Angels & Wolves | Book One

Chapter One

Rio's POV

"Rio! I need you!" a voice trickled from the kitchen through the crack under the door. A dark haired seventeen-year-old girl sighed and put her pen down. She crawled off her bed and opened her bedroom door.

"Yes, Mom?" she asked, weaving through the hallways with unnatural grace. Her foot stopped in mid-air when she saw the mess in the kitchen. Her mouth dropped open in shock. She stepped forward and trailed her fingers across the flour-covered counters. "What happened here, Mom?"

A petite middle-aged Hispanic woman stood in the center of the disaster. She clasped her hands in front of her and gave her daughter a small smile. "I kind of... dropped the flour...?"

"Dropped it? More like set off a flour bomb," said Rio. A jingle caught her attention. She turned and gasped. "Taj! Why are you covered in flour?"

Rio bent and kissed her pit bull's nose. She brushed the flour off the black dog. Running her hands down Taj's body, removing the flour, she glanced at her mom, who shrugged.

"I called you down for a reason," her mom said, wiping the flour off her jeans. "I need you to take the empanadas to Violet-"

"I can't!" Rio said hurriedly. Rio tried everything in her power to stay away from the de la Vega's. Of all the people in the town, the de la Vega's were the only one's she didn't like. There was something about the way they flaunt their money and only talk to the people they grew up with, and Rio happens to be one of them. In their secluded neighborhood, Rio was the only one who openly despised the de la Vega's. And despising people wasn't like her at all. Rio happened to be the head volunteer at the soup kitchen. Her weekends consisted of walking Taj and handing out food to the homeless. After graduation, she planned on joining the Peace Corps.

In her rush to disagree with her mother, Rio had stopped petting Taj and he let her know he didn't like it by growling. Rio began petting Taj again and continued, "I forgot I promised Andre that I would be at the soup kitchen tonight."

"Today's Wednesday," replied her mom. "You have soup kitchen tomorrow. I don't understand why you don't like them-"

"It's not just them," Rio muttered to Taj. The three-year-old pit bull leaned into her touch. Ever since he was a puppy, Rio had been the only one allowed to pet him. He didn't mind vets or children, but strangers he was terrified of. Part of his terror came from the fact that Rio had found him in an alley, crying for his mother. Rio was fourteen when she took him home. She raised him and he had become her best friend and protector. When she took him on walks, Taj growled and stood in front of Rio when people walked by.

"Did you say something?" Rio's mom asked.

"No," she replied, kissing Taj's ears. His dark eyes stared back at her. Rio asked him, "Do you wanna go on a walk, Taj?"

Immediately, his tail wagged back and forth. He licked her face and ran to the front door. Rio turned back to her mom, who had a smile and the plate of empanadas. Rio glowered.

"I'm taking Taj," she said grumpily. Her mom handed her the plate and walked her to the front door where Taj waited patiently. Rio clipped the leash to Taj's collar and led him out the door. A frown had rested permanently on Rio's lips. What made her even madder was that her mom and Mrs. de la Vega kept trying to set their children up. Rio's mom didn't understand that she hated the de la Vega boy. Everything about him drove her crazy.

"Come on, Taj," said Rio. "Let's just get this over with."

What do you think about this one? Huh?

Do you like Rio? What about Taj?

Yes, Rio is hispanic. I love everything about hispanic people. Their food is delicious! What's your favorite food of theirs?

Comment and vote and read!

Happy Fourth again!

Bye loves!