Chicago... June, 1997...
"MAMA!" Josephine "Josie" Fraser shouted from upstairs.
"What, Josie?" Evangeline "Dixie" Fraser called from the kitchen.
"Why am I moving schools the last month of junior year?"
"Josephine, just quit your complaining and get your ass down here... you're gonna be late." William "Billy" Fraser shouted. "I'm not going to be late because you're being pissy."
Josie groaned. Her father didn't get it. They'd just moved from New Orleans to Chicago, well back to Chicago. Josie had been born here but when she was 5 they headed back to her mom's hometown. She had just turned 17 and her dad had been offered a position within the Gang Unit of the Chicago Police Department. He had been a patrolman in Chicago before working Homicide in New Orleans. She was probably going to be the youngest senior in the school, but her parents... specifically her father, didn't seem to care. She didn't want to go to a real school. She wanted to keep doing the homeschooling her mom had had her do for the last three years.
It was June and the end of the school year in all Chicago high schools. Her mom had insisted she start 'real' school now, so as to stay caught up with the other kids going into the 12th grade. Josie pulled on the last piece of her school uniform and headed down into the kitchen.
"You look very nice, chère." Her mom complimented her with her distinct New Orleans twang.
"It's a uniform, Mama. It's... ridiculous."
"You're in a Catholic school." Her father grunted. "Grab your lunch and let's go."
"Yes, Daddy." Josie knew not to argue with her father. He said loved her, but he was strict as hell. Most people tended to assume that he wasn't even her real dad. She hugged her mother and headed out to the family vehicle. She was praying that this school would be more accepting than the first one they had registered her when they moved back last month. She hadn't been well received because she was always the youngest in her classes.
Billy grabbed his gear. "Let's go."
Josie followed him out to their Jeep. She just kept repeating, "This is only for another year... this is only for another year..." in her head. After she graduated high school, she was moving back to New Orleans to go to university. She wasn't staying here one day longer than she had to. She hated winters in Chicago. She would rather deal with hurricanes any day.
The Jeep came to a stop. Her father turned to her. "Don't cause too much trouble."
"Yes, Daddy." She said. "Are you picking me up after school?"
"You're mother will call the school to tell you who's coming. You may just have to take the bus." He signalled to her to get out.
She got out and wished him luck in his new job. She stood there as he pulled out, tires spitting dust and rocks behind him. She looked up at the building. "Fuck me." She groaned. "I so cannot wait until June next year." She headed up the large steps and headed into the school. She headed to the main office to get her schedule.
A perky secretary, something she definitely didn't expect to see in a Catholic school, greeted her. "Welcome to Holy Trinity High School."
"Thank you."
"I'm Mrs. MacDonald. I'm taking you're our new student."
"I am." Josie was surprised. Maybe this wasn't going to be too bad.
"It's a pleasure to have you here. Our principal, Mr. Kelly will be out shortly. He's just dealing with someone at the moment."
"That's no problem. I came early."
Mrs. MacDonald signalled to some very comfy chairs for Josie to wait in. Josie sat and waited patiently for the principal to meet with her. Suddenly a door just behind the large secretary's desk opened. Mrs. MacDonald pointed to where Josie was sitting. A tall man in a three-piece suit came to greet her.
"You must be Josephine." He extended his hand.
She stood up and shook it. "I am. I prefer to be called Josie, sir."
"Oh, of course. Josie, I'm Mr. Kelly. I'm the principal here at Holy Trinity. Welcome to our school."
"Thank you, sir."
"Come into my office. I have someone I'd like you to meet."
Josie followed him into his very spacious office. There were certificates, trophies and medals that covered the one wall. On the other wall were pictures of people Josie assumed were alumni. She turned and faced a young woman; she was guessing was finishing her junior year like herself, but was closer to 18.
"Josephine Fraser, meet Gabriela Dawson. She'll be your buddy for this last month of the school year to help you settle in ... and if it works out, she'll help you in the fall as well."
"Hi Josephine. I prefer Gaby." Gabriela extended her hand.
"I prefer Josie." Josie laughed as the two shook hands.
Mr. Kelly just shook his head. "You young women and your nicknames. So, Gaby will your guide and will help you understand your schedule and the school bus routes and such. We got a call from your mom saying that you'd be taking the bus for the rest of this year." Mr. Kelly extended her a piece of paper. "Here's your schedule. Gaby will walk with you to each of your classes to make sure you don't get lost. We have a Mass tomorrow morning, so she will make sure you know how to get to the chapel as well."
Gaby peered at the schedule. "Mr. Kelly, we're in all the same classes."
"Even better." He smiled.
"Thank you, Mr. Kelly." Josie smiled. This was definitely better than what she had originally expected.
"You're very welcome. Enjoy your first day and let Mrs. MacDonald or myself know if you need anything."
Josie smiled and nodded. Mr. Kelly opened his office door and Gaby and Josie left.
