𝙂𝙡𝙤𝙧𝙮 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙂𝙤𝙧𝙚 ━━ Chris Manawa

Even if the Blood is Your Own

Alex is on the deck with Ofelia, standing watch when Chris comes out, can of soda in hand. Ofelia glances briefly at Chris before focusing back to the ocean, "Why don't you sleep?"

"Yeah, there's too much noise in my head," Ofelia nods, giving him a tight smile. Chris hops up onto the railing next to Alex, sitting between him and Ofelia.

"You ever been? Mexico?" Chris asks, looking over to Ofelia, who is stood to his right with a cup of coffee in her hands.

"No, my parents passed through Tijuana when they first left El Salvador."

"You been back?"

"We didn't really leave the neighborhood once we got settled. They put everything into that shop, and I put everything into watching over them. I gave up a lot, and they didn't need as much watching as I thought."

"What'd you do? You know, for yourself."

"What do you mean?"

"Like, relationships," Chris says, a teasing smile on his face. Alex snorts, leaning past Chris slightly to get a better look at Ofelia.

"I had some, yes," Ofelia laughs, rolling her eyes at the grinning teen.

"I was seeing this girl back in Pomona."

"Yeah?"

"Maria Santos."

"Hmm, long time?"

"No. No, a few months. Then my mom moved us back to L.A.. New school, Parochial."

"I went to catholic, K through 12. Definitely had some fun my parents didn't know about. Made some bad decisions," Ofelia whispers the last part as if Daniel could come around the corner at any moment. Chris stays quiet, staring off into the ocean.

"Hey," Ofelia calls, bringing Chris' attention back to her, "You're gonna be able to make some."

"Yeah," Alex chimes in, "Don't think we haven't noticed the way you look at Emma."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Chris mutters, ducking his head down. There's splashing coming from the side of the boat, and Chris' head snaps up at the sound, "What the hell?"

Chris grabs the nearby gun, running over to the side of the boat with Ofelia and Alex to see what it was.

Three people on a small raft are paddling over, a high beam light mounted on the side of the small boat. The intensity of the light blinds them slightly, not able to make out anything past their bodies. "We need help," A man calls.

"Should I shoot them?" Chris asks. The man asks for help again, docking on the back of the boat, shutting off the light. Now that they're closer, Alex can make out the people in the raft.

There's two men and a woman, who appears to be pregnant. She's got blood all over her, and Ofelia rushes over to help them. There's nothing else in the boat besides them, aside from some folded up sweaters.

Chris follows Ofelia down asking again if he should shoot. Alex does a quick sweep of the area, not finding anything her could use as a weapon.

"Dad?" Chris yells, cocking the gun at the people. Ofelia pushes the gun down, taking the sobbing woman from one of the men.

Chris calls for his dad again, aiming his gun back to towards the people. Alex hears footsteps coming from insde, and turns to see Travis, Madison, Daniel, Rylee, and Emma run over.

Madison and Rylee are quick to take the pregnant woman from Ofelia, bringing her downstairs to the bathroom.

Travis keeps the first man back, looking to the younger one that was still by their docked raft, "Where's your boat?"