Amaya clutched her hands on the seatbelts of the car, to say that she was nervous was an understatement. Why had she agreed to come along with Romeo, to only god knew where? She closed her eyes as she sighed, all of this going unnoticed by the guy who was driving besides her.
Romeo murmured under his breath as a driver another driver cut him off and for a brief moment turned to look at Amaya, and looked back to the road without noticing her anxiousness. "You know, when I was a freshman, Mr. Romney was 'assigned' as a judge on this silly science fair." He chuckled. "That same day he drove me here, to this," he turned on his blinker, Amaya turned out the window following his finger to a small ice-cream shop to their right. "Exact place." He finished off as his eyes twinkled.
"That's when everything changed." He came to a stop into a parking spot, making sure that he was close to the parlor so they wouldn't have to walk much and turned off his car. He rose a dark brow and his blue eyes faced her, "that's when I realized that I didn't need to take over the world to change it. Instead I could help improve it."
Amaya looked at him as he reached for the car keys he held a smile she had never seen on his face before, "now, just as Mr. Romney asked me, I ask you, hows about we talk about your future over some ice-cream?"
Amaya couldn't help but giggle at the comment but before she could say anything to him her phone vibrated. Without thought she digged through her skirt pocket to fetch it. Pulling it out she grinned and pointed at the phone. Romeo looked quickly and realized what she was insinuating and without more nodded.
"I'll go on ahead while you answer." He opened the cardoor swiftly and quickly pulled himself out without looking back to her. He stood in line waiting for his turn at the ice-cream parlor.
Amaya looked at her screen, her heart skipping a beat when Conner's name appeared on the screen again. 'A few guys from the soccer team said that you went with a Guy?'
Another text soon came in and her phone vibrated in her hand, 'who are you with Amaya?'
When she didn't answer again he sent her another text. 'At least let me know that you're ok!'
The girl rolled her eyes, oh now he was worried about her? 'I'm fine, I'll see you tomorrow at school...' once more she didn't send any emoji any smiley face, no lol. She pulled on the cars seatbelt and unbuckled herself while shaking her head. Who did Conner think he was? Then she smiled, could it be that he was jealous? She stepped out of the car leaving behind her bag, but not the robo-baby. If Romeo had tweaked them then they were almost sure to be as close to humans as possible.
She wrapped the baby with her arms gently and stepped out making sure to lock the car door behind her. "Hey... Romeo... listen..." she smiled genuinely, "I really dont know how I can ever thank you enough."
Romeo raised his brows and turned to her, his hands were behind his back, a habbit he had had since early childhood. "Hmm?"
She shook her head with the smile.
The line moved and they both step forward to the ordering window. He stayed behind and let her go first. Her choice of ice-cream was vanilla and strawberry. She was quickly dispatched and she stepped out of the way so the genius could order. As usual his order was pistachio. As soon as he was handed his cone he began walking towards one of the many stools of the business, the two sat facing each other with a small table between them.
He began first. "Well, it really was a surprise when Romney first told me he had a student that had flying colors in his class... not just that but in every single class. So naturally when I heard that you had passed the same test that I was given, I was actually impressed."
Amaya lifted her hand, "can... I just enjoy your company today?"
Romeo blinked and rose a dark brow, "excuse me?"
She blushed suddenly, "no it's just that... I hadn't gone out in the longest time, Mr. Mecano... and I really missed being in the company of someone... lately..." she sighed fixing her glasses into her face. "It's..."
Romeo cleaned his lips with a napkin from unexciting ice-cream and looked to her confused. "I understand. We'll have more time to talk anyways, pigeon."
She closed her eyes as she chuckled but the slightest at her old nickname. "It's just, Greg and Conner have been busy... I just want company. Is that ok with you?"
Romeo shook his head, and for the first time throughout the day he relaxed a bit. He lifted his leg and placed his arm to rest on it. "Fine..." he stated flatly.
The silence was awkward. There was people coming and going and a whole family along with an elder lady began in. Amaya smiled kindly and the people smiled politely back. Romeo went on to eat more of his treat as he busied himself to look around.
The genius scratched at his cheek and nodded his head in silence. He ate at his ice-cream and awkwardly took out his phone. Putting it down screen first he looked to her.
Amaya simply looked at him with the same awkwardness he was experiencing. Even though they knew each other, they really didn't know each other. She tucked her hair behind her ear and smiled at him.