"So, curious... why are you just starting here now... with a month left of Junior Year?"
Josie explained her situation. "I was born here... Mama got an opportunity to go and teach nursing back in New Orleans when I was five. We were there for 11 years and then we just moved back last month. My dad's in the CPD now." She knew not to mention which unit he belonged to. "I've been homeschooled the last three years."
"You're only 16?" Gaby did the math from what Josie had explained to her.
Josie blushed and nodded. "Actually, I just turned 17. I guess we weren't there for a full 11 years."
"Wow. Maybe you can help me with math or something."
Josie laughed. "I can try. I'm not exactly a math whiz... bio, history... languages... no problem."
"Great." Gaby grinned. "Alright, so we have Lit first thing every morning."
Josie stuck her tongue out. "Eww! I hate Lit."
"You won't hate Mr. Walker." Gaby smirked. "He gets us to act out the plays we do and he does cool stuff. Put it this way, you won't be falling asleep in that class."
"That I can live with." Josie looked at the schedule. "AP history?"
"Easy class as long as you pay attention to the lectures."
"Math?"
"He drones on but he's not super complicated."
"Bio?"
"How are you with labs?"
"I'm not squeamish. My mom's a trauma nurse."
"Then you're gonna survive." Gaby looked at the last two classes. "Theatre?"
"I was raised in New Orleans... it's always a play or theatrical thing goin' on."
"Cool... and French?"
"I figured it'd be easy."
"Then you're set." Gaby opened the door to head to one of the upper levels. "This is the fastest way to Mr. Walker's class."
*SBU*SBU*SBU*SBU*SBU*SBU*SBU*SBU*SBU*SBU*SBU*SBU*SBU*
At the end of the day, Gaby led Josie to where they could catch the bus. "So, Josie, where do you live?" Josie rattled off her address. Gaby's jaw dropped. "Oh my God! You're literally my next door neighbour."
"Really?"
Gaby nodded. "Yeah. I knew someone had bought the house, but we never saw anyone move in."
"My dad insisted on buying all new stuff because my mom didn't want to sell the house in New Orleans. I think though, my parents are going through some rough patch... I'm not sure... but they may be separating."
"Ouch. That sucks. Sorry, Josie."
"Meh." Josie shrugged. "Even if they do get divorced or whatever, there's no way that my dad will let me move back there. He hated New Orleans. He hated... well he basically hates everything and everyone."
"Sounds like a peach." Gaby said as they walked towards the bus stop near the school.
Josie was going to say something else, but a car horn interrupted her. The girls turned to see a deep blue 1978 Camaro pull up next to them. The window was rolled down. "Hey, sis... who's the new girl?" A man's voice came from the car.
Gaby leaned down. "Hey Antonio. Thought you were still at the academy?"
"I'm coming back from the boxing gym. Who's the new girl?" He pointed to Josie.
Gaby grabbed Josie's arm and pulled her to the car. "This is Josie. Turns out she's our new neighbour."
Josie leaned in next to Gaby. "Hi." She replied timidly.
"Josie, this is one of my brothers, Antonio." Gaby turned back to her brother. "What do you want?"
"To offer you two a ride before the rain starts." Antonio grinned.
Josie didn't know if he could see it, but she was blushing. Her heart was racing. She looked to Gaby. "It's gotta be better than waiting for the bus." She pointed to the sky. "Clouds do look pretty nasty."
Gaby nodded. She opened the door and crawled into the back seat. "Josie, you sit up front. It's not easy climbing into this thing if you're not used to it."
Josie sat down and shut the door. She rolled up the window. "It's not that bad."
"Hey, this baby's a classic." Antonio said as he pulled away from the curb. "Dad and I fixed this thing up the same way he did with the Mustang Tiago bought when he was in high school."
Gaby groaned. "Thank God I'm not into cars."
"So, Josie. How do you like Chicago?" Antonio turned his attention to Gaby's new friend.
"It's colder than what I'm used to." She whispered. It was June and hot, but Chicago was definitely nowhere near as hot as the Gulf Coast.
"Where you from?" He was curious about their new neighbour.
"I was born here, but raised in New Orleans. We just moved back a month ago."
"Lots of fun, out in New Orleans?"
Josie nodded. "Definitely. I miss it, but I promised my dad I'd finish school here and then go to college or university."
"Well, welcome back to Chicago." He smiled. "So, Gaby's your buddy?"
"Yep." Gaby said from the back. "I like her. She's seriously the smartest kid in all our classes. And she's the youngest."
"How old are you?" Antonio was genuinely curious. Josie looked to be about the same age as Gaby, but age can be deceiving. He knew that happened all the time. His mom was always mistaken for his sister.
"17... I just turned 17 a couple days ago... I'll be 18 when I graduate next year though.."
"Sweet." Antonio pulled into the driveway next to hers. "So, you wanna come in? You and Gaby can do homework... it's gotta be better than waiting in an empty house."
"How do you know it's empty?"
