Trouble

Liam looked up at the dilapidated building in front of us and scrunched up his nose. “Are you sure this is a movie theater?” he mumbled. “It kind of looks like a drug house.”

“And why would that be a bad thing?” I teased, turning just enough so he could see my wink.

“Wait, what?” he questioned, stopping in his tracks. “Sol, did you…?”

“I swear it’s a movie theater. Now come on.” I almost reached for his hand to drag him forward, but at the last second, I changed my mind. The last thing I wanted was to give him false ideas about what our relationship was.

We were friends. Not amigos. Just the American meaning of friends, which was much shallower and less meaningful than the Mexican “equivalent”.

We walked inside the main lobby, which looked just as shabby as the outside. The walls were dingy and cracked with age, since the thing had been around since the early 1940’s, and all around us were Mexicans and Mexican-Americans, all mingling with each other, speaking rapid Spanish.

Liam looked rightfully out of place as we made our way to the front counter. A kid that I used to go to school with back in first grade was sitting with his legs crossed on the shelf in front of him, his torso twisted around to flirt with the girl wearing a provocative dress that was leaning over the side of the little ticket-selling area.

“Nando!” I shouted to get his attention, slapping my hand on the counter for emphasis. “You’ve got customers, huh?”

“Uno minuto, por favor,” he mumbled before turning his pocked face to me. “¿Quién es el gringo?”

“No es importante. Dos para Perks.”

He gave Liam a wondering look, sizing him up, reluctant to hand over the tickets. It was almost as if he had never seen a white boy before. Which, I guessed, might have possibly been true, but I didn’t think it was quite likely.

“Enjoy the show,” he answered in broken English, probably knowing that Liam didn’t speak a lick of Spanish.

“Thanks, mate,” Liam responded with a grin before I nudged him in the side to go over to the theater door. After nodding politely, he did as I directed.

“God, this is awkward,” he mumbled under his breath as he leaned up against the wall, crossing his arms in front of his chest defensively. “I feel like everyone’s staring at me.”

“That’s because you don’t belong here,” I told him.

Liam stared over at me, as if he were shocked that I was so direct with him. But, really, I wasn’t going to lie and pat his ego. It was obvious that he didn’t blend in with the rest of the guests, and there was no excuse to lie to him.

It was quiet between the two of us for a couple minutes before Liam chuckled. “Did you say that guy’s name was Nando?”

I gave him a questioning look. “Yeah. Short for Fernando. Why?”

He snickered a little more. “There’s a restaurant that Niall’s obsessed with that’s called Nando’s. It has Portuguese Peri-Peri chicken.”

I tried to remember which one Niall was, but I came up blank. “I don’t know who that is, and I don’t know what Peri-Peri chicken is.”

“Never mind,” Liam dismissed, though not in an irritated way. More like he just didn’t feel like confusing me or explaining his fact.

Just then, a worker walked out of the theater that was going to show The Perks of Being a Wallflower. “Pueden entrar,” he informed us before shuffling into the back.

The group of waiting people started toward the room, still chatting back and forth.

Liam and I were the first people in, and I could feel the confusion coming off him in waves as he took in the sight of the huge movie screen, as well as the twenty tables set up in rows, the seats tucked underneath neatly to ensure that no one tripped.

“What is this?” Liam breathed with wide eyes.

“It’s a movie diner kind of thing. You get dinner and a show.” I sat down on the edge, one of the tables that seated two people, and turned my chair so I my side was up against the top. Immediately, I reached into my pocket and pulled out a pack of cigarettes.

“Mind if I smoke?” I asked, knowing very well that he did.

“You can smoke in here?” Liam questioned. “I thought smoking in public places was against the law.”

I actually burst out laughing at the idea that he thought the law was important to me as I shook out a smoke and put it in my mouth.

“No puede fumar,” a familiar voice snapped at me before coming over and ripping the smoke out of my mouth just before I got the chance to light it.

“Hola, Paco,” I greeted with a cheeky grin.

“Ah, Soledad,” he sighed. “I should have known.”

“Who else would break your rules?” I snickered, referencing his massive muscles and intimidating presence. Paco had been a friend of the family for as long as I could remember, and I’d been taking advantage of the relationship since the get-go.

“Who’s this?” Paco asked, turning slightly to look at Liam. “Boyfriend?”

“No,” I answered immediately, and possibly too forcefully, judging by the flush that colored Liam’s cheeks. “Just a friend.”

Paco turned and narrowed his eyes. “You hurt her, I’ll come after you. ¿Me oyes?”

Liam nodded emphatically, even though he had no idea what the last part of the statement meant. Not that it mattered. He got the important part.

“Bien. Enjoy the movie. I hear it’s incredible. And your server will be right with you.” After slapping the table once more in parting, he weaved through the tables, saying hello to some of the other customers he was acquainted with.

“He’s your friend?” Liam gasped, shaking his head. “That guy’s bigger than Paul.”

“Who’s Paul?”

“Bodyguard slash tour manager,” he answered shortly.

“He must suck at his job,” I snorted. Liam looked like he was about to argue with me, so I clarified quickly, “I mean, that he’s letting you go to one of the shadiest parts of L.A. with a high volume of gang activity without him.”

“The other boys need more watching than I do,” Liam told me. “I know that I can take care of myself, and even if I get outnumbered, you have my back.”

I stared at the boy sitting across from me, absolutely dumbfounded. How was it possible that he had developed so much trust for me already, that he knew I’d stick around and kick ass if anyone tried to jump him?

God, that kid confused me.

“Plus, Paul thinks I’m sleeping and that I’ve got a stomach bug.”

“You lied to your bodyguard?! Aren’t you supposed to be the smart one?”

“The smart one’s Zayn,” Liam corrected. “But I’m supposed to be sensible one. If you want to put labels on us.”

“And that’s your idea of sensible?”

“I didn’t pick the labels,” he laughed. “And I never said I was sensible. I’m still a kid, after all.”

That was a fact that was easy to forget, when I thought about all the fame and fortune he had.

What was I even thinking, bringing him to such a crappy place? Sure, it was one of my favorite spots in the entire city, but it looked like a garbage heap. He was probably used to going to expensive ballrooms for award shows, high-end French restaurants…stuff that I would never dream of going.

“Pick out what you want to eat,” I demanded, shoving the thought out of my mind and throwing one of the laminated menus over at him before taking one for myself.