The Key of Hearts

by Mia Rodriguez

  Chapter 3

  To Selena’s enormous relief, the following days turned normal. No more fierce winds turning everything upside down. Even Sebastian Crawley seemed to be one hundred percent preoccupied with his position in the mega-uglies. Selena could only imagine what Asher had told him about her and Xavier. That must’ve been why he had looked at them so strangely on his first day there, she reasoned. Now he seemed totally entrenched in what was forming into an exclusive organization. They were now calling themselves The It Club and the members the Its. Sebastian Crawley only hung out with them and didn’t bother with anyone else. Selena couldn’t help fervently wishing that he’d get together with Cherise. That had to be a perfect match! Maybe that way she'd stop mooning over Xavier.

  The girls who had once melted over Xavier were now swooning over Sebastian Crawley. Yet, he’d ignore anyone outside the It Club. With his new group getting larger all the time, there seemed to be no need for him to look outside for companionship. Too many students were joining. In fact, it surprised Selena that Brad, her former nemesis, was now welcomed into the group when before he had been completely shut out of it. One of the mega-uglies had once said, “What makes him think he’s good enough for us?” Why had they let him in? she wondered. What is going on? Why is that group growing so much? In the past, the mega-uglies were contained with not too many wanting to join them. Now, a huge number of students were begging to be let in.

  As Selena arrived at the weekend, she decided to stop placing any more concentration on the mega-uglies. Instead, she’d focus on the people closest to her who at the moment were arguing about where to go that night.

  Saul insisted on The Farmhouse Restaurant even though Xavier preferred Chico’s Tacos. Selena and Moonflower shook their heads at their bickering.

  “You know I love Chicos, dude, but it’s a Friday night and it’s crowded to the max.”

  “That hasn’t stopped us before,” stated Xavier.

  “I want to go to The Farmhouse.”

  “I want to go to Chico’s Tacos.”

  “I want a steak,” stated Saul.

  “I want rolled tacos.”

  “I want a baked potato and a ribeye,” Saul insisted.

  “I want floating cheese, hot salsa, and crunch.”

  “Okay, children,” interjected Selena. “Let’s stop this.”

  “Let’s make believe we’re grown-ups and decide where we’re going to go,” stated Moonflower.

  “Dude, I need a quiet place so I can tell all of you something big,” declared Saul.

  “You should’ve said that in the first place,” expressed Xavier.

  “So we’re going to The Farmhouse, dude?” Saul asked hopefully.

  “Let’s go.”

  “What do you want to tell us?” Moonflower asked eagerly. “Is it what Jacob had to confess to Bella?”

  "What?"

  "You know," gushed Moonflower. "That mega secret about himself! Mega, MEGA secret!!!"

  Saul shook his head, exasperated. “My butterfly dudette, this isn’t Twilight and I’m not a werewolf.”

  “Oh,” Moonflower murmured, disappointed. “What is it then?”

  “You’ll have to wait till we get there,” informed Saul.

  When they were seated at The Farmhouse Restaurant and had ordered, Moonflower pleaded with Saul to divulge the surprise while Selena and Xavier patiently looked on with curious smiles. Saul radiated a certain joyful shine as if his life couldn’t be more perfect.

  “Okay, Moonflower, stop bugging me. I’ll tell you.”

  “What’s going on?” badgered Moonflower.

  “It’s big news.”

  “Oh my gosh! You don’t have elephantitis, do you?” Moonflower asked dramatically, her voice writhing with concern.

  “My butterfly dudette, you need to forget about elephants! I’ve got great news.”

  “What is it?”

  “I made it to the football team. I made it!”

  “You did?” asked Moonflower with shiny, bright eyes.

  “I'm officially a football dude!"

  “I’m so proud of you,” Moonflower said, holding her heart in her hands. "I'm now a football dudette."

  “Congratulations, Saul,” expressed Selena.

  “This is something to celebrate so tonight’s dinner is on me,” stated Xavier.

  “No, you don’t have to—“

  “I’m paying for this and that is that.”

  “Thanks, dude.”

  Moonflower put her arms around Saul. “My boyfriend the big-time football player—isn’t that something?”

  “Maybe I shouldn’t be talking to you little people,” Saul teased.

  “Now you’ll have all those girls trying to get on your good side,” said Selena, teasing back.

  “Come to think of it, didn’t I see that Victoria-like vampire, Julia Gutierrez, asking you something?” Moonflower growled.

  “Julia Gutierrez?” asked Selena.

  “That’s who he was talking to,” snapped Moonflower.

  “You and Julia Gutierrez, huh?” questioned Xavier with a playful smirk.

  Saul grumbled. “She's too stuck-up. She’s worse than your cousin Asher.”

  “And my cousin is pretty bad,” agreed Xavier.

  Moonflower held up her glass of iced tea. “Here’s to my knight—the next huge glittering star to hit football.”

  When Mr. Honeybee stepped out of the classroom for a short time, having ordered the students to finish their work, few actually did it. Most were surrounding Saul as he chatted about having made the winning touchdown that past weekend. Selena and Xavier had already completed the assignment on rocks and minerals and were staring at the spectacle around Saul with amusement.

  “He’s having a blast with all that new popularity,” whispered Xavier.

  “I guess it’s a lot to be an ordinary person one minute and then a hero the next,” Selena whispered back. As usual, his nearness to her fogged her brain.

  “I don’t have the heart to tell him that I prefer basketball over football.”

  “I don’t either,” Selena said, chuckling.

  “I won’t tell anybody what I just heard,” whispered a chuckling Steve who had been walking past them with Sebastian Crawley but had stopped when he heard them. “I forgive you for your gross taste in preferring basketball,” he joked.

  “Thanks a lot,” kidded Selena.

  Xavier smiled. “Yes, thanks.”

  “You know,” Steve said, eyeing Saul, “he really deserves all the attention. He’s turning out to be one of my best players. Don’t you think, Sebastian?”

  “Yep,” Sebastian muttered.

  His lack of conversation unnerved Selena.

  “Saul’s a natural at football,” agreed Xavier.

  When Steve clumsily turned to make it back to his seat, he bumped Selena, unbalancing her. The accident took her completely by surprise. As she was about to stumble to the floor, Xavier reached out his hands and steadied her.

  Whoosh!

  The magnetic waves were back, slamming into her. What is going on? she wondered. Not again!