"Well, your dad isn't home and your mom left when I came home before going to the gym."
"Oh." Josie didn't think her mom was starting at the hospital yet, but who knew anymore. "If it's okay with you guys?"
"Well, I'm the one running the Dawson house right now, so yeah... it's fine." Antonio laughed.
"Your parents aren't home?" Josie asked as she gathered her backpack off the floor.
"They're in the Dominican. They go once or twice a year to deal with their properties there and visit their brothers and sisters."
"You're Dominican?" Josie quickly realized how dumb that question sounded.
Gaby snorted. "Yeah. Sorry, I guess I should've mentioned that."
Antonio shook his head. "Girls. Alright, well... let's go inside and you two study and I'm going to get ready for the next round of exams at the Academy."
"Which Academy are you at?" Josie asked, following the Dawson siblings to the front door.
"The Police Academy. I'm gonna make it up the ranks and be a Detective one day."
"If you survive being a patrolman first." Gaby reminded him.
"Yeah, yeah." Antonio mocked her as he unlocked the front door.
Josie froze. "Shit." She exclaimed.
Antonio and Gaby turned to face her.
"Sorry." Josie covered her mouth. "I just forgot... If I'm not home, my dad may flip."
"Go leave him a note on the door." Gaby suggested.
"Maybe call the District and have them relay the message?" Antonio added.
"I'll do both." Josie quickly grabbed her notepad, scribbled a note and ran over to put it on the front door.
"Should we be worried about her?" Antonio whispered to Gaby once they were alone.
"Her dad sounds like a piece of work... and she thinks her parents are separating."
"She's probably right... I saw her mom leave with a suitcase set in a cab."
"Shit." Gaby said. She saw Josie running back to them. "Don't tell her."
Antonio nodded and headed into the house.
"Welcome to la Casa Dawson." Gaby smiled, allowing Josie to walk in first.
The first thing Josie noticed was how bright the house was. There was artwork on most of the walls and they were definitely of Dominican origin. There were flowers on the table in the centre of the main sitting area. "Wow."
"What?" Gaby asked as she put her coat in the hall closet.
"You have colour in your house... and artwork... and FLOWERS!" Josie was just in awe.
"Don't you have that kinda stuff?" Gaby asked, glancing at Antonio who was probably more in shock than Josie was.
"Uh... no. My dad doesn't believe in 'frouffy' stuff. He just wants a place to hang his clothes and everything is so minimalist. It's like living in a hospital." Josie sighed. "Anyhow... enough about my sad life... where can we set up to do homework?"
Gaby looked to Antonio. "Uh, we can use the kitchen. I'll go set up right now and maybe get some snacks." Gaby turned and headed into the kitchen.
Antonio stepped forward. "Let me get your coat." He helped her get the coat off and put in the closet.
She blushed. Being homeschooled for the last few years, she hadn't been around many boys. Her dad being a tough cop didn't help that either. Antonio was a very good-looking guy. He was about 5'10" tall and very fit. His dark hair was slicked back a little and his eyes were the colour of dark chocolate. He had a diamond stud in his left ear that glimmered in the light of the entryway. "Thank you."
"You're welcome. Look, you ever need anything... anytime... call us... come over... we'll help you out."
"Is it that obvious?"
"Is what that obvious?" Antonio attempted to play dumb.
Josie sighed. "That my dad is the biggest ass hat in the world."
"I wasn't going to say anything." Antonio said. "Look, if you need anything... Gaby or me... we'll help you."
"I really appreciate that." Josie smiled. "I guess I should... um... go do some homework." She went towards the kitchen.
Antonio headed to the living room where he had set up his Academy stuff. He thought about Josie's situation. It sucked. She was a sweet girl and she was stuck with a Nazi for a father. That was no way to live. He wished his parents were here. They'd know what to do. Until they were back, he was the man of the house. He was 20, almost 21. He sighed and went over his notes for how to disarm a suspect. His mind couldn't focus. All he could think about was his new neighbour. He slammed the book closed and went to eavesdrop on his sister and Josie.
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Around 6 that night, Gaby and Josie were making supper when there was loud banging on the front door. Antonio reacted. "You two stay here." He headed to check on who was trying to bust the door down. "I'm coming!" He opened the door to see a rough looking man in a leather jacket. "Can I help you?"
"You can give me my daughter back." He growled.
"You're Josie's dad?" Antonio wasn't overly surprised. He fit the personality of the man Josie had described to him.
"Her name is Josephine and yes." He pushed his way into the house. "Josephine, get your ass over here now!" He bellowed.
"Sir, she's studying with my sister. They're in the same classes." Antonio was trying to be diplomatic about it, but he really wanted to deck the bastard.
"I don't give a damn!" Billy Fraser barked. "She's my daughter and I expect her to be home when I get there."
Josie ran around the corner, cramming her binder into her school bag. "I'm here. I'm coming. I'm sorry, Daddy. Gaby and I got really into this exam prep."
