Afterglow ❃ l.m.j

• chapter six •

All of my siblings locked eyes from the back of the truck when my dad started drumming his fingers on his steering wheel, singing to Devuélveme A Mi Chica at the top of his lungs. Mom, on the other hand, sat in the passenger seat with the calmest expression.

With my elbow propped up against the window, I stared out at the sun clad highway.  Taylor was between Alex and I and it was pretty nippy, even for a Californian November.

The feeling of sluggishness threatened to settle into my bones all day. We had leftovers for breakfast and I took some of Papi's tamales. I knew it would be a minute before it all wore off of me. I'd definitely have to hit the pole heavy after this weekend to gain my momentum back.

We filed out of the car like a pack of wary wolves in front of Northridge Mall twenty minutes later. Parking was a bitch and we had to walk all the way through and across. Taylor complained the whole way, which then prompted Alex to bicker with her and Mom to yell at the both of them.

Everyone's attitudes were already on ten before any aggressive shopper had the chance to bring it out of us. Except for dad. He was chipper as always.

Even if he didn't like the confrontation and drama that came with the rest of us on Black Friday, he never hesitated to tag along.

I walked by his side, playfully bumping shoulders with him. I shielded my mouth with my hand as a yawn escaped me.

"Tired?" He laughed, holding the door for the whole family.

"Yeah. We've been up since seven."

"Try six. Alex wouldn't stop throwing everything in existence this morning when he was getting ready." Taylor groaned in my place.

Our brother narrowed his eyes. "I was looking for something."

"Yeah, a brain cell."

"You're one to talk. Hey, didn't you fail your state test last year?"

"Okay, one test, wow. You literally failed two different classes, how'd they let you into high school?"

"Bro, you always have to take it too
far—."

"Guys." Mom cut in. Her brown eyes severed through us like slabs of wood. My mouth puckered as I side eyed my siblings. "I just want to get a few things, and then we're out of here. The last thing I need is the arguing, so everyone zip it. And I mean it. One more peep out of you, Taylor, and I will leave you in the car."

My sister may have shut her mouth, but her eyes said it all. It wasn't even me!

Alex smirked triumphantly and began to walk ahead. Of course like the kiss ass he is, he leaned into mom as if she didn't just reprimand us, him included.

I swear, mamas boys get away with everything.

The mall was packed wall to wall. I could feel myself wanting to crawl in my skin a bit from the different directions that mom pulled us in all day. Dad was a saving force though. He always cracked a joke or two that eased the tension. In the end, mom was irritable, Taylor wanted to fight anything in sight, Alex was at mom's side with a goofy smile towering over her and anyone that wanted to challenge her, and dad was at mine keeping an arm around me to guide me along. Each of us had at least one bag in hand, and it was useless shit really. We were building up to something bigger and better though. Well, better for mom. A mixer.

She'd been complaining about having to whisk things by hand and since her and Taylor liked to bake, it was only right.

My feet was hurting from the search, but it was my job to push the shopping cart so my siblings and I teamed up the minute we got into Target.

"Twenty dollars says I'll find it first." Alex leaned down to whisper to us away from mom's ears. Dad grinned, shaking his head.

"Twenty? Loser, do thirty." Taylor added, pulling her brown hair into a ponytail.

I made a face and shook my head too. "Fifty."

"Fifty? Why fifty? Neither of us have fifty." My sister exasperated.

I cut the conversation short, grabbing a nearby cart that seemed empty enough to be no one's. "Well, then you better win. And have fun finding a cart, this one's mine. Excuse me!"

I curved and whizzed past everyone, stopping short a few times and subtly knocking into a kid, mumbling my sorries. Even with all of the chaos, I was cutting corners and managing to find my way through the store. There were a few times where I ran into Taylor or Alex. We were wide eyed and frantic in our attempts to both dodge each other and find the mixer we were looking for. Mom was beginning to get pissed trying to keep track of all of us. When Alex and Taylor came back with the mixer in hand together, she cooled off a bit. And when I pulled the final plug that them finding it at the same time meant they had to split the money, they deflated like balloons too. Instead of $50, they were each getting $25. I grinned, dad laughed, and mom rolled her eyes.

Needless to say, I was the most hated on the ride home. It was okay though because once we all sat in the kitchen amidst food and unpacked bags, we were too tired to fight about anything.