Luckily I made sure that this chapter came out as quickly as possible. I wasn't going to leave you all hanging… speaking of that was the wrong choice of words, but anyway in this chapter you'll learn her admirer's (last) name and he will FINALLY do the right thing. I won't fully reveal his identity until chapter 9 and trust me, they will both learn a lot about each other. Enjoy reading and REVIEW!

Chapter 8: Opportunity

(Recap)

In that split second, once I'd begun to kick the barstool from beneath my weight; the vision of a young girl about my age brought my world to a complete standstill. She was making an attempt to dive headfirst off the side of a bridge, clutching her stomach as her sobs rang above a deafening crack of thunder. Her reflection against the crashing waves exposed to me, a stunning revelation as I looked into her tearful green eyes.

That girl was… my mother! She was just like me.

By the end of that infinite second my very last breath gathered to call her name, only to be replaced by a choking gasp.

"Ma—"

SNAP!

Raquél

The tension was merciless, the pain was excruciating…

Death had not come as quickly as I expected. Gravity gained the upper hand, swiftly dropping me so that I would be left to hang. The fight for air became immediate once the noose tightened around my airway. The walls were now closing in around me, and panic began to set in.

Foreign gasps and wheezes forced their way out of my throat as I managed to slip my fingers between the rope and my neck. My heart raced with such a driving force, I thought it would burst from my chest just to free itself.

The medium separating life and death denied me the option of choosing my own fate. I had sealed my own fate. In the midst of the struggle, the silk scarf fell from my eyes, exposing my fading sight to a tear-veiled view of my mother's bedroom. I attempted to kick my legs in an effort to wriggle free, but that only seemed to speed up the process.

Time elapsed without hesitance, and I watched as the mental countdown to my death skipped from 25 to 16 to 11.

A swell of fresh tears began to stream down my cheeks, as if the pressure against my throat had forced them out. I then had to work to catch my dying breaths, drawing in a weaker kiss of life with every passing, critical second. As vertigo took over, my head spun with disorientation while the clock continued on; now slower than ever.

Five… three seconds … Four… three seconds… Three… three seconds …

Two…

One…

The early stages of my impending angelic form seemed to sprout its wings, as I felt my body floating… or falling. Was this what death was like? An iridescent spotlight shone down onto my head, rendering me blind once my very existence; my entire being was cast into the clouds of heaven.

I was no longer trapped in my nightmarish struggle, but soaring across a celestial horizon until I spotted the figure of what looked like a woman. As I fell to her feet, she welcomingly spanned the vastness of her feathered wings and helped me to my feet.

Almost instantly, I burst into tears finding that the angel was none other than my Aunt Mary.

"Aunt Mary!" I gasped, throwing my arms around her, and euphoric at my ability to be in her embrace again. They were also tears of regret once I realized that my mistake was irreversible.

"W-where am I? Please… don't tell me it's over! I didn't mean to do this."

"Hmm, well…" she began with a soft laugh.

I smiled.

Her voice... I had missed listening to those sweet dulcet tones as a little girl. She briefly glanced behind my back, and only then did I realize that my gym clothing had become replaced by an ivory, velvet robe.

"You haven't sprouted any wings yet, and you're missing a halo. Right now, you're In Between: the deep stages of unconsciousness and the early reaches of death."

"So, I'm not fully dead? Just… half?" I questioned, not fully aware of what was happening.

"Yes. And you are only here because you needed to realize that attempting suicide was not the answer. I have watched you blossom into a beautiful, strong young lady long after I was gone. While you may have doubted yourself about handling everyday struggles, I saw that there was more to you. You were one of the most gifted people I'd ever met, and you should learn to embrace those talents of yours."

"What talents? Having a freakishly high I.Q. so that kids could make fun of me? What else?" I scoffed.

"Being intelligent is not something to be embarrassed about…. You also have a beautiful singing voice. Don't think I can't hear you singing in your room."

"No, I-I can't sing as well as Mami. She's a wonderful singer," I doubted that I held that kind of talent.