Billy grunted. "Where's your coat?"
"Here." Antonio handed Josie her coat.
"Thanks." Josie whispered. She put the coat on and turned to thank Antonio and Gaby. "Thanks. I'm glad to have met you guys."
"Same here." Gaby smiled. She felt bad for Josie. No one should treat their daughter that way. If her parents had been here, she was certain her mother would've lost it on him. Latinas were very scary when pissed off, but her mother took the prize on scariest ever.
Josie was going to say something else but her father grabbed her by the arm and yanked her out the door. "See you tomorrow." Josie managed to call out before disappearing from their sight.
Antonio closed the door, locked it and turned to face Gaby. "What the hell was that?"
"She said he was a mean man."
"That wasn't just mean, Gaby. That man is a monster. And he's a cop?" Antonio cringed. "She's not safe there." He tried to see out the window, but it was raining too hard.
"Well, whatta ya want me to do about it?" Gaby asked. "I'm 17, almost 18. I can't do much about it. You're the one in the Academy... can't you inquire about him?"
"I think I could... I don't know... but she doesn't deserve that." Antonio looked out the window towards Josie's house. "We may need to rescue her."
"I'll talk to her tomorrow." Gaby agreed. "We'll come up with something to be able to help her."
*SBU*SBU*SBU*SBU*SBU*SBU*SBU*SBU*SBU*SBU*SBU*SBU*SBU*
"Where's Mama?" Josie asked rubbing her arm when she got in the house.
"New Orleans." Billy said bluntly.
"What?!" Josie exclaimed. "Why?"
"Because she left me. She only came to help you settle in. We're divorced. Have been for the last month." He grabbed a beer from the fridge. "Now, make something to eat."
"What? Divorced?" Josie was in shock.
"Yes, that's what I said. Now... make some God damned food or else!" He stormed off into the living room.
Josie stood frozen in the kitchen. She knew that they had been going through a rough patch, but she didn't think her mother would just abandon her with her father. She knew that if she didn't do something for supper, losing her mother wasn't the only thing she'd have to deal with tonight. She opened the fridge and grabbed the pork chops. She set to seasoning them and putting them in a pan. She then chopped up some potatoes and got them going. She set the table silently as tears streamed down her face.
*SBU*SBU*SBU*SBU*SBU*SBU*SBU*SBU*SBU*SBU*SBU*SBU*SBU*
The rest of the school year flew by. Billy Fraser eventually eased up on Josie spending time with the Dawson family, especially when he started doing undercover assignments. This suited Josie just fine. She really enjoyed spending time with Gaby. Her mother had arranged to come and spend most of the summer with Josie. Billy hadn't been happy with the arrangement, but Josie didn't care. If she wasn't going to be allowed to go back to New Orleans, then she was going to get whatever time she got with her mother. She couldn't wait for Gaby and Antonio to meet her.
Josie checked the calendar and grinned. It was July 3 and her mother was coming in the next morning and Antonio had volunteered to drive Josie to the airport to pick her up. Today, she and Gaby were going to tidy the house and do some baking. What really made Josie's day was that her father had left a note saying he had to go undercover and wasn't sure for how long. He had arranged to have money left for her to get groceries and unofficially, the Dawsons were watching over her. She braided her hair into two pigtails and headed next door to see if Gaby was ready. She rang the doorbell and within seconds, Liliana Dawson answered the door with a big smiled. "Hola Señora Dawson."
"Hola, mija." She laughed. "Come in, Gabriela is just finishing her chores."
"Thank you for letting her come and help me." Josie was very sincere. She thought of the Dawsons as another family, except for Antonio... She had a huge crush on him.
"Anything for you, Josie. It's very special that your mama is coming to spend time with you." Liliana led her to the kitchen. "Come, I made some empanadas and I'd like for you to take some home with you."
"Gracias!" Josie had been picking up little bits and pieces of Spanish during her time spent with Gaby and Antonio. Granted, she had spent almost every chance she got with them.
"De nada, mija. Now, come... I suspect you didn't eat breakfast this morning."
Josie's cheeks burned. "No... I didn't."
"A young lady always needs to eat breakfast." Liliana chastised her. "Come, I make you a plate."
Josie couldn't say no. No one said 'no' to Liliana Dawson. She sat at the kitchen table and allowed Liliana to serve her some eggs with sausage and fresh tortillas. Eating here was heaven. She had taken the time to write down a lot of the recipes to practice at home. She didn't want to be one of those college kids who lived on ramen and pizza for four years. She was just beginning to eat when Antonio came in from the back yard. Josie had to make sure she didn't spit out her food when her jaw dropped. She hadn't seen him like this before.
He was covered in a thin sheen of sweat. He wasn't wearing a shirt and his jeans were riding really low on his hips. He washed his hands and then poured himself some orange juice from the fridge. "Hi Josie."
"Hi." Josie managed to get out. She prayed her cheeks weren't glowing red like the tomatoes Mrs. Dawson was chopping for a salsa.
