STUCK IN A ROMANCE NOVEL

NEW STUDENT

I couldn't help but giggle when I saw Jose doing the stupid dance our drill team does every time they perform exaggerating their movements.  The whole band hated them because they acted as we needed them to look good.  Hello, are they stupid or something.  We just revived a division one rating in the marching competition last year, and it was our first time competing in the division 5A.  They were not even in the competition.  Not to mention they were not a bunch of rocket scientists.  They only had a few girls on the team that are in advanced placement/college prep program the rest of the girls were taking the regular courses to graduate.  Technically I wasn't a band member just in the flag corpse but as far as the band was concerned we were so they treated us as band members.  Oh, by the way, my name is Trina Natsuko Gonzalez.  Yeah, funny my dad is Hispanic, and my mom is half Anglo and half Japanese.  So, my name reflects my three significant nationalities.  I am not the most popular girl in school, but I am also not a leaper.  I like to coast through the middle.  I have a lot of guy friends but no boyfriends, but that is OK right now all that matters is my studies, besides if I had a boyfriend, I wouldn't have time for my favorite hobby which is reading.  I have read all the favorite romance books out there or teen fiction.  Yep, Twilight by Stephanie Myers, Harry Potter by J.K. Rowlings, The Kissing Booth by Beth Reekles,  but I love just plain old romance novels especially historical Romance Novels like True Heart by Arnette Lamb.

I am sitting rereading True Heart when all of a sudden I hear someone clapping next to me saying, "Earth to Trina come in Trina."  I look up and smack one of my only female friends if you want to call her my friend Gabriela and say, "what do you want Gabs I am reading."  "Yeah, yeah, stop reading and check out that hottie."  "please, so not interested."  "Oh, shit Joel is bringing him over here."  I look up and say, "damn it great."  "What, why are you so annoyed."  "It means this dumb ass is joining the Math and Science Club and since I am now the stupid secretary and Joel is the treasurer one of us has to teach him the ropes and Joel has just nominated me." "Come on, Trini he is cute."  I glare down at her "seriously Trini you want to die an early death." "Fine Trina, you know that is why guys don't ask you out."  "So, most guys only want to make-out or get laid."  "come on they are not all that bad."   All of a sudden I hear Joel "Trina, this here is Tristan not only would I appreciate it if you help him get acquainted with the members but he seems to be having problems with his chemistry class he mentioned he thought you were in his class."  "who do you have and what period?"  "Canales third."  I glance up,  into gorgeous green eyes.  I shake my head, "oh, yeah, you were the smart ass that tried to hold my hand when I dropped my pencil."  Joel snickers, "at it again, slugger."  "no, dumb ass I didn't smack him as I did you in 8th grade.  You knew better he doesn't."  Tristan looks at me and says, "what do you mean I don't know better."  "Look, don't get me wrong I like guys, I think you're cute, but I am not a girly girl, and I don't get all giddy and giggle just because a guy pays attention to me.  I sure as hell don't wear dresses unless I really like them or I have to for some stupid family function or big dance.  To me what ya see is what ya get."  He looks me up and down.  "Well to me a girl that is comfortable in what she wears is OK by me.  Especially if she just wears a pair of jeans, a t-shirt and cowboy boots."  I look up at him again and smile.  

"OK, Tristan what are you exactly having trouble with in Chemistry."  He snorts and says, "well, I think you were set up."  "What do you mean?"  "Well, when I was walking up that guy Joel and another guy were betting that if they got me to flirt with you-you would act like all the other girls around here.  They didn't know I heard them."  "So, that is why you flirted with me.  Great another jack ass."  "No, actually that is why I wasn't going to flirt with you, but you seem nice, and I do think you are pretty.  I really would rather get to know you better.  When I was trying to hold your hand earlier was because I wanted to stare into your eyes longer, they are beautiful.  Don't take this the wrong way with your skin coloring you would expect them to be darker, but they are a soft chocolate brown.  I was mesmerized." "Oh, it is a family trait on my dad's side."  "So, I take it you read a lot."  "Oh, yeah this is about as girly as I get historical romance novels.  I like the fact that they are set at different times and have some historical accuracy."  "Well, reading is good.  Have you ever read any of the classics."  "Oh, yeah and my favorite has to be Of Mice and Men by Steinbeck and To Kill a Mocking Bird by Harper Lee."  "Nice, why is Joel staring over here."  I turn to look in that direction and shrug my shoulders.  "I have no idea.  He is my best friend.   Funny we barely spoke to each other up until last year because I was either studying, practicing for my oral reading competitions or just plain old reading a book.  Then one day while working on a project for the club we just clicked and have been inseparable ever since but he has a girlfriend."  "Good to know, see you tomorrow, Trina."  As he walked away, I couldn't help but sigh because he had one of my favorite names I had found once a long time ago in one of the many books I have read.  OH, Lord did I sigh, kill me now.

