Capítulo 16: Quince
After Hernando and Kit played their matches, I had a turn to play. I'm not very good at Tennis or Basketball so I was wise enough not to bet on anything.
I did play enough outside yesterday to be tired though. I don't even remember falling asleep when I arrived home. Just that I said goodnight to my mom before passing out. "Mmmmmmm?"
"Kat?"
"Mmmmmmm, go away Nando."
"Kat, wake up!"
"Ow! Nando, you didn't have to push on my shoulder THAT hard!" Rubbing my shoulder, I see Hernando sitting on the floor of my bedroom. "Why are you here?"
"Because a bet's a bet and you told me you'd be there with me." He shrugs as he adds, "Remember? Kit said he'd bring the poster I made when we got to the airport around noon."
I reach for my phone to check out the time. "Nando, it's eight in the morning!"
"Yeah it is, and I'm not the only one here to see you. In fact, Tia Talia is feeding them right now." I get up from my bed and swing my legs over the side of it.
"Tell whoever it is Nando, that I'll be down." Hernando leaves my room and closes the door.
I walk to my closet picking my shirt of the day: I was dropped as a baby into a pool of Awesomeness and Glitter.
My favorite part about the shirt are the words 'Awesomeness and Glitter'. Those words on the shirt are a sparkly gold. I go down the stairs to see my mom making chilaquiles mixed with scrambled eggs for Flora's daughters. They're all in their running gear which makes me curious. I told them Saturdays and Sundays are our days off from running.
"Good morning?" I ask them as I sit down.
Mom hands them their plates of chilaquiles one by one. She's all smiles as she says, "Would you like some too, baby?"
"Um, yes please." I look at Mirabella, the oldest of Flora's daughters. "What are you doing here?"
Mirabella shrugs as the youngest daughter Antonella exclaims, "Mama told us to get ready for our run and to come here."
Rosella, the middle daughter said, "I told mama I don't want to run, but the moment we had our running clothes on, she pushed us all out of the door." Mama and I share a look before she goes back to making chilaquiles.
I could think of a reason why Flora didn't want her daughters to be at home. Ernesto. I frown as I say, "Well, I think we have time to go for a walk. Right Nando?"
Hernando had a mouthful of chilaquiles as he says, "What?"
"Since we got somewhere to be later, you may as well hang with us. Remember? Safety in numbers." Hernando frowns at me but nods nonetheless.
Antonella jumps up and down in her seat. "I want to walk in the park, and go on the swings, and go down the slides, and walk on the teeter totter, and!" Mirabella glares at her youngest sister for a moment.
"Eat your chilaquiles first, Antonella," replies Mirabella.
Rosella, ever the keen listener, asks me, "Where will you and Nando be later?"
Hernando is about to open his mouth when I blurt, "The library. Nando's finally taken an interest in the written word."
"Really?" asks Mom as she gives me my plate of chilaquiles. "Was this new interest brought on by a certain somebody who likes to wear high heels?" Hernando blushes and shakes his head.
"No. And I told you she doesn't wear high heels, Tia." I raise my eyebrows at Hernando. Sometimes I don't know what's going on inside my own home and it drives me nuts!
I don't show it though. Wouldn't want to give Hernando the satisfaction by getting peeved by a secret.
"Doesn't wear high heels? Nando, is this lady really a lady?" asks Mirabella. "My mom told me I could start wearing heels when I graduate middle school and I can't wait till that day!"
Rosella rolls her eyes as she weighs in. "I don't want to wear high heels and I'm still a lady."
"Are you?" chirps Antonella.
My mom laughs. "Chicas, you don't have to wear heels to be a lady. Heels are just accessories for your feet."
"But very pretty accessories," mutters Mirabella as she eats the last bit of her chilaquiles.
"We're not talking about this," grumbles Hernando. "I'm trying to get interested in reading because it's unavoidable at school so yeah. That's why I'm doing that."
At least I know Hernando is on board with our plot of deceit. I feel awful having to lie to my mom but for us to tell her why we're at the airport we'd have to explain how we did more than study. I still have plenty of homework I have to knock out as it stands.
"Mama, can you drive all of us to Bravo Park?" I ask her.
"Sure baby, I'll pick you all up an hour after I drop you off...on the dot!" She said the last part for Flora's daughters.
"Gracias!" chirps Antonella.
I finish the rest of my chilaquiles with a cup of orange juice. "Alright! Who's ready to have some fun!?"
Rosella and Antonella say, "ME!" while Mirabella just rolls her eyes but still smiles.
All of us pack into my mom's Subaru Outback like a pack of sardines. There was some pushing and shoving from the little ones, but Hernando didn't feel a thing. Since he called shotgun and was sitting up front.
Mirabella avidly texts someone, but I opt not to ask her who it is while my mom's still around. Don't want my mom to get all preachy about how being tied to gang life will get you nowhere. That's stating the obvious and the appeal for Mirabella is the danger anyway. She told me so herself. To me, it doesn't make sense but telling Mirabella what I really think is only going to cause her to isolate herself from everyone.
As we wave to my mom from the entrance of Bravo Park as she drives away, I smile at Mirabella. "So, who's the mystery man you've been texting?" It was really hard for me to ask the question like that genuinely; I want to hurl.
"Ernesto," replies Mirabella with a shrug. "He's asking me how a project I've been working at home is doing."
Hernando raises his brows at Mirabella. "Gee Mirabella, I didn't know you were interested in Ernesto. Are you thinking of being a groupie of El Leon or something?" Hernando has always been very direct with his questions. It's not always helpful.
"Well, I'm hoping to be more than just a follower. I'm hoping to be Ernesto's girl." I look at Hernando instead of Mirabella so she won't see my downcast expression.
"Good luck with that," replies Hernando with a snort. "Ernesto has more girls on speed dial than guns and he's got fifteen guns he's very proud of. You're better off trying to be the leader's bitch."
Mirabella stomps her foot and shouts, "What do you know!" She crosses her arms over her chest as she says to Hernando, "You want to join El Leon too so who are you to preach to me." With those words, she saunters away and joins her sisters on the playground.
When I lock eyes with Hernando I say, "She does have a point, Nando. If you become a member, then you'll be somebody's bitch too."
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