"I beg to differ, Sugar. And you should be eager to share that with the world."

My Aunt Mary and I began a stroll through a virtual timeline of that humiliating afternoon. Watching my own heartbreak from an outside perspective only reminded me of the very reason I had been compelled to end my life.

"But that's the problem… no one likes me. You've seen what those kids did to me. Today, I just had enough of my life. I didn't want to deal with them anymore."

"That was no reason to harm yourself like this. I understand; what those bullies have done to you was inhumane and degrading. But you shouldn't give them the satisfaction of watching their actions have emotional impact on you. They have ruined your entire perspective of why you were put into this world, but only you have the power to fix it," my aunt encouraged me.

My gaze fell onto the pearly cobblestone walkway, as I let out a sigh.

"Would you tell me? Because I sure don't know what my purpose is in life."

Aunt Mary paused in the midst of our walk, and placed her hand on my shoulder as if to introduce me to a theory in which I'd never thought to take to heart.

"You were brought into this world out of love. Your mother and father only pushed themselves to work hard because they loved you so much and strived to give you the best life possible. You only help your mother to raise your siblings because you love her enough to keep half the burden off her shoulders; is that right?" she questioned.

"Right… B-but what does love have to do with my future?"

"Love is only a matter Give and Take: While your parents have given their love to you, you've taken it for your siblings. This can only add up if you continue to give and take. If you give your love to whomever else comes along, it's a matter of time until they take it and give their own love in return as well. Does that make sense?"

The timeline suddenly displayed the hazy silhouettes of four people. One each side there were the two figures that seemed to appear like girls, and between them was a boy. The fourth figure was that of a man, and I knew exactly who he was. My mother's boyfriend, Troy. The others were not as easy to identify. The boy's figure then appeared watching, as the scene between me and my tormentors unfolded. The way his fists repeatedly clenched instantly gave away that he had been fuming. As I burst through the doors in tears, he stormed away in a fit of rage.

"It does make sense... I know the tallest is Troy, but who are those three people? Does that mean that they'll be my life?"

"Who am I to know, Sugar? That depends on how much you're willing to let them into your life. Be on the lookout for these people. The answer may be right in front of you, whether you know it or not. But when you do find out who they are, trust your heart and you can never go wrong," Aunt Mary heartened, lifting my head with her finger so that her gaze was locked to mine.

"But how will I do that now? How am I ever going to know if I die?"

"Well… that is where you have a chance at self-redemption, Raquél. You only have one life to live and I don't think that you deserve to miss out on the wonderful experiences to come. That is why I'm going to give you a second chance."

In the second it took for me to ensnare my aunt in a tight embrace, I was back in my normal clothing and shedding tears of gratitude.

"Oh, thank you so much, Aunt Mary! I won't ever do this again!" I exclaimed.

"It's your life, Sugar. Live it well and give as much love as you can. But once you get back, promise me that you will try to see yourself in a different light. Believe in yourself and what you're capable of. Before going into any relationship you have to learn to fully accept yourself, and that includes inner beauty. Just keep your head up, stand tall, and things will sail smoothly from now on. Promise me?"

Her angelic presence seemed to fade before my eyes, even as I tightened my grip to keep her in my embrace.

"I promise, Aunt Mary. I miss you so much," I sniffled, finding myself speaking to a billowing surge of clouds. Her voice replied as a whispering echo.

"I miss you, Raquél… I love you all."

Soon after the peaceful fade of my angel aunt, came the disturbing rasp of a wheezing cough. My hands mechanically clamped around my throat as the dying gasps of my previous struggle resurfaced with a vengeance. The heavenly portal surrounding me suddenly shattered like a broken pane of glass; and I returned to the real world in what seemed like, the nick of time.

No longer hanging in midair I lay across the carpet of the bedroom, free of the deathly grips of an inevitable ending. The loose bundle of rope stretched from my neck to a thick metal post, which had broken off its closet supports.

