N.O.

Chapter One

-Luna-

There are moments in life that can define a person. One small encounter can lead to a long-lasting effect on us. It's up to us whether we let it take over our lives. Will you let that one event change who you are? I used to be able to answer that question so easily, no. But now? It's not as easy as it seems to be. There are just some things that can't be let go or looked past. Some things come unexpected, some things come by surprise, never in a million years did I think it would ever happen to me.

* * *

"Luna Nicole Garcia!" I could hear my mom yell at me from the kitchen downstairs.

"Ay voy áma!" I shout back to her. She's been shouting at me for the last minute or so, but as usual, she never hears me when I respond back. I'm currently trying to find sweats to put on over my shorts because I know that if we have guests over and I came down wearing pajama shorts then my mom would yell at me, even if there aren't people over. Besides, I didn't like to go out in public or even let other people see any kind of skin from me. Not again.

I walked down the stairs and into the kitchen to greet my mom and whoever rang the doorbell this morning. It was my brother. He comes home practically every other day. Shouldn't he be practicing football or spending time with his girlfriend? I know I should be more excited to see him, but I just wasn't. I have my reasons for it.

"Luna, come say hi to your brother!" My mom insists, of course, she's excited he's home.

"Yeah Luna, didn't you miss me?" He teases. He knows I love him, but he also knows I despise him. He knows he's the favorite. He's the favorite of both of my parents. Sure, my parents love me, but there's no denying they wish I were more like him.

"Carlos, back so soon?" I joke and go in for a hug, still flinching at his touch. I can't help but flinch every time someone tries to touch me, let alone hug me, including family. I can't describe why. I can smell the dove body wash he uses as he embraces me even though he appears confused as to why I flinched.

Carlos Ray Garcia. What can I not say about him? More like, what bad thing is there to say about him? He's perfect. Carlos had been the captain of the varsity football team at our high school since his freshman year, and the starting wide receiver. He even committed to the University of Southern California for football his sophomore year of high school. This year he's a freshman at USC and even wants to major in their film department. He has also been dating the same, down to earth girl since they were in the eighth grade. Crazy right? What might his GPA be? Oh, right, 4.5. There's really just no competing with him. Everyone loves him, there's not one person that says they hate Carlos Ray Garcia. He's so outgoing and just puts himself out there. I wish I could be more like him, he doesn't let the small things get to him. Is this really a 'small' thing though?

"Come on Luna, I know you missed me." He gives me a kissy face as a joke and I laugh in return.

"Luna, be nice to your brother," mom tells me, just as she leaves the kitchen.

"Where's Grace? Does she know you're here?" I ask, curious about her whereabouts. Only I'm taken aback when he takes a while to answer my question.

"I didn't tell her," is all he says before leaving the kitchen. I follow him out to get some answers. This is not like him. Every single time he comes home he brings Grace. It's not because Grace isn't busy, she is super busy with her artwork at the University of California, Los Angeles. Grace is such a great artist, I don't know how to emphasize what a great of an artist she is. No matter how busy she is, she always manages to fit Carlos in. I would be lying if I said they weren't a cute couple, and I used to strive to be like them, that is, up until current events .

"No way. Are Carlos Garcia and Grace Viera having problems? I never thought I'd see this day come." I say in a sarcastic tone, joking, obviously. They're Carlos Garcia and Grace Viera, of course, they're not having problems. Everyone knew they would get married one day, they have been inseparable ever since they got together. Sure, Carlos was a good-looking guy who lots of girls in high school wanted to date or sleep with, but Carlos isn't like that. He loves Grace. Most people in school could understand that and leave him alone, but that never stopped Brynlee Evans from going after him.

Brynlee Evans. She was in my class, a year below Carlos. We used to be friends, nothing traumatic happened, we just grew apart once we got to high school. She became more out there and I kept to myself. There was also the fact that I would never help her get with my brother, which only drove her to not like me more. I don't have any hate for her or anything, we just don't click anymore. Our last interaction was this past summer, but that's a summer I'd rather not remember.

"I just didn't feel like bothering her, that's all." Carlos shrugs his shoulders as he tries to sit down on the couch, like nothing matters. This is unlike him.

"What do you mean you didn't want to bother her? She loves coming over!" I exaggerate.

"Just stay out of it Luna." He replies with harshness in his tone.

I'm taken aback by his response and have no words to say back. Instead, I decide to make my way back up to my room. On my way up the stairs, I run into my mother and almost knock the laundry she has out of the basket. "Luna! Porque no ves dónde vas." She sternly tells me to watch where I'm going as she continues down the stairs. Great, I can't even walk up the stairs right. It feels like I never do anything right in the eyes of my mother, that's just because my brother always does everything perfectly. Sometimes I wish I was more like him, but I don't know how to be.

Once I am back in my room, I check my phone to see if I have any new notifications. I don't know why I bother checking when I know no one ever sends me anything, all the notifications I receive are from the news app. I decide against going back downstairs to eat breakfast, instead, I lay back down on my bed and hide under the covers–only to my surprise, my mother walks in with the vacuum which forces me to jump out of bed and groan.

"¡No pues Luna! ¿Que no tienes amigos para salir de la casa? No pues fíjate que tengo cosas que hacer para que no te quedas en la cama todo el día." My mother practically yells at me to get out of bed and out of the house to go hang out with friends or else she will give me chores to do around the house. I have friends or more like a friend, but since summer I just haven't felt like going out as much anymore. Being in the comfort of my own bed seems sufficient for me. Besides, I could work on college applications, I mean they are due in November and it's currently September.

"I'm getting up, no te preocupes amá," I tell her and get out of bed and into the bathroom down the hall from my room. I brush my teeth, use the bathroom, brush my hair and place it into a simple sock bun tied with a scrunchie. I then finish by washing my face and putting on lotion with sunscreen since I am so pale that I tend to burn easily, even if the sun isn't out. I can't explain how that happens, it's weird, I know.

I walk back into my room and into my closet to pick out what to wear. I think I will try to just go to the small coffee shop down the street to work on some writing. I grab my grey sweatpants along with a long and baggy t-shirt. Maybe I should wear a jacket to cover my arms. It may be 77° outside, but the thought of showing skin makes me uncomfortable like someone might stare. It's been a while since I've gone anywhere alone, I'm not sure if I will be able to, maybe I should call Indiana, just in case? No Luna, you can do this. You don't need help just to go to the coffee shop.