She's The Boss

by M.G. Marquez

CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN

  MAGGIE

  Yvan’s really freaky today.

  He’s always beside me and never lets me out of his sight. He’s always looking to his left and right, to and fro, and just about everywhere. I think he’s crazy.

  “Why are you so paranoid?” I asked him at the field. “No one’s gonna grab me,”

  “No one’s gonna grab me. Shut up. Someone’s after you, I know.”

  Except for Guji, no one else.

  I shook my head at the thought. I don’t know why I’m enjoying myself at the fact that Guji likes me. Maybe that’s because there’s that sheer pleasure of knowing that someone out there likes you that much. Really.

  Then I remembered the psychopath who threw a dart at me. Not once. But freaking twice.

  “How do you say that someone’s after me? I never told you anything,” I said, challenging him.

  “So there is someone after you,” he looked serious now. “I was just trying to catch you. Your life is indeed in danger. My observations are right. Tell me about it.”

  I looked at him before answering, “There’s nothing to tell. Excuse me.” I shoved him away to run for the comfort rooms. When I did saw one, a guy dressed in a janitor uniform told me to use the one in front of me. I nodded.

  When I was about to enter the room, Yvan grabbed my shoulders and dragged me along with him. He said, “Let’s buy some snacks in the convenience store. There’s a comfort room there,”

  “What? You want me to walk that far and resist this call of nature? You want me to die, don’t you?”

  “Just come along,” He wasn’t looking at me when he said that. He’s looking behind us. When I turned my head to where he was looking, I saw the janitor looking at me gravely.

  I think I saw him before?

  I shook the thought away before it scares the hell out of me. He’s just some ordinary janitor, Maj. Just an ordinary janitor.

  One time in PE Class, Fred gave me a friendship bracelet. He said he wanted to express his gratitude for trusting him and being such a good bully friend. I want to hug him for that but he went hysterical and pushed me away.

  “Maybe Mean’s watching. She’ll be jealous.” I spanked him for such nonsense.

  And this same bracelet was the subject Guji and I have been arguing about since forever. By the time we arrived at this park to do our research he’s been shouting at me for having such a keepsake and they don’t. Such a Baby.

  We’re partners in this project, by the way. Screw Nikki for such an arrangement. I know she’s behind this since she’s the president and she has control over matters like this. Damn.

  “You’re his only friend now, huh? We’ve been friends for so long but he never gave me such! What are you to him?!” He shouted, holding my hand in the air.

  “Don’t worry! I’ll tell him to give a million of this to you!”

  “And I now pronounce you,” Guji and I stopped when a girl suddenly locked a handcuff on our hands. Oh shit. “Husband and wife.”

  As if by cue, both of us looked at the girl who just arrested us. I’m pulling my right hand and Guji’s pulling his left, trying to see if this handcuff was made of plastic or what. It’s real. And I guess we’re really trapped.

  This can’t be really happening to me.

  “We have a project on Psychology and we’re arresting people fighting here at the park. We’re observing them. We want to know how they go over their anger,”

  “NO WAY –” I could’ve protested but she has already turned her back on us and left.

  “Thank you for cooperating!” She shouted back.

  My lips gaped but no words came out of it and I know I’m screwed. Now I’ve got to be with this BrainDead Monster for as long as that girl doesn’t show up and unlock us.

  What if she doesn’t come back until the end of the day?

  “Now, I’m stuck with a loser.” He declared. “And because we’re stuck to each other for as long as whenever, you’ll definitely fall for me again. Harder this time.”

  “Excuse me? I’m not falling in love with you,”

  “Other girls did. What makes you different?”

  “I’m blind. I don’t see what they did.” I rolled my eyes at him but he just tugged the handcuffs so hard I’d cry. He’s going somewhere he didn’t tell me. “Hey, hey! Where do you think you’re going?”

  “Food trip. Quite hungry,” he looked back at me and winked. Mesmerized by that stupid wink, I nearly tripped over myself.

  Why am I not falling in love with this guy?

  He’s a friend. He’s a friend, Maj. That’s why.

  We entered a restaurant which was serving Korean food. The smell was all over the place that I kept myself from drooling. Gosh, do I have money to pay their food?

  “Your treat?” I asked the Demon Beside Me.

  “No way. You’re going to be a dishwasher here – HEY!” I spanked him in the face before finishing his statement.

  He’s the one who ordered the food and said it’s going to be his treat. When it arrived, my eyes widened at the beautiful sight of them. They’re just so plenty of them I’ll drown into it if it’s possible.

  Paradise, I thought.