My body trembled severely, as if trying to recover itself from the trauma I had put it through. The slightest gasps that escaped from my breaths ached my sore throat, and I whimpered in pain when a sudden cough emerged.

Once I'd regained full control of my vision, I glanced up to see that merely five minutes had passed when I decided to drape the rope around my neck.

Quickly sensing that word had spread to my mother about my provoked escape from school, I weakly dragged myself along the carpet to reach my cell phone. Predictably, the device continued to buzz with outraged text messages from her demanding: Where are you? Why did you run away from school?

I was fully aware that I did not have a voice, so I did not bother to call back.

Instead I sent a reply saying, I'll tell u later… when you come home.

The angry expression she sent back gave me an indication that I was in serious trouble with her. She was going to leave work early to punish me. I was no longer afraid of punishment, because I was no longer afraid of anything.

If I had anything to fear from then on, it was death.

~RMCR~

For the remaining moments I had left before my mother would arrive, I rushed to destroy any piece of evidence that could give away my attempt. After tossing the bundle of rope into the garbage and fixing the broken post on the closet door, the last task I had yet to finish was to shred the suicide note in my unused paper-shredder. I knew that just shredding one piece of paper would have raised my mother's suspicions, so I grabbed as much paper as I could and shred them until the machine was full.

In a matter of minutes I had accomplished what could have been done in 30 minutes, but I had finished in half that time. Everything I'd used before had been perfectly hidden or cleverly thrown away. I told myself that there was enough time for me to recollect my frenzied thoughts. But all that changed once I got up to use the bathroom.

As I washed my hands, my gaze avoided the reflection in the mirror. Ashamed to even look at my own face, I focused on the lower half of the mirror, and only then did I notice the damage I'd done to myself.

I tilted my head back to reveal the gruesome red streak that stretched across my neck; which had yet to turn into a bruise.

What was I thinking, determining that committing suicide was going to make things better?

It only showed that I had caused myself as much physical and mental abuse as Maya and Carlos had. What those two did to me was low even for them. Carlos had toyed with my emotions as if I was some kind of game to him. His careless and icy remarks had completely shattered my self-worth, and how I viewed myself as a girl. If that jerk had purposefully intended to make me feel unattractive, then his efforts paid off.

Feeling discouraged, I removed all the mirrors from my bedroom and stored them away in my closet. I did not look like everybody else. I didn't even deserve to look at myself. I felt more hideous than ever before.

The moment the click of the front door bolt echoed down the hallway, I hurried to put on a turtleneck sweater to hide my injury, and waited for my mother to appear.

I did not realize how much I loved her until she walked through the door.

"Mami!" I managed quietly, through my pained breaths.

She seemed taken aback as I crashed into her, locking her waist in a tight embrace. Her hindrance had completely diminished when I began to cry.

"Oh, my baby. What's wrong?" she questioned, and lifted all 90 pounds of me onto her hip. I had not gained any more weight, or grew, in the past few months.

"I just really missed you. I've been through so much today, you have no idea," I sobbed.

My mother immediately dropped her things and carried me to her bedroom, unaware that I had been there just minutes ago. She sat me on her lap at the edge of the bed and rocked me back and forth.

"Well, Mami's here. Tell me what happened," she cooed.

"I hate everyone in that stupid school; no one likes me. Maya really got to me today and I just couldn't take it anymore… Please, Mommy I don't want to go back!"

I wasn't going to tell her exactly what provoked Maya to harass me that day. My mother didn't deserve to feel let down after knowing that I had lost my innocence to someone like Carlos. She didn't deserve the heartbreak of knowing that I tried to commit suicide.

For the first time she did not suggest talking it over with my principal. Instead, she planted a kiss on my forehead and said, "You know what? I feel so heartless to have not transferred you to another school after you've asked me so many times; so if you want I can get all your transcripts and, you can be in another school by Tuesday. Does that sound good?"

