gone girl

1

june 18, 2011
8 years old

"mamá, por qué no podemos quedarnos en méxico?" (translation: mom, why cant we just stay in mexico?) i ask my mother, a pout on my lips as i cross my arms over my chest. "i like it here."

"your father has a job in california, marlena," she tells me, brushing my hair behind my ear. "that's what he does, mija - he travels for work."

"but it rains in los angeles," I mumble, tears welling in my eyes. "qué hay de mis amigos? no puedo dejarlos aquí!" (translation: what about my friends? i cant just leave them here!)

"we have to go, marlena, and that's final," my mother says firmly, pointing at the empty suitcase on my twin sized bed. "now pack your bags - we board the plane in two hours."

"I dont want to go," I grumble, tossing my clothes and my favorite teddy into the pastel purple bag with my name on it. "but since we're getting money from papá, it's okay."

two weeks later

i never wanted to move away from my friends in mexico, but they were my only reason to stay. rico and mariá havent called or written me, and it's been two whole weeks! why havent they contacted?

a knock at the front door distracted me from my upsetting thoughts.

"lo tengo, mamá!" (translation: i got it, mom!) i shout as i leap from the sofa and make my way to the door, opening it to see a red headed woman wearing blue jeans and a long sleeved shirt with a floral pattern. beside her stood a blonde girl with piercing blue eyes, a pair of olive green shorts and a black tshirt covering her milky white skin. forgetting that I'm now in an english speaking country, I say, "quién eres tú?" (translation: who are you?)

"is your mom home?" the lady asks softly, a friendly smile spreading across her lips. "my name is maggie - i live next door."

"one second- mamá, una señora está en la puerta!" (translation: mom, some lady is at the door!) I shout into the house. "she says shes our neighbor!"

"you can speak english here, mija," she tells me with a soft laugh as she walks into the living room from the kitchen. she places her hands on my shoulders as we stand in the doorway. "im jocelyn, and this is marley."

"im maggie, and this is billie," the lady says, motioning to her daughter. "billie saw marley outside yesterday and wanted to-"

"I can talk for myself, mom," billie whines, giving her mother an annoyed look. "i was wondering if you wanted to be my friend, because I'm home schooled and i dont have very many friends besides zoe and even zoe doesnt hang out with me very much-"

"id like to be your friend," i tell the girl - partially because her blabbering was kind of cute, but mostly to shut her up. "wanna come help me unpack my room?"

"can i?" billie looks up at her mother, her big blue eyes staring at the woman in adoration and desperation. "please, mom?"

"as long as you're home for dinner." the woman says, leaning down to kiss her daughter's forehead. "i love you, billie."

"yeah, love you," she grumbles in return before looking at me with a grin. "ready?"

i nod and take her hand, running up to my box filled bedroom. "i brought a lot of things from Mexico-"

"whoa, you lived in mexico?" billie asks me with wide blue eyes as she sits cross legged on the carpeted floor. "that's so cool!"

"yeah!" i tell her with a grin, opening one of the boxes and handing her a stuffed bull. "i want you to have this, as a coin of new friendship...is that the saying?"

"i think its token," billie says with a smile, looking at the cursive writing stitched into the bull's chest. "t...tee ador...adderall?..como lay vaycay-"

"no," I giggle, grabbing her hands as i look at her. "repeat after me - te adoro, como la vaca al toro."

"te adore-o, como la vaca al toro?" she says in a question, looking at me with a confused expression. "what does that mean?"

"i adore you," i say softly, my brown eyes staring deeply into hers, a grin spreading across my face. "i adore you, like the cow to the bull."

"am i the cow or the bull?"

i have a feeling this one will be short as hell

i love yall. stay safe.