ANDRO [VOL. 1]

Track #2

The three stood under the rusting awning, looking at the half-finished woodwork throughout the yard. Rani shook her hair out, whipping water in every direction.

"Just talk to him. It'll be fine," Santana reassured herself. But the fresh image of her screaming at him in the middle of the diner made her contemplate running off into the woods and never coming back.

"Don't even worry about it. Your Dad loves me." Santana scoffed.

"Right. Loves you like one of his own," she drawled. "Wait out here for a second."

She unlocked the door and turned back to the other girl.

"If he asks what your name is what do you want me to tell him?"

She shrugged.

Santana took a deep breath, opened the door, and was immediately met with her Dad's booming voice.

"¿Dónde coño has estado?" He stood up from the couch so fast it looked like it had given him whiplash. Even though she texted him to let him know she was okay, that did little to ease his nerves.

"Sólo fui a dar un paseo." She kept her voice steady hoping to calm him down. It only stressed him further.

"¡Estabas caminando bajo la lluvia!"

"Solo necesitan un lugar donde quedarse unos días." 

"Vuelves tarde, ¿dejas a Laura sola para qué? ¿A dónde fuiste, Cuba?

"Necesitas conseguir un trabajo y dejar de ser un inútil."

"¡Por favor, Apá, son mis amigos!" It quieted down.

"¿Qué amigos? No tienes ninguno." His eyes went wide, genuinely puzzled.

"Uh, Corrine y Rani."

"Rani?" He yelled exasperated. Rani flinched hearing her name through the door.

"Corrine?" Rani laughed before noticing how the girl tugged the wet shirt far away from her chest. Opening her luggage she pulled out a DMX shirt.

"Here." Holding it out to her Corrine looked at it like a bomb that might go off. "You tryna flash her Dad in that shirt? Just take it." Without saying a word she slipped it over her head.

"Hay una audición más que tengo que hacer. No tienes que llevarme a ningún lado y si no lo consigo esta vez, trabajaré contigo en el aserradero. Lo prometo."

His frown lines deepened. After some deliberation, he relented.

"Multa. Solo limpia tu habitación." Grabbing a beer from the fridge he limped off to his room.

Walking back outside she weakly smiled.

"Good news, you guys can stay! And your name is Corrine."

"We know," Rani nudged her stepping inside. Corrine bowed following after her.

Once the door to her room opened Corrine and Rani gasped. Every surface was covered. Thai language textbooks, a half-finished wolf head in the corner, and a body pillow with a fresh imprint. The glaring sight that took over the walls was band merch from multiple boy bands. But one group took the center.

"How did your Dad let it get this bad?" Rani said in awe.

Santana didn't respond, tossing a towel at her.

"I'm rearranging my room right now. Forgive the mess." Corrine reached into her bag pulling out the chain. The Neveah nameplate shined off the lamp light.

"Here's a housewarming gift." Santana took it hesitantly.

"It's broken but you can always sell it for scrap."