“Let’s do some research on the internet.”
They sat in front of the computer on the built in desk in the kitchen and started piecing their observations together and hammering out a paper. They explored neurons, nerve cells, microelectrodes, and electrical signals while bouncing ideas off of each other.
When they finished, Selena turned to him in surprise. “I didn’t think we’d get done today.”
“I did.”
“You are very meticulous, Xavier,” Selena said, not being able to hide the admiration in her voice.
“So, I can be your partner from now on?” he asked, teasing.
“Maybe,” Selena replied, teasing back.
He turned his serious eyes on her. “What do I have to do to get a yes from you?”
Selena cleared her throat nervously. “We've been working so hard. Let's go outside for a while," she blurted, avoiding his question. "Would you like to meet everyone in my troop?”
“Your troop?”
Selena chuckled. “My animals. “
“So those animals running all over are not your parents' but yours?” he asked, his fluid eyes in a deep question.
“They’re my troop. I feed them and take care of them.”
“I like animals too.”
Selena nodded. “You get along with Antonio.”
“I love your dog.”
“He loves you too."
Selena smiled and took him to the barn. A few more moments of him intoxicating her senses may have not been the best of ideas but occasionally she went with her feelings instead of her brain.
"I like how you name your animals," said a laughing Xavier.
"Are you making fun of me?"
"No, of course not."
Zac grunted loudly. He had eyed Xavier fiercely as soon as he and Selena had stepped into the barn. The other animals had stared at him curiously as if wondering who he was.
“You gave your animals very creative names,” Xavier continued.
"They know they are stars to me," informed Selena. Zac grunted louder by the minute.
"Your pig is very noisy," Xavier stated.
"His name is Zac."
"Zac?"
"Zac Efron—Moonflower named him."
"I don't think he likes me," said Xavier. Zac started squealing.
"Zac!" Selena admonished. "Stop it! You will act like a gentleman when we have guests."
Zac stopped his noise and looked ashamed as he hung his snout to the ground.
Xavier's eyebrows shot up. "He looks like he understands you."
Zac stared at Xavier as if he had been insulted, as if saying, Of course I understand her.
"I'll have you know that my animals are very smart," Selena declared. "Zac is very sensitive and intuitive."
"And he thinks you're his girlfriend," stated Xavier as he returned Zac's unflinching glare.
"Don't be silly."
"You'll have to get used to me being here," stressed Xavier. Zac started squealing wildly again. "You can't be her boyfriend. You're a pig."
Zac shrilled even louder.
"Will you two stop fighting?!" Selena chastised.
"He started it," stated Xavier. Zac grunted at him.
"Zac, stop being so unreasonable. Xavier didn't mean to hurt your feelings. "
"But—" Xavier started to say.
"Xavier! You do realize that you're fighting with a pig, don't you?"
Zac started squealing again.
"Sorry, my Zac," Selena said. "But you are a pig and not a human. You have to come to terms with that."
Zac hung his head.
"Don't be sad. I love you just the way you are," Selena said as she put her arms around him. Zac looked at Xavier with triumphant eyes and an annoyed Xavier shook his head at him.
In order to keep the peace between Zac and Xavier, Selena took Xavier to the front of her house where they sat on the bench. It was so quiet that she could hear Xavier’s light breath and the gentle rustling of his hair when his hand went through it. They stared at each other’s bright smiles and shiny eyes for a few seconds before Xavier spoke.
"This is beautiful," he said, pointing to the bench.
"My dad made it."
"Your dad's a carpenter?"
"He can do just about anything," Selena gushed proudly. “I helped him make it.”
“You did?” he asked, his soft gaze on her.
“Yes.”
“You have so many talents, Selena,” he murmured, his dark eyes showing flecks of admiration.
Her cheeks grew hot. “No, not really. I—“
“Yes, really,” he insisted.
“I didn’t do that much work on the bench. My father did almost everything.”
He looked at her as if he didn’t believe her. “You’re very modest, Selena.”
She smiled lightly. “I just don’t like a lot of fuss.”
