California Dreamin

5

Summer was right behind a corner and people in El Paso could feel the temperature starting to raise more and more. Nina couldn't be happier, she loved going to the beach and get dirty of sand only to wash her body in the salty water of the ocean.

On the other hand, Nancy wasn't really happy, not because she didn't like the upcoming season, but because of what the boy she loved told Nina at his sister wedding.

"Sweety, why don't you come stay with me and my husband?" Said Ruth while talking by the telephone to a crying Nina. She just got into a fight with her dad because of a v-neck t-shirt and he beat her up harder than he ever did. Diego wasn't even there as he joined the army shorty after the wedding.

"And what? Leave mom alone with him? Only to end up sleeping with your brother?" She didn't lose the habit of not calling him by his name.
The boy went to live with her sister not to stay in his house any longer. He finally escaped.

"I just want to help you, stop thinking about Richard all the time, think about yourself. It's hot outside, will he beat you up again for not wearing winter clothes?" Nina could tell Ruth was really worried for her but her mom needed her kids, Diego left already.

"At least one night honey, just to make him calm down."

"What jf he takes it out on mom because I'm not here?" She started having difficulties breathing. She only needed her brother in that moment, Diego was the only one able to calm her down.

"I'll let you use the telephone whenever you want."

Ruth ended up convincing her to go over her place. It took Nina a while to go talk to her mother which told her not to worry and leave and stay over Ruth's the longest she could.

Nina's father rarely beat her mother as he had a very deep respect for her. When it came to his daughter thought, he felt the responsibility to raise her like a good condescending wife.

As she took the bus to arrive at Ruth's place she was thinking about what could've happened when she came back home. To distract herself she tried to read a little but she was too anxious and paranoid to focus enough. As much as she loved Charlotte Brontë, she simply couldn't.

"Neens sweetheart, I'm happy you're here!" Ruth said, welcoming her outside her house.
"Come in."

It wasn't very different from the Ramirez's but it was still cozy like it. The young long-haired boy was sitting on the couch talking about who knows what with Roberto, Ruth's husband, who greeted her with a smile.

"You did the right thing Katerina, just like this big boy here." Nina knew it wasn't true, the youngest Ramirez didn't leave his mother alone, she did.

Nina then whispered to Ruth.
"Mom told me to stay here the longest I can but-"

"See? I told you! You can stay here even for the entire summer, if your clothes make your father angry like this." Ruth interrupted her, observing Nina's bruises on her face and some visible ones on her body.

As the night came in, they had dinner and spent some time all together watching tv. Nina had so much fun with the couple that she completely forgot about calling her mother but then she decided she'd do it the next day as she would have risked to be answered by her father if she called in that moment.

When the couple went to bed and the youngest Ramirez went into his bedroom, Nina was left alone thinking if all of that was right, she thought she was selfish for leaving home like that and even a bit coward as she never ran from her father.

"I will sleep here, so that you can have the bed."
Her obsessive thoughts were interrupted by the young boy who came back into the living room.

"What?"

"You put your things into the only bedroom you found, right? That's mine, they still have to organize another one which will be of the children they'll have one day. So I can sleep here." He explained.

"Are you seriously intentioned in sleeping here the entire summer? No, it's not fair, I can sleep here."

The boy scoffed. "Nina, there's only one bed, either you or I have to sleep here, I'm telling you that I can do it. So do as I say and take the bed."

Nina felt butterflies for a bit as he never called by her name, again, they never called each other at all, but it was weird. She then came back to herself when he used a demanding tone.

"No, Ramirez, I will sleep here, I can't just come here and steal your room and your bed."
She stood up as she insisted.

"Just sleep together you two." Another voice said from the hallway. It was Roberto who probably got up hearing the two bickering.
"I don't think you guys would feel awkward, Ruth told me you two used to do the baths together when you were little."

"We were four!" They both exclaimed.

"It doesn't change anything, just go to sleep, both of you, come on. You're kids, you don't even know what you're thinking about."

"Ay, boy what are you alluding to?" Nina crossed her arms as she tried to hide how her cheeks were slightly getting red at Roberto's insidious joke.

Roberto gave the two one last look to suggest them to do as he said.
Nina didn't think the boy was already that malicious so she just told him that it was okay for her and headed to the bedroom, followed by him.

As Ruth's husband closed the door behind them and then went back to sleep, the young boy sat with his legs crossed on the bed looking at the girl still standing in front of him.
"Are you sure you're comfortable with this?"

"Yes, why wouldn't I be, right?"
She wasn't comfortable at all but she was scared to make Roberto mad.

"If you want I can still go to the couch-"

"Why are you worrying so much about me?" Nina interrupted him. Only because they talked about Nancy at his sister's wedding didn't mean that they were friends.

"Why are you acting like this Nina? I'm trying to be nice with you!" He was right, why she was acting like that? Maybe to hide her feelings? Maybe because she was nervous she had to change in front him and didn't know what to do?

"I have to change, could you turn around?"
She changed the topic. She was afraid that if she went to the bathroom to get changed, she would have woken up the sleeping couple.

"As if we never went to the beach together with our families. Every summer I see you in cute bikinis, I won't get shocked if you're wearing weird panties with flowers and rainbows."
Said the boy with a raised eyebrow.
Nina was stunned, but he was right so she simply started to take off her t-shirt.

However, the boy was still fifteen. He blushed while looking at her breast and simply looked away not to make her feel awkward. Nevertheless. he couldn't deny what was going on inside his pants so he just tried to think about something else.

As Nina was taking out her jeans, the boy couldn't unsee the bruises.
"Your father did those to you?" He asked almost in disbelief. Of course he knew her father was much alike his old man but he never imagined he would hurt her that bad.

She nodded not being able to speak both because of the embarrassment and because no one has ever seen the bruises on her body except for her brother.
He stood up and walked closer to her.
"Do they still hurt?" He asked slightly caressing the scratches and the scars on her back, arms and legs.

"They're from today, he got mad for this stupid t-shirt as he thought it was volgar. So he beat me up harder than ever to ruin my body so that I stopped being <provocative>." She explained as a few tears were slowly pouring down her cheeks.

"Why do you still live there Nina?" He whispered, his fingers swiping away her tears, two centimeters dividing each other.

"Because I can't run away like you used to do every night, Richard."