DARK DEEDS

12

WHEN I OPEN the door of the dorm room — Grandma stands before me and Isabella stands behind Grandma.

“Carina Marie Gonzalez.” Grandma screams in that thick Mexican accent of hers. “Where were you? I had to drive from Venice because your friend here was worried sick.”

“I went to the library and fell asleep.” I lie to Grandma. “I am sorry for worrying you both.”

“That is fine. All that matters is that YOU are safe.” Isabella is quick to responds as she runs up to me and wraps her arms around me.

I take in her chocolate scent as I bury myself into the crook of her shoulder and recount the events of the night. I feel a tear run down my night at it all.

He erased all the memories I had of mom and what is so painful about it all is that I do not even have a backup of the photos.

It is almost as if he has murdered her a second time. Isabella sits me down on the bed as grandmother makes a call.

“What happened Carina? You had me worried sick.” Isabella tells me — her brows creased.

As I am about to answer — a knock sounds at the door. Isabella and I stare at each other puzzled. No one ever knocks at this time.

Grandmother being the closest to the door — heads on over to it when she cuts her call. She opens the door and there behind it stands Salvatore with my tote bag in his hand.

Grandmother scrutinizes him from head to toe before she speaks. “Who and what do you want at this hour of the night?”

He looks over grandmothers head at me. I plead with him to makeup some lie and leave but he does the complete opposite as he looks Grandmother dead in the face and responds. “I want Carina. She left her bag in my car.”

“Did she?” Grandmother turns to me and crosses her arms. “Carina come here.”

I stand from the bed and walk to the door like someone who shit their pants.

 “This man claims that this is your bag and you left it in his car.” Grandmother tells me. “Is that true?”

“I can—”

“Carina.” She raises her voice at me in front of him before she spells it out. “Is. That. True. Yes. Or. No.”

“Yes. It is true.” I respond before she takes the bag from Salvatore and slams the door in his face.

Then she slaps me hard across the face. “I did not send you to the best school in Rome just so you could become a lying prostitute. Your mother would be so ashamed. Shame on you.”

I do not talk back. All I do is rub at the ache on my cheek and sob in the middle of the room as she scowls at me. She heads toward my side of the bed and takes out the suitcase.

“You know what?” Grandmother screams. “We leave for Venice tomorrow. You shall only come back here when the break is over.”

“No.” I respond louder than intended. “I have a ballet audition tomorrow.”

“Ballet?” She chuckles. “Where will that take you Carina? I do not want to hear about that stupid audition. We leave tomorrow.”

“No. You leave tomorrow.” I respond as I head on over to where she has my clothes in a suitcase and remove them all.

“You have lost all respect.” Grandmother scowls. “And until you earn that respect back — I shall not pay for your tuition fee next semester.”

“No problem. My prostitution will pay for it.” I scream before I take the tote bag and head out the door.

I head back to the car park and discover that Salvatore is still there. He leans over his car as he presses his phone.

When he notices me from the distance he puts his phone into his pocket and smirks.  “Get in the car.”

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