He nodded. “I don’t either.”
She cleared her throat. “I think it’s great that you can appreciate workmanship.”
"I wish I could build something like this."
"You want to be a carpenter?"
"It's just that where I come from, everything gets bought," he murmured.
"It does?"
"You're very lucky to live here,” he said, sincerity coloring his words.
"We don't have a lot of money, but I do feel lucky to live here."
Xavier took in a deep breath. "You think your parents liked me enough to let me come back?"
"How do you know that I'll invite you back?" Selena teased.
"You have to or Zac, your boyfriend, will never learn how to share you ," he said, chuckling lightly.
Selena laughed with him. "Maybe there's a reason Zac doesn't like you," she joked.
“Like what?”
“You’ve got secrets.”
Xavier cleared his throat nervously. "Everyone has secrets.”
“You think so?”
“Don’t you have them, Selena?” he asked.
“Not really,” Selena answered, furrowing her eyebrows.
"Well then, almost everyone has secrets," he murmured with distant eyes.
"What are your secrets, Xavier?"
“I’m boring,” he rushed. “I’m not worth being curious about.”
“That so isn’t true!”
“Selena, I’m very boring.”
“But—“
“One big z-z-z-z.”
“Yeah, right,” Selena said, chuckling. “Zac seems to think there’s something about you.”
“The reason Zac acts up around me is that he’s in love with you, Selena,” he said, his tone back to being lightly teasing. “That's the reason."
"Maybe he knows something about you that I don't," Selena said, still playful.
Xavier glanced heavily at her mouth and started moving his face closer to her. She shifted nervously in her seat, and he hastily pulled himself away.
"Maybe he does know something about my friendship with you," Xavier said quietly.
Chapter 19
When Mrs. Spinoza called out to Selena, who was reading in her room, Selena wondered what the urgency in her mother’s voice was. Selena had been re-reading The House Of The Spirits and had been so engrossed that when her mother had called out, she had nearly dropped the book.
“You’ve got a visitor,” said Mrs. Spinoza, looking outside the living room window.
Selena’s skin formed goose bumps as she glanced in the same direction as her mother’s eyes. But it wasn’t Xavier coming up the walkway. Selena opened the door as her visitor was about to knock.
“Hi, Sel,” said a sheepish Moonflower.
“Hi,” Selena barely got out.
“Come in, Moonflower,” said Mrs. Spinoza.
“Good afternoon, Mrs. Spinoza,” greeted Moonflower as she stepped in the door. “How have you been?”
“Good. How’s your family?” inquired Mr
s. Spinoza.
“Very good. Thank you for asking.”
“Well, I’ve got a lot to do. If you’ll excuse me,” said Mrs. Spinoza, stepping into the kitchen. An awkward silence ensued until Moonflower finally broke it.
“Sel, I know you’re very angry with me.”
“You’re the one angry at me for some stupid reason—some guy.”
“I’m sorry, Sel. I’m so sorry.”
“Why would you let some guy come in between us? We’ve been friends since we were children.”
Moonflower’s eyes watered. “I can’t believe I did that.”
“You hurt my feelings, Moonflower.”
“I didn’t mean to.”
“Why would you say that you can’t understand what a guy sees in me? As If I don’t have anything to offer anybody.”
“I was jealous, Selena. Jealous that while Xavier won’t even glance my way, he likes you. I kept wondering why I couldn’t get that kind of attention.”
“Saul pays attention to you.”
“Yes, but I wanted Xavier to notice me.”
“Why are you so insecure about yourself, Moonflower?”
“I don’t know why I feel so bad about myself,” she cried. “I feel like I’ll never be good enough.”
“Moonflower, my mom’s cancer taught me that this world is so much bigger than me and my hang-ups. While she fought for her life and became skin and bones, I figured out some things. My life can’t be about what other people want me to look like. It can’t be about what makes other people think is happiness. It has to be about the people I love and living in happiness with them for whatever time I have with them. I’m not wasting even a second when who I love can be taken away from me just like that.”
