Chicken Sandwich
Jonathan Paul Diaz
(THIS IS JUST A SHOWCASE COPY OF THE STORY. IF YOU WANT TO READ THE WHOLE STORY, THE EBOOK VERSION WILL BE SOLD SOON )
Chapter 1: Unlikely Delinquent
Paul was an average eighteen year old guy who lived his life recklessly. Too many he is known to be a tough guy, some consider him a delinquent but his grades say otherwise. He just graduated high school and to the shock of many he got an honorable mention.
One day he went knocking on his neighbor’s window, as the window opened a young lady was there to greet him. “Paul! What have you done this time?” the girl asked. “Hello Diane, may I come in?” Paul said as she looked at his bloody lip and hands. Diane is Paul’s best friend since they were little and he often goes to her for help in these situations.
Paul sat down on the bed as Diane went to get some towels and the first aid kit. “Tell me what happened this time?” she asked as she started wiping the blood on his lip. “Ouch! That hurts, take it easy will you” he said but Diane patted his head. “That’s what you deserve, you always get in fights and when you do you always come here for me to patch you up” she said. “You know you are the only one I can run to, but if I am getting too annoying then just tell me” he said softly and bowed his head. Paul had a broken family; he lives with his father who is a business man. His father is always out of town on trips and Paul basically went through high school living alone.
“It’s okay, so tell me what happened” Diane said as she treated the wounds on his hands. “I saw a bunch of guys harassing another guy. He was weak and helpless so I just could not help myself so I interfered” he said. “That weak guy, does he remind you of someone?” she asked him. Paul took a deep breath and nodded his head, “Yeah, he reminds me of me” Paul whispered and leaned on the bed. “Oh Paul, what happened to you, I miss the old you” Diane said as she did some finishing touches on the wound.
“Hey Diane, I am hungry, do you have anything I can eat?” Paul asked and she smirked at him. “You always ask me that but in the end you always end up asking me to make you a chicken sandwich” she answered and they both started laughing. “You know that’s my favorite, I can eat that every day for the rest of my life it its possible” he said and Diane pinched him on the arm. “The deli nearby have chicken sandwich so why don’t you but get one there?” she asked him and Paul hugged Diane and said “Their chicken sandwich tastes awful, I like yours better so Diane will you marry me and make one every day for the rest of my life?” Paul jokingly said.
A little kid barged into the room and saw them hugging and he started yelling. “Mom Paul and Diane are hugging each other!” he said and Paul stands to grab him. “Come here you little rascal! So how is my man doing today?” Paul asked the little kid. “You got into a fight again, did you win?” the child asked and Diane stood up and walked towards the door. “Hey Jaypee do you want a chicken sandwich? Your sister is going to make me one” Paul said and Jaypee nodded. “Paul is my sister your girlfriend?” Jaypee asked and Paul laughed. “How old are you again? You should not be asking questions like that yet you know” he told the child and Jaypee flashed four fingers.
A few minutes later Diane enters the room and see Paul and Jaypee jumping on her bed. “Here is your sandwich” she said and she grabs her little brother from bed. Paul quickly took a bite and wore a big smile on his face. “This is really the best, I feel all my wounds healing” he said while his mouth was full. “Sis, is Paul your boyfriend?” Jaypee asked and Diane looked at Paul who shrugged his shoulders. “No, he is just my friend” she answered. “But you two were hugging a while ago” her little brother said. “It’s just a hug, it has no meaning to it” Diane said and Paul moved his sandwich closer to her mouth and she took a bite. “You see you two are very sweet to each other” Jaypee said and Diane hugged her little brother and tickled him.
“You are still too young to know those things. And I don’t like him, he is not my type” she said. “So I guess you are not going to be my brother after all Jaypee” Paul said and the little kid pouted and ran out of the room. “He really likes you that much” Diane said. “I know, here have another bite” he replied and moved his sandwich closer to her mouth. “You know what I think you need to have a girlfriend already, maybe that’s what you need” Diane said as she took a bite. Paul started laughing and laid his head on her lap. “I don’t need one since I have you already” he told her and Diane blushed and looked away. “Paul I’m not joking, maybe you really need to find yourself a girlfriend” she said and looked at him. Paul stared at Diane and saw the seriousness in her eyes, he pouted and stood up and walked towards the window.
“Maybe you are right. Thanks for the sandwich Diane, I’m going home now” he said and went out of the window. Diane just stared at the window and sighed. Jaypee ran back to her room and jumped to her sister’s arms and both of them lay down on the bed. “Jaypee do you like Paul to be my boyfriend?” she asked and her little brother looked at her. “You said you don’t like him” Jaypee replied. Diane hugged him tight and whispered “I was lying” and Jaypee pinched her sisters cheek and said “Its not good telling lies sis that’s what mom and my teacher said” and she smiled.