"So Amaya," he cleaned his lips again, "how old are you?"
She licked at the ice-cream cone and mimicked his actions by cleaning her own lips. "I'm about to turn 18."
Romeo nodded his head slowly, "listen, I'm terrible at small talk, why don't we talk about the universe, or the moon maybe?"
She smiled at the thought of the moon how it brought back so many memories from her childhood, and it was as if that had caught her attention. "Wait, why were you a villain, Romeo?"
He coughed slightly and looked to her with a grin. "I had a feeling that that would be brought up sooner or later." His chuckle was low, and again she felt it vibrate through her spine.
"Well same question goes to you, pj pigeon." He bit off a piece of the cone, "why were you the hero?" And before the two knew it, they were talking as if they had been friends their whole lives.
He was chuckling when she mentioned that one time he had made a laser beam to carve his 'beautiful face' into the moon. He could clearly remember that they would always break all his inventions. He would always swear to get them back one day. Alas that day never came. He had gotten involved in science after he graduated from elementary. And then his life wrote itself out.
Amaya smiled as he shared with her. Soon they had drank two milkshakes each and the sun was beginning to set. Amaya looked around, the lights of the ice-cream shop flashing as if they were in the 50's.
"You know sometimes I feel I was born in the wrong era?"
Romeo nodded his head slightly and made a face, she couldn't tell if it was pity or simply his 'I'm sorry' face. She stood from the stool and checked her phone it read 7:02. "Ummm... could we head back to town?"
Romeo quickly stood and nodded in agreement, "yes of course... I'm sure your parents are wondering where you are." The two walked quietly to his car and as soon as he unlocked it Amaya settled in. He mounted the car as well and as soon as he buckled himself up turned it on, backing up and entering the main rode to head to town.
He clicked his tongue as he saw ahead at the intersection, there was a collision; and he knew that if things were serious they would be stuck in traffic for a little while. "People are reckless drivers... that's why these things happen."
Amaya simply looked to him but said nothing, she was beginning to feel nervous again, but because she was alone with a guy, and it was getting dark. She bit her lip and tightened her grip on the seatbelt.
"I suggest you call home..." he shook his head, "and not tell them you're with me."
"You think it'll be a while?"
He clicked his tongue, "I believe so... little bird."
There was anxiousness in her and now he could see it in her. She was moving her legs and hiding her thumbs. Her bottom lip was stuck in between her teeth and she held onto the seatbelt as if life depended on it.
"Don't worry." He turned off his car while he heard police sirens.
Amaya pointed at her phone and Romeo nodded, she called her parents and let them know that she was ok and that she had stayed behind because she had some homework to catch up with one of her school mates. Since she never lied they had not questioned her.
"Ok, daddy. Thank you, I'll be home in a while."
Romeo could only hear murmuring from her phone but he assumed that her father was alright with her getting home late. There was a moment of silence between the two and he raised his brows as she smiled.
Amaya played with the seatbelt across her chest for a while and then sighed. "My dad said it was alright, so long as I wasn't past midnight." Her eyes went wide, "it won't take that long would it!?"
The genius chuckled a little and nodded with a side grin. "You were a nighttime Heroine, and now you're concerned about getting home late?"
She fixed her glasses and tucked her hair behind her ear before answering. "Yeah but then my parents thought I was sound asleep in my room, Mr. Mecano."
He shook his head in amusement and rested his hand on the steering wheel. "Look," he pointed with his finger then quickly made to turn on the car, "traffics moving, looks like you really won't be past midnight after all, little girl."
They began through the intersection and soon they were on their way. Without taking his eyes off the road he pulled out his phone and handed it to Amaya. "Put your address in the GPS."
Her brown eyes looked to his phone and a small message on the notification bar caught her attention. Her hand grabbed at his phone and once she had it he turned to her then back to the road, "the password is: 010406."
She unlocked it as he drove at random, typing in her address she placed his phone in the dashboard and quickly giggled.
"Who's, Anna?"
"Birdie... that's non of your business."
She giggled again and scratched at the seatbelt again, this time her own phone vibrated. Pulling it out from her skirt again she read a message from her mom, 'if Conner is driving you home, can you pick up a gallon of milk?'
She turned to Romeo and bit her lip as she debated whether it was appropriate to ask him or not.