“You are so right, Sel.”
“I just think about things.”
“I’ve missed you so much.”
Selena looked at her with serious eyes. “I’ve missed you too, but I have to tell you, Moonflower, that even when we’ve been friends forever, I can’t be friends with someone who is ugly to me.”
“Of course you can’t be friends with someone who tries to make you feel bad. I’m so sorry, Sel.”
“Do you really mean that?”
“More than anything. That’s why I’m here.”
“I forgive you, Moonflower.”
“Thank you,” she gushed, hugging Selena. “Who else will set me straight?”
Selena returned her hug. “I’m so happy that you’re back. Who else will get me to loosen up? I’m so uptight.”
“What about Xavier?” Moonflower asked with a sly smile. “I’m sure he’ll do something about your serious side.”
“He can be so silly,” stated Selena. “Yesterday he was fighting with Zac.”
“He was fighting with your pig?”
“Yes, but you can’t call him a freak, okay, Moonflower,” rushed Selena. “Even I fight with Zac sometimes.”
“I know.”
“Moonflower, you can’t be calling him a freakoid anymore. “
“I won’t. I know that he’s just different.”
“Very different,” Selena stated. “But good different.”
“Not a vampire?” teased Moonflower.
Selena smiled. “Let me put it this way—the guy almost ate all the sandwiches I put out for us, and not once did I catch him staring at my neck with hunger.”
“That’s a relief,” Moonflower declared. “But I still think there’s something very unique about him. Yesterday I was watching a movie about zombies and—“
“Moonflower!” Selena chided. “You don’t seriously think that Xavier is a zombie, do you?”
“No, of course not,” she declared indignantly. “But the zombies had a wizard controlling them and—“
“Moonflower!” Selena blurted again, this time firmer. “Xavier isn’t a vampire, a zombie, or Harry Potter, okay?”
She lowered her eyes in shame. “Sorry, Sel. I watch too many movies, right?”
Selena chuckled. “Moonflower, you don’t know how much I missed you and your theatrics.”
“Really?”
“Absolutely.”
Moonflower sighed a huge breath of relief. “So Xavier’s been visiting you?” she gushed.
“He was here so we could do our Science assignment. Our class had to work in pairs.”
“So you paired up with him,” Moonflower said with a wide smile.
“Don’t look at me like that, Miss Moonflower. Xavier and I are just friends.”
“Not for long. I see how he looks at you.”
Selena rolled her eyes. “Stop it.”
“He likes you, really likes you.”
“Stop it,” said Selena, annoyance in her voice.
“Why was he fighting with Zac, anyway?”
“He was being silly, something about Zac wanting to be my boyfriend. Have you ever heard of anything so funny?”
Moonflower laughed out loud. “So your animal and your boyfriend are fighting over you!”
Chapter Twenty
Sitting next to Xavier on the bus was becoming too comfortable and as a result, disconcerting but Selena wouldn’t dream of sitting anywhere else. She smiled at Moonflower who sat with Saul one seat over. Xavier had radiated his movie star sparkler when he realized that Selena and Moonflower were speaking to each other.
“I’m glad Zac let you come to school today,” joked Xavier.
“Ha, ha, very funny,” Selena said, annoyed.
“Her pig is very possessive, right?” asked Moonflower.
“Selena has a pig?” questioned Saul.
Xavier smiled slyly. “He’s not just a pig. He’s her boyfriend.”
“Is he a good kisser?” joked Saul.
Moonflower nodded with a smirk. “He is very cute, even with that big snout.”
“Stop making fun of my pig,” Selena declared.
“Let’s not even get started on Antonio Banderas,” announced Saul.
During lunch, they continued their good natured ribbing about Selena’s animals. Certain stares ran hard into all four of them but Selena shut them out of her mind, even with some of them as smelly as a septic tank. Cherise and Asher rudely pointed fingers at her and grimaced. Selena tried to keep her eyesight on Xavier who seemed not to pay any attention to the havoc around them, his whole attitude unperturbed and in a constant state of devil may care.