"Mami, your tomato plants are pruned, fertilized and watered... as is the rest of the garden."
"Thank you, hijo." She smiled. "Come, eat. You're as bad as your father when it comes to working hard and not eating."
"Yes, mom." He got up and served himself. He kissed his mother's cheek as he walked by her. "Did you plant enough herbs to feed the whole neighbourhood?" He asked.
Liliana stopped chopping veggies and glared at her son. "No... just enough to share with Josie... and dry to last the winter."
"Ah." Antonio winked at Josie. "You will definitely have enough herbs."
Josie focused on her eggs. "Thank you so much, Señora Dawson."
Liliana went back to chopping some herbs to be tossed in with the tomatoes and onions that were occupying one bowl on the counter. "Josie, call me Liliana or Mami... Señora makes me feel old."
"Oh! Sorry, Se... Liliana."
"Much better." Liliana began to hum a tune while finishing her salsa.
"So, what are you and 'lil sis gonna get into today?" Antonio asked as he cleared his plate.
"She's... um... coming to help me tidy up the house and yard. Mama's coming for a while and... well..."
"I get it." Antonio smiled. "I can come over after a bit and maybe help prune that apple tree in your backyard, help with some of the rest of the yardwork... and you girls can focus on the house?"
"That would be awesome." Josie grinned.
"Alright." Antonio put his dishes in the sink. "It's a date. See you later." He grinned. "Later, Mami."
"Be good." Liliana smiled. She kissed his cheek. "Tell your brother to behave. I know he's not a police officer but he spends more time at that station getting ready for his law classes than anything."
"Si, Mami." Antonio said. "I will tell him after I shower and get to the district for that interview."
"Interview?" Josie asked.
Antonio turned back and cocked his head to the side. "I guess I forgot to tell you... I got an interview to be put at District 21 after graduation."
"Wow." Josie grinned. "Break a leg... not literally though."
"I got ya. See you later." He waved and jogged down the stairs to his room and bathroom to shower and change.
Josie picked up her plate and went to the sink. She began to wash her dishes and Antonio's.
"Mija, you don't have to do that." Liliana said. "I can do that."
"It's okay, Liliana... really. It was a delicious breakfast."
"De nada." Liliana replied. "I hope we will get to meet your mother... perhaps we can all have a meal together now that Tiago is back in Chicago as well. I think it's good that the family is all together again."
"Of course!" Josie exclaimed. "She'd love that. I would too."
"You practically live here." Gaby's voice came from the doorway. "Mami, is it okay that we go now?"
Liliana nodded. "Si. Now behave. If you girls need anything, you let me know."
"Te amo, Mami." Gaby hugged her mother. She grabbed Josie's arm. "Let's go."
"Gracias!" Josie shouted as Gaby almost dragged her out of the house.
They headed into Josie's kitchen and set to figuring out who was going to do what.
"So, Josie... uh... what's this thing you got going on with Antonio?"
Josie froze, almost dropping a bottle of Mr. Clean on the floor. "Whatta ya mean?"
"I mean... I see the way he looks at you... how you look at him... it's really obvious..."
"I don't know what you're talking about." Josie said, pulling more cleaning supplies out from under the sink.
Gaby spun Josie around to face her. "Jo... come on! I'm your best friend."
"And Antonio's your brother. I don't think he's into me... that way. Don't get me wrong... you're brother could be like the lead singer in a Latino version of the BSB or something... and yeah..."
"So you do like him!" Gaby shouted. "Oops... a little louder than I had meant to say that."
"I don't think the whole neighbourhood heard you, Gaby." Josie tossed a sponge at Gaby's head.
"What if he were into you?" Gaby asked.
"What do you mean?"
"Like, if he liked you the same way you like him."
"He's 20... I'm 17... he's gonna be a cop soon."
"Age is really an issue? My parents are almost 10 years apart."
"That's not what I mean." Josie sighed, leaning against the counter. "Would he really be into me? His little sister's best friend... who he probably sees as a dorky pain in the ass more than anything."
"You're not a pain in the ass... and I don't see you just as my baby sister's best friend." Antonio's voice came from the window.
Josie jumped and Gaby snickered. Antonio was standing at the kitchen window, in Josie's back yard. Josie regained her composure. "I thought you had an interview."
"I do. I just wanted to come ask if you girls needed me to bring anything on my way back... and I kinda overheard..."
"Just how much did you hear, bro?" Gaby was curious.
"I heard more or less... all of it." Antonio didn't take his eyes off of Josie.
"Oh my God! I'm... oh God." Josie began to hyperventilate. "I feel like a moron."
Antonio signalled to Gaby to unlock the back door. She signalled back that it was already unlocked. Antonio came in the house and pulled a bar stool from the counter and got Josie to sit on it. "Hey. You're not a moron... and so what if you're a little dorky. I like that about you." He lifted her chin. "You... Josie Fraser are something else entirely. Look, I like you... and I like you more than my sister's best friend. I'd like to take you out sometime... if you're cool with it."