I went home thinking about Tristan.  It was the first time in a long time I thought about someone else other than Joel.  Yes, I have had a crush on Joel for a while now but he doesn't feel the same way for me as I do for him.  So, I am content being his best friend.  To me having Joel in my life is more important than being his girlfriend.

As for thinking about Tristan, it was odd for me since no one has ever caught my attention since Joel.  See Joel had been in my classes since seventh grade but it wasn't until about a year ago I noticed him as more than the pain in my ass that kept beating me in class for the highest grade.  During that math and science club project is when we really got to know each other and I started falling for him.  So the fact I couldn't get Tristan out of my mind was strange.

I kept going over our conversation earlier today and trying to remember every interaction with him before today.  See I had found out when he first arrived he was a football player and so I didn't pay him much attention since most of the players only care about football.  Don't get me wrong I love football but it is not the only thing in my life.  Falling to sleep with Tristan on my mind and waking up with him not only in my dreams but the first person I am longing to see was new but I haven't decided if it is a welcome change.

The drive to school was different, to say the least.  Joel was acting like a horses ass because he didn't like hearing Tristan flirting with me yesterday.  He kept telling me that I needed to be careful that guys were only after one thing.  I started tunning him out regretting that I had talked my mom into giving him a ride to school every day so he could take her early bird, Shakespeare and Classical literature class.  Yep, I am a teachers daughter and because of it, I am held to a higher standard at school.  All the teachers expect me to be on my best behavior and to excel in their class.  My number one problem is talking, I tend to get in trouble for talking to my fellow classmates.  Anyway since I had talked my mom into giving Joel a ride I had to deal with him explaining that I could not trust guys and remind me that having a boyfriend would ruin my GPA.  My mom thankfully disagreed with him and told him "Joel leave Trina alone if this guy likes her and asks her out more power to her."  I couldn't understand why he got upset and stormed off leaving us at the car as he went inside to wait for my mom to make her way to her class.

My early bird class was it's usual self Mrs. Estela Garza (may she rest in peace we lost her a few years back to cancer.  She fought a long hard battle.)  was on a role about the importance that once we all turned eighteen our need to register to vote.  She always started this lecture when someone in our class had a birthday and just as I expected she reached into her desk and pulled out the voter registration form and handed it to Alex.  He shook his head "Mrs. Garza I already registered to vote."  She nodded "well when you voter's registration card comes in I want to see it remember you get an automatic hundred."  I watched him pull out his wallet and show Mrs. Garza his card and she smiles good.  Turns out you can register a few weeks early you just won't get your card until after you turn eighteen.

After Alex sat back down we were given a free day.  This was so unlike Mrs. Garza so we all took advantage of the day.  I talked to Alex about Joel and Alex just leaned in and whispered "yes, Trini there are a lot of guys out there that only want a girl for sex or make-out sessions but there are also guys like me out there that once we fall for a girl we will treat her like a princess.  Now don't get me wrong you are my buddy my pal I don't see you in that way but don't sell yourself short you are a very beautiful, intelligent and funny girl any guy would be happy to call you his girl.  With that, I smiled and hugged Alex right as the bell rang.  My next two classes were uneventful.   For the first time in my academic career, I was nervous about going to class.  I didn't know what to expect when I entered my third period Chemistry Class.