A SWEETER POISON:
Who are you when no one is watching?
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How do you destroy a monster, without becoming a monster yourself?
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All her life, Maya has been fighting to keep her head above the surface. It was never a choice to fail, success was e...
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"Kids! Dinner!" came Daniel's yell from downstairs. I took a last puff from my joint and finished the remains of the bottle of gin I was drinking, wallowing in my own depressing thoughts, before standing straight up, wobbling slightly and opening my balcony door and waved my hand around in the air, attempting to waft out the drug smell.
I smiled, watching the air glimmer and dance, smiling at me, feeling the urge to dance along with it. I threw my hands up in the air and whooped, announcing my revelations to the world, "Life sucks!" I cheered, then cleared my throat and shook my head, heading downstairs.
I smiled dreamily at Rafael as I passed him on the stairs, and he mirrored my look, obviously enjoying his own euphoria.
I felt as if I floated through the kitchen and into the dining room, supported by a cloud of my own security and paused, taking in the scene. Marco sat at the head of the large dining room table reading the newspaper, while Daniel was in the kitchen with oven mitts on, bent over a pasta bake. "That smells awesome," I smiled at him, and he winked at me.
"Special recipe," he grinned proudly.
At the other end of the table opposite Marco was an empty seat, presumably Daniel's, and either side of Marco were Arlo and Rafael. Lucia sat next to Rafael, who was staring with deadened eyes into space, probably riding his high, and Lucia was listening to something Marco was saying as he folded up his paper, then rolled her eyes and went back to her phone. Gael sat on the other side of Lucia reading a bunch of papers he held in his hands. Marco raised his eyebrows and shook his head, going back to his paper.
Arlo was playing candy crush on his phone. There was an empty seat beside him. He looked up as I entered and beamed up at me, "Come here, sit by me," he said, patting the seat.
I slid in beside him and he immediately turned to him, "Oh my god, you will not believe the day I have had. First Abuela was on my back all day - literally she made me carry her everytime she wanted to go upstairs or downstairs. And she wouldn't stop jabbering on about how we should all be doing better, like bless the old bat's heart but god one day I am going to drive her off into the middle of the amazon and leave her there, thank god she left before lunch" he said, rolling his eyes, using exaggerated hand gestures.
I giggled, only half listening, instead watching his face move and crease as he talked with fascination. We as humans were actually amazing. All of the individuality we have, every single difference between us. We are just a mess of matter and somehow out of all that we exist - I am able to watch something and process it in my own unique way, different to anyone else. It is amazing how we don't just drop down dead any minute.
Arlo stopped talking and seemed to notice the distant smile I had on my face, staring glossily at him, "Um Maya?"
I blinked, "Huh? Oh yeah... I'm hungry," I licked my lips and turned to the pasta bake. I knew my appetite could only stomach a small portion but I still was excited to taste Daniel's cooking.