Although I had expected to blurt out "yes" before she'd finished the sentence, something in my thoughts reminded me of the enlightening vision I had; and the words were caught in my throat. Aunt Mary promised me that something good was in my future if I continued to attend school. I could not quit now if it was soon going to turn out for the best. This was my chance to prove to Maya and her clique that their words no longer had an effect on me. If I transferred to another school, my move would only give them the satisfaction of knowing that I was weak. And I refused to be their victim any more.

"Actually," I began. "I don't think I want to change schools after all. You already have enough stresses as it is."

My mother laughed at my cleverness.

"You're always looking out for me, aren't you?"

"Yeah, because I love you. I don't want you to feel like I'm dumping all of my problems on you… I'm in high school; I should be able to take care of things myself."

I settled into the warmth of her as she tightened her embrace around me, if it was possible.

"Ohh, I love you too, baby girl. Now, don't think that I'm upset at you for skipping the rest of school, but please… next time you feel upset at school, just call me. Okay? I can call and get you dismissed at any time. Don't you forget; Mami's here for you. You can talk to me about anything and I will listen. You really scared me, running away from the school like that."

"Okay, Mami. I'm sorry—I won't do it again," I said hoarsely, which quickly became her new concern.

My mother tilted my head slightly backwards, nearly uncovering my concealed bruise.

"You okay, Raquél?" she questioned while observing my tired features.

"I think I lost my voice… André and Ria must've given me their bug."

She did not seem to notice as I pulled away, to prevent her from tugging at the collar of my sweater.

"Is that why you're suddenly wearing a turtleneck? After I brought it for you last year?" she chuckled.

"I was… cold."

I sat back onto my mother's bed, watching in silence as she began to strip off her work clothing.

"I think you should try to wear those clothes I bought for you. You'd look extra, extra beautiful in them," she said.

"I-I don't know. I'll try to wear them, but I'm not as pretty as you."

"Are you kidding, Raquél? If anything, I wish that I was as beautiful as you."

I felt my face grow hot with embarrassment, as my mother reached out to tuck a curl behind my ear, smiling dotingly.

"No, I-I'm not that beautiful. You are Mami," I denied shyly.

She gave me an affectionate peck on the lips and embraced me a second time, sighing to emphasize her concern for me.

"Oh, honey… If only you could see what everybody else sees."

~RMCR~

Unknown POV

After the infuriating confrontation I had witnessed between Maya, Carlos and Raquél, I decided that I'd waited long enough to do something. If I really wanted her, I would not sit there until things blew over. Doing nothing was just as coldhearted as the torment they put her through. Just to stand up to the Superiors was like committing social suicide, and I knew that I'd have to prepare myself for an onslaught of criticism if I did this. I no longer cared.

Do it! Just do it!, my brain screamed the moment a very shattered Ángelita raced past me in tears.

As hesitant as I felt, something told me that everyone, including myself, was going to benefit from having the courage to stand up to Maya's clique. This would only prove to the student body that they could unite as one and beat Maya at her own game. After all, there were a lot less Superiors compared to an entire school of victims.

Fueled by anger and adrenaline, I stormed towards Maya and spun her around to face me.

"What the hell is your problem, Maya? Do you think that it's funny to treat her like that?"

The group fell silent, stunned at my sudden outrage.

"As a matter of fact, we all do… And why do you suddenly want to stand up for that slut?" she scoffed.

"She has a name, you know. I'm not just standing up for Raquél, but for every single person you and these bastards have hurt. I don't think it's fair for you to treat everyone like they're lower than dirt because, guess what? You are lower than dirt!" I said, forcing my finger into her shoulder to prove my reference to her.

Maya let out a short laugh of disbelief among the group's shocked gasps. She raised her hand to slap me across the face, only to recoil once I grabbed her thin wrist. I was not the violent kind of person, but I did only it just to show her that I meant business.

"Carlos!" she called behind my back in slight panic.

The jerk who took advantage of Ángelita charged on command; both of his fists on either side of his body. I let go of Maya and charged also, eager to fight but concluding that words spoke louder than punches. Carlos did not seem to realize that I was at least half a foot taller than him, as he approached quicker to prove that he was not afraid of me. But in truth, he knew of my hidden defenses and saw me as a threat.

