My obsession with Rafe Vega : Teen Fiction

Chapter 3

'Hola.'

That from Cade as she slipped into the opposite chair as I sat in the cafeteria.

'Before I respond,' I raised my eyebrows, 'your brother does not want me to influence you unduly.'

'I told you, "I'll see you tomorrow" you recall?' she tossed back.

'Is he going to rant and rave again? I really don't like his aggressive manner.'

'I told him I will choose my own friends and that he must back off.'

'My word!  Didn't he freak out at that?'

'No,' she laughed, 'he has, what you say, "a soft spot for me."

'So you cunningly use it to advantage, do you?'

'Only when I want to get my way,' she lowered her voice, like a drama queen.

'You're a natural. You should take up acting__'

Her eyes flew to mine, the smile disappeared, replaced by manifest pain.

Me and my bloody big mouth!

'Cade, I'm sorry,' I reached out and covered her hand with mine, 'I did not mean to be hurtful.'

'I know you didn't,' she smiled. 'Rafe always tells me I'm a better actress than our mom. He always sees through my shenanigans, and has instructed me never to take up acting.'

'You speak English very well.'

'Rafe and I had English tutors right from the time we started walking, our mother insisted we perfect the international language of communication,' she smiled forlornly, as if remembering happier times.

'Spanish sounds so beautiful,' I tried to change the mood, 'I wish I could speak it.'

'Hola, ¿qué tal?'

'You're teaching me Spanish?' I laughed.

She nodded, grinning from ear to ear.

'Okay__hola,' I tested my Spanish, 'I forget the other part you said,' I frowned.

'¿Qué tal? It means how are you? It's spelt with a "Q" but pronounced like with a "C"'

'¿Qué tal?' I repeated slowly, 'I guess you have to teach me the alphabet first, so I can get the pronunciations,' I laughed.

She nodded again, 'what you up to?' she asked, one eye on my French fries.

'Science project,' I moaned softly, putting one French fry into my mouth. Would you like some?' I extended the plate without lifting my head that was lowered at my file.

'Yes please,' she dunked one into the tomato sauce, and then helped herself to more. 'You're not going to eat more?' she asked hopefully, with her mouth full.

I shook my head, 'I've just finished a cheese burger,' I smiled.

'Cheese burger,' she smiled dreamily, I don't know when was the last time I had one. Rafe insists we have home cooked food.'

'I tell you what,' I lowered my voice conspirationally, 'tomorrow you give me my first Spanish lesson, and I'll buy you a cheese burger.'

'Deal,' she smacked a high five with me, finishing the remaining few fries. 'Good, now I don't have to have too much dinner tonight and I saved Rafe half my sandwich, because he didn't make himself lunch as there wasn't enough bread this morning ,' she smiled as if she just solved a mathematical equation.

'I'm looking forward to our time tomorrow,' I spoke quickly, as my brain tried to process what Cade had just unwittingly revealed.

'I can't wait to give Rafe my sandwich,' she looked at her wristwatch, 'he will stubbornly refuse it, but I know he will be hungry, he was always stuffing his face with food back home, now he doesn't eat that much. I guess he's watching his figure, with all the pretty girls like you around,' she laughed.