Stubborn Love

Part 9

Part 9

I drive around the small city for hours. The taxi business is slow and I should really look into a new job if I want to get out of my mother's house. The sun is finishing up its setting as the lights begin to twinkle. I look over and I am passing the high school. The fall leaves rattle, coming off the branches. A chilling memory begins to set in.

*Four years ago*

I stand in front of my mirror as I twirl in my black full skirt dress with my lace design leggings underneath. I look over at Jocelyn and Ezri and smile.

"I thought you weren't excited for this carnival," Ezri folds her arms.

"I'm not, just, I have never seen myself in a dress this nice before," I flatten some parts of the skirt with my hands.

"Well, maybe you'll see Rafael and I tonight during the carnival," Ezri smiles.

"I hope not," I joke.

"Whatever, but Rafael and I don't want to be there long anyway. I'm just taking him so he can experience a carnival for the first time."

"Well, have fun," I say as I grab my formal jacket. Jocelyn looks at me and smiles as she tosses some hair.

"Do I look good?" I ask.

"You look perfect, and this Garrett guy is nice?"

"Yes," I groan.

"I'm just making sure. Guys are better actors than girls," she helps me put my coat on.

"I assure you that tonight is going to be a good night."

Jocelyn smiles and gives me a kiss on the cheek. I grab my purse and phone as I walk down the stairs. I look over at the kitchen table and scare my dad from behind.

"Boo!"

"Hey! Well, look at you! My girl going on her first date," he stands up from the table.

"Sergio, tell her about our first date," my mom says.

"Oh no," my brother, Adan, says coming from the pantry room.

"What?" my dad asks.

"When I was going on my first date, mom and dad gave me this speech," Adan shudders.

"It's not a speech! It's a story! Mi hija, sit down."

"Good luck," Adan says, picking up his basket.

"Hey, make me look bad one more time, you can pay washing your clothes at the laundry mat."

"Okay, sorry!"

My father turns to me and smiles, he grabs my hands and kisses the back of it.

"Now, this is the story of me taking your mom on our first date. I was twenty, she was nineteen and I took her to the beach in Santa Monica when we lived in Cali, and this was both our first time going on the pier. So, I wasn't smart enough and said to her that we should go on the ferris wheel! She whined and said no! And I basically dragged her butt until I paid for the tickets and she couldn't refuse. So we went on and man you know I don't like heights. So guess what happened?"

"Oh my god, did you vomit?"

"Well, first your mother puked on me then I puked on her--"

"That's gross," I cringe.

"I'm not done! And then her face wasn't changing expression, so I couldn't handle seeing her throw up again I then decided to kiss her to keep her from throwing up," he shrugs.