"So, someone wanted to play pool?" I asked.
Magnet nodded. "Yeah. You know how to play?"
I shrugged. "Eh, a little." I lied. I know just how to play them. "How about we bet... ahh... these." I pulled two coins from my pocket. "One, to start."
"Shower tokens? All right. Works for me, chica. I'll break." He broke, a stripe went in. "You're solids."
I missed purposely and scratched. It went on like that until he won. "All right... double or nothing."
"You sure? You kinda suck." I nodded and we played. This time, I showed no mercy and called the eight ball on my first shot and made it. He just stood there. "Holy... I thought you couldn't play!"
I grinned wickedly. "I am... how do you say.... Pool shark?"
He grinned. "cool. You know, I think you'll fit in just fine around here." He nodded at some of the guys... Squid, Armpit, and X-ray walked over. "Hey, X, can I give her the nickname?"
"Not yet, man. Squid has an idea, but we have to think about it. She's a hard one to name." X-ray was still staring at me. I glared right back. "How about we call her 'bitch' ?"
I growled and was on top of him in a second, about 6 inches from his face. "If you ever... degrade me again, I kill you. Got it?" He was shaking. "And you ever think of touching me, you die." I twisted his wrist until he looked about to pass out, then let go and got off. "That go for everyone." I watched while X-ray stood up, looking at me just a little differently. I arched my eyebrows.
"Olvidada, let me just say you're the first person ever to jump him like that. I say we call you Estrella." It was Squid who'd spoken.
I drew in a sharp breath. "No. Please, that was Mama's name for me."
"So it'd be like keeping her spirit alive, right?" he challenged. "Hey, at least she cared while she was alive. And check it out, " He said as we walked back to the tent. "This will be like remembering who cared. You don't want to be called forgotten all your life, right?" I nodded. "So Estrella's okay, right?"
I looked up at him. "Yes. Thank you." Magnet came up from behind me and picked me up. "Hey! Puesto me abajo, Iman!" (put me down, magnet!)
He laughed. "Ninguna manera! Usted es demasiada bonita dejo para ir!" (No way! You're too pretty to let go!) He laughed, holding me closer. I blushed and covered my face. "No, de que es la mejor parte! No lo cubra para arriba!" (No, that's the best part! Don't cover it up!) He said, laughing, still holding me.
"Cierre para arriba! No es!" I exclaimed, embarrassed. (Shut up! It is not!) Squid had walked away by then, and we were in the tent, alone. "Please put me down."
He put me down on my cot, then sat next to me. "You know, Estrella, you really are beautiful. I just wish you could see it." I started to blush. He laughed and put his arm around me somewhat hesitantly. When I didn't hit him, he relaxed.
Just then, Senor Pluma- bailar- llave (Mr. Pen-dance-key) yelled, "LIGHTS OUT!"
We both jumped and all of us changed for bed and went to sleep. Well, except me. I never sleep. I don't think I ever get more than 4 hours a night. I whispered a soft verse, one mama used to sing me to sleep with. "One day I'll fly away/ leave all this to yesterday/ why live life from dream to dream/ and dread the day that dreaming ends..."
"I don't know. Why?" Squid whispered from the cot next to mine. His voice sounded choked, like he was crying.
I grabbed his hand and started feeling scars on his arm. "I don't know either."
"I was saying you're lucky your mom cared about you because neither of my parents do. Dad left when I was three, and Mama's a drunk. All the scars come from her."
I held his hand a little longer. "When you want to.... Talk, I be here for you." He squeezed my hand tightly. "You come to me with anything, I promise I listen. You make me worry about you now." He laughed softly. "What?"
"No one's worried about me in a long time."
I sighed. "Well, get used to it. I worry all the time. Especially about my friends." He shifted. "Good night." There was no reply for a while. I felt his wrist for a pulse, worried out of my mind.
"I'm still here, Estrella. I was just wondering if you'd care enough to check. Good night, sweet heart."
I sighed, letting my mind drift. On one hand, Magnet and I were obviously very compatible. On the other.... Squid was... well, wow. I sighed. Boys are weird. So is growing up someplace where you have to relearn everything in school. I hate it, but at the same time.... If I weren't here, where would I be?
I thought about that until the watch on my wrist read midnight. Then I went to sleep, finally tired. I still woke up before the bell at 4:15, but at least I'd slept. Zero was awake as well. I smiled at him. "Morning," he whispered.
I brushed my hair. "Good morning. How was yesterday for you?"
He shrugged. "Fine."
I wanted to sing, desperately. I'm obsessed. I admit it. It was only five more minutes, and anyway, they were half awake anyway. "I know I'm kinda strange to you sometimes/ don't always say what's on my mind/ you know that I've been hurt by some guy/ but I don't wanna mess up this timeand I really really really care/ and I really really really want you to know/ and I think I'm kinda scared/ cos I don't want to lose you/ if you really really really care/ then maybe you can hang through/ I hope you understand/ it's nothing to you/ My heart's at a low/ I'm so much to manage/ I think you should know that I've been damaged/ I'm falling in love/ there's one disadvantage/ I think you should know that I've been damaged/ I might look through your stuff for what I don't wanna find/ or I might just set you up to see if you're all mine/ I'm a little paranoid from what I've been through/ Don't know what you got yourself into-"(TLC Damaged)
"Girl, you better keep singin' like that while we dig, 'cause that could keep me awake all day!" Magnet laughed while he dressed.
"And that's saying something!" Zigzag laughed. I looked up at him and smiled. He's alright.
Squid was still laying there with his hair in his face. I leaned over him. "SQUID!" I yelled. He shot up and rammed his head into mine. "OW!"
"Ugh..." He rubbed his head. "Thank you so much, Estrella. That's exactly how I wanted to start my day."
I grinned widely at him and took his hat. "Come on. We have to dig." Then I ran out of the tent as he got dressed and put his hat on, not planning to take it off anytime soon. When he got out after me, he looked thoroughly pissed off.
"Give. Me. My. Hat."
I gave him a syrupy sweet smile. "What is the magic word?"
He glared at me. "You're dead." I must have looked pretty shocked, because he started to laugh. "I'm kidding! Geez, from the look on your face, I've just sprouted horns and a tail!"
I sighed with relief and gave him his hat. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine."
I rolled my eyes as I grabbed my shovel. It felt good in my hands, like that was where it belonged. "You don' look fine." He just walked away. Barfbag fell into step next to me, looking determined about something or other. "Buenos dias. Como estas usted?"
He looked slightly green. "Terrible." I looked at him questioningly. He just muttered something about a rattlesnake and walked off. I sighed.
When we started to dig, I found it hard, yeah, but I was so used to physical pain... well, I just stopped worrying about it and took out my anger on the dirt. I wasn't really there. I was flying, dancing in the wind, loving life. My hair blew everywhere and my hands bled, but somehow, I heard nothing until Barfbag yelled. I just froze in terror. "Vaya con Dios!!" I yelled. I stood frozen to my spot until Pendanski came and got him. Growling in anger, I dug harder and harder, until my hands burned and it was time for lunch. When I tried to climb out of my hole, I fell right back in. Magnet reached his hand down and grabbed my arms instead of my hand and pulled me up without my helping him too much.
"Dang, chica, you're light!"
I shrugged. "So?"
"What? Did I do something?"
"No."
(hey, sorry this took so long. And I know that COLA won't be updated for a while.... Simply because my computer's being retarded and not letting me get to it. Lol. Peace, love, and bullet-proof marshmallows!!!)