♤PACTS♤

Chapter 5 - An Emo and a Pact

Marci Wellington's POV

I forgot to add something when I described the Lealtads; they are early risers.

Now I'm not against people who like being awake by the break of dawn, but school resumes on Monday. I need all the sleep I can get.

"Girls, water the ridges, then pluck the flowers that have fully bloomed," Abuela instructs us before she struts back into the house, her trusty roll of newspaper moving along with her hips.

So far, Giá and I have helped Abuelo arrange his study and vacuum the halls. If it isn't obvious, Abuelo and Abuela are getting old, so she had us help in her garden.

Don't tell Abuela.

"So, what are we doing after this?" I ask my cousin.

"Lucas called; he and Nate want to hang out." She says as she drops her watering can. She goes on all fours and begins plucking the flowers while I water the rest of the garden.

"Sounds nice. Where are we going?"

"They didn't say, but they say dress comfy." She shrugs. "Marci?"

I hum in response.

"It's here!" She yells and backs away from the flowers.

I turn my head to look at Giá standing there and shaking like a leaf. She points a shaky finger to the ground. I follow it and hold down a laugh. It's a bunch of ants picking fruit that was overripe.

"It's not funny; they're back again for revenge! I should have never stepped on that little one last week." She's close to tears as the ants double in size.

That was my breaking point because I doubled over and started laughing. Giá had other plans because she started screaming.

"They're climbing me!" With her cheerleading reflexives, she jumps and lands on my shoulders.

Let me tell you a secret; I have as much upper body strength as a lone ant.

You know when lumbers cut up trees, and they yell out timber when the tree falls?

Mateo must have thought the same thing as me because he yelled, "Timber!"

And we both fell.

That's the story of how Giá and I spent our morning redoing Abuela's garden.

-

There's always that person or group of people you feel like you belong with when you're with them. Whether your family is falling to pieces or not, they are people for you. After Diego had driven away, the boys walked up to us. Before I could get a word out, Nathan bounded up to me and wrapped his hands around my waist.

He nuzzled my neck, "Are you okay?"

I returned the gesture and wrapped my hands around his neck, "I'll be alright."

Nathan and I always saw eye to eye, but he was always slow to admit what was happening. Although I wouldn't blame him because some things take a lot of time to process.

"How long do you think this is gonna take?" I heard Giá ask Lucas.

Nathan and I separate from the hug, but he still has his hand wrapped around my waist.

"Not sure," He replied gruffly.

My best friend does a double-take and furrows her brows, "Who pissed in your cereal?"

"Long story,"

Nathan could sense that Lucas was about to lash at Giá, so he quickly said.

"How about we go in?"