"Can I ask you for a favor?" If she didn't bring home milk, they'd question who she was with, then things would get even more awkward. 'Who were you with?' And she'd laugh nervously, 'oh just with a guy'.
"Of course." The blinker was on as the GPS guided them to her house, he looked left then right as he made a turn through the intersection and drove again.
"My mom..." she clicked her tongue, "she wants me to pick up some milk from the grocery store. Can we please make a quick stop?"
Romeo chuckled and nodded, "of course we can."
"I'm so sorry... it's just that she thinks I'm with Conner, and to not lift suspicions... you know."
Romeo smiled in understanding and scanned the streets, she noticed and guided him quickly. They made their quick stop and soon she had come back with a gallon in her hand and placed it in her lap as she buckled up. "I wouldn't want to get your car dirty."
Romeo said nothing and soon they pulled up into her homes driveway. She hadn't expected for Greg and Conner to be outside her house sitting in the curb.
Her hand went to her head and Romeo couldn't help but chuckle. "So now your parents know you aren't with Conner, right?"
"This is a disaster... " she unbuckled her seatbelt before he made a stop, and looked back to him. "Please don't get off." Her eyes were pleading and he simply nodded.
"Don't worry about it." He came to a stop and only turned off his headlights but not his car.
"Thank you so much, Romeo!" She quickly placed her belongings into her backpack and held the robo-baby tight against her chest. "I promise that we'll talk about school tomorrow!" She pulled her lips in worry and quickly got off. He agreed with her and turned on his car lights and with a wave of a goodbye he was off.
Amaya stayed behind waving back with the robo-baby against her chest. She was dreading having to go inside her house. She had to make time to come up with an excuse, he couldn't tell her parents that she had spent the whole evening with a guy who was supposed to be her mentor but that she knew from childhood. They would not be ok with it.
"Well..." there was a voice behind, "who's your friend, Amaya?"
She turned on her heel only to come face to face with both of her boys. "Hi guys." She waved awkwardly but then she remembered that they had ditched her for those other two girls and her heart ached again. She could still hear the words Conner had said to her that had hurt so much.
"Who was that, Amaya?" Greg took a step closer to her and she took a step back. "That's non of your guys' business. You two were way too busy with The two lalas, to spend my day off together." She was angry again and pushed past them.
"I told you I'd make it up to you, Amaya. Next Monday!" Conner went on behind her with Greg behind her too.
"No." She didn't look back to them, "I am going to be busy for the rest of the month. I have so many things on my plate you have no idea!" With a wave of goodnight she opened the door to her house and closed it heavily behind her.
Her eyes were wet with angry tears and she placed her back on the door. She couldn't help but feel humiliated still. How come Conner couldn't see her as anything other than her friend?
"There you are young lady!" The voice of her dad brought her back to reality and she gasped. "Dad! Here's the milk!" She quickly handed him the gallon and stood there with a smile.
"Conner and Greg, came by a few minutes ago, asking if you had gotten home already." Her smile faded.
Her mother came in to join the conversation. "Who were you with, Amaya?" She placed her hand on her hips inspiring authority. "I thought you said you were with Conner." She lifted her brows. "Hmm, young lady?"
Amaya removed herself from the door and began towards her parents. "Mom, dad, I can explain." She really couldn't. "I... I was with a boy..."
Her parents silence threw her into surprise, surely they should've had a different reaction. "Mom? Dad?"
Her mother looked sad and out of nowhere hugged her shoulders, while her dad walked up to the livingroom couch and sat there with a sad frown on his face.
"I told you, Gretel." He looked up to his wife with sad eyes. "I told you this day would come."
Her mother walked up to him and squeezed his shoulder, "Dan, she's almost 18... we can't keep her in the nest forever."
Amaya rolled her eyes, "oh my gosh!" With that she walked up the stairs, she could hear her parents having a low private conversation saying that they had always thought that Conner would be the one.
"Ugh!" She picked up her pace until arriving to her room. She took in a deep breath before closing the door behind herself. That was much easier to 'explain' rather than having to explain Romeo to her parents.
The morning went by quickly and as usual, well except for the robo-baby, she had changed, done her hair, ate breakfast, and brushed her teeth, all in that exact order. She had gotten up extra early because she had promised herself that she was never going to ask Conner for another ride again. If he dreaded the thought of them being a couple... well then what was she doing with her life by being 'loyal' to him. Sure they could be friends, but that was all she was ever going to be to him.
