dreaming of you: on my block

svn

elena was now dressed, munching on tortilla chips alone in her room as she waited for monse to say she was outside.

elena scratched her bare leg absentmindedly, feeling the spots she missed when she shaved, before her attention was turned to her door opening.

constanza was holding a bag of candy, and shuffled towards elena. elena set down her bowl of chips, and tentatively grabbed her remote incase this was an assault.

"peace offering." the 12 year old mumbled, and elena scoffed as she hugged her younger sister, snatching the bag from her hands. "glad you know how to bribe me," elena said, and the girls laughed as they opened up the bag.

several fun sized-twix bars later and suddenly elena's phone was ringing. she answered, told monse she was coming, and ran a brush through her hair quickly and then said goodbye to constanza as she walked outside.

"um, why are you guys on bikes?" elena asked, looking at her three friends. "because this is how we get around. where's yours?" jamal asked, and elena laughed nervously.

"funny story.."

if you would've asked elena two hours earlier where she thought she'd be, her answer most definitely would not have been 'on the back of a bike clutching onto ruby for dear life', but that's where she's at right now.

elena closed her eyes as she tried not to fall off the bike that was meant for one, and tried to focus on how nice it felt to feel the wind blow through her hair.

"okay, drop off coming up," she heard ruby say, and elena sadly opened her eyes right as they descended down the hill. she squealed in terror as she watched the world fly around her, and tried to take the time to see the beauty in it.

even though she would probably have a panic attack the second she got off the bike, she doubts she'll forget the way the trees look as they blur past her or how the sounds of all three bikes make a weird-sort of symphony that perfectly attunes how elena feels in this moment.

although it all comes crashing down, literally, when ruby runs over a pothole and elena is pretty sure she has ptsd. she squeezes her eyes shut and hears ruby's spine popping as she squeezes him too, but ignores it the same way she ignores the rush of wind blowing through her hair threatening to knock her off at any moment.

some time later, elena isn't sure because something about almost dying makes you stop keeping track of time, the four arrive at what elena can only describe as a paletera.

"you can open your eyes now," monse said, and elena snorted as she took a wobbly step down. "that was the scariest experience of my life," elena said as she smoothed down her shirt, kind of already regretting her choice on a long sleeve.

"you can drive back if you want," ruby mumbled, and elena chuckled at him. "then we'd really die." she said, and the three laughed as jamal watched from a distance.

elena noticed him standing a distance off, and excused herself from the group as she went to talk to him. he became noticeably nervous upon seeing her crossing over to him, and elena felt a weird feeling about it.

"you okay?" elena asked, and jamal nodded rapidly. "...you sure?" elena asked, and noticed a bead of sweat roll down the side of his head as he nodded again. "you're easy to read, you know that?" elena mused, and jamal shuddered.

"so tell me. what's wrong?" elena asked, sitting on a nearby bench and patting the space next to her. jamal took a hesitant seat next to her, and elena took a hold of the side of his face and looked at him.

"what.

"is.

"wrong?"

and nothing could have prepared elena for the explosion that occurred when jamel opened his mouth, the flurry of words spewing out all at once, none of which included any vowels.