Just Following Orders

10 - Tease

♠𝙰𝚕𝚎𝚡♠

I walk inside first. Aaliyah doesn't admit it, but it's obvious she's a little nervous. She doesn't want to be alone with people she doesn't know, which is understandable. I don't argue too much with it.

When we walk in, Dad passes the door through the hall. "¡Alex ha vuelto!" He calls out.

I huff, closing the door behind Aaliyah. "Snitch." I grumble. Aaliyah just laughs at me. I sigh and lead her through the house, following Dad to the living room. Aaliyah sticks a little closer to me when we walk in and see a few more people here than earlier.

"Alex?" My uncle notices me first. He smiles and speaks in Spanish. "I haven't seen you in years." He points out. I just wave at him.

Mamá gestures to Aaliyah. "His girlfriend." She informs. Aaliyah shifts uncomfortably on her feet when they start to talk.

I rest my hand on her waist. "C'mon," I guide her over to the couch. She lets me and sits down, I sit next to her.

Manuel hums, taking a sip of whatever is in his red solo cup. "Ella es dulce, pero no habla mucho." He chuckles. She's sweet, but doesn't talk much.

She talks plenty.

"She just doesn't like you." I huff. Aaliyah looks at me, a little confused. She doesn't understand what we're saying but doesn't ask me to translate for her. She looks confused, sure, but she doesn't say anything.

I look over when my cousin, Luna, hands me my own red solo cup. Luna looks to Aaliyah. "¿Quiere uno?" She gestures to my cup. Aaliyah gives a little bit of an awkward smile and shakes her head.

Manuel rolls his eyes. "A ella le gusto." He insists she likes him. I glance over, watching my younger cousins chase after poor Bean.

Vanessa, another cousin, tilts her head at Aaliyah. She speaks in Spanish like everyone else has. "She's jittery." She points out. I look over at Aaliyah. Her leg bounces and she plays with a little rope bracelet tied around her wrist.

"Because you're all talking about her." I scowl at them, leaning closer to her like I'll be able to protect her from their prying eyes.

"She speaks Spanish?" Luna asks, nodding to Aaliyah as she sits on the arm rest of the other couch.

Manuel shakes his head. "No. I think she understands some things though." He guesses, squinting at her to try to study her.

"Okay, will you stop talking about her like she's not right here?" I huff, glancing at her. She just awkwardly looks around the room, probably having no idea what we're talking about, all she probably knows is we're talking about her.

"Why? She doesn't even understand." Manuel chuckles. "Mia doesn't either." He claims. Mia reaches over, swatting at his arm. She's learned enough Spanish to know what we're talking about most of the time.

I turn my attention to Aaliyah, my hand coming over to rest on her bouncing leg to hopefully get her to stop. I feel her leg tense under my palm for a split second before she seems to relax, her bouncing slowing down.

Natalia laughs like a maniac as she walks into the room. She holds a small circular speaker over her head. "I found it!" She yells.

I squint at the speaker in her hands. "Hey, is that mine?" I mumble, narrowing my eyes at her.

Natalia looks over at me with wide eyes. "No." She quickly says, putting her hands behind her back. "What are you doing here?" She inquires.

"It is!" I yell, realizing it's my speaker. "I thought I lost that! How did you get it?" I stand from the couch, setting the cup I was handed down on the ground.