Ch.1

While Antonio was talking to Allison on how to woo Margo, Margo was in the library doing some homework. Her head was buried in a book and she scribbled down writing furiously onto her notebook. Flora sat down in the seat next to her and smiled.

"Will there ever be a day that your head isn't in those books?" she teased.

"Never," Margo answered.

Flora sighed and took out The Fault in Our Stars novel and began reading it. "So what did Nathanial want this morning?" Margo asked, not looking up. "I told him I was in a rush to get to the bus, so I told him I didn't get breakfast. He went to McDonald's and bought me some food. He's just the sweetest guy you'll ever meet," she said.

"I'm glad you found your happily ever after," Margo said nonchalantly.

"You know, I could always help you with your happily ever after," Flora suggested.

"Don't even think about it," Margo warned.

Flora rolled her eyes and leaned in. "Margo, listen to me," she said seriously. "Antonio really wants to give love another go with you, and you're being completely insensitive about this. I can understand that Antonio hurt you and all, but that doesn't mean you completely turn down the offer of true love forever. Please, for your sake, just talk to Antonio."

Margo slammed the book shut and glared at Flora. "Let's get one thing straight, Flora: he shattered my heart into a million of pieces, and you expect me to fall right back into his arms after what he did to me? Fat chance." Margo stood up and went over to the bookshelf with the book in her hand. Flora got up and followed her. "I don't know why, but I think I was drugged with something and messed up with my thinking capability. I snapped back to reality when Antonio was dancing with that girl. It made me realize that boys were all the same: cute and heartless. All they care about is themselves and how hot girls are."

"Um, hello? Me and Nathanial?" Flora said.

"Nathanial doesn't count," Margo said quickly. "He may be the only one with common sense."

Margo put the book back in the bookshelf where she found it and scanned the shelves for another book. "Margo, maybe if you actually spoke to him and got his side of the story, then things wouldn't have turned out like this," Flora said. Margo slowly turned to her and stared right into her eyes.

"So it's my fault that things are what they are now? Is that's what you're implying?" Margo demanded.

"That is exactly what I'm implying," Flora answered. "If Allison was here right now, she'd be giving the same speech. You and Antonio had some sort of special connection. You need to talk to him, work things out and reconcile that connection. And if you don't, I will. And believe me, I will do that." Margo and Flora stared at each other for a while, until Flora turned around and walked away briskly. Margo watched as Flora walked off and stood crossed her arms.

"Who does she think she is, my mom? She can't tell me what to do!" Margo grumbled under her breath. "She wasn't there when Antonio shattered my heart into a million pieces. She can't possibly understand how I felt then."

She stood there for a while, not moving for a while. Finally, she grabbed a book from the shelf and walked back to the table where she was doing her homework, when she stopped dead in her tracks. The girl she was staring at this morning was looking around, standing near her table. She turned and spotted Margo and walked over. She dug into her bag and pulled out an envelope and handed it to Margo. "I was told to give this to you."

Margo tentatively took the envelope and looked at the girl warily. "Who's it from?" she asked.

"Antonio," She answered.

Margo was about to tear up the envelope into pieces, but remembering the conversation she had with Flora earlier, she stopped herself in time. Curious, she tore open the envelope and read the letter. "Well, I best be on my way. It's too bad you and Antonio aren't together. You two would have been the cutest couple ever. He talks about you non-stop." Margo looked up and stared at her.

"Really? What does he say about me?" Margo asked.

"All kinds of things. He talks about how beautiful you eyes are, how smart and brainy you are, which he founds really cute, by the way. He also keeps going on and on about how your eyes are so luminous and all, and how they remind them on the brightly lit stars twinkling in the midnight sky."

Margo felt her cheeks heat up uncontrollably as she heard this. "H-he doesn't really say that, right?" she said. She was quite surprised to hear herself stuttering. "Are you kidding? He never shuts up about you! I mean, seriously! I've never seen Antonio hung up on a girl before, and that's saying something! That means he really likes you. Like, badly." The girls said.

"B-but, Antonio flirts with every girl in this school!" Margo pointed out. "How could he have a liking for me?"

"That's just trait every Perez men inherits. Antonio may seem like a player and all, and wealthy, but he really is a good guy. I'm telling you, Antonio isn't the guy everyone thinks he is." She looked at her phone and looked back at Margo. "Well anyways, I gotta run. I'll see you later!"

Margo watched the girl exit the library, her face still heating up. Margo sat down and reread the note sent from Antonio, her face locked on the sheet of paper.