The morning was chilly and the air was crisp. She had bid a good day to her parents and had not explained that she would walk to school, she had simply walked out of her home as if everything was normal.
Once she arrived at school she took to her locker with the Robo-baby in her arms. "Hey, Amaya..." there was a voice behind her locker and she did not want to see them, so she kept her locker door open even though she had nothing more to do there. She pretended to look for some papers to buy time, but the door was pushed closed by Conner.
"Why didn't you come over so I could give you a ride, just like every day?"
She huffed in anger, trying to brush past the jock. Conner noticed and grabbed her by her hand.
"Amaya don't be like this, I already said I was sorry!"
She stood in place and turned to face him, he was a about a head taller than her, yet she was intimidating. She fixed her glasses back into place and shook her head. "I know you already apologized, Conner. And I accept your apology."
He let go of her and scratched the back of his head. "Then why didn't you ask me to give you a ride to school?"
There was people flooding the hallways and it helped Amaya to stare at something else rather than him. There really was no way around it. She was genuinely hurt by her two boys, but especially by Conner, why was she just the friend type?
"Since you have a 'girlfriend' now, I thought that maybe she didn't appreciate me riding to school with you." She crossed her arms and her red sweater fell slightly down her shoulder, she looked to the left and caught sight if Romeo walking down the hallway and into Mr. Romney's class.
"I mean I'm pretty sure it won't bother her... wait who told you she was my girlfriend? Was it Greg!?" He was slightly irritated but when he looked at how her expression went from angry to sad he relaxed.
"You don't trust me anymore with your... private life?" Her eyes were watery but not because he hid it from her... because he was actually taken now.
"You know it's not that, Amaya... it's just that I... guess i didn't want you to get upset with me for having a girlfriend. You're so overprotective with Greg and I, that I guess I was afraid of your reaction. You can be possessive sometimes, you know?"
Those words stung her heart. "Well, I guess you won't have to worry about me ever again. Because you know what? I'm moving very, very, far away from you, and Greg, soon." She pushed past him angrily and began towards her first period class.
"Amaya, wait, what do you mean?" Conner yelled out but decided to let her leave, he would make sure to look for her during lunch, and if he didn't find her, then 6th period.
Amaya marched her way to her first class and paid little to no attention. Her mind clouded with her heart break. He had a girlfriend now, a girl he had only met a week ago was his girlfriend... and she... she'd known him her whole life!
Tears threatened her eyes yet she didn't cry. She couldn't see him, nor could she see Greg. He had given Conner his full support, where had they left her? Nevermind the crush, where was their trust in telling her things?
She sighed, and before she knew it first period had been over. Her head was pounding and she didn't know what could make her feel better. Aside from them two she had no one to talk to. Not another soul. She decided that overthinking about her feelings was not going to do her any good for her academic success, so she tried hard to not loose focus on her next class. Before she knew it luch was around the corner, and the very thought of having to see her so called 'friends' made her stomach upset.
How could she concentrate on anything if she hadn't felt well?
She raised her hand and the teacher looked at her puzzled, "yes, Amaya?"
"Mrs. Ferly, I'm not feeling so well, may I please go to the office?"
The teacher looked to the clock it, there was still 15 minutes of class, "do you want to go to the nurses office?"
When Amaya nodded the teacher let her go without asking more questions. She was given a pitiful smile and a I hope you feel better. She left and walked to the office. She needed to go home.
Without looking where she was going she bumped head first into someone. She landed on her behind and Amaya looked up only to see a hand being offered. It was Romeo.
"Hey are you alright, little bird?" She took his hand and she stood quickly.
She patted down her pants and shook her head, "I'm fine, I'm just-"
"A complete mess today?" He offered her a smile but when he noticed her mood didn't change he rose a dark brow.
"You're really not ok are you?"
"I am... it's just..." she thought about her answer for a bit and finally decided on a lie. "It's just my head hurts."
"Oh, was it your parents?" His brows were high and he seemed a bit uncomfortable.
She shook her head and changed the subject, "what are you doing out here, anyways?" It was a means to change the subject.
"I had to attend a phone call from work, it was really urgent so I couldn't be inside the classroom full of kids listening in on my very important conversation." He smiled, he was still slightly conceited and that made Amaya giggle a little.
