Escaping Virginia

Chapter 3

"Damn, Mex, can't your parents take down that sign already?" Barbara-Ann asked annoyedly as she spotted the large blue and white TRUMP 2016 picket stamped in her friend's front lawn. It had been there for the past year and a half, ever since that clown started his bid to lead their country.

Mexico sighed loudly. "I wish they would. It's just a huge embarrassment. No one even likes him around here! All our neighbours hate us."

"Can't you just, like, get rid of it?"

"My mom would absolutely lose it..."

"Yah, but you could tell them someone else did it."

Mexico shrugged. Despite Trump's policies being (in a way) directed at her, she didn't seem to care that much about her parents political convictions, and wasn't particularly eager to do anything about it. Ann just wished she would tear the stupid thing down.

Barbara-Ann watched with some annoyance as Mexico aimed a loose kick at the sign before walking up the path to their front door. She unlocked the house slowly, inviting Barbara-Ann in behind her. They both kicked off their shoes and dropped their bags and coats, then ambled through to the kitchen.

"Hi Mrs Johnson, hi Mr Johnson." Barbara-Ann greeted kindly, to be met by a glare from the mother and a jovial wave from the father. Barbara liked Mexico's father as much as she hated her mother - he had no real political convictions, was a funny guy and cooked really well for a white person. Her mother, on the other hand... well, she was racist, homophobic, xenophobic and a huge Trump fan, and that was enough to hate anyone.

It was nice knowing that this woman had to wake up everyday knowing that she had a daughter called Mexico, when her idol's plans were to exterminate and beat down Mexico. It was enough to make Barbara-Ann laugh every time she thought of it.

Mexico once told Ann that her parents had had a huge fight when Kellyanne had started carrying a picture of the Donald in her wallet, taking out the one of her husband.

It was the biggest row they had ever had at home, because in general - and apart from the blazing discrimination a person of colour would experience in their household - they had a pretty perfect life.

"You girls have a nice day?" Mike Johnson asked nicely and Mexico nodded, pouring herself a glass of Coke, offering some to Barbara, who shook her head but lightened once she saw the bottle of Sunny D besides it.

"We got lab partners today." Mexico said and Barbara nodded listlessly, avoiding eye contact with Kellyanne Johnson who appeared to be attempting to stare her down. "I'm with Jeikeh."

"Yeah, lucky you, I got Vlad." Barbara-Ann added.

"Jeikeh's a nice boy." Kellyanne said with a slight sneer, which made Barbara-Ann scowl and rapidly leave the room, deciding this conversation was both too boring and too ridiculous for someone like her. She went back out into the hall and grabbed their bags, but paused a minute at the foot of the stairs to listen.

She snickered as she heard Mexico's mom call her daughter - "Hey, Meg, can I have a word with you?" Every time she heard Kellyanne call Mexico Meg she had to bite the inside of her cheek really hard in order not to burst out laughing.

Mexico sighed, giving her mother a warning glare, defying her to dare say anything racist in front of her best friend.

"You know I don't approve of you hanging out with her so much!" Kelly-Anne Johnson hissed at her daughter as Barbara-Ann made her way slowly upstairs, lugging both their backpacks.

"Don't even go there." Mexico snapped back angrily.

"Meg, there's so many lovely girls in your class, why are you still going around with her all the time?"

"Because she's my friend, mom, and I don't give a fuck about what she looks like because I'm not superficial and racist."