Margo,

. After school, I ask that you meet me at Salsa y Salsa. I wish to speak to you alone, mí amor

Antonio

Margo folded up the note and tapped her fingers on the table. She unfolded the letter and reread it a couple of more times. What could Antonio possibly want to speak to her about in private? More importantly, why did that girl send it to Antonio? Margo bit her lips and picked up her pencil, twirling it in between her fingers. "Why should I trust Antonio?" she murmured to herself. "He's a player; I have no business with him." The more she thought about it, the more it seemed to bother her. And why should she care? He did break her heart at the party, and she hasn't trust boys since that day. But then the conversation with the girl replayed in her head, and it got Margo thinking. How well did she know Antonio exactly? Now that she thought of it, she had only spent time with Antonio for literally three days. Other than knowing that he loves to play video games, she didn't know much about him. The bell rang, interrupting Margo from her train of thoughts. She quickly packed up her things and walked out of the library, heading over to her next class.

Antonio sat a table at his family restaurant, awaiting Margo. He remained calm and was doing his homework, but inside he was extremely nervous. What would he say to Margo if she came? And what would be her reply to what he was about to say? He stared at his math homework, but he couldn't get himself to write the answer. He was growing impatient, and was nearly at the verge of ripping his hair out. He heard the door bell ring and looked up, hoping it was Margo. Unfortunately, it was the girl from earlier.

"There. I gave her the letter," she said as she walked up to him. "Now where's my goods?"

Antonio rolled his eyes and handed her a poster. She giggled and unfolded it, making googly eyes at it. "Dylan Dauzat is such a dream boat," she sighed. Antonio gagged and leaned back in his chair. "How can you fall in love with such an average guy?" he asked, flipping his hair. "He is not as good looking as me."

"Uh, excuse me? He is one of the sexiest guys in this planet," she protested. "He's so fine he makes the sun look cold."

Antonio rolled his eyes and shook his head. He knew she could go on for hours. "I still don't see why you made me go and give the note to her. You could've done it yourself," she said, snapping him back to reality. "Oh I could if I would. But I can't, because she hates me. And I don't know why," Antonio said.

"Are you going to ask her why she hates you?" she said, taking a cookie from his plate.

"No, but I was hoping she would at least go out on a date with me. You know, take it slow," he replied.

The girl ate up the cookie and smiled at Antonio. "Well, Antonio. I wish you the best of luck. And whatever you do, don't go on a three hour rant on why you love her so much," she teased. Antonio blushed and glared at her. "If you have nothing better to do, get the hell out of here, Angel!" he yelled.

Angel smirked and pranced out of the restaurant just as Margo walked in. Margo walked over to Antonio and sat down. Antonio quickly shoved a handful of mints in his mouth and smiled at her. "Margo, I didn't think you'd come," he said. Margo shrugged and crossed her arms. "Yeah well, I didn't think I'd see you shove a handful of mint into your mouth," she said, sitting down. Antonio smiled sheepishly and swallowed up the mints. "Anyhow, I understand that you really don't want to see me, but I just wondering if you would like to join me on a date."

"A date? Like a date-date, or just like a hang out date?" Margo questioned.

"Well, depends on how you look at it," he replied.

Margo bit her lip and took a cookie. "What kind of date are you talking about exactly?" Margo questioned. Antonio smiled and swished his cup of milk. "How does going to an amusement park sound?" Antonio asked, taking a sip.

"Too good to be true," Margo answered.

"Come on, bella. Why is it so hard to believe? A nice Saturday evening, rides, prizes, cotton candy," Antonio said. Margo leaned back in her seat and stared up at the ceiling. She did like amusement parks, and the last time she went to one was when Gru had first adopted Margo and her sisters. She tapped her fingers on the table and looked at Antonio. "Say I do go with you, why would you waste your time with me?" she asked.

"Why not? You're smart, sweet, beautiful," Antonio said, then stopped. 'I really do have a rambling problem,' he thought. "And, I'd like us to try again. We had a bit of a fallout last time."

"Fine."

Antonio snapped back down to reality and looked at Margo. Did she say what she thought he said? "Fine," she repeated. "I'll go with you. I don't have anything planned Saturday, and I don't see a reason why to pass an offer to go with you, so I'll go."

"Really?" Antonio said.

Margo nodded. "But don't think that after this we're in some relationship. I'll go, but that's it," she said sternly. Antonio smiled and rubbed his hands together. "Great." Margo slightly smiled and saw his homework in front of him. "Need some help?" she asked nicely.

"Uh, number eight doesn't make sense," he said.

Margo scooted towards him, much to his liking and looked at the question. "That's because you used the wrong formula. You're using point slope form, not slope intercept form. That's for problem twelve through fifteen," she explained. Antonio quickly made his correction and sheepishly smiled at her. "I'm not really good at math," he said.

"It's okay. Nobody's perfect," she said.

Antonio looked at her and gazed into her eyes. "You are," he said. Margo blushed at this, too stunned to say anything. "Thank you," she whispered, brushing a lock of hair off her face. Margo smiled at Antonio, and he smiled back. They didn't say anything to each other, but merely stared at each other.

