Ride Home To Me

Chapter 7

I don't even notice how dark it's gotten until Letty tries throwing the ball and hits me instead.

"Ow hijo de-!"

"Sorry girl," she laughs.

"Lemme walk you home Let," I say, putting the ball back.

She starts fidgeting and stammers, "Nah, man, it's cool I'm good really. It's right there."

"Bullshit, let's go," I say.

She starts to protest but I loop my arm into hers and pull her along. Letty seems to grow more nervous as we get closer to the door, so I untangle our arms and rub her shoulder. We reach the porch and just as I'm about to give her a hug the front door flies open and a man stands in the doorway, glaring at us.

"Leticia get inside," he growls.

I look at her questioningly but she just rolls her eyes and shakes her head at me.

"He's just drunk. He'll be fine," she claps my shoulder. "Thanks for walking me back hermana."

"No problem," I say warily, watching her dad. I turn to leave but suddenly hear him call out to me.

"Hey you stay away from my daughter, hear me? I don't want her around a dyke like you."

I freeze in my footsteps and whip around.

"Excuse me?" I ask, shocked. "I'm not-I'm not a-that okay señor? I'm just a friend walking Letty home because it's late. Nice to meet you too."

I turn around and haul ass back home. Behind my shoulder I can hear Letty and her dad yelling at each other, no doubt over what he just said to me. When I get back I grab a cup of water and rush upstairs to my bedroom.

I manage to control my breathing before spiraling. Ma found a new nursing job at a nearby hospital and she's taken on a lot of night shifts, which unfortunately leaves me alone to deal with myself tonight. A knock at the front door forces me to speed through my calming process, though. Once I manage to breathe normally I start downstairs, grabbing a small bat by the door and peeking through the window, relieved to see only Letty standing at the door.

"Letty? What the hell are you doing here?" I ask, opening the door and putting the bat down. I notice she has a bag in her hands. "Everything okay?"

"I'm so sorry, he shouldn't have said that to you," she says, almost pleading with me.

I sigh. "Get in here girl." I move aside so she can come in. "My ma's at the hospital tonight so it'll have to be just you and me. Don't worry about it, we're cool. I assume he's just a dick."

She scoffs. "Yeah that's one way of putting it."

"You cool with leftovers for dinner?" I ask, pulling out the containers of beans and rice from the fridge. Letty nods and collapses onto the couch.

I finish heating the food and bring the plates over to the living room. We decide to put a movie on but don't pay much attention to it as we eat.

"I'm really sorry Gabi. That was just..." She sighs.

"It-it's fine," I stammer. I really don't want to talk about this. I can feel the panic rising in my chest already.

"No it's not fine, man. That wasn't okay, and I know it's not true, I'm really sorry you had to see that."

"Yeah it's not true..." I mutter nervously. "Uh, it's okay really, I ain't holding it against you or anything."

She stares at me. "Are you sure?"

I nod, not meeting her eyes.

"What's wrong?"

I shake my head. "Nothing I'm fine." The panic is building, though, and it's getting harder to breathe.

"Is it something I said?"

"No really I'm not upset with you I promise."

"Was it what he said?"

I stay silent, not wanting to give an answer. I can see her jaw drop the moment the realization hits her. Fuck.

"Wait Gabi are you-?"

I cut her off when I sprint upstairs and slam my bedroom door shut. I can hear her calling after me but I tune it out even when she comes knocking on my door.

As much as she calls me, I don't let her in until I've calmed myself down. I raise my hands up in defense as soon as the door opens, but she just stands there with her hands on her hips. She raises an eyebrow at my lifted arms.

"What the hell are you doing?"

I slowly lower my hands, confused.

"Gabi are you gay?"

"N-no." I stare at the floor.

"Gabi-"

"I'm not, Letty, leave me alone, I-"

"Gabi it's okay."

I almost fall over from how fast I look up.

"W-what?"

She looks at me like I'm crazy.

"It's okay if you are. Why didn't you tell me?"

"Oh I don't know," I spat, "Maybe 'cause last time I told someone I got jumped in the schoolyard by the people who were supposed to be my best friends." I glare at the ground, then sigh and pull up my shirt just enough to show the still healing scabs from where my sides were cut up four months ago. The bruises have healed, but the girl's sharp heels left me cut and bleeding and so they haven't quite disappeared yet.

Letty's mouth opens as if she can't believe what she's seeing. Then she looks at me and cautiously takes me into her arms.

We stand there for a minute, not saying anything. Then I sigh and ask, "Has he ever hit you?"

Letty shakes her head. "He just gets really drunk when he gets back from work. Usually watches tv and just passes out on the couch. Takes his anger out on the empty beer bottles if he feels like it."

"Good," I sigh with relief. "I, uh, I'm glad. It's not fun."

We sink down to the ground and lean against my bed. Letty wraps her arm around me.

"I'm never gonna do that to you okay hermana? Me and you, we're gonna stick together, and when the rest of the gang finds out I know they're gonna stick with you too. You're one of us now."

I rest my head on her shoulder, still in disbelief that she hasn't run for the hills yet.

"Are you sure?"

"Ride or die."