Courage

Chapter Twenty-One

[Francesca]

So I had my sister help me make dinner for Maya while Maya was out with her mom.

Earlier today, Camila and I went to the grocery store, and argued over what food items to buy. I remembered Maya telling me she liked spaghetti tacos (apparently it's a meal from her childhood show.)

"We need noodles, hard taco shells, and items to make tomato sauce," I asserted. (We don't like using regular sauce.)

"So are you bringing Maya to Washington?" Mila asked.

"Yeah, she agreed to come." Not really sure if I'm welcome at her house, though.

"When are you meeting her parents?"

I stopped the cart, looking straight ahead. "I don't know, she hasn't told her family about me."

"Are her parents homophobic?"

"I don't know, Mila. I don't have all the answers," I said with attitude.

"Never said you did, Franny," she replied with the same attitude I gave her.

I sighed, feeling a little bad. "Do you think she's . . ." I didn't want to say the words because I didn't want to believe it, "ashamed of me?"

"Not at all," my sister denied. "Maybe she's just nervous to tell her family she's dating someone, that could be it. Don't stress over it."

I tried to do exactly that. Camila was probably right.

[Maya]

Lunch with my mom, awesome (not).

"I'll have a seltzer ginger-ale, and the Niçoise salad," Tia (my mom)  told the waitress.

"Good. And you?" the waitress asked me.

"Um, I'll have an ice-tea and the shrimp Fettuccine Alfredo," I said to the waitress.

"Oh Maya, Fettuccine Alfredo is so fattening. She'll have the Caesar salad." I was shocked at my mom's behavior, but at this point, I should be used to it. I should've expected this.

"Are you sure?" the waitress clarified.

I figured that if I decided to get what I wanted, then there'd be an argument between me and Tia. And I didn't want to fight with her.

"Yes, I'm sure," I finally answered.

The waitress took our menus and left us.

"Why don't you ever shop for medium sized clothes," Tia asked. "Leave the XL to the fat girls."

I sighed, irritated, and twirled the ketchup bottle in my hand. As if she didn't make me insecure to the point where I hide my body. Tia always used to throw little jibes at me about my appearance, when I was younger. I used to think it was normal for mom's to limit what you eat and put you on diets.

My uniform in high school was a button down blouse, plaid pleated skirt, and a blazer or sweater vest. So whenever Tia and I would go school shopping I'd get a long oversized blazer, same with the sweater vest.

"Anyways, how's school? How's Caroline?" Tia continued.

"School's good. Caroline and I aren't friends anymore."

"Oh, right, I remember. Your tires. What about your roommates, are they being nice to you?"

"Yeah, they're really nice." I nodded and smiled a little at the thought of Francesca. I hated that I had to be away from her. "Oh, um, so Francesca invited me over to her old house for Thanksgiving. I hope you don't mind me going."

"No, not at all. But why you? Thanksgiving is a family thing, you know that right?"

"I know that, but, Fran and I are really close that we think of each other as family."

"Oh, well, that's nice. Brandon's been looking forward to seeing you, though," she informed.

"Really?"

"Yeah, he says he misses his little sister."

"He did not," I denied.

"He did. Gigi, (Brandon's girlfriend) too."

"Oh wow." I wasn't really used to being missed.

Soon our food came. "So have any boys at school caught your eye?" Mom inquired.

"Nah," I told her.

"Has anyone asked you out or have you done the asking?" she pressed.

"Neither. I don't really care for boys now." Translation: My girlfriend makes boys look insignificant to me.

"Anyway, how are things at home?" I continued.

"Oh, I pray for poor Mrs. Valentine," she sighed.

"Mrs. Valentine who lives next door, Shelly Valentine?" I clarified.

"Yeah, her."

"Well what happened? Is she okay?"

"Remember her daughter, Victoria?"

"Yeah, I remember her." I think Victoria's in high school now.

"Well, Shelly told me that Victoria has secretly been dating girl for five months. Victoria's a lesbian."

"Yeah, Mom, I got that." I'd been waiting for the bad part.

"Poor Victoria, the girl's confused. I told Shelly that she just going through a phase."

"Mom, seriously?" I groaned.

"What? I'm not homophobic," she said defensively. "I don't care what the gays do, just don't bring that around me."

"Um, Mom, I'm actually full," I lied.

"Okay, see you later."

"Yeah, bye." I got up quickly and got the hell out of that restaurant.