Intangible Lines

Make the most of it

Elena

"...ena...Lena," A woman's voice called out. Elena stirred in her sleep until she felt the unmistakable sharp sting of a slap right across her left cheek.

"Despiértate Elena!" Emiliana demanded as she prepared to strike her younger sister once more.

Elena grabbed her hand mid-air and stared at her sister with wide eyes. She couldn't decide which she disliked more, the sting of the slap, or the spook it gave her; she settled on both, being equally aggravating as she struck her sister with a pillow.

"Ay! You brat!" Emiliana exclaimed as she shoved the pillow down harshly.

Elena was almost baffled but she was well used to the sheer audacity of her 29-year-old sister.

"Cómo qué 'brat'?! Por qué me pegaste pendeja?!" Elena fumed, just as the two were about to continue their bickering, their Tía Maya walked into the room ready to break up the dispute.

"Oye! Ya párense!!- Y Elena, Jared está esperando té!" Tía Maya reprimanded, motioning out the door. Elena then felt a sinking feeling of mortification, she checked her phone as the pit in her stomach worsened.
Madre a dios! Jared was here, she knew he would be for breakfast, and she forgot to set up her fucking alarm.

Elena threw herself out of bed, and gently but firmly shooed the two other women out of her room, muttering a few short curses as she shut the door on them. Like the Tasmanian Devil himself, Elena tore up her room as she tidied herself up.

She combed her short locks roughly as she tore through her closet, nerves coursing through her as she contemplated an outfit that would appeal to Jared the most. When she finally settled on a nice, but casual set of clothing, she had to stop herself from bolting out of the room.

As Elena entered the dining area, she soon became enraptured by the domestic scene. Her nose tingled with the sweet, buttery smell of panqueques. Sunlight embraced her with a blanket of warmth as she heard the chattering voices of her loved ones.

She watched as Emiliana whispered something in Jared's ear, his fair face flushed for a moment as his green eyes finally met Elena's. Her Tía and Tío all followed Jared's gaze and began to nudge each other, eager to watch the scene unfold. Her chest shuddered with emotion as she felt the world begin to close in on her, moving slowly, slowly, slowly. Elena opened her mouth to speak, barely a wisp of air escaped her lips.

And then she woke up.

Her wall was still the same lavender color it had always been. She felt the brush of air against her skin from her creaky old fan, she touched her cheek, feeling a small accumulation of moisture. Elena let out a heavy breath as she sat up, and she began picking at the soft material of her dark sheets.

Even with all the power she had, all the knowledge she had acquired since meeting Miguel, the fact that what happened to her was as inevitable as the effect of these dreams. That these memories had on her. She felt tears prick at her eyes as more nostalgia began to cascade over her-Ya! Elena slapped her hands against her cheeks, a loud smack resonated in the room.

No mas... She told herself as she took a deep breath, One. Two. Three. She felt the build-up in her bosom lighten as she finally breathed out.

Elena stood abruptly, marching away from the melancholic energy of her room. She was definitely not a morning person, by any means, and so far her morning had already given her enough justification to continue this streak. But she would be damned to let her whole day go to waste because of ... yeah, because of that.