"What do you think you're doing, man? Embarrassing us like this," he muttered through clenched teeth.

"You guys are just embarrassing yourselves… Don't make me embarrass you any more by knocking you on your ass. Nothing would make me happier."

"I don't know why you were accepted by us in the first place, Sanchez. We could always see that you were a sellout."

I laughed coldly at his useless words and retorted, "It's better to be a sellout than a bully. I'm done putting up with your shit anyway."

Carlos and Maya were rendered dumbfounded by my departing speech, as I pushed through the crowd of my newly former friends. At the end of the class, I left the gym to meet up with my cousins in the next period. Those two girls were my real friends.

Now that I was officially freed from the clutches of the Superiors, all I had left to conquer was to overcome my greatest fear: talking to Raquél. My second greatest fear was getting rejected by her. I went to my friends for help on talking to my crush, so that I would not end up making myself look like a complete idiot.

Just as I had accepted her for the beautiful and intelligent girl she was, I hoped that she would accept me for the genuine and honest man I was.

Monday

I was excited to put my weekend training to the test that afternoon as I confidently strolled to my second-to-last class of the day: English.

My much-anticipated plans to talk to Raquél had been put on hold once I found out that our gym teacher had been out sick. Slightly relieved, I was glad to not have to start an awkward conversation by trying to speak during the disorder of the class. I sat behind her in Mrs. Brown's class, so I could simply speak to her then.

As I entered the room, the seven pairs of daggers belonging to that of Maya and her friends pierced through my skull. I only flashed them a cynical grin and continued towards my seat near the back of the classroom. My ex-girlfriend was still fuming after I declared that I could not be with her any longer. I simply told her that I could not date a girl who was as fake as her hair extensions. She was angry, to say the least.

Raquél quickly arrived soon after, looking as gorgeous as ever in a fitted turtleneck sweater. Her curls were drawn back in a side-ponytail that hung over her shoulder and ended above her waist. Aside from her striking good looks, something seemed to be different about her. She did not clutch her books against her chest the way she usually did, when entering a room crowded with people.

Maya sat back, watching the girl in disgust and waiting for the right moment to strike. I could tell that she was just getting warmed up as she unfolded her legs and leaned forward.

"Well, well, well! Look who decided to show up… I thought you would've been on your way to Mexico by now," she laughed, which gave Carlos the consent to take a taunting stab at her self-confidence.

"Hey, Angel… Was I as good as the others?"

Raquél's next response surprised even them. Her usually stunning green eyes darkened with hatred; and after a quick roll of them, she snapped, Jódete, Carlos!"

Whoever could understand the Spanish obscenity gasped. I had never seen her so angry. Carlos drew back while raising his arms in defense.

"Well, excuse me for not knowing about your mood swings," he said sarcastically.

Although the murderous daggers Raquél pointed across the room were not directed towards me, my confidence was rattled with intimidation. As she pushed past a group of hushed students, I avoided her eyes, fearing that she would also glare at me the same way she had done to them.

The wafting scent of Lavender followed soon after she took her seat in front of me. Aside from my favorite scent of coconut; because of Ángelita, I had fallen in love with her scent. I wanted to fall in love with more than just her scent.

Once Mrs. Brown returned from a quick errand, she then instructed the class to pass back the vocabulary quiz from the week before.

While my stomach turned with the dread of receiving a possible failed test, I kept on the lookout for a double star-stamped paper. As I'd expected the test belonged to Raquél; which had been graded a perplexing 102%! What could she have possibly done on that exam to have exceeded the standard grading criteria?

This girl was amazing.

My test paper snapped behind her head as she passed it back, not even stealing a glance at me. Like always, my own grade was laughable compared to hers. I was more embarrassed than upset with myself. She must have laughed to herself thinking, "What an idiot."