Josie didn't know what to say or do. The guy of her dreams was asking her out. "Uh... I'd really like that." She was finally able to say. "A lot."
"Good. We can, uh... we can set a plan up after I come back. Don't go burning the house down, though." He grinned.
Gaby tossed a rag at him, which he ducked. "Just go. Last thing you need is a Sergeant that'll wanna have your head for being late."
"Good luck, Antonio." Josie said. "I mean it... and uh... if you happen to see my dad... just..."
"Don't worry, Josie. I ain't telling him nothing until he needs to know... and he don't need to know." Antonio gave her a quick peck on the cheek. "I needed that for luck. See you gals in a couple of hours. He took off the way he came.
Josie turned to Gaby. "What the hell just happened?"
"My brother asked you out and you said yes."
Josie couldn't help it. She squealed in glee. "Oh my God."
"Yep. Now, we gotta clean up... before he comes back... this way you can flirt a little more."
"Shut up, Gaby." Josie grabbed the bucket of sudsy water from the sink. "Let's just get going."
*SBU*SBU*SBU*SBU*SBU*SBU*SBU*SBU*SBU*SBU*SBU*SBU*SBU*
Two hours later, all the windows were cleaned, the bathrooms were scrubbed and the bedding was washed and changed. They just had to tackle the floor next.
"So, you gonna tell your mom that Antonio's your boyfriend?" Gaby asked as she swept the floor in the dining room.
"Gaby... we haven't had a date yet... he just asked me." Josie sighed as she mopped the kitchen floor.
"Still... she'll know... hell... I'm pretty sure my mom knows."
"Your mom knows everything... come on, Gaby. I swear your mom's a psychic." Josie laughed.
"Very true." Gaby swept the dirt into the dustpan. "Well, the house is officially clean. Now what?"
"Well, I have to water the flowers... Antonio said he'd prune the apple tree."
"I could cut the lawn." Gaby said. "Where's the lawnmower?"
"I...uh... it's in the shed... and Dad took the key." Josie groaned.
The doorbell rang.
"Expecting anyone?" Gaby asked anxiously. They lived in Wicker Park. It was a quiet neighbourhood, but it definitely wasn't one of the safest ones in Chicago.
"No." Josie cautiously approached the front door and peaked through the peephole. She unlocked the door and swung it open. "Antonio! You scared the crap out of us!"
"Sorry." He blushed. "I just figured ringing the doorbell was better than spying through your kitchen window."
"True." Josie conceded.
"These are for you." He pulled a bouquet of daisies and Peruvian lilies from behind his back.
"Wow! Their gorgeous." Josie took them. "They smell amazing."
"Well, as long as I keep it up... I'm headed to 21 after I graduate." He grinned.
"That's amazing!" Josie instinctively wrapped her arms around him and hugged him tightly. "Congratulations."
Antonio grinned. "Thanks. I'm really excited. It's one of the best Districts in Chicago to move up in the ranks." He looked down at her face. "You have a dust bunny in your hair." He snickered. He pulled the dust bunny off one of her pigtails. He then lean over a little and kissed her softly on the lips. "Thank you."
"For what?" Josie was dazed.
"Being my good luck charm."
"Eww!" Gaby exclaimed, interrupting their moment.
"Gaby!" Antonio groaned. "Thanks, sis... you ruined the moment."
Gaby shook her head. "I'm sorry... uh... I'll just go back to the kitchen."
Josie looked up at Antonio. "You're welcome... and uh... that was... umm."
"Your first kiss?" Antonio asked.
Josie nodded.
"Well, I'm glad I was the first." He leaned in. "Even if my sister ruined it." He thought to himself. 'I hope that I'm the only one that kisses you.'
Josie blushed even more. "Let's go get these flowers some water."
Antonio took off his shoes and followed Josie to the kitchen.
"So, we have yard work left to do... and baking." Josie reminded Gaby. She was praying that Gaby wouldn't make a huge deal about Antonio kissing her.
"You girls worry about the kitchen stuff, I'll cut the lawn and do the other yard stuff." Antonio said as he pulled a case off the shelf that Josie pointed at and filled it with water.
"What's in it for you?" Gaby asked.
"I can maybe take Josie to dinner tonight." Antonio said.
Josie looked to Gaby. Gaby nodded eagerly. "That sounds like fun." Josie said.
"Good. You two make yourselves busy."
"My shed's locked, Antonio. Dad has the key." Josie mentioned. "You won't be able to get to the lawn stuff."
"I'll use ours. Don't worry about it." He winked at her and went next door to change and grab the equipment he needed.
"Yep. My brother's totally into you." Gaby grinned. "So what are we making?"
"Cuban chocolate cake?" Josie suggested pulling out the recipe book her mother had left her. "It's Mama's favourite."
