Hood Rats | Sandy Milkovich

Home, Sweet Shithole

The date was marked up on every calendar in the house. Circled twice, three times, multiple exclamation marks on the end. June 25th. 'Rory comes home!!!' was scribbled in the little box. It was a day long awaited for to say the least.

Rosana dragged a chair from the dining table over to the far wall. The splintered wood squealed across yellowed linoleum. She pulled her bottom lip between her teeth in concentration and uncapped a sharpie. June 24th had an x through it now.

With a giant grin, the little girl cupped her hands around her mouth. "Diego!"

Footsteps started pounding on the stairs. "Keep it down, would ya? You're gonna wake up the bitch." Diego met her in the kitchen, a clean shirt tucked under his bare arm.

"Rory gets out at noon. Hurry up!" The sharpie went flying her older brother's way, but he dodged it as he started pulling the t-shirt over his head.

"Hey." He delivered a smack to the back of her head. "Go pack her a bag. Find something of hers that isn't slutty. I doubt she's gonna want to wear what she came in with."

The little girl grimaced. She hopped down from the chair and turned to the stairs. "They don't let her keep the jumpsuit?"

"Pfft, no. Go find her a shirt and some sweatpants. I'm gonna miss the train."

His sister dashed up the stairs then, but another set of feet descended. The smell of cheap perfume wafted down through the house with it. Diego sighed and tried to prepare himself for a verbal attack.

"Good morning."

The coffee pot whirred to life. "Morning, Auntie."

The lack of yelling or insults this far into the conversation was startling. There was an unusual pause as his aunt eyed the calendar. "You better get moving, if you want to get that hoodlum out in time."

His jaw started ticking. Just a little bit longer and he wouldn't have to put up with this shit anymore. He knew for a fact that Rory wouldn't put up with their aunt for long. "Yeah, I'm movin'."

"Bag!" Rosana shouted and threw a grocery bag full of clothes into the kitchen.

Diego caught it midair. He frowned when he opened it. "These are mine."

"I couldn't find anything not slutty."

They both shrugged, but their aunt scoffed. "The only places that girl is gonna end up is back in juvie, or in a whore house."

The coffee pot beeped and Diego immediately snatched it and poured half into a thermos. "I'll be sure to tell her you send your regards, Jemena."

The older woman rolled her dark sunken eyes. "Mo sobrina, you have chores."

Groaning, Rosana threw herself onto the couch. "Tell Rory I said she's stupid. And that I love her," she said the last part in a whisper.

He grinned again. "Of course, Rosie. I'll be back in a few hours, clean up."

Before their aunt could say anything else, Diego slammed the back door behind him. He rushed down the sidewalk with the bag of clothes rustling against his jeans and the coffee sloshing around in the dented thermos.

"Yo! Torres!"

He was only halfway down the street when he was flagged down. Over his shoulder he whistled. "Yo, Davey. Hear about Rory?"

The boy in question jogged up beside him to catch up. They high-fived and settled into a quick pace. "Yeahhh. The crazy bitch is getting out of the slammer today. You going to get her now?"