"God I hate Shakespeare."
"That came out of left field," Dinah replied, as the raggedy old elevator came to a stop on the 12th floor.
As they stepped out into the shabby hallway that led to Camila's mom's apartment, Camila let out a frustrated groan. "Sorry, it's that damn paper. I was up all night, and I still didn't finish. I suck at writing."
"Look at the bright side; I sold two of your photographs and one of your sketches today."
Camila brightened at the news. "Yeah?" She knocked on the door marked 122C. "When were you planning on telling me that?"
Dinah shrugged. "Was gonna wait 'til the next time you got mad at me...but I figured this was a good a time as any."
Before Camila had a chance to reply, the door opened and she was swept into hug. Her stepbrother, Harry, kissed her cheek several times before letting go. "¡Llegó la fea!" He announced.
He received a slap on the arm. "Oh, you're one to talk, Mr. Ugly."Camila countered jokingly.
Harry was anything but ugly, and she was sure he knew it. It had been a few months since she'd last seen him, and as he turned to hug Dinah, Camila took the opportunity to observe how well he was looking. His dark curly hair was slightly longer than when she'd last seen him. He looked taller and fitter than she remembered. "Have you been working out?"
Harry winked at her. "Joined a gym." He flexed his arm as evidence.
Camila glanced quickly at Dinah who was making a show of fanning herself. She laughed.
Sinu Styles stepped into view a second later. She dried her hands on her skirt as she walked toward them. "Mi'jita" she greeted Camila with a kiss on the cheek, and then turned to greet Dinah. When she stepped away from the girls, she said, "Carlos and Dimitri went to the store for some groceries. They'll be back soon." She ushered them toward the living room.
"Come, sit. I bring you something to drink."
Camila sat down as instructed and gazed around the apartment. It was small by anybody's standards. The living room barely fit the couch she was sitting on; but it was home. Paintings and framed pictures of Puerto Rico decorated the walls, along with masks of vejigantes, from Carlos' native town of Loiza. Camila had never been to the island, but Carlos and Harry spoke of it all the time. They'd moved to New York shortly before Carlos and Camila's mother had met.
"So how's the art world these days?"
Camila glanced up into Harry's curious green-blue eyes and shrugged. She didn't want to say that she'd reached the end of a creative road. "Good,"" she said instead and tried to convince herself that it wasn't a lie. It was almost too easy to forget that she hadn't done anything in weeks.
"I sold some of her stuff today while she was at class," Dinah boasted proudly. "And tons of people stopped to look and compliment the artwork."
"There is no money in art," Sinu announced, returning from the kitchen with a tray of orange juice. "But no one ever listens to their mother."
Camila smiled, accepting a glass. "I listen to you."
"You listen to me?" and her mother rolled her eyes. She placed the tray down and sat down on the couch beside Harry. "How many times have I told you to wear something nicer? I don't know how Nathan puts up with you looking like that all of the time."
Camila glanced down at her paint-stained jeans and baggy sweatshirt. "What's wrong with this?"
Sinu replied with a look that obviously meant the question did not dignify a response. "I'm just glad you'll have Nathan to take care of you, is all I'm going to say. Lord knows that boy is going places."
