Here is the start of my new book... Maribel Brooks smoothed down her straight red hair. “So…” Daniela started. She always had something on her mind but wasn’t much of a listener. “So… What did I miss? Any good music?” Maribel asked. She had joined this music group that met in the local church four summers ago and had invited Daniela shortly after. Daniela didn’t stay long. She left when the boys she wanted did. Daniela turned and to her friend, Liza, who she usually brought when she did come. She giggled, the sound of it just as annoying as Liza herself. “Oh my gosh, the guy who was playing guitar in front of me was SO hot!” Daniela said and Liza turned pink. “Really”, Maribel said as if she had any interest, “Which one is he?” Liza immediately looked behind her to see if anyone was listening and whispered, “That one in the gray beanie with the tattoos”. Liza’s whisper was just as loud as talking but instead of commenting, Maribel turned to where Liza’s beady eyes were staring. Sure enough, there was Collin Patrins. He was a freshman at Pacifica College, a small college with a student body smaller than the local high school. Collin was twenty years old but stood only two inches taller than Maribel. He had three tattoos on his arms and one on his chest, which he liked to show off. Maribel watched him for a while. He had on jeans and black vans. His yellow v-neck shirt showed just the top of his tattoo on his chest. The gray beanie Liza had mentioned was loosely placed upon his sandy blonde hair. Suddenly, he looked at her with his deep chocolate brown eyes. Maribel smiled and turned around, “Daniela! That’s Collin!” Daniela gave her a funny look, “whose Collin?” This didn’t surprise Maribel even though she had gone on and on about him last Wednesday. “The guy I told you about on Wednesday. The one I really liked. Remember?” “Oh… He’s too old for you”, Daniela said. This was true, but he was too old for Daniela and Liza too. Daniela continued, “He’s not too old for ME though. I’m a year older than you and that makes him closer to me”. “A year of age doesn’t make him any closer to you. I go to school with him”. “You go to the same school he does but that’s only because you’re home schooled now. It’s not like you have classes with him or anything”; Daniela looked over at Collin and smiled. “Watch and learn”, were her last words before Collin started walking toward them. “Hey Maribel”, he said. Maribel smiled, “Hey”. “Hi Collin!” Liza blurted. “Uh, hello. How do you know me?” he asked. “She’s with me”, Daniela said as she scooted closer to him. Her dress, short and tight, was not doing its job in grabbing the boy’s attention. So she made an effort to flirt,” I think it’s so cool how you play guitar. I sing. Maybe, someday we can combine our talents”. Liza’s heels were always at least three inches. She said they made her legs look longer and since Collin was shorter she tucked her feet under the chair and tried to lean in closer to him. “I sing too!” she said before losing her balance and falling out of her chair. Liza didn’t know anything about Collin other then he was cute and played guitar. Most likely daydreaming while Daniela talked with Maribel earlier she asked, “How old are you, Collin?” Maribel looked away, ashamed of the two who had become complete airheads. “I’m twenty years old. Soon to be twenty one.” This got Daniela’s attention, “Anything you want for your birthday? I can totally make it if there’s going to be a party. If you want I can even be your escort. That’s no problem. Well, you would be MY escort since it’s your party. When IS it? I mean I know it’s soon but what day is it on?” “Daniela! Calm down!” Maribel finally said. What was it about Collin that made every girl stupid? She can name many things. Since she met him she had liked him. Collin had a way of making girls turn into mush with one look. A smile from him was more than mush. It was like butterflies that soon turn into stone making your stomach drop. The worst and most wonderful feeling in the world. “Right. I’ll see you all later I have to go do something with Jacob”, Collin got up quickly but not quick enough. “Oh, I’ll go with you”, Daniela got up. “Me too”, Liza followed taking off her heels. “DOWN girls”, Maribel grabbed them and pulled them down. “Right. Uh, K. Later.” “Bye! …Maribel! You ruined it! He liked me! I could tell.” “Daniela, leave him alone. He’s not interested.” “You DON’T know that. That was so freakin’ rude of you.” “It was rude of you to not think of your friend who was sitting right next to you instead of the cute guy and yourself. Dani, I told you I like him… A lot.” “Well, sorry. I think he thinks of you as a friend, though. I still have a chance.” “Please just don’t do it when I’m around then.” “Fine.” “Maribel! Come sing with me!”, Chris Mac said. He was the best rapper in the group. Altogether he was a rapper, singer, and best friend to Maribel. She got up and went to him. Anything to get away from Daniela and Lizah...
