The Supermarket Teens

Twenty Five

-Jeffery's POV-
I felt my heart pound in my chest.

With each step we took towards my hotel room, it got louder and louder. Grace was reduced to silence, leaving me to play with the key.

Only Angelica and Abuela knew of my real name, the name that brought so much pain into our lives.

I opened the door, revealing the messy room. Grace moved in, sitting down on the small love-seat in the room.

Her lips stayed in a firm line. Perhaps she didn't know what to say.

"Okay" I sigh, running my hands through my hair.

"You didn't get someone pregnant did you? Or get addicted on drugs?' Grace blurts out, her face flushed.

"What!" I say in shock, but a grin found its way into my face.

Damn. That seemed to happen a lot.

"Well I'm just making sure Jeffery" she sighs.

Taking a breath, I begin with my explanation.

"I wanted to tell you about a boy...named Usnavi" I begin, facing her completely.

Her pale blue eyes widen, becoming engrossed in the 'tale'.

"One day, Usnavi and his big sister went to the market with their parents. He was a happy boy, trailing behind his sister who always laughed with him. However, that day was different-" I stop, grabbing her hand.

"That day, their parents left the two, alone, stranded and heartbroken. Usnavi and his sister wandered throughout the market, calling for their parents. But they never came. The sister was hurt the most by this, leaving Usnavi to try and make his sister laugh, which became more difficult to do. Of course the two found a woman and a neighborhood to take care of them, but things were never the same. As time went on, the children grew. The girl becoming a mess of emotions, not getting out of bed for weeks at a time. Usnavi tried to help his sister, but since he had no money, stole." I go on, taking a deep breath.

Grace keeps her eyes on me, her thumb stroking my palm.

"While people became angry at the boy, they let it go. This would continue on for years until he was 10. The boy spent everyday trying to help his sister, his family. Yet she never did smile the same. So the boy looked within himself and thought that maybe his name was the problem. It was given to them by his parents, people who had hurt his family, his only family. To try and make the pain go away, Usnavi went to the court and change his name. He changed it for the little stuffed giraffe his sister loved so much."

"The giraffe's name was Jeffery. So, the boy was known as Jeffery." I finish, looking back up to Grace.

She opened her mouth to speak, but closed it again. Maybe she didn't know what to call me.