Stolen Sweetheart

Chapter 4

The spoon I was holding clatters on the table as I jump out of my chair. Across from me, Miguel does the same, and our eyes don't leave each other as we both start to mime the guitar solo blasting from the speaker on top of the fridge.

I jump around the kitchen on the beat of Gun's-and-Roses as Miguel falls dramatically to his knees and throws his head back, his air-guitar game way more impressive than mine.

My cereals are completely forgotten, my untied hair swings around me as I shake my head up and down, feeling the chorus coming with the accelerating drum.

"Take me down to the Paradise City," We both sing along, joining in a duet by the kitchen counter, "where the grass is green and the girls are pretty, Oh won't you please take me home !"

However, only our two voices finish the sentence, the music cutting short at the very best part. Simultaneously, we turn toward the fridge, the same word shouted in a whine :

"Mom !"

"What is this you both ? You want to wake the whole neighborhood ?" She said, holding the speaker in one hand while the other rested on her hip. "Since when do you listen to Gun's-and-Roses anyways ?"

"You know them ?" I ask, astonished.

"Everyone in my generation knows them, Mija. It's like Michael Jackson ; unavoidable."

My brother seated back down, resuming his eating. "We found them last night, and it's honestly the best."

Yesterday during training Sensei Lawrence had told us to listen to them, and after dinner the day before, Miguel and I had done so... Turns out, we spent half the night listening to 80's music, loving it to the core.

"Yeah, I love the vibe. You should've shown us some of your favorite groups before, I wouldn't have been stuck with today's music for so long."

Mom kissed me on the forehead before she poured herself some coffee.

"Modern songs aren't so bad. But sure, I could give you some of my old favorites if you guys like it so much. Is it maybe a friend from school who told you about them ?"

Without consulting each other, both Miguel and I nodded. She didn't know about Karate, and honestly, it was better that way.

"Well then, tell me about it !" She sat down at the table and looked at us expectantly.

We'd already gone to bed - or at least to our rooms and she'd come back from work. We had yet to tell her how our first Monday had gone.

"There isn't much to tell," I started as I took back my place and ate a spoonful of cereal. "Classes are fine... Even though I believe my history teacher is a witch. Mrs. Cleptary." I said with clear distaste.

"Ugh, she already gave us homework too."

Mom patted Miguel's hand and urged us to continue.

"Well uh... I guess we can say we found some friends. At least I think so. Demetri and Eli."

"They've been bestfriends for a while, but don't seem close to the idea of new friends either."

"That's good. I know it's hard to start again in a new school because most people already know each other, but I'm sure you'll manage. Those two sound nice. No girls though ?" She asked me, and I shook my head, looking down.

I'd never had girls friends, and Mom worried about it. It wasn't like I didn't want to get along with girls... But they never seemed to understand me, and I them. I never learned how to act around girls my age, only ever hanging out with Miggy. And back where we used to live, when they'd learned I was bisexual... It hadn't gone so well, and none of them talked to me.