Say it Isn't So

Angel

Angel groaned as the music from his sister's radio blared in through his open bedroom door. He was having the best dream ever all about Sarah. It was so real: her beautiful eyes, her lips; he could even taste them. Who knew how far the dream may've gone. He frowned, listening to the music that interrupted his fantasies. His sister Sofia was only sixteen, but she'd recently discovered The Beatles and was blasting their music every chance she got. To top it off, the blow dryer was roaring.

His mood quickly shifted when he replayed last night's events in his head. He lay there thinking about everything that had happened. He chuckled to himself when he thought of how effortlessly he'd cracked Sarah up. Everything he was feeling now was so unexpected.

More than anything, he wanted to ask more about her mom, but it was obvious she didn't want to talk about her. Why would a mom dump her daughter on someone else, just like that? What kind of problems could she be ironing out? Something in Sarah's poignant eyes told him she'd been through a lot, and he felt for her.

Damn, this sucked. All week long, all he had wanted was a chance to talk to her, get to know her a little. But after last night, he wanted so much more, and soon she was leaving. He sat up and shook his head. He wouldn't worry about it now. Fact was her plans weren't carved in stone. Anything could happen between now and then. She could change her mind.

He glanced at the clock: 8:30. Deciding it was too early to call her, he showered and went downstairs. Eric was already there, sitting at the kitchen counter talking to Sofia. His parents left early to open the restaurant, and Sofia had made breakfast. Eric looked up from his plate at Angel and smiled knowingly.

"Hey, how'd it go last night?"

"It was cool." Angel walked over to Sofia and kissed her on the forehead. He looked at Eric's plate of bacon and eggs then at Sofia.

"Any left for me, or did he eat it all?"

Sofia rolled her eyes. "There's enough for everyone."

Angel walked over to the refrigerator, glancing at the clock. It was just after nine—good enough. He pulled the orange juice out of the fridge and poured himself a glass. Walking by the table where he left the keys to Eric's car and his cell phone, he picked them both up and tossed the keys at Eric. "Thanks, man."

Eric caught the keys in midair, nodding his head. "Late night?" he asked with a smirk.

On his way out the back door, Angel motioned he'd be right back. Outside, he looked up Sarah's cell number on his phone. She'd programmed it in last night before he dropped her off. Just seeing her name, Sarah Lynn, did something to him. He sucked in his breath deep and pressed the call button. It rang a few times, then she answered.

"Hi, Angel." Her cheery tone made him smile. "I was on the other line. Let me hang up."

"No, that's okay. I can call back."

"No, it's Sydney. We've been on the phone for a while. I was getting ready to hang up anyway. Hold on, okay?"

"All right."

She clicked over to the other line. It was only nine, and she'd already been on the phone for a while? She wasn't kidding when she said she was close to her friend.

He thought about it and wondered if he'd feel the same way in her situation. Eric and Romero were his best friends, but he couldn't imagine himself so hung up on those two numb-nuts that he'd be dying to get back to them. Then again, girls were different in their relationships. Not only that, he thought, Sarah's situation was different altogether. He sat down on one of the patio chairs, and then he heard the line click.

"Angel?"

"Yeah."

"Sorry about that."

"That's okay. Chatting this early?"

"Yeah, Sydney can be an early bird. The phone woke me up, actually."

"Ah, she's like my sister. Her damn music woke me up this morning. Are you tired?" He hesitated then asked, "Any plans today?"

"Not now, but tonight I do." Angel felt his face warm. "Oh?"

"I'm working," she said. "Babysitting for the neighbors down the street."

He exhaled slowly. "When can I pick you up?"

"I can be ready in about an hour."

He'd never felt so damn eager to see anyone in his life. "All right then, I'll call you in an hour, and you can tell me how to get there."

Once off the phone, he walked back in the kitchen where Sofia and Eric were laughing. Angel was surprised he was still there. He remembered Eric saying he had to be up early. He walked over and grabbed a piece of bacon from the pan on the stove." Didn't you have to be somewhere this morning?" He leaned against the counter across from Eric.

