At lunch time the next day, Trenti manages getting in front of the line with Staci. "Their cheese burgers are really good here, and their nachos too," he explained.
"No thanks, I'll go with a salad because I will get fat eating that stuff, I'm watching my figure," she said.
The sun comes out brightening the whole cafeteria, and Trenti and Staci walks in and ambles to his family's table in the front area from a distance. "Who is she?" Mala asked everyone at the table with a low tone.
"Some new girl who came yesturday," Kathy said.
"Why is Trenti and her walking together?" She asked.
"I don't know... Perhaps they..." Stopping her speech.
"Oh no way, Trenti? With a girl? Never," Mala said uncertainly.
"Hey guys, this is Staci, she's a transfer student from Bluford in California," Trenti introduced.
"Hey Staci," everyone at the table says. Staci and Trenti sits down. Mala is shocked to see Trenti with a girl because she knows he always has trouble getting girls, and this new girl is a looker and is so much out of Trenti's league. They all asks her a lot of questions for 15 minutes, and after that Trenti and her converses.
"Can we talk at another table privately?" He asked Staci.
"Sure, yeah," she said getting up from the table and goes to back where there is a table of just nerds, not many people sitting there.
"My family is rich you know," he said.
"Really?" Shocked.
"Yeah my dad is a manager of Amazon, and he makes so much money, and he splits it with the whole family. He give us like 200 dollars a month each," he informs.
"Really? That's so cool, because we are so much on a budget right now since my mom bought a house out here," she said smiling and looking into Trenti's eyes.
"I got money, I save up a lot," Trenti lied. His family is not rich and neither his father gives them money monthly. Their parents do save up money and they has a lot of thousands of dollars stashed in the local City Bank, but they are not rich people. They are middle class, and his father is not a manager of Amazon. He is just a deliverer. Trenti wants to desperately impress Staci.
"That's awesome, and you know," she said carefully stabbing her fork into her salad. "My birthday is coming up soon, I'm going to be sweet 16."
"Really? When is it?" He asked desperately.
"February 10th," she said.
"Wow, and my sister Mala's birthday is coming up on the 17th," he said.
"Wow. Aren't you going to get her something?" She asked taking the last bite of her salad vegetable.
"Nah, my parents always handle that," he said.
"Oh."
"So what are the gifts you like?" He asked curiously.
"Well I love jewelry, that's my weakness. I remember last month me and my mother was shopping at JC Penney's Mall, and I came across the most beautiful necklace I ever seen, and I am dying for it. But I know my parents will just get me some bed sheets and some perfume, I don't want that. I know we are on a tight budget, but still, what kind of special birthday present is a pair of bed sheets, and a thing of perfume?" She is looking down at her purse and goes in it for something. "But I know I shouldn't be bothering you with my wants," she said pulling out a pink circular mirror.
"I get it, and I want you to share stuff with me, you know what Staci? We could go to JC Penney together this weekend and hangout and walk around, and plus you can show me the necklace you desire," he said..
"Really? You know that necklace I saw was so beautiful. You wouldn't believe how attractive that necklace looks," she said smiling.
Trenti's brain starts spinning. If he gets that necklace for Staci, she will almost belong to him. His pedestal queen. But how is he going to get the necklace? He thought. He does not have any money. What should he do?
Author Ciara Webb
Story written by Ciara Webb
Co-author Mansi Rupesh More
© All Rights Reserved
©mairawrite
M