The graded 43% sheet mocked me. In addition, my teacher left a small note at the top of the paper that said, "See me for help." I wanted to rip up the test to spare myself the lasting effects of disappointment, but then I remembered what my real focus was at that moment.

I sat in my chair, thinking of ways to catch Raquél's attention without aggravating her any further. Asking her for an extra pencil was out of the question, as she kept ignoring me when I begged repeatedly. Sensing that she was about to snap another time, I complied with Mrs. Brown's demands to "complete my assignment, or else."

With just seven minutes left in class, I knew I had to hurry.

Running out of options, a moment of recall brought out a simple method that I could have used from the very beginning of that period. My last hopes depending on the clatter of a pencil; I purposefully tossed the object onto the floor. If I were to freeze up like I did the last time, there was no way that I could execute this properly.

Once again Raquél responded by not moving a muscle. My plans were quickly going downhill. This time, I tapped her on the shoulder and asked, "Sorry to bother you, but could you get my pencil for me?"

"Could you say 'please' first?" she retorted coolly.

Ouch.

"Oh, m-my bad… please?"

She hated me.

After letting out a loud sigh of exasperation, she reluctantly stretched beneath her desk to retrieve my pencil. My eye was nearly poked out as she thrust it into my face without looking. Although her patience with me had completely run its course, it was my chance to catch that opportunity as it dangled just out of my reach. And I was determined not to lose that opportunity.

"Hey, thanks… For a second there, I thought you were going to leave it on the floor," I tried, chuckling awkwardly.

"If you annoyed me anymore, I would've."

"Again, I am so sorry for being such a bother. I mean, you can't blame a guy for getting sweaty hands around a pretty girl."

Oh, no. Another unintended slip of the tongue.

Why don't you just keep your damn mouth shut? my head scorned, as Raquél's sudden dark stare overwhelmed me.

I was not sure if she had heat vision, so I shifted my gaze just in case. She spun around in her seat silently; it was the calm before the storm.

"Look, I—"

"Listen to me… I don't know who the hell you think you are, but do not talk to me. Just because you don't want to learn doesn't mean that I want to do the same," she said.

Her voice; although low and threatening, was still beautiful enough for me to think that she'd fallen out of heaven. Nothing—not even her fear-provoking anger, could subside my fascination with her.

Now that I had been copiously insulted, I began to feel discouraged. Someone had to take the blame for making her have so much bitterness against me. I would only share a minor part of the blame because of the crowd I allowed myself to befriend. None other than that bastard Carlos was responsible for making her think that every guy she met would act like he cared only to break her heart. He was to blame for wrecking her perspective of a genuine guy.

Getting the cold shoulder from Raquél was not the only thing that proposed to ruin my day. As I murmured a second dejected apology, Mrs. Brown caught me in the act and began to approach with her usual menacing stalk.

"Mr. Sanchez… since you seem to think that talking is more important than my lesson, we can talk after class," she chastened expertly.

"What? But I wasn't even talking that much!"

"And I do not care how much you were talking. Talking is still talking. Open your mouth in my class, and you stay after class."

The students reacted, breaking into amused groans at my defeat.

"Damn it!" I muttered beneath my breath as I fell back in my chair, tightly folding my arms across my chest.

Now, I was almost convinced that I had no chance in hell of winning a date with Raquél. Despite my doubts of escaping class without earning a detention, I refused to quit. If my efforts meant landing me in hot water with my teachers, there had to be some worth in trying.

In my hearing range the girl scoffed to herself.

At least I hoped it would be worth it.

~RMCR~

Not only did my efforts to get my dream girl land me in hot water, but it also landed her in hot water. Raquél had not gotten in trouble for talking during class. She just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Among the stampeding rush to escape the hellish depths of Mrs. Brown's English class, she remained seated; slowly packing away her books while waiting for the crowd of students to thin out. As I reluctantly approached the front desk to learn the consequences of my actions, my teacher glanced behind my back and noticed Raquél about to make her way out.

She was not going to make it.

