Darth Plagueis
A few days later, on a friday morning is different a part from the rest. The light from the sunrise peers through his blinds and wakes up a minute before his alarm sets off, which is a rarity. Everything began to feel like a movie, where the main character will be at their peak and gets ready lip syncing and dancing to a bunch of catchy tunes. Miranda looks at him throughout the whole time surprised seeing him like this because it’s always that annoying alarm that starts off everything. After the alarm, he’s always looked tired and gloomy, but today was different.
After he finished getting ready for 20 minutes, he dances up to the kitchen table with his mother looking at him. She’s secretly recording him the whole time, even when he dances to the kitchen table.
“Well, you seem to be in a great mood today.” Miranda says with a smirk on her face.
“Yeah, is that unnatural?” Roberto asks with a confused face.
“Sort of, because you usually don’t break into a Jerry Maguire deal.” Miranda explains. “At least you didn’t look like you were having a seizure on the couch.”
“Didn’t want you to call 911.” Roberto jokingly mentions. “I’m just excited that’s all.”
“For school or Michelle?”
“Of course school duh.” Roberto answers while putting his hand on his face trying to not look red. “Uh huh, I believe you.” Miranda sarcastically says knowing the truth.
“I know you. I know you think it’s about Michelle, but it’s not. She’s just a new friend I made.”
“Sounds you’re pretty attracted to her already lover boy.”
“No I’m not.”
“You are.”
“Are not.”
“Are too.”
“Are not.”
“Are too.”
“Are not.”
“Are not.”
“Ha! Don’t try that reverse psychology on me Mom!” Roberto quickly realizes what Miranda was attempting to do. “Damn it! I thought that would work.”
After their little bickering with each other, they finish eating their breakfast. Miranda receives a text message from her phone and looks at it.
“Bobby, I need to ask you something.” Miranda tells him.
“Yeah, what’s up?” Roberto asks.
“I made friends with our next door neighbors. A wonderful aunt with her nephew together live next door. They invited us to dinner and I wanted to know. I wanted to know, if you want to go to their place for dinner.” Miranda explains to Roberto with a worried look because he has a track record with being suspicious with individuals around their circle.
“Yeah Definitely.”
“Ok, you’re sure about this?” Miranda asks him touching his hand with a concerning look on her face.
“Mom, come in we’re in this together. I want to start off new just like we planned. So, yes I would love to have dinner with our neighbors.” Roberto reassures himself to Miranda.
“Ok, let’s get you to school.” Miranda smiles holding his hand with a voice full of relief.
Roberto arrives to Midtown, thirty minutes before school officially starts. Michelle is waiting for him as he gets out of the car and says goodbye to Miranda. They both smile at each other and Roberto starts to walk up towards her.
“Hey Michelle.” Roberto greets himself as walks up to her.
“Hey loser, you seem excited for something. Let me guess… someone you like here.”
“Psst, yeah right. I don’t even know one chick here other than you.” Roberto explains trying to play it off. “Really, there are prettier girls than me that you don’t have a crush already?”
“Nope, nada, nein, non.”
“Ok, slow down I only know little of french.” Michelle stops him covering his mouth with his hand. “Seriously, I don’t like anyone here. Yet.”
“Ok lover boy, let’s head to class.”
Michelle and Roberto wave goodbye to each other after the school bell rings and he walks to his geometry class. As his class begins, the teacher walks up with a clipboard on her right hand. Students are still walking in as the teacher patiently waits standing up looking rather intimidating.
“Good Morning class, today you will be assigned a project.” The teacher tells her students. In the background Roberto can hear people something say “Ugh or man.”.
“However, you will have partners but they will be assigned.” She mentions to them. “So, listen for your names.”
Roberto waits for his name with his palm on his hand moving his pencil back and forth being bored. Waiting for who’s going to be his partner. Predicting that he will be the one to do all he work and get manipulated by some lazy douche.
“Roberto Cruz, your partner is not here. That’s unfortunate and you will be partnered up with…” The teacher tries to explain to Roberto until someone barges from the door.
It seemed that this young boy was running straight to his class and it was already first period. He’s sweating a bunch, breathing heavily from the run, drinking a huge gallon of water that he kept with him.
“I’m- I’m here Ms. Wilson. Pardon me, I was in a minor situation and i lost track of time because of it.” Ned breathes in and out trying to explain his excuse for making it late.
“Ok, don’t let it happen again Mr. Leeds.” Roberto cuts his teacher’s words from his hearing once he said that last name.
Leeds, like Ned Leeds that he knew during fifth grade? Him and Theo’s best friends from all those years? The one who came over to have sleepovers and watch Star Wars? Ned or Edward Leeds, they protected from Jax and Jameson?
“You will be partnered with our newest transfer. Mr. Leeds meet Mr. Cruz.”
“Yes ma’am.” Ned obliges. Ned subtly looks at the boy and began to have realizations that he only knew one person with the last name “Cruz” was Roberto back in Fifth grade. Could it be?
“Alright class, meet up with your partners. We are going to make amusement rides and how much velocity will this piece of marble can be projected through. It can be anything themed, so good luck.” Ms. Wilson explains the assessment.
“It's not a story the Jedi would tell you. It's a Sith legend. Darth Plagueis was a Dark Lord of the Sith, so powerful and so wise he could use the Force to influence the midichlorians to create life… now would it be nice? To have such power with You, Teddy, and I? Would it be nice Anakin?” Roberto recites the story of Darth Plagueis mentioning him and Teddy.
“Son of a bitch.” Ned spoke happily bringing Roberto in for a tight hug. “I can’t believe you come here now.”
“I thought you moved to Florida, when you left at the end of sixth grade.” Roberto mentions.
“We were, but it’s a crazy story that I don’t want to get too involved in. We ended up living with my grandparents here in Queens and we’ve never left. What about you?”
“I went to another foster parent, dude she’s like the best one I’ve ever had. I eventually want to surprise to ask if she can adopt me. I left Michigan at the end of seventh grade, it sucks that I left Teddy all alone. Then, I lived in Chicago for the rest of time then we moved here because she got a promotion. Made any new friends since you left?”
“Not really. However, I recently became friends with Michelle and I’ve been best friends with a guy, his name is Peter Parker.”
“Seriously, Michelle gave me tour and we became friends from the first day. She’s… different and I appreciate that.”
“That’s what Peter and I think too about her.”
“How come you were gone for three days?” Roberto once again asks
“I had a really bad case of bronchitis and that shit wasn’t pretty.” Ned explains. “I can only imagine. Especially, the one time you had that stomach virus and started throwing up on that clown because he was trying to hit on your mom.”
“Hey, he deserved it.”
“So, our theme for this project is gonna be…” Roberto starts the conversation.
“ A Star Wars themed rollercoaster ride with a bunch of neon lights and action figures used as
display, while the Star Wars theme song is playing.” Both of them spoke in unison.
This is going to work well. He thought. Yeah, it will.