  But my major problem here is: I can’t eat.

  “Hey there. Don’t pull the handcuffs. I can’t eat!” I snapped at him as I pulled the handcuffs to myself. He said, “How can I eat if you’re pulling the handcuffs, too? Don’t be selfish.”

  Selfish? Me?

  “Eat with your other hand,” he said, going back to eating. I bit my bottom lip to resist the frustration I’m starting to feel.

  My eyes travelled from the food to BD’s serious face, back to the food then his face. Suddenly, an outrageous idea popped inside my brain and I didn’t know that I was already doing it. Shit this.

  “What’s that?” He asked me, eyeing the lettuce wrap I’m holding up to his face.

  You’re going to feed this Demon? Great idea. I mean that.

  “Uhm… forget it,” I was about to put it down but he caught my hand and ate the wrap.

  I could feel his lips on my fingertips, his breath on this small portion of my skin, his smile across his face when he said, “Delicious.”

  I mentally slapped myself because I just saw an awfully cute face and took a mental picture of that. Gosh, he’s so cute.

  “Say ‘ah’,” I snapped out of my thoughts when BD mimicked my gesture and was now holding a lettuce wrap in front of me. I shook my head no. He insisted. I gave up.

  Shit. That seriously felt good!

  We took turns and were laughing very hard, as if we’re the only people in this place. I’ve never seen BD this happy before so I enjoyed the moment, enjoyed every laughter he’d never laughed before, enjoyed every curve on his face that’s equally beautiful as his eyes.

  Until I heard a shutter sound.

  Both of us froze by that and we looked everywhere.

  “Oh my God,” I gasped as my eyes travel from table to table, person to person with all of their gadgets pointed at us. They’re taking pictures of us. OH SHIT –

  This situation brought panic into my being and I choked, literally. I just can’t breathe and I’m banging the table and my chest so hard I think I’m going to die.

  “SB, are you okay?” He asked me but I just waved “I’m okay,” but what the hell, I’m dying.

  I stood up in so much panic and I’m coughing coughing coughing trying to get that stupid lump that got stuck on my throat. I just can’t accept the fact that I’m going to die of a fish cake! That’s not a good reason to die for!

  “Stand still!” BD went behind me, his arms around me. Bullshit! Why the hell is he hugging me?! Why is he doing this romantic embarrassing thing to me right in front of everybody’s attention? There are oldies here, for Pete’s sake!

  I kept on elbowing him to tell him that he should stop being such an ass and stop hugging me. He just snapped at me. He said, “Can’t you understand the words ‘sta
nd still’?! Relax, SB!”

  Then he moved behind me, forcing to move my muscles. Oh. Heimlich maneuver.

  I held on to his arms until the thing came out of my mouth. I don’t know where it went and I seriously don’t want to know, either. BD loosened his arms on me and made me turn around to face him.

  Sweaty BD. Gosh, he’s so hot.

  “Next time, be careful in eating!” He scolded me. I was about to shout back but I heard the place clapped. The ones who took pictures of us were the same ones who’re clapping at the show we just made.

  BD waved in acknowledgement. Showy Little Monster.

  Once we have finished our lunch and paid the bill, he treated me ice cream afterwards. Everyone who met us along the way kept looking at us and down to our hands joined by handcuffs. They’re smiling and that’s giving me a shit of goose bumps.

  They’re thinking it’s sweet. Yuck.

  What’s giving me a hell more of these goose bumps was his hand constantly grazing mine, and I’m getting more and more sensitive and conscious, I think I’m blushing.

  I am blushing.

  I closed my eyes and wished that he won’t hold my hand. He did. Gosh. I felt his hand slowly slipped into mine and I could feel his warmth under my bandages.

  I could feel his hold on me, that careful not-too-tight hold. I could feel that it’s perfect. It’s a perfect fit, I gasped.

  “It’s the first time I ever held a girl’s hand,” he said, smiling. “I never thought that this will feel so great,”

  I wanted to let go and pull my hand out of his grip but I just can’t do it. I can’t do it because there’s a voice inside my head saying, “Don’t let go.” Blast this, what the hell am I thinking?

  “How about our research?” I managed to say to distract myself. “What do you plan to do about it?”

  “There are plenty of time for that. For now,” he looked at me sideways. “Let’s enjoy each other first,”

  “Let’s enjoy each other first?” I repeated. “Are you fucking kidding me? What are we?”

  “Friends. With benefits – THAT HURTS IN CASE YOU DON’T KNOW!” I spanked him right in the face for saying such a thing. This monster’s mind could be so damn dirty!

