The Angel Trumpet

5.

I walk into the house holding a bag of whatever was left of my fries. Pito cross his arms suspecting something was up. I place it on the counter seeing Leo playing cards with Tobias.

"I see you had an eventful day." Pito says following me with his eyes.

"What? I took a day for me is that a crime?"

I reach into the refrigerator grabbing a bottle of water downing half of it.

"Fernando could've taken you out without any one of us knowing Aleya."

I slam the bottle down catching the boy's attention.

"Let me remind you of something Pito, I've been taking care of myself since I twelve. TWELVE. So being taken out shouldn't even cross your mind."

I leave up to my room but he stays behind me still going.

"I never said you couldn't handle it but we should be by your side at all times."

I scoff stopping turning to face him making him back pedal down a step.

"So when I wake up, sleep, shower and maybe when I take a shit too you guys should be there? Do you know how ridiculous you sound right now?"

I fold my arms peeking over his shoulder seeing Leo and Tobias eavesdropping.

"If it makes you guys feel better, you need to be suited up tomorrow. We have a meeting with some important people."

With that I go into my room slamming my door taking a shower then sitting on the bed. I take hold of my parents picture and caress the spot where my mom is. I tell her about seeing her old college, getting a smoothie and going on the beach with a guy I almost killed all in one sitting. By the end of it I was up the rest of the night on my laptop figuring out how to hit Fernando slow but effectively. I noticed he's taking up fixing up and selling houses here transferring what he makes on the island into the banks here as of three days ago with offshore accounts. The person making this possible is Conor's boss who I just made a deal with to share profits by doing the same but using our product instead of houses. What Fernando doesn't know is that Conor's boss used to work with my grandpa Louie back in the day. He knows what I do and owed grandpa Louie for helping him when he was just a kid lost in the world, that's when grandpa Louie taught him what he knows now. I had no idea until he pulled me aside from getting food with Conor to tell me, praising me for carrying on my family's name and legend. He's the important person we have a meeting with tomorrow and if all goes well, i'll have the upper hand in Fernando's Russian roulette.

I shut everything off trying to get some sleep but just end up sitting on the bedroom floor counting backwards calming my thoughts. My mom would do this thing whenever she would get upset she would sit closing her eyes without saying a word. I would ask her what she was doing and she would say, "Trying to count backwards so I can keep my rage in check." I never understood why she would do it when she was also sad, anxious and worried but now that I do I completely get it now. It reminds you that it's just a bad moment not a bad life. I've tried teaching the men but they rather drink and sleep around avoiding their deep rooted issues.

An alarm goes off throughout the house as it picks up motion outside. I run downstairs seeing Pito, Leo and Tobias already on it. "What is it?" I say pushing them aside seeing the driveway lit on fire with the words,

Ready or not here I come dancing in flames.

"War. He called war upon us." Tobias says paving back and forth.

"What's the plan?" He asks stopping in his tracks.

"I got it covered." I fill a bowl with water going outside putting out the fire.

"Well can you fill us in?" Leo says folding his arms.

I sigh explaining what I'm going to do and as I'm giving them what they want Pito stops me, "Can we trust Jorge?" I nod believing he'll be on our side no matter what. "And that's who we're meeting tomorrow?" I nod again telling them about Conor too. "Wait—the guy you slammed into the bathroom mirror? that guy?" I nod for the third time wanting to punch Pito in the face for having me go into so much details.

"We all on the same page now?" I huff out entirely annoyed.

"Yeah we got your back." Tobias side hugs me cleaning up the kitchen.

"Yeah we won't let you down." Leo dabs me up cleaning the living room while Pito just shakes his head at me.

"What?" I ask throwing the bowl at him and he catches it.

"You could of came to me with all of this. You're not alone in this life or business."

But maybe I was just use to it...being alone.

I practically had to depend on me. So this uncharted territory of leaning on others rarely occurred and I liked it that way.

I didn't have to run and ask for help I was the help.

Of course instead of me telling Pito what I really had to say I just pat his shoulder and went back up to my room.