"Uh," Margo said after a while. "So, what else do you need help with?"

Antonio blinked and looked back on his paper, coughing a bit. "Uh, yeah," he chuckled nervously. Margo smiled and stayed back to help Antonio with his math homework. While Margo was explaining how to properly use point slope form, she continuously wondered if Antonio wasn't the guy she thought he was.

The next day at school, Flora and Allison were at their locker, waiting for Margo. Flora was still reading The Fault in our Stars, while Allison was coating her lips with lip gloss, looking at her reflection using her compact. "Why not watch the movie instead of reading the book?" Allison asked. Flora smiled at turned the page. "I can't just watch a movie without reading the novel. It's not kosher," Flora said. Allison puckered her lips and snapped her compact shut, shoving both items in the bag. "I think Margo is slowly rubbing off on you," Allison joked.

"Where is Margo, anyway?" Flora asked, looking at the time on her phone. "She's supposed to be here by now."

"Yeah. It's not like her to be late," Allison said. "It's almost eight."

Flora smiled and returned to her book. "You think she could be fighting with Antonio right now?" Flora asked. A moment of silence passed between the two, and the only thing audible was the clanking of lockers, squeaking of sneakers and the chatter of people. "Allie?" Flora looked up and saw Allison staring past her shoulders, her mouth hanging open.

"What?" Flora asked. "What are you staring at?"

Allison merely held up a finger, and Flora followed her gaze, and she too was stunned. There, walking down the hall, was Margo, wearing the cutest outfit ever. Replacing Margo's usual attire was a strapless turquoise top, dark blue shorts, and sandals. Her hair was out of its hair tie and tumbled past her shoulders, with a pink flower hair pin on her hair. The students in the wall parted and she strolled past her, the boys staring at her in surprise, their mouths hanging open.

"Hey, guys," Margo greeted. "What's going on?"

"You, apparently," Allison replied, giving her a once over. "I mean, damn! Aphrodite has seriously done her job in the beauty department." Margo rolled her eyes and opened her locker. "I lost to a bet I had with Lucy and I promised her I'd let her give me a makeover," Margo explained. "I have to wear whatever Lucy wants me to wear for the next two months."

"What kind of bet did you two have?" Flora asked.

"How long would Agnes go on without eating churros."

Flora and Allison looked at each other and looked at Margo once again. "Well, Lucy obviously is a fairy godmother when it comes to fashion," Allison said, looking at Margo closely. "Are you wearing contacts?" Margo nodded and took out a few notebooks for her first three classes. "Can't you tell?" Margo asked nonchalantly. It was true. Margo had even switched her glasses for contacts,

"I hardly even recognized you," Flora said.

Margo smiled at closed her locker. "Margo?" The girls turned to see Antonio. He looked at Margo with a stunned expression. "Wow. I mean… wow. You look beautiful." Margo looked at her outfit and brushed her hair out of her face. "Thank you. Uh, what's up?"

"I, uh, was wondering what time to pick you up," He said.

Allison and Flora raised their eyebrows and looked at Margo. Margo rolled her eyes at them and looked at Antonio. "I don't really mind what time. How about, say eight?" Antonio smiled and nodded his okay. "Okay. I'll pick you at eight," he said, then walked away. He looked at Margo over his shoulder and bumped into a wall. He laughed sheepishly and continued to walk down the hall.

"So you and Antonio are a thing now?" Allison teased.

Margo groaned. She had forgotten that Allison and Flora were there. "It's not like. He asked me out on a 'date'," she said, making air quotations around "date". "And I said yes. But we're not in a relationship. I already told him that."

"But if you two obviously have no chemistry, why are you going?" Flora asked. "Admit it. You want him back."

"I don't want him back!" Margo protested. "I'm only going so he can leave me alone once and for all. There's nothing going on between us."

Allison smirked and looked at Margo with a pointed look. "You say that now, but just wait. You fall in love with Antonio right back again. It always happen." Margo rolled her eyes and began to walk down the hall. The bell to first period was going to start soon. "And how do know that?" Margo asked, clearly unconvinced.

"Because it always happen!" Allison exclaimed. "It doesn't matter what that person did to you, you secretly still love them. You say you hate them, but really you're saying that out of sadness. You're going on this date because you miss Antonio!"

Margo stopped and froze, her eyes fixed on the ground. "I don't miss him," she murmured, tears brimming her eyes. "I'm better off without him." Before Allison and Flora could say anything else, Margo ran down the hall. "Margo, wait!" Flora yelled after her. But Margo had already disappeared. "You didn't have to be so straightforward about it."

"Well, it's true," Allison said. "I'm never the person who lies when it comes to love. She knows she misses him, she just doesn't want to admit it."

Flora rolled her eyes. The bell rang and the student began heading to their class. "Let's go before we're late," Flora said. Allison shrugged and followed Flora to class.