***************************
“What does he see in her?” cried Cherise, her voice cracking. “I just don’t get it.”
“Maybe he feels sorry for her,” Asher commented.
“Xavier has to stop being so nice.” Cherise stammered as she openly stared at Xavier and Selena, long fingers clawing inside of her.
“Don’t worry, Cherise. I’m sure he’ll soon get over his charity complex.”
**************************
Ignore stupidity, Selena repeated to herself, but Asher’s and Cherise’s condescending eyes kept on her and she could hear their snickers. Selena had never let their superior attitudes bother her until now. Not even her family history crashing with Asher’s had ever disturbed her inner sanctum. Mr. Spinoza and Asher’s father, Blake Montgomery, were mortal enemies; part of a past Selena’s dad couldn’t forget or forgive.
Asher and Selena had done an excellent job ignoring each other until now. And Xavier was unfortunately in the middle of the mess. Asher finally turned her attention to Steve who sat in front of her but Cherise wouldn’t tear her eyes away from Selena. Her glare hurled poisonous arrows. Selena looked away from her, trying to shut the viper out of her thoughts.
“Are you okay?” asked Xavier, his unwavering gaze on Selena filled with concern.
“I’m great,” she said, knowing he had caught her lie.
He stared deeply into Selena and nodded solemnly.
Suddenly, Cherise’s tray accidentally crashed to the floor. Bits of chicken, corn, and mashed po
tatoes glided together on the ground creating a big mess of mush. Cherise was too embarrassed to pick it up, and Mr. Honeybee, who was also having lunch, made her clean it. Asher didn’t seem too thrilled with her friend embarrassing her. Steve laughed good naturedly along with just about everyone else in the cafeteria.
Selena brushed her long, dark mane until it shimmered. She had picked out her mother’s favorite outfit for her—a violet silk dress that Mrs. Spinoza had made herself. The light purple color brought out the shiny streaks in her hair and the cinnamon in her skin. Selena didn’t go out that often, especially on Saturday nights. Not that it was a date; she was quick to assure herself. Moonflower, Saul, Xavier and she had agreed to go to dinner and a movie. An evening out with good friends—how much fun would that be?
“You look lovely,” said Mrs. Spinoza with eyes that sparkled with a gleam only reserved for her daughter. “Muy hermosa.”
“Yes, mija,” agreed Mr. Spinoza, not sounding too happy.
Moonflower and Saul arrived at her house first since Selena’s home was the meeting point for all four of them. They would be using the car of Saul’s brother. Xavier had promptly informed them that he didn’t drive.
“I can show you how to drive, dude,” Saul had told him.
“I know how to drive,” Xavier stated uncomfortably, his usual open self with them shutting itself like a faucet.
“Then why don’t you drive?” asked Moonflower.
“Just because,” Xavier declared with a certain finality to his voice that stopped any more questions.
The excitement of the evening brought a certain amount of vibrant energy with Moonflower and Saul. Mr. Spinoza eyed them suspiciously while Mrs. Spinoza beamed them a holiday smile.
Another knock on the door brought Xavier inside. Selena ignored when the dancing electrical current in the air became more pronounced and tried, tried with everything she had inside of her, to ignore his appearance. His usual blue jeans and T-shirt were replaced with black tailored slacks, a light blue shirt and a black jacket over it—all fitting perfectly on his strong, graceful body.
“Be home at a decent hour,” said Mr. Spinoza before they stepped out the door.
“You’re beautiful,” Xavier whispered in Selena’s ear before getting in the car. Selena radiated a smile. His hand went inside coat pocket, pulling out a single bright-purple rose. The soft aroma of the serene petals wafted in her nose.
“Thank you,” Selena uttered, not too happy with the feelings it was bringing out inside of her but at the same time, overwhelmed with the gesture.
Selena quickly glanced at Moonflower and Saul who had just gotten in the car. With relief, she realized they hadn’t seen anything. They were too busy chatting. She would’ve never been able to live it down with Moonflower. Selena swiftly but gently put the special rose in her purse.