I'm having visitors."

"D'you need company?"

"N-"

He cut me off before I could decline, "Yes."

What was the point of him even asking if he was going to answer for me?

"Which ice rink are you going to? And don't even bother lying", he added, strangely able to know the contemplations going on in my head.

Sighing I responded, "Dynamite Ice Rink Centre."

"What time you getting there for?"

"Two o'clock."

"Okay, I'll be there."

And with that he ended the phone call.

"Luciana, I need to pee."

"Me too."

"And me."

The reason why they needed the toilet so much? Who's fault could it be other than the Butt Bag smirking rather contently as he watched me helplessly trying to figure out how I was going to handle the situation.

We had gone to the cafeteria inside the ice rink and I had told Bobby, Ryan and Julian that they were only allowed one refill of their chosen drink. When they'd asked if they could have another refill after going over their limit Angelo had interrupted and said, 'What's the harm, it's not like you have to pay more. They want more, they can have more.'

Stupid man. Now I was the one having to deal with the situation. I had asked the boys several times before we got in line to pay to skate if we they needed to go the toilet and they all had said no.

For a moment all I did was stare down at the three boys all looking at me, with their legs crossed tightly in a shape of a K. If I took them to the toilet that meant I would lose our place in the already long queue and I didn't want to risk that, but if I didn't take the boys to the toilet, I was going to have three huge puddles surrounding me very soon.

"Stay here, I'll take them to the toilet," then he came closer to whisper in my ears, "now how would you have coped without me being here?"

"We wouldn't have been in this situation if it wasn't because of you."

Laughing lightly, he brushed past me summoning the boys to follow him to the toilets. I really needed to control myself around him. Seriously.

The ice rink now was buzzing alight with the holiday spirit as the DJ played cheesy Christmas records. Alone in the line seeing people laugh and joke in their small clusters of friends was another reminder that I wasn't some highly evolved human who didn't care for friends.

Some of the girls from my school passed me by me as they went to sit on the benches to wear their skating boots and I could only determine myself not to cry as they definitely made it a point to make sure I heard what they were saying about me in my skinny jeans even though they never mentioned my name. And no I was not being paranoid.

"Size ?"

The shoe attendant broke me off my silent chant, not wanting to let the tears leak I blinked a few times and faced the worker who was waiting for me impatiently to respond.

"Can I have a size 3...and uh uh..."

I'd forgotten to ask Julian and Ryan for their shoe size.

"Three size 3s, one size 10", said Angelo smoothly who had miraculously turned up at my side with the three boys behind him,"and for the lady a size..."

Angelo looked down expectantly at me waiting for me to give my shoe size, but I shook my head, responding, "I ain't skating."

Deep dimples formed on his olive-skinned cheeks, as he smiled back saying, "Yes you are."

Taking a simple look at my feet that were currently covered by my black converses, he turned his attention back to the attendant, "A size six for the lady."

After having paid for the boys, I walked over to the bench with the boys in tow, to help them put their boots on, leaving Angelo to pay for his own entrance fee.

I asked the boys if they wanted the penguins to help them skate, but they all said no except for the cute blonde headed boy, Ryan, who shyly asked if he could have one.

"Haha, Ryry is a baby. He can't skate without the penguins", mocked Julian the mulatto boy.

"Ryan is a baby! Ryan is a baby! Ryan is a baby", chanted Bobby.

Okay, this was not good with Ryan was getting redder and redder in the face and I knew any second he could burst into tears.

"Oi stop this right now. That is no way to treat your friend. Now say sorry to Ryan. Both of you." I said sternly looking down at them.

Looking somewhat remorseful they said their apologies. Damn their adorably good looks.

"Okay, Ryan let's get your penguin."

"Someone else is in need of a penguin," stated Angelo and his annoying self.

"Who?" asked the boys.

"Lucy."

Giving him the looks of evil, I said, "I told you not to call me Lucy and I also told you I am not skating."

"Yes you are."

"You can't make me."

"Is that a challenge?" Angelo asked raising up an eyebrow.

Damn him.

"Whatever you do, don't look down."

"Oh my gosh, if you let go of me, I'm going to shove these boots up your---AARGH!"

Strong firm hands grasped my waist to keep me from smacking my head on the iced floor. I relished on the feel of his hands as they stayed rooted on my hips like they belonged there. Suddenly feeling insecure thinking that he could feel the moulds of fat on each side of my waist I tried to escape his grasp, but his voice cut my actions.

"Calm down and let me control this, okay?"

It was safe to say he was having fun seeing me needy. I watched enviously as I saw other skaters surrounding me, glide ever so effortlessly and obviously there were also the big show-offs who'd just kept zigzagging everywhere and there I was a big chump, not even able to take a step forward

"You ready to skate?"

Not even giving me time to answer, he glided across the rink, copying his movements I attempted to move my legs side to side one after the other. It worked! Together we slid across the rink, swerving around skaters, a few times I stumbled but I managed to carry on.

Feeling courageous all of a sudden I told Angelo I wanted to skate on my own.

Swivelling around to face me, he asked, "Are you sure?"

Nodding my head as an affirmative answer, he said, "Okay, skate to me."

Backing up a few steps to create distance between us, he waited for me expectantly.

Giving myself a five second inspirational talk, I looked at Angelo determined to do the damn shit. It was no big deal, I could do it.

If only.

"Shit!"

My body smacked the floor painfully, and in my slightly dizzy state I could hear a mixture of concerned voices and laughter. The trio namely Bobby, Ryan and Julian skated over to my side giggling as they watched me lie on the floor helplessly. Angelo came, fighting hard to keep his stupid giggles in him.

"Not funny, " I said glaring at all of them.

"Ah come on, don't be so Luci-anal."

If only my evil looks could be converted to daggers.

After dropping off a very sleepy Ryan and Julian to their respective homes we headed over to Angelo's. All my brother's fault for losing in a bet of 'Rock, Paper, Scissors'. I know Bobby was secretly happy, well okay, okay, maybe I was too.

I was probably the 17,739,239th female to be in his house and even though it was just to do his dirty work, I still relished in the not so exclusive access to his house. Sigh, the fantasies of a self-esteemed girl never cease to amaze me. As long as I could divide illusion with reality, all will be fine, well that was my hope.

Now in the comforts of his room, after being rudely ordered by him to go make his bed, I decided it would be the appropriate time to play Inspector Carter and have a little snoop around. I sauntered over to his bed side and picked up the family portrait next to the lamp.

The background looked foreign, like they were at the seaside or something. A youthful looking but mature woman, with long dark hair, full lips and brown eyes had a dark haired boy possibly thirteen or fourteen, tucked underneath her arms smiling cheekily at the camera. To the left of the boy was a young handsome man with cropped black hair and brown eyes embracing the woman, whilst two small feet belonging to a toddler looking away from the camera, dangled on either sides of his neck. My first guess was that this was Angelo's family but I couldn't think further into my suspicions when I heard commotion downstairs and I abandoned the bed I was asked to make to see what was going on.

The voices I heard were becoming louder and louder as I went down each step. I saw a boy who looked like Bobby's age standing next to a woman. The woman though was the one that captured my attention, her brown eyes and long silky hair looked very similar to the young, flawless woman I saw in the family portrait. But her face was an extreme contrast. The glowing skin in the picture was now patches of uneven skin tone stitched into her once perfect face.

"It's nice to see you mama," said Angelo to the woman who had a face of a burn victim.