"Ms. Richmond, if you would come here also. I need to talk to the both of you," she called to the girl.

"Yes, Mrs. Brown?"

The hesitance in her voice revealed to me that she knew she was about to receive bad news.

"Mr. Sanchez, I know how much your athletic coach and fellow teammates value your expertise on the football field. I'm sure that they will never return disappointed from an away game, as long as they have you to bring home the trophy," Mrs. Brown guessed, knowing of my most talked-about victories at every school football game.

I was getting sick of popularity.

"Uh, I guess…"

"I'm also sure that you are aware of the athletic department's policy that all team players must maintain a C-average or higher in order to continue playing sports. Is that right?"

"Right…" I replied, growing anxious because I knew where this conversation was going.

Before I could gather my wits to comprehend what my teacher was trying to say, Raquél made her presence known, possibly wanting to know what my football had to do with her.

"I hate to interrupt, Mrs. Brown, but… if you're talking to him, then why am I here?" she questioned.

"Well, this is where you come in, Raquél. Mr. Sanchez here is going to need a tutor to boost his grades in my class so that he can stay on the football team. I figured that you would be perfect for the job."

That was just the opportunity I needed to keep my hopes up. Just when it seemed like all hope was lost, my English teacher came through for me without even knowing it. For the first time I was actually happy to have gotten in trouble with Mrs. Brown.

Although I kept my building excitement suppressed, the same could not be said for Raquél.

"What?" she exclaimed in outrage. "Why do I have to tutor him? Can't he get help from someone else?"

"I'm afraid no one else is available, Ms. Richmond. You are one of the top-ranking students at this school and you are the only one who does not have an afternoon commitment with the National Honor Society," she explained.

"But I do have a commitment! I have to take my brother and sister home every day, and spend the rest of my evening changing diapers and cooking for them."

Mrs. Brown only shrugged, as if Raquél's duties at home meant nothing to her. On the other hand I was still shocked, so I did not say anything.

"Mr. Sanchez can make the commute to your house if you cannot go to his. Now, I know what an inconvenience this must be for the both of you, but I was contacted by his parents and they were concerned about his failing grades."

"But his grades aren't any concern of mine," she argued.

I remained silent, keeping out of the disagreement in fear of losing an eye.

"I am sorry, Raquél, but that's just the way it has to be. Whether you like it or not you are the only available student at the moment and Mr. Sanchez may as well have a tutor that shares the same class as him. He needs the help to improve his grades and that is final… Your homework tonight is to go over his test and work on vocabulary. Goodbye."

Sensing that we were both going to be late for our last classes of the day, I cleared my throat to indicate that a new flock of students were waiting outside the classroom.

"But Mrs. Brown…" Raquél whined, stomping her foot in the most adorable manner.

"That is final, Ms. Richmond. Now run along to your last class. We don't want you to arrive late, now do we?"

The girl threw her arms up in defeat and stormed out of the classroom fuming, finding no more use in arguing her way out of tutoring. I followed soon after, but nearly knocked her petite frame to the floor as she suddenly spun around on her heels.

"Since this is clearly your fault, be at my house at 3:00 and no later than that. I don't care how you get there but just get there on time. If it's any later than three o'clock you can forget me tutoring you," she warned while pointing a sharp finger at my face. "I'm only doing this because I have a feeling that my grade is in danger; not because I care about you or your stupid football."

As she marched down the hallway without another word, I did not get the chance to ask her for her address. Embarrassingly I had to go back to my English teacher to get the street address.

Though my efforts to get to Raquél finally earned me the chance to be with her; my next dangerous task at hand was breaking through her tough exterior. Once again, I turned to my female cousins for advice.

Ángelita was soon going to learn the sincere and compassionate side of me. The real me.

What a sweet ending! Or not lol. I hope you can understand why Raquél is suddenly acting this way towards her bullies as well as her unknown crush. She's coming off as a little tougher but she'll soon learn that stooping to that level won't help her at all. Anyway I hope you enjoyed it and as always, REVIEW! :D