  I tugged him along and planned on going back to the park. I so need to find that girl and have us unlocked. How am I supposed to do my private things with him locked with me? How am I supposed to pee with him being in the same cubicle as me? This is so terrible!

  “It’s getting dark. We have to go home,” he said.

  “No. I’m not getting home unless that girl shows up,”

  “Why? We’re okay like this,” my mouth gaped at what he just said. What does he mean by that? I’m not okay like this!

  “I hope we won’t find her yet. I still have so many things I want to do with you,” he looked straight into my eyes and I could feel my hormones raging and I think I want to kiss him – MAJ, GET A GRIP.

  “Shut up! I’ll tell you to my dad!” I said, hysterically.

  “Oh? What can your dad possibly do if I’m hugging you right now?” By that, he circled his left arm around me and I’m locked with myself. I held my breath as my heart jumped out of its cage and flew toward Mexico. Gosh, this is heaven.

  Then somebody shouted, “Excuse me!”

  BD then took his arm away from me and I coughed to push the awkwardness away. I hope I’m not blushing too much.

  “Uhm, can I ask a favor from you?” The lady who just called our attention asked. I nodded yes. She pushed a stroller in front of us and I have a feeling we’re going to be babysitters for a while. “Can you watch over my child? I just need to come back at the market because I lost my other child there. Please?”

  Best Mom.

  “Sure. We’ll take care of her,” I looked at BD, who by the way, is not a fan of babies. He wasn’t looking at me or the lady. He just crossed his arms and wore his poker face.

  The lady then hugged me and took off to find her other child. I elbowed him and he’s not paying me any attention at all. Until we heard someone crying.

  “Is that you?” he asked me. I said, “Do I look like I have tears?”

  The crying still continued and we have zero ideas where it’s coming from. Until we looked at the stroller in front of us. “Bingo.” I walked toward the stroller and saw that the baby (very very cute, by the way) was indeed the one who’s crying.

  “How are you supposed to make that stop crying?” He asked, peeking into the stroller.

  “Me? Won’t you help me?”

  “Uhm, no?” I glared at BD who’s being unreasonable right now. I shook my head, took the baby into my arms and started bringing her up and down the air. The baby stopped crying, but BD grew angry at me.

  “Stop that. You’re hurting my arm, by the way.” I ignored him and continued playing with Baby. He just rolled his eyes then watched us laughed and laughed while he hated the world and its existence.

  “Moo moo!” Baby said as she reached for my face.

  Moo moo?

  “This thing do know what to call ghosts like you. Black lady –”

  “Shut up! Black lady my ass!”

  “Poo poo, poo poo!” Baby then reached for Guji’s already irritated face, and I saw him flinch at that.

  “Oh? This baby does know what to call shits like you.” I laughed my hardest which made him annoyed ten times over. I passed Baby to him, but he just gave her back. I made a face and insisted that he should try carrying her because it felt great.

  Baby wrapped her little arms around BD’s neck and he went hysterical. She kept on hitting his face and laughed as she did that. I just can’t help but smile at what I’m seeing, so I took my phone out.

  I need a picture of this.

  “Smile!” I took a picture of them. Baby was smiling with her one tooth exposed and BD’s frowning like he could kill someone. I took another one and another.

  Though the last one was so epic I wanna cry.

  Baby pulled me closer to them so BD and I were sandwiching her between us. I kissed her cheek and clicked the shutter button. When I checked if it looked okay, I just realized that BD also kissed her cheek. I think a smile escaped my lips.

  Gosh, we looked like a family.

  “Oh gosh, thank you!” Guji and I froze on our positions when we heard the same voice as the baby’s mom. “Thank you for the help. I really appreciate this,”

  The mom took Baby from our arms and she seemed so happy about that. I smirked. Baby waved good bye to me then kissed my lips, then to BD.

  We just had an indirect kiss right there.

  I shook my head. That’s a creepy idea.

  “Bye Gella,” BD said in the air. Confused, I asked him, “Who’s Gella?”

  “Baby. I named her Gella because my name’s Guji and yours is Janella. A perfect name for our baby,” my lips parted at that but I just shook my head and said nothing. This guy’s ridiculous.

  He’s pulling my sleeves that I grew irritated and snapped at him. “What do you want?!”

  “I want that,”

  “You want what?”

  “I want a baby. Let’s make something like that –”

  “BULLSHIT!” I punched him right in the face.

  I wasn’t speaking to him or paying him any attention at all after that. I just can’t believe he just said that in my face so casually like it’s something normal to talk about. He kept on asking me if it’s a bad thing to say and he could just take it back.

