When Stuff Happens

Chapter One

Her walk back 'home' was more like walking to the electric chair.

Her earbuds burst with songs of jazz singers long past due to drugs, alcohol or by their hand. Amor preferred music sang by dead singers than the modern pop stars because now in days it seems like anyone with auto tune can be a singer. She could also relate better to a singer who committed suicide over feeling herself turn into a sellout. Since these past few days she felt like a sellout herself. Working against her potential and way below her pay grade. Yep she can relate.

Today was supposed to be her first day as an adult, as independent, as the pride and joy of her family. Instead, she felt defeated after meeting with her counselor and told her half of her classes this semester would not help her degree path. Just another sucky day in sucky new life as a grown ass college student. All right enough of her pity party. One of her resolutions for this semester was to stop kicking herself into the ground. She would only end with a face full of dirt. And these sad songs were not helping her. She needed to change her tunes to something lighter.

Amor tried to pry her phone from her sack to play a different song. Something with a little more pep. She needed a rush of euphoria and music was her drug of choice when it came to battling away the blues. Unfortunately, she was losing the battle with this potatoes sack of backpack to find her phone. She stopped, sat down on the cold concrete and empty outed the sack.

She didn't worry that the ground was possibly ripping and staining her skirt. Most of her clothes were already worn in after years of abuse after all. Not from her. Her clothes and sack had come from thrift shops and she usually ended picking whatever had a tear or stain so she could haggle the price down. Ever since she moved closer to the more extravagant side of town, she could not afford to shop in those sun bright white boutiques that polluted this area. Lucky for her there was an old thrift store that carried all the rejects of last season by these rich folks.

God. The singer was now belting out how her love for her daddy is the reason she was chasing bums on the streets. Amor ripped the headphones off her head but regretted the action immediately. These earphones have been the only thing standing between her and reality. The real world was now blasting in her ears with sounds of cars, barking of dogs and worse the sounds of people. It was not that she was an anti-social hermit crab; it is just new people gave her a feeling resembling being on fire in the pit of stomach and at times her armpits. Her whole body would turn hot and bothered itching to get away from strangers.

Amor looked up to the sky it was just on the edge of darkness not yet black but not powder blue anymore either. The sky was a rare purple hue with gray clouds swimming in the sky. She turned her attention back to her pile on the ground and searched again. Finally, she founded her phone wedged in a textbook she bought last minute on her lunch. She picked up her phone and scrolled down to her favorite playlist. 'Mama's Favorite's' her eyes threaten to water. She shook the would-be tears away and played 'Escape (The Pina Colda Song)'. She stuffed everything back in the sack, got back from the ground and she started to sway to the music.

Amor always loved it when her mom would sing this song although her mother substitutes a few words for Spanish ones. She remembered some of them and decided to sing them. Her dancing and singing outside will now have the neighbors peeking through her blinds and judging her. 'Point your fingers and shake your heads, you old geezers' Amor exclaimed in her head. Nothing was going to cramp her mood while she listening to this music.

Lucky for her she was currently staying in the last house on the block, which meant she could take her time, belting out the best hits of the eighties.

Amor was practically putting on a concert when she got a tingle in the back of her neck that someone was watching her. Her steps slowed and she lowered the volume down to hear the sounds around her. Dogs barking, wind chimes and cars racing provided background music to the person behind her. Her mind raced to whom it could. Maybe one of the neighbors to try to expel the devil within her. There were so many religious, bats here. Which is exactly why her tia Flora felt at home here.