She's The Boss

by M.G. Marquez

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

  GUJI

  “Boss! Stop it already! If Boss Janella hears about this, you are so dead.”

  I stopped punching whoever that is and turned to Fred. I walked toward him and snatched his collar. “She doesn’t care about me so stop caring about her.”

  “But Boss –” By the time I raised my hand to punch him in the face, Klein caught my arm midair. He told me to calm down.

  “Guji, I know that you’re in love with her –”

  “DON’T YOU DARE USE THAT WORD ON ME.”

  “Fine by me,” Klein laughed a little which sucks. “I know you have a crush on her but whatever your hopes are, that ain’t gonna happen.”

  “Why not?” Jason asked.

  “Because the Angel of Love whispered that to me in my sleep – HEY, WATCH IT!” I threw an empty soda can at his face to shut him up. Geez, my friends are stupid.

  I spent the following days by ditching my classes and going to Looter’s. I drink myself to sleep and cause some troubles outside when I’m bored. Not even Klein or Jason could stop me from doing what I’ve been doing before I met that stupid Foot-Face Lady. Yeah, I went back to being me. That riot-loving me.

  Because someone out there turned me down for some loser I haven’t met.

  “Did you even court her?” Klein asked me when he snatched my drink. “She didn’t turn you down, bro. You didn’t even ask.”

  “I asked her.”

  “Well, okay. You’re a loser.”

  I glared at him just enough for him to run for his life.

  It’s been a week since she went away and since it’s a Thursday, I know so well that she’s going to be at the table with me at breakfast.

  She is.

  “What happened to your lips?” she asked me, eyeing that small portion on my lips.

  “Why do you care?” I turned my attention to my food and started eating, disregarding her.

  “Excuse me? You caused trouble, didn’t you?”

  “Why do you care?”

  “Why don’t you just answer my question?”

  “WHY DO YOU CARE?”

  “I’M CONCERNED, THAT’S WHY!”

  I looked at her with fake amazement. “Wow, thank you for your concern.”

  I stood up, not finishing my food and started preparing for school. I did not even wait for her to finish preparing herself so we could not go to school together. I can’t be with her in the same enclosed space as I am.

  I just couldn’t control myself anymore.

  MAGGIE

  I kept on thinking of ways on how I could make it up to Gujerk. We ended a little bit rough last time and haven’t talked about it ever since. I think I’m a bad shot to him. I should’ve agreed to what he wanted. I should’ve pretended that he’s my top priority. He is special, his dad said, and his tendencies are quite special too.

  Ero said I should talk to him already. So I will.

  It was Hidalgo’s class when Guji went out of the room. I asked Hidalgo’s permission to get out and followed him outside. When I went out, I saw him standing next to the door. Like he knew I would follow him.

  “Stay away from me.” He said, his voice an octave lower. He stood in front of me and put both of his hands on his pockets. His eyes were fixed at mine and they’re a shade darker than usual. He doesn’t smile. He doesn’t frown. He’s nothing but a mix of a sad and angry individual.

  He’s the same Guji I first met.

  “Don’t come to my house. I don’t need you anymore. I don’t want to see you again.”

  “It’s not for you to say.”

  “I’m your boss. Do whatever I want.”

  “Excuse me. My boss is your dad. It’s not you –” To my surprise, he snatched my collar and pulled me closer to him. He’s choking me. I swallowed hard to keep myself from being afraid of him. Of my friend.

  “IF I TELL YOU TO LEAVE ME ALONE, DO IT!”

  My tears fell from my eyes as I heard the door opening behind me. Nikki and Fred pulled me away from Guji’s grip. “What’s happening?”

  “Boss! Why are you shouting at Boss Janella like that?”

  “Keep that away from me.” Then he started walking away from all of us. Away from me.

  He called me that.

  And that hurts just like being stabbed in the chest a thousand times.

  I’ve been sad for the whole five hours of not seeing him. I mean, whatever I did to him did hurt him a lot. I just couldn’t get my hand on it, whatever I did.

  Why did we even fight in the first place?

  Ugh. I can’t remember. Screw this memory of mine.

  My phone beeped and I took it out to check who texted.

  From Fred: Boss Janella. Can you please go here at Looter’s? Boss Guji’s causing trouble again.

  I just stared at his words and let it jumble before my eyes. Guji won’t listen to me whatever I say. I can’t speak to him anymore because I’m scared of him now.

  But I went anyway.

  Being at Looter’s for the second time isn’t as fun as it was the first time. But whatever. I didn’t come here to have fun. I came here for a reason.

  And that’s to bring the devil home.

  I found him in one of the stools at the bar. Drinking so much, eh?

  “Hey Braindead.” I called him but he didn’t even budge. What I did was I hold his stool and made it turn by myself. I saw his shocked face. “You’re supposed to be at home, you d’bag.”

  “Shut up.” When he tried to turn his back at me, I stopped him and made him face me again. I snatched his glass and held it firm.

  “You’ll go home or I’ll drag you home myself?”

  “SHUT UP –” I saw the horror on his eyes when I crashed the glass on my hand. I didn’t feel anything at first but it came anyway. That unrelenting searing feeling enveloped my hand and I felt the thick hot fluid running down from it. I kept myself from screaming and losing my focus. I’m Supergirl and I don’t die of a broken hand.

  “Your hand is bleeding!”

  “You’re going to stand up or I’ll be the one to make you stand up?” I challenged him though my eyes were stinging in tears.

  He stood up immediately and saw him took off his jacket and wrapped it around my bleeding hand. He dragged me out of the place and forced me inside of his car. There, he scolded me like my mom.

  “What the hell is your problem? Look at what happened to you!”

  “If that’s the only way I could get you home, I’d do it.”

  “FUCK. You’re being ridiculous!”

  “Shit, BD! I just went away for a week then you went back to being like that? I don’t want you drinking! I don’t want you getting into troubles! I want you to be better because you’re my friend. I want your life to be better because I don’t want to see you killing yourself fighting whoever you want –”

  “DID YOU EVEN ASK ME WHAT I WANT, SB? Just for once?!”

  That shut me up. I saw the desperation in his eyes and I know he’s having a serious problem with me. Whatever that is.

  The car’s door opened behind him and his friends got inside with us. They’ve been talking about a hospital and stitching my hand or something else like I should get my face fixed, too. I snapped at them and hit them with my other able hand.

  The drive went on like that. The Noisy Five Less One Got Noisy Again. I know they’re trying to keep my mind off of my injury and I thank them for that. But I suddenly got a weird feeling that I have something else I have forgotten.

  Then I saw Guji beside me who’s busy watching the view change every now and then outside the window.

  Oh yeah. I forgot to ask BD what the hell he wanted.