𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗲𝘁 𝗥𝗮𝘁 | 𝗠. 𝗥𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗮[UNDER EDITING]

➪𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗧𝗵𝗿𝗲𝗲

We stand in front of Miguel's family and gaze down with ashamed expressions as his Abuelita dumps all of his de la Cruz things onto the ground.

"What is all this, you keep secrets from your own family?!" Abuelita shouts at him.

"It's all that time he spends in the plaza."

"Fills his head with crazy fantasies!"

"It's not a fantasy!" Miguel defends himself. "That man was Ernesto de la Cruz! The greatest musician of all time!" He hands the photo to his father.

"We've never known anything about this man! But whoever he was, he still abandoned his family." He scolds. "This is no future for my son."

I notice that a few of Miguel's family members give me dirty looks. What the hell did I do? I'm not the one judging people for playing a guitar. I refrain from giving them a look back.

"But, papá, you said my family would guide me. Well, de la Cruz is my family. I'm supposed to play music."

Honestly, Miguel, knowing your family, you could be a bit smarter about this.

His Abuelita cuts in with a frantic voice. "Never! That man's music was a curse! I will not allow it."

"If you would just let--"

"Miguel. . ." His mamá warns.

"You will listen to your family," Miguel's Papá demands. "No more music." I see his father's eyes flick towards my face with a knowing look, but only for a few moments.  He quickly retreats his eyes back to his son. Don't know what that was about, but at least he didn't give me the stink eye like the rest of them.

The boy picks up his handmade guitar. "Just listen to me play!"

"End of argument."

Miguel--very stupidly--strums on his guitar. His Abulita quickly jumps forward, snatching it out of his hands. This almost knocks me over.

For an old lady, she is very quick on her feet.

"You want to end up like that man? Forgotten?" She cries. "Left off your family's Ofrenda?"

Miguel's is at breaking point. "I don't care if I'm on some stupid Ofrenda!"

Everyone gasps.

"Holy--" My hands shoot to cover my mouth.

His Abuelita looks at his guitar, and with a grunt, raises it to smash it to the ground.

"No!" Miguel cries.

"Mamá!" His father tries to console her.

"Stop!" I yell.

She hits it to the ground repeatedly, smashing both the guitar and Miguel's heart.

After she's done, she tosses it away. "There. No guitar. No music." The old woman's expression softens when she sees Miguel's tears. "Oh come, You'll feel better once you eat with your family." She puts a hand on his face as if nothing happened.

"I don't want to be in this family!" Miguel shouts as he sprints away, snatching the photo out of his father's hand.

"Miguel!" His father and I yell in unison. I'm quick to trail after him. My eyes never leave the boy as I chase him. However, I eventually lost him in the plaza. Just great.

"Shit. I lost him." I mutter under my breath, looking around. I spot a familiar Xolo dog sprinting towards me. I grin and pat the dog's head. "Dante! Do you know where Miguel is by any chance?"