In The Heights Fanfiction

Chapter 2: Breathe

A/N: This chapter will be pretty short. It's hard to write the lyrics without Nina saying them . 

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It was still the morning of July 3rd, Usnavi and Abuela were sitting outside on their stoop. Sonny walked out of the bodega. Usnavi stood up as soon as he spotted Sonny.

"What did I say? Go fix the fridge!" Usnavi shouted, with an angry tone.

"Hells no, it was blowing fuses, sparking and shit!" Sonny responded. He looked at Abuela to ask for help, but she was on Usnavi's side.

"Usnavi, send him to D.R. for the summer." Abuela smiled. "Let him work on a farm so his Nikes can get real dirt on them!"

Sonny scoffed.

"I ain't wastin' no plane ticket on this kid." Usnavi motioned to Sonny. "I'll be on Playa Rincon with a rum and coke. Sonny can stay here and sell Twinkies."

Sonny looked at Usnavi with disgust. "Sell? I'll give 'em away for free. I'm the Robin Hood of El Barrio." He walked up to Piragua Guy and offered him a Twinkie.

Piragua Guy took it with no delay and kept moving. Sonny smiled and walked back into the bodega.

Usnavi was about to speak again but a familiar face showed up. She looked around the barrio, finally noticing her friends. "Hey!"

"Nina Rosario, what is up?" Usnavi's face lit up. He hugged her tight.

"Jetlag, I haven't slept all night." Nina frowned and looked at her feet.

Abuela looked up and noticed Nina, she smiled and screamed: "The watermelon of my heart!"

Nina let go of Usnavi and sat down next to Abuela.

"Bendición(Blessing), Abuela." Nina smiled and hugged her as well.

"Congratulations, your first year at Stanford University!" Abuela's smile grew as she was beaming with excitement. Nina, on the other hand, her smile had faded at the mention of Stanford.

"It felt like ten."

"You just missed your parents." Abuela rubbed Nina's back.

"I'm here to see you guys." She looked between the two of them. Usnavi and Abuela were supportive of her no matter what happened. They've always been there for me. Even when I was off in California at Stanford. They haven't changed.

"So, did you kick some college ass?" Usnavi asked with his hands in his pocket.

"I got mine handed to me on a silver platter." Nina put her head down.

Abuela scoffed. "Please, you knew the ABC's when you were six months old."

"You registered for half this block to vote!" Usnavi pitched in.

"The future Mayor of Neuvayork!" Abuela laughed at the memory.

Sonny noticed Nina from the window in the bodega and rushed outside.

"I wanna be your campaign manager! Yo miss, recognize this face?" Sonny gestured to his face as he stood next to Nina on the stoop.

Nina backed away in disbelief. "Look who's a grown man."

"Check outs the goatee." Sonny put his chin near her face and rubbed his fingers over it.

Nina laughed and looked at Abuela.

"That's fridge grease." Usnavi blatantly spoke.

"Why you so jealous of my skills?" Sonny smirked and stood face to face with his cousin.

"Back to work." Usnavi swept Sonny back to the bodega with his hands. "Stop by later!"

Usnavi and Sonny entered the bodega as Nina turned to Abuela.

"Those recipes you sent were my survival kit." Nina held Abuela's hands.

"I had to make sure you remembered the flavor of home." She stands up and wipes any dirt off her dress. "Bueno(Good), come inside, I have your sandwichito (little sandwich.) ready."

Abuela starts to walk away but Nina grabs her wrist. "I'll be there in a second."

"I'll go put the fan on."

Nina let go and let Abuela enter the apartment.

Okay, breathe. Everyone here is sweet. They say, "You're going places!" Nina stood up and walked down the stoop out onto the street.

But how can I say that when I was away? What am I going to say to everyone? "Hey guys it's me! The biggest disappointment you know!" No that won't work.

Nina kept a steady pace down the street. She kept thinking of what to tell everyone.

Just breathe. Wait, is that a bolero? I remember when this city was mine! Oh, it seems like lifetimes ago!

People kept waving to Nina as she walked down the street. She kept waving and smiling back, trying to hide her internal thoughts.

What do I say to these faces that I used to know? "Hey, I'm home!" No! That just sounds stupid. I don't know what I'm-

"Mira, Nina!" a woman out on the fire escape yelled. She was trying to get Nina's attention.

Nina looked up at her and waved. "Hey."

Their not worried about me. I can see it on their faces. They are all counting on me to succeed. I thought I could do this. But maybe I should have just stayed home.

Nina kept walking down the street, back to the stoop, battling her internal thoughts.

How do I tell them why I'm coming back home with my eyes on the horizon? Just me and the GWB...

Nina looked out to the George Washington Bridge and smiled.

...asking, "Gee, Nina, what'll you be?"

Nina looked away from the bridge and looked around the barrio once more. She remembered what she came to do.

Straighten the spine. She did just that. Smile for the neighbors. Nina put on her best smile and waved to everyone. Everything's fine, everything's cool. The standard reply: Lots of tests, lots of papers. Smile, wave goodbye. That's all I have to do. It's simple.

Nina glanced over to the bodega and was reminded that her parents used to stop by there every morning.

What will my parents say?! How can I go in there and say? "I know that I'm letting you down."

"Nina..." Abuela was visible on her stoop. She had her arms open to Nina, inviting her in.

Nina ran over and took Abuela's hands and entered her apartment.

Just breathe...

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{998 words}