"Works for me." Gaby said. "I'll pull ingredients and you pull equipment?"
Together they whipped together two Cuban chocolate cakes; one for Dixie when she came in and the other for the Dawson family as a thank you.
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Antonio was pruning the unnecessary branches from the apple tree while watching the girls through the kitchen window. Ever since Josie had come into their lives, he'd been developing feelings for her. He knew that he had almost 4 years on her and that she was just going to be graduating high school this coming school year, but there was just something about her. Something that made him want to drop everything and be with her. He shook his head. He was starting to sound like Tiago. Tiago was 23 now and he was busy in Law School. He had just gotten engaged to Rebecca Kincade, a teacher at Holy Trinity. The way Tiago talked about her drove Antonio nuts but he figured it had to be the real deal. It made Antonio wonder if Josie was the real deal for him. He threw the last branch to the side and went down the ladder. He turned back to the kitchen window. Josie was right in front of it. He couldn't take his eyes off of her. She was a vision. She was a little bit shorter than Gaby at about 5'6. She was curvy and he wasn't going to deny that she was well endowed. He watched her laugh. Gaby was obviously telling a joke... or regaling Josie in one of his stupid childhood stories. She had the tiniest gap between her two front teeth and she had the brightest smile. Her eyes were the most interesting colour. They were a deep greenish-blue and the violet-framed glasses she wore made them pop that much more. Her hair was a deep auburn colour and it shimmered in the summer sun. She had tiny freckles along the bridge of her nose. Antonio put the ladder away. He really did want to get to know her more. He also wanted to be with her as more than just a friend. He sighed. He'd dated girls in high school, but all they cared about was parties and looking good. Josie wasn't one of those girls. She had goals. She wanted a better future than what she currently had. Antonio only wished he could get her out of this house and away from Billy Fraser. While he may be her father, Antonio strongly suspected that he hurt Josie, and if not physically, it was definitely mentally. She was tough, but the way she cringed around that man made Antonio want to deck him. He set to cutting the lawn, praying that tonight would make Josie realize just how special and important she really was.
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"You know Antonio was just staring in here at you, right?" Gaby asked as she helped Josie ice one of the two cakes.
"So?"
"So... I think he might like you more than just 'like'."
"Gaby, that doesn't even make sense." Josie began to wash the baking pans.
"What if he were to ever tell you he loved you?"
"I don't know what I'd say. He treats me nicer than any other guy I've met."
"Better than your dad?" Gaby blurted out. She wished she could take it back.
"What do you mean by that?" Josie dropped the spatula she was washing back into the sudsy water.
Gaby gulped. "I just mean... look I've gotta be honest with you... you're dad is a mean son of a bitch who doesn't respect you or treat you the way he should."
Josie didn't know what to say. Gaby was right. She was scared of her dad. He would drink quite a bit, more since her mom had gone back to New Orleans. Then there was this new attitude he'd gotten since he had joined the Gang Unit at 21. He was scarier now. She'd make supper and then once they'd eaten, she'd go hide in her room. She would do school work or read. She wished she had a way to communicate more with Gaby. Part of her wished she could live with them instead of her dad. Maybe she could talk to her mom about that. "I know... there isn't much I can do about either. I guess it's part of the reason why they got divorced."
"I'm sorry, Josie. I really am." Gaby went around the counter and hugged her friend. "No one deserves this."
"It's life. I just gotta deal with it." Josie went back to washing the dishes. If her dad did come home, the last thing she wanted him to see was a pile of dirty dishes.
"Josie... I gotta ask... has he ever..."
"Hit me?" Josie knew where Gaby was going with this. "No. He's threatened it, but he's never actually hit me. After supper, I just go to my room. I don't spend too much time around him."
"Would you tell me if he ever did?"
Josie nodded. "Yeah. You're the only one. I don't know what you could do about it though."
Antonio poked his head through the patio door that led into the kitchen. "Who could do what?"
Gaby looked to Josie and mouthed. "You gotta tell him."
"Um..." Josie didn't want to go there with Antonio. Not before they'd had a chance to have a date.
"Jo... come on." He pried. Only he got away with calling her Jo.
"She asked if I'd tell her if my dad ever hurt me."
"And?"
Josie sighed. "I'd tell her... but there ain't much she can do about it. He's a Detective in the Gang Unit." She blurted. She quickly realized her mistake.
"He's in the Gang Unit?" Antonio had heard about their reputation. The picture was becoming a lot clearer.
Josie nodded. "I wasn't supposed to say anything. He doesn't want people to know."
"Hmph." Antonio crossed his arms over his bare chest. "He hurts you... he ever takes a swing at you... hell if he even threatens to do it... you come knock on my window. I'll keep you safe."
Josie felt a tear slide down her cheek. "You mean that?"
Antonio kicked off his shoes and carefully made his way to her. "Yeah. Even if I didn't like you the way I do, I would still protect you. You're not here to be his punching bag or carpet to walk all over." He brushed a stray strand of hair from her eyes. "Don't cry. Gaby and I will always protect you."