Eric smiled. "You trying to get rid of me?"

"Nah, but I remember you tellin' Romero you couldn't stick around and hang out with those chicks 'cause you had to get up early."

Eric cleared his throat glancing at Sofie and wiped his mouth with a napkin. "Yeah, well, why do you think I'm here so early? I handled my business already and then came over to get my car."

"I need to change. I told Mom I'd be at the restaurant early." Sofia finished putting the dishes in the dishwasher and started out of the kitchen.

Angel winced. "How early, Sof? I gotta be somewhere soon."

"I can drop her off," Eric said.

Angel looked back at him. "You sure?"

"Yeah, I gotta go by there anyway. I'm gonna go work out at the gym. Maybe I'll pick up a burrito while I'm there."

"I won't be long!" Sofia yelled, running up the stairs.

Angel glanced at Eric's plate. "Dude, you just ate."

"Yeah, that's why I gotta work out." Eric patted his stomach.

Angel shook his head. He turned around and grabbed a plate out of the cabinet, emptying the rest of the eggs and bacon onto it.

"So, what happened last night? Did you score?" Eric cocked an eyebrow.

Angel had a mouthful of food and didn't respond immediately. After a couple more chews, he shook his head. He didn't usually kiss and tell, even with girls he didn't care about, and he knew Eric wasn't the type to go telling anyone. But he felt especially protective this time.

"What?" Eric chuckled. "You're kidding me? She shot you down?"

"No, she didn't shoot me down." Angel scoffed. "We just talked that's all."

Eric laughed some more. "Losing your touch, huh? I thought for sure I'd be hosing down the backseat of my car today the way you were looking at her."

"How was I looking at her?" Angel frowned.

"Like you wanted to swallow her up, that's how."

Angel feigned bewilderment, but he knew just what Eric meant because that's exactly how he had felt.

Eric kept on. "Come on dude, I can't believe all you did was talk."

Angel rolled his eyes, "Nah, man, it wasn't like what you're thinking. That's not what I was going for with her.

"What?" Eric shook his head. "Angel Moreno is into talking to chicks now? When did you turn into a total wuss?"

Angel shrugged and took another bite of his food. He avoided looking at Eric, suddenly not sure he wanted to talk about it. "I don't know, dude. She's just cool to hang with, I guess."

Eric nodded as if he got it. "So you're not into her? I thought she was pretty hot."

"I'm into her, you ass, just 'cause I didn't bag her the first night. Not all girls are like that, you know."

Eric grinned. "You did got shot down?"

Angel glared at him, sipping his juice. "Well, you're not making any sense." Eric chuckled. "Either you did or you didn't. What's the big deal?"

"It's not a big deal," Angel wasn't sure why, but he was getting frustrated. "I kissed her goodnight if your nosy ass has to know. But we talked the rest of the time."

"So did you find out what was up with her and Jesse?"

Angel wished he'd slammed Jesse's head a little harder the other day. "She went out with him way back, and you know what a pussy Jesse is. He can't let it go."

"She actually went out with that idiot?" Eric spoke with a mouthful.

"Yeah, tell me about it. That's what I thought." Angel polished off the last of his breakfast and threw the plate in the sink. He glanced at the clock. "I gotta go finish getting ready."

"Where you going?"

"Got a date," Angel grinned, but avoided looking directly at Eric. His good friend seemed confused at first, then his eyes and mouth shot wide open as he put his hand over his mouth. "No!"

Before he could say anything else, Angel shot him a look. "Not a word," he warned. "Don't tell Romero anything either. I don't need to hear his crap on Monday."

Eric grinned from ear to ear.

"Shut up," Angel said, walking out of the kitchen.

"I didn't say anything," Eric protested, chuckling.

"Yeah, well, you were thinking it." Angel could hear Eric laughing, even as he walked up the stairs, but he had to smile.