Serendipity Down the Block

Chapter 1: NO

[***]=translations

"No," Irma shouted. 

Hearing that her daughter was going off to college, was daggers in her chest. She would be so far from home; so far from safety. Irma could not live with the thought that Sierra was somewhere alone, unsafe, dead. It was all a slippery slope.

"Cálmate, por favor," [Calm down, please] her husband said. He always let the mother of his children make the decisions for their kids. Mothers know best. However, the thought of his daughter making something of herself was something he wanted to yell out every window, and down every street, and he was not going to let Irma get in the way.

"¿Cómo pudiste dejarla hacer esto?" [How could you let her do this?] Irma's blood still boiled as she spurted heat from her mouth. Her eyes were squinted at her daughter and her fist was clenched against her chest. Seeing her mother like that, always shaded Sierra's mind like snow on mountains. All she could think was how she could stop the rampage, but this was a storm that had to come.

"I'm going to be outside," Sierra said as she made her way out the door. Irma shouted Spanish at Sierra; none of which she could understand. People think you automatically know Spanish when you grow up with Latino parents, but if you don't use it, you lose it. That is what her grandfather told her at least, but it was probably the alcohol that made him forget Spanish along with other things.

She went outside and walked down the sidewalk. It was custom for her to get out of the chaos for some time when they fought like that. There was only so much yelling she wouldn't be able to get a word in, much less, hear herself think. 

She was glad she had a sundress on as the beams of sunlight were beating against the concrete to where it felt as the ground was some heating pad. The "Land of Enchantment" was more like an inferno.

Driving by in his truck, Emiliano saw her walking. He was in the car with his friends, Andrés and David; both of whom wouldn't shut up about how good she looked. He was only going to keep his eyes on the road and ignore her, but she always caught her eye. Her thick curly hair went down her back, and she had dark fresh-brewed coffee eyes. He never had the courage to talk to her in grade school, but they have graduated now, so it should be different.

He slowed his car down, "Sierra, you need a ride?"

"Your car is really loud, Milo!" she tried to shout over the noise of his truck. She wondered what kind of modifications he added to the exhaust system to make it as loud as it did—his engine roar was the loudest she had heard in a long time. Maybe, he just has dual side exhausts.

He pulled over to the curb, and she walked up to his window. "I could give you a ride, Sierra. If you need it."

"No, I'm actually taking a walk," she said. She hated for guys to offer her rides. She knew that they were just being courteous, but hated having to go through the same conversation every time.

"Why don't you stop being a calientapollas, and get in the car?" Andrés said from the backseat.

"Why don't you go be with your girlfriend, María? Remember her?" she hissed, and David found humor in that. His laugh was almost as loud as Milo's car, but he didn't get on her nerves like Andrés. Andrés would say something that he knew would make her boil, and she didn't know why he had to make it so that obvious he liked her when the three of them were together.

"Chinga tu madre," he muttered under his breath as he shrugged into his seat which made David chuckle more; Sierra knew Andrés had said something. Something not good. 

She caught Emiliano looking at her. "Have a nice night, Milo," she said walking away. There his chance was gone again because of Andrés, and he couldn't wait to clock him in the mouth when he got out of the car.