"You do realize that most of the students are, like, only 2 or three years younger than you, right?" He eyed her with a brow high, "therefore you can't call them kids! Ha!" She smiled smugly and he rolled his eyes.
"Uh, yes I can little birdie. You see I am a scientist so automatically that gives me authority over these, kids."
She shook her head and began walking away suddenly remembering where she was headed.
He began to follow her and she eyed him curiously. "What are you doing?" She kept walking and so did he. The hallways were empty and so their shoes were the only noise through the empty hallways.
"Making sure you get to your destination safely." His hands were behind his back and his head was slightly lifted.
"Thank you but I don't need security, Romeo." There was a grin on her face and she pushed him slightly with her shoulders.
"If you keep walking like that people will think you're crazy."
He was stunned at her comment and furrowed his eyebrows. "What do you mean?"
"Just kidding... gosh and I'm the gullible one?"
He grunted in response but returned her laugh with a chuckle. "Why were you upset really?"
"Its non of your business, just like you said when I asked you about Anna."
"Anna is a girl from work, little birdie, I believe she is intrested in me... but who can blame her, I'm so irresistible."
Amaya rolled her eyes at his comment and pushed him to the side so he regained a bit of sense into his being. "Hey, that was uncalled for, pj pigeon!"
"Its not my fault you make silly comments like that."
"Its true!" He began besides her again. "What? Did you think I was joking?" He pulled out his phone fully convincing Amaya that he was still a childish guy with the intellect of a genius. He swiped through his phone and there was at least a dozen messages from 5 different women. "See I told you I was irresistible."
Amaya looked at his phone and furrowed her brows, "even that old lady?" She pointed at a picture displaying a elderly woman and he quickly looked at his screen. "Yes. Even that old lady."
Amaya couldn't help but laugh. "Even if you find it funny, these woman confirm my suspicions. I am attractive." He said that matter of factly. "But no one has tamed this heart."
Amaya looked his way, why was he sharing this information again?
"Right, and you plan to be like that for the rest of your life?"
Romeo put his phone away and once again began walking besides her. "Actually... I don't know if you could believe this, but I actually want for my future spouse to not be a professional."
"What, that's like-"
"No, don't take it the wrong way." He lifted his hands in defense, when she said nothing he went on, " you know when I was a kid my mom was always working while my dad was away deployed, he's a veteran now, we had lots of money..." he looked to her, "I'm not showing off, I promise. So i had everything except for them... so as a kid, while I was planning to take over the world... I built Robot as my Male figure, and I also built Robette... as my female figure... my mom was a nurse and was usually gone all night."
Amaya rose her brow, "what does this have to do with you wanting your wife a stay at home mom?"
He looked to her annoyed, "I'm getting to that." When she stayed silent he went on. "I guess that early in my childhood I decided that when I get married and have my own children; I would get a decent job to solely provide for my wife and kids, so at least she could stay with my children."
Amaya looked at him softly and then her mind wrapped around the fact that he wanted kids. "You want children?"
Romeo looked at her as if her question was the strangest in the world, "who doesn't?"
"Maybe I don't."
He chuckled, "am I offering you my children?"
There was a blush on her face immediately after his comment and he couldn't help a chuckle. "What I meant was-"
"Amaya!?"
The two looked back from their spot and she quickly turned back to where she was going again and began walking. Romeo took a good look at the boy and decided that he was the reason why she was so upset.
"So why is such a promising meteorologist, such as yourself, so worked up over that, Jock?"
She blinked at him and she furrowed her brows. When she stayed quiet he clicked his tongue. "You know, if you wanna succeed you need to learn to control your emotions. Life is not a piece of cake. There's judgment and harshness out there. You just have to learn to-"
"I know Romeo..." she stopped in front of the school office and turned to him.
"I'm sorry..." she looked to the ground and shook her head, it wasn't his fault, he was only doing what a mentor was supposed to. Help her succeed even through hardships, guide her when things were downhill.
"I will see you after 5th period. That way the incident from yesterday won't repeat itself. Only this time we'll head out to a McDonald's, I'm craving a sandwich. Meet me here and I'll sign you out. Today there are no excuses. We will discuss your career."
She nodded her head and thanked him for the support there really was no need. He actually quite enjoyed her company. It was a real shame she was a promising woman... someone who could not stay at home to watch his kids. Oh well.