Chapter 8 Part 1- Santana’s POV
The apartment is small, barely big enough for the two of us. I turn and glare at Dad.
“We left our house in Brooklyn for this little piece of shit? Dad, this is the size of my room!!!”
He looked around and went into what I guess is the living room to set down his box.
We only carried one box each, packing only what we need, besides we never have enough time to pack everything or the space to carry it all. So all I have is few articles of clothes and some pictures of mom.
“Oh come on. Give it a chance! Please Santana? I know its small and it could use some work-“
“A lot of work” I interject.
“Ok- A lot of work.” I see it in his eyes, even he was disappointed with this. HA! I love it when he realizes he fails.
I mean come on! We are in Cali-Fucking-fornia and we are living in a trash can basically.
“I swear if I see one roach…” I scoff and go off to what is now my room.
It looks like a janitors closet the way its small. The bed is dusty and dirty with pee and sex stains all over it. I make a face. “Ewwwwwww! DAD! I NEED A NEW MATRESS!!” I yell.
There would be nothing to look forward to in living California. Nothing at all.
It’s funny cause I thought Cali was the place to be, I guess it’s not everywhere in California that’s glamorous.
I spread out a blanket on the floor and lay down because there’s no way I’m sleep on that disgusting bed.
I fall asleep in a matter of moments despite the conditions of the room, I am tired.
***
“Santana!” I hear Dad calling me from the next room. “SANTANA!” I moan and cover my ears, but I can still hear him.
“Alex!” He sounds closer and the shock of him calling me Alex makes me pop up.
He’s standing in my door way.
“Get up.” He slurs his words a little and I can smell the alcohol coming off him from my bed on the floor.
“what? What do you want?” I ask groggily
“There’s no food and your lazy ass has been asleep all day.” He whines.
“Well want do you want me to do?”
“ Go get food!!!” He half yells.
“Ughhhhh! Give me money!”
He frowns and eyes me. “And just where am I supposed to get money from? Am I supposed to pull it outta my ass?”
He holds the bottle to his head and stomps out of my room.
Great, just great.
I got up feeling a little dizzy and stumbled to the bathroom.
Oh even better, its night. Meaning I slept all day.
“Hey Dad? Whats the time?” I ask.
My hair is a mess and is sticking out in all directions and my eyes are still red and full with sleep. I almost don’t recognize myself cause I’m blond now.
“About nine, You gonna go out for food right?” He yells.
I run my fingers through my hair like a comb.
“No shit Einstein.” I mumble and straighten my clothes to leave.
***
The air is warm yet sends shivers down my spine.
“I can’t believe I’m doing this.” I say to myself. “I can’t believe I’m in California, doing this.”
I stumble off the side walk and into the street. I have no idea where I am going.
“A new life, I promise!” I mock Dad’s voice. “Yeah right.”
“Hey girl, are you alright?” I hear someone call.
I stop in the middle of the road, which wasn’t very smart.
“Yeah, I’m fine.” I call back towards him. He’s hard to see in the dark but I can tell he has shaggy blond hair and is tall and well built. There is a shadow of someone younger behind him, a brother maybe.
He runs up to me and takes my arm and pulls me back on the sidewalk.
“Don’t stand in the street, didn’t anyone ever teach you that?” He says.
“Yeah, I know, and I was trying to cross not just standing there, thank you very much!” I wiggle out of his grip.
“Well you should cross in the pedestrian area; someone would have ran over you! Don’t you know that?” I roll my eyes. Who was he my father? Definitely not ‘cause my father would have let me cross without a second thought.
“Ok, 1. There were no cars coming. 2. Thank you for caring, but no thank you. I’m a big girl” I puffed out my chest to emphasize strength making him laugh.
“Ok –yeah, I’m not leaving you on your own. Are you crazy? You can get raped, killed or worst!” He held out him hand. “I’m Jonathan. This is my little brother Pete.”
I glare at him. “What’s your point?”
“My point is now you know me so we aren’t complete strangers. Where ya headed? I could drive you? I have a car? How old are you by the way?”
“Well aren’t you full of questions? And again no thank you Jonathan.” I sneer. There is no way I was getting in Mr. save-me-from-no-danger-man’s car.
“Come on, please?” He pouts. “Let me drive you Ms…”
“Alex!” I say without really thinking.
“Alex. Great! Are you gonna let me drive you?”
“No way! For all I know you could be a rapist, a murder or worst.” I say quoting him.
He laughs. “Good one.”
“Why do you care so much anyway?”
“I’d hate to see a pretty girl like you dead on the news. Come on, let me drive you, I don’t care where you’re headed Alex, I don’t judge.” He held out his hand and I thought about this.
Was it smart?
Probably not.
Am I going to do it?
Yes.
I take his hand violently and he smiles bigger and pulls me towards him. “Come on, anywhere little lady, I promise.”
“Whatever.”
“Let me just take Pete home first.”
He turns us around and walks towards a red Honda civic 2010.
“How old are you again?” I ask.
“16.” He helps his brother in the car first, then hold the door for me. “The car is my dad’s.”
“Picking up girls in your dad’s car?” I scoff in fake shock. “Tsk tsk tsk. I don’t think your parents would like that Jonathan.”
“Whatever.” It was his turn to mock me. I rolled my eyes and got into his car, letting him close the door behind me.
YOU ARE READING
Blade (Watty Awards 2013)
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