“Jaypee I am going to tell you a secret, you promise not to tell anyone okay?” she said. “Pinky swear!” her little brother said and their little fingers locked. “I like Paul very much”
It was a sunny afternoon and Paul was knocking on Diane’s window. The window opened and Diane hurriedly pulled him inside. “You know what Paul you can always use our door. One of these days my window is going to break with your knocking” she said. “Oh come on Diane, I have been doing that since we were little. So tell me where the birthday boy is?” he asked as he closed the window. “Inside I guess” she said as she slumped down on her bed. “Hey what’s wrong? Why are you in your room?” Paul asked and Diane closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “If I wasn’t here then who would open the window?” she softly said and Paul started to laugh. “So you do like me!” he excitedly said. “Oh shut up Paul, I was just tired of taking care of those kids. I should have brought out his play station so they all would just keep still. Look at them they are running around the house like wild animals” she said.
The room door opened and Diane’s mom peeked. “You two come on its time to bring out his cake” Mrs. Kelly said. Paul and Diane stood up and walked out of the room and they saw everyone gathered around the table. Diane carried Jaypee in front of his cake as their father lit the candles. “Come on Jaypee, make a wish and blow the candles” she said. “Will my wish really come true?” the birthday boy asked. “Yes if you really wish hard enough then it will be granted” Diane said and Jaypee looked at her and then shifted his eyes to Paul. He smiled and closed his eyes and blew the candles and everyone clapped.
After eating all of the guests went home and Paul helped Diane do the cleaning. When the house was back to its normal state the two were so exhausted that they both slouched on the sofa. Jaypee came to the living room and sat between them and there was sadness in his eyes. “Hey buddy, what’s wrong? What’s with the sad face? You must be happy since today is your birthday” Paul said. “Mom and Dad bought me a bike, I told them I wanted a PS3” Jaypee said as he pouted. “You already have your PS2 Jaypee, and the PS3 is quite expensive” Diane said and the little kid bowed his head. “Have you opened my gift for you yet?” Paul suddenly asked and Jaypee looked at him. “Where is it?” the little kid asked and stood up. “I left it in your sister’s room, go get it and open it here” Paul said and Jaypee rushed to his sister’s room.
A few seconds later Jaypee came back to the living room holding a large present. “What’s inside? Can I open it now?” he asked and Paul nodded. “What did you get him?” Diane asked and Paul smiled at her, “Oh just something to make his smile come back I hope” he replied as Jaypee tore the gift wrap. “A PS3!!! You got me a PS3!!!” the kid shouted with delight as he ran towards Paul. “Thank you Paul! This is the best birthday ever!!! Mom! Dad! Paul got me a PS3!!!” he shouted as he with his gift towards the kitchen. “Oh Paul you are spoiling him too much and that gift was expensive” Diane told him. “Well it made him happy so it’s worth it” he replied.
Jaypee came back to the living room and jumped on Paul. “My mom says I have to say thank you” the little kid said and hugged Paul. “Hey hey what’s with the hugging buddy? We do it this way, give me your knuckles, here and we clash knuckles together” Paul said as their fists touched each other. “Jaypee this gift comes with a promise okay? You have to promise me to put your studies first before playing. And if you do play call me” Paul told him. “I promise. Can we try it now?” Jaypee asked and Paul nodded.
Paul and Jaypee bashed the controls of the PS3 as Diane watched them. “Jaypee time for bed!” their mother said. “Five more minutes mom” Jaypee pleaded. “You said an hour ago, come on you can play again tomorrow” his mother said as she entered the living room. “Okay. Good night Paul, come play with me tomorrow okay?” he said as their knuckles clashed. “Hey buddy, before you go tell what you wished for. Here pinky swear, I promise not to tell anyone” Paul told him. Jaypee locked his pinky with Paul and he whispered in his ear. The two of them stared at each other and Paul smiled at him then Jaypee ran towards his mother.
After cleaning up the living room Paul and Diane took the garbage outside. “It’s getting late I have to go home now” he told her but Diane was laughing. “It just came to my mind right now, Paul the tough guy in school whose best friend is a girl. He hangs out with geeks and he has a soft heart for children” she said and kept laughing. “Hey what’s wrong with that?” he asked. “It’s just funny thinking about it; your image does not match. You should change your image and project who you really are, like the geek you were before” Diane teased him. “Yeah and when our schoolmates see me in college I bet they are going to laugh their hearts out seeing all geeky. But you know I too am fed up with this tough guy act, but the best part of it was when I saw their faces on graduation day as I went up on stage to receive my award. All of them were shocked and in awe, that was really funny” Paul revealed and started laughing.
“Paul about the stuff I told you about having a girlfriend…” Diane was about to say but Paul interrupted her. “Yeah yeah I know, I gave it some thought already and you are right. Maybe that’s just what I need to get my act together” he stated. “No wait…” she said but again Paul butted in. “But you know I have zero percent on courting, I have been busted 4 times now, talk about confidence” he said. “Four times? You never told me about the fourth one. So you are keeping secrets from me now” Diane said. “Secrets? No secrets, the fourth one dumped me at once and I have not even started courting her yet” he revealed.
“I have to go now, thanks for today Diane” he said as he walked towards his house. “Hey Paul who is the fourth one?” she asked. Paul smiled at her and waived his hands, “It’s you! Oh don’t tell Jaypee about you dumping me or else his heart would break. See you tomorrow!” he said.
