WEST COAST 18+

26.

W E S T C O A S T

Daniela randomly woke up at six in the morning. She tried going back to sleep to make use of one of her off days, but clearly her body had picked up on a particular schedule. Her eyes were glued to the ceiling for minutes, fingers laced over her stomach, before she turned her head to see if Enrique had woken up, too.

He did come over, staying the night with her. It was late by the time Enrique showed up, Daniela letting him in and putting her arms around him. Enrique lifted her up with no trouble, carrying her to her room without waking anyone up. She expected herself to sleep for a while since they were up late as hell, but Daniela was throwing the cover off of her and carefully slipping out of bed.

Her Hello Kitty slippers scuffed around the kitchen floors as she dragged her feet, Daniela grabbing a box of Fruit Loops. The house was painfully quiet, Daniela ready to devour a bowl of cereal until she turned around and peeped a shadow-her heart dropping to her ass before she made out her cousin's features in the dark.

"Tia, what the fuck?" She whispered-yelled with horror in her eyes, nearly decking her if she ain't make out the rollers on the top of her head. "You can't be doing that!"

Tia held her hand over her mouth. "Sorry. I heard someone walking and got scared."

With her heart beating in her ears, she assures, "It's just us here. Ain't nobody breaking in," out of breath like she ran a marathon.

"I'm usually not this scary, but I went to sleep with First 48 on." Tia pulled the throw blanket around her tighter, flicking on the light. "Ooh, mind grabbing a bowl?" she asks after seeing Daniela open a cabinet.

"Sure, but that'll cost you five dollas. Ion work for free," she said while taking out two glass dishes and spoons.

"I'm pregnant."

"Not broke."

Tia places her chin on her fist, smiling with her eyes on Daniela. "I missed you, Dani. It feels like forever."

I missed you? Daniela twirls around, sliding the bowls on the island. "You being nice right now?"

"Yes. Why is that such a surprise?" Tia wonders like they didn't have a history of being assholes to each other. They were nice here and there, but admitting to miss the other? Odd to Daniela.

"Because we're always mean to each other. It's our thing," she replies, tearing open the Fruit Loops box.

"We can be kind to each other now. We're grown," Tia says.

Daniela makes a face full of disgust. "Ugh, I need this baby to drop. I need my cousin back; this ain't you," grossed out by her behavior.

"Don't you wish we were nicer to each other as kids?"

"No, because I got to be an asshole to someone who was also an asshole," Daniela answers. "Us beefing are my greatest memories."

Tia gets off her chest, "you used to make me cry, so I can't say the same," Daniela's shoulders dropping.

"Seriously?"

"You talked about the way my feet look, cracking on me for having bunions and corns."

Daniela held her finger up in defense. "You came for me first. You had no business forcing your feet in them tight ass shoes. What did you think would happen?" The two crack a smile. "I still never got why you did that."

"That's cause I went to school with guys who liked girls with small feet. You think my size nines were gonna get me a boyfriend?" she asks.

"Boys are weird," Daniela blinks, handing her a bowl before digging into her own. "Where the hubby at?"