  I did a face palm. “You seriously don’t know where that baby came from?”

  “Uh… no?”

  “Where are you from?” Before he could even say anything, we suddenly heard a thunderclap. Oh great, what now?

  I noticed that the sky was really dark and I know the clouds were pretty heavy so when it rains, it rains badly. My eyes then went down from the sky to BD’s poker face. There came another clap of thunder and I saw his eyes flinched.

  His hands were even trembling. I
wonder why.

  “You’re scared.” I accused him. He only said, “No. Don’t be ridiculous.”

  Another thunder.

  “You are scared.” I teased him even more, but he’s just frowning and frowning like it could make me stop teasing him. “Just admit it, you’re scared scared scared scared –”

  “FINE! I AM SCARED. So don’t you dare leave me alone,”

  “Are you dumb? We’re stuck with each other, stupid.” Just after I said those words, it started to rain. Thank you for the blessing. I’m serious, really.

  Hysterically, we ran just about anywhere to look for shelter. Damn, I’m soaked!

  BD got crazier than he really was, and stopped in front of me and knelt. He took my shoes off without my permission. “Hey, don’t take them off!”

  “It’s okay!” He smiled and turned around. “Jump in.”

  “What?” When I finally realized what he was trying to do, I did jump into his back. I clung on his neck, while his arms held my legs secure. Though it’s hard for the both of us because of the stupid handcuff, we didn’t care. It was fun.

  “Enjoy the ride, SB!” He shouted in the middle of the storm. He skipped skipped skipped while I laughed. I took my umbrella out and opened it to shield us from the rain, though we’re both soaked already.

  Then something hit me.

  Out of nowhere, it came came came and zoomed right in front of me. I could see the sunlight wrapping us. I could see flowers, and butterflies flying. They’re all over us. They’re touching our skins, my cheeks. I could feel my heart beat quite unevenly and I held onto Guji more tightly.

  I held him to myself.

  I don’t understand why.

  We came home, still chained. I guess we have to sleep together.

  We’re sitting in front of each other at the center of his bed. His head was on top of my knees and I’m tempted to touch his hair and mess it up. When I was about to touch it, he turned his face up. I dropped my hand.

  “Do you trust me?” He asked. I looked away because he’s too close.

  “It’s not that obvious but I do. I do trust you,”

  “Weh? Do you trust me that I won’t do anything bad to you?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I mean, you and me in this bed,” I swallowed at that. “You’re a girl, I’m a boy. And you know for a fact that I have a crush on you –”

  “Oh c’mon! We’re keeping this PG, right?”

  “I thought PG-13’s way better?” I felt his lips on my knees and I could feel a thousand electric shocks bolting throughout my body. I punched him for that, and lied on the bed, my hair completely covering my red face.

  He leaned in and took my hair away from my face. Bullshit this, I think I’m going to be raped.

  “Why are you so red? Do you have a fever?” He placed his hand over my forehead but I pushed that away. I told him that he should stop bugging me because I’m so tired already, that he should sleep at once because he’ll have a soccer practice early in the morning.

  But there’s something I’ve been meaning to ask him so I turned to face him.

  “Hey, BD.”

  He said yes.

  “Are you serious about what you said?”

  “That is?”

  I looked away and search for the right amount of courage to say the right kind of words. When I did find them, I asked him. “Are you serious that you like me?”

  Then he laughed.

  “What’s so funny?” I asked him, hurt.

  Still laughing, he moved on top of me and put a hand on my cheek. My gaze followed that hand and I think I’m trembling. I’m so nervous I think I’m going to die. I blink blink blink as my throat goes dry that I have to swallow every now and then. My lungs were expanding, contracting at such speed I can’t cope with.

  I can’t breathe.

  Please give me air.

  Please.

  “Do you think I’d lie to you?” He’s leaning closer and closer I could inhale the air he’s exhaling. My eyes went from his eyes so brown down to his nose, to his lips.

  That’s the lips which stole my first kiss.

  I could feel both of his hands on either side of my cheeks, I could feel his warmth. I could heart my heart drumming drumming on my ears, and my tummy’s getting a bit funny. I could feel my feet. My feet were stinging and they’re cold cold cold.

  Finally, the spaces between our noses, our lips disappeared. He locked his lips into mine and I could feel a series of sparks everywhere.

  Boom, one, one two, two three, boom.

  I kissed him back.

  Boom, one, one two, two three, boom.

  And we kissed for the length of forever.