Maribel Brooks smoothed down her straight red hair. “So…” Daniela started. She always had something on her mind but wasn’t much of a listener. “So… What did I miss? Any good music?” Maribel asked. She had joined this music group that met in the local church four summers ago and had invited Daniela shortly after. Daniela didn’t stay long. She left when the boys she wanted did. Daniela turned and to her friend, Liza, who she usually brought when she did come. She giggled, the sound of it just as annoying as Liza herself. “Oh my gosh, the guy who was playing guitar in front of me was SO hot!” Daniela said and Liza turned pink. “Really”, Maribel said as if she had any interest, “Which one is he?” Liza immediately looked behind her to see if anyone was listening and whispered, “That one in the gray beanie with the tattoos”. Liza’s whisper was just as loud as talking but instead of commenting, Maribel turned to where Liza’s beady eyes were staring. Sure enough, there was Collin Patrins. He was a freshman at Pacifica College, a small college with a student body smaller than the local high school. Collin was twenty years old but stood only two inches taller than Maribel. He had three tattoos on his arms and one on his chest, which he liked to show off. Maribel watched him for a while. He had on jeans and black vans. His yellow v-neck shirt showed just the top of his tattoo on his chest. The gray beanie Liza had mentioned was loosely placed upon his sandy blonde hair. Suddenly, he looked at her with his deep chocolate brown eyes. Maribel smiled and turned around, “Daniela! That’s Collin!” Daniela gave her a funny look, “whose Collin?” This didn’t surprise Maribel even though she had gone on and on about him last Wednesday. “The guy I told you about on Wednesday. The one I really liked. Remember?” “Oh… He’s too old for you”, Daniela said. This was true, but he was too old for Daniela and Liza too. Daniela continued, “He’s not too old for ME though. I’m a year older than you and that makes him closer to me”. “A year of age doesn’t make him any closer to you. I go to school with him”. “You go to the same school he does but that’s only because you’re home schooled now. It’s not like you have classes with him or anything”; Daniela looked over at Collin and smiled. “Watch and learn”, were her last words before Collin started walking toward them. “Hey Maribel”, he said. Maribel smiled, “Hey”. “Hi Collin!” Liza blurted. “Uh, hello. How do you know me?” he asked. “She’s with me”, Daniela said as she scooted closer to him. Her dress, short and tight, was not doing its job in grabbing the boy’s attention. So she made an effort to flirt,” I think it’s so cool how you play guitar. I sing. Maybe, someday we can combine our talents”. Liza’s heels were always at least three inches. She said they made her legs look longer and since Collin was shorter she tucked her feet under the chair and tried to lean in closer to him. “I sing too!” she said before losing her balance and falling out of her chair. Liza didn’t know anything about Collin other then he was cute and played guitar. Most likely daydreaming while Daniela talked with Maribel earlier she asked, “How old are you, Collin?” Maribel looked away, ashamed of the two who had become complete airheads. “I’m twenty years old. Soon to be twenty one.” This got Daniela’s attention, “Anything you want for your birthday? I can totally make it if there’s going to be a party. If you want I can even be your escort. That’s no problem. Well, you would be MY escort since it’s your party. When IS it? I mean I know it’s soon but what day is it on?” “Daniela! Calm down!” Maribel finally said. What was it about Collin that made every girl stupid? She can name many things. Since she met him she had liked him. Collin had a way of making girls turn into mush with one look. A smile from him was more than mush. It was like butterflies that soon turn into stone making your stomach drop. The worst and most wonderful feeling in the world. “Right. I’ll see you all later I have to go do something with Jacob”, Collin got up quickly but not quick enough. “Oh, I’ll go with you”, Daniela got up. “Me too”, Liza followed taking off her heels. “DOWN girls”, Maribel grabbed them and pulled them down. “Right. Uh, K. Later.”
“Bye! …Maribel! You ruined it! He liked me! I could tell.”
“Daniela, leave him alone. He’s not interested.”
“You DON’T know that. That was so freakin’ rude of you.”
“It was rude of you to not think of your friend who was sitting right next to you instead of the cute guy and yourself. Dani, I told you I like him… A lot.”
“Well, sorry. I think he thinks of you as a friend, though. I still have a chance.”
“Please just don’t do it when I’m around then.”
“Fine.”
“Maribel! Come sing with me!”, Chris Mac said. He was the best rapper in the group. Altogether he was a rapper, singer, and best friend to Maribel. She got up and went to him. Anything to get away from Daniela and Lizah...