"Thank you." Josie whispered.
Antonio leaned in and kissed her forehead. "Always." He whispered back.
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Antonio was waiting outside Josie's house at around 8 the next morning. They didn't have to leave for O'Hare until 9, but he wanted to spend a little time with her before they left. He hadn't been able to sleep much. He was too anxious for today. He had been thankful to know that her dad hadn't come back. He called the district and found out he'd be there for a couple more days at least. He didn't want Billy Fraser to fuck up the time Josie was going to have with her mother. He took a deep breath and rang the doorbell. He could hear the pitter-patter of Josie's feet running for the door.
Josie opened the door in a hurry. She thought it might have been her dad who had come home early. "Antonio!" She gasped. "Did I oversleep? Is it 9 already?" She panicked.
"No, God! No. I just... I was hoping to spend a little time with you before we go pick up your mom." For the first time in his life, he could feel his cheeks burn. "We didn't really get to go out for supper last night like I had hoped."
Josie couldn't help but giggle. He had gone home to change after he had finished cutting the lawn, but Liliana caught him and asked what he was doing. That resulted in a family dinner instead of him taking her out. "It's fine, Antonio. We'll have time to go on a real date. School doesn't start until September. It's only July 4."
"I know. I was... I guess I was just really excited to spend some time alone with you... without Gaby there... or my parents."
"I'd like that. Here, come in. You can watch me finish getting ready." She stepped away from the door to let him in.
Antonio had spent a little time here, but most of the time, Josie was at their house. He remembered how she had described her house when they first met. He had to agree. It was like living in a hospital. Everything was white and there was no artwork or anything. It was stark compared to his house. He took off his shoes while Josie closed and locked the door.
"Um, you may as well follow me to my room. I'm not allowed to have my stuff in the bathroom."
Antonio scratched his head. "Isn't that where people get ready?"
"I can't use hair products, make up or perfume in there. Dad is... particular about that."
Antonio had other words to describe the psychosis of Billy Fraser. "Oh, okay. Are you okay with seeing your room?"
Josie shrugged. "It's clean. When I get dressed, you'll have to cover your eyes... or I'll go into the bathroom." She turned and led him up the narrow flight of stairs and into her room.
It was then that Antonio realized that Josie wasn't dressed yet. She was in a short nightgown and a short silk robe. She even had on bunny slippers. She was busy twisting her hair into sections. They arrived at the door of her room. To Antonio, it was like stepping into another universe. "Wow." He said.
"My mom... before she left... she insisted that my room was unique to me. That it didn't fall into the 'hospital' theme that my dad likes. So I designed it with her." She said proudly.
"It's definitely different." Antonio said. He knew that she was unique and this was just another testament to it. Her room was painted a bright blue on the bottom half of the walls while the top half was painted a soft yellow. It was bright, but not so bright you'd have to squint when the sun shone in. Her room definitely screamed her personality. One wall was a bookshelf. It was covered in a variety of books. Another wall had poster of The Backstreet Boys, *NSYNC and a few other boy bands that Antonio couldn't name, but he knew that Gaby listened to them too. Her bed was covered in a deep purple comforter and turquoise sheets. This was the Josie he wanted to see more of, but sadly under Billy's rule, it wasn't the Josie people got to know.
Josie sat back down in front of her mirror and quickly put loose curls in her hair. Once she was done, she unplugged the curling iron and set to doing her makeup. Antonio was in awe of how quickly she managed to do it. Josie looked up in the mirror. "What?" She asked.
"Uh..." Antonio didn't think he'd get caught staring. "I was just admiring you."
"Oh." She looked down and then back up. "Why?"
"Because of how fast you are. When Gaby gets ready it takes almost two hours."
Josie laughed. "I know. I don't believe in dragging it out." She grabbed some eyeliner and quickly applied it.
"Has anyone told you how beautiful you are?" Antonio asked before he could stop himself.
"No. You're the first." Josie smiled. "I do like you Antonio. I have since we met. I just always figured I was too young or because I was Gaby's friend..."
"None of that matters. I really do want to get to know the real you." He pointed around the room. "This you."
"Well, ask away... I'm gonna go get changed in the closet."
"Closet?" Antonio asked.
Josie opened her closet door. "It's big enough for me to change."
"Okay." Antonio leaned back on her bed.
Five minutes later, Josie emerged in a knee-length red gingham sundress and sandals. "What do you think?"
Antonio let out a low whistle. "Wow. I didn't realize I needed to dress fancy to meet your mom."
Josie tossed a small denim jacket at him. "Is it too much?"
He shook his head. "No. You look great. Come on. I'll take you to breakfast before we head to the airport." He helped her put the jacket on and led her down the stairs.
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Two hours later, they were standing at the arrival gate with a small bouquet of daisies from Liliana's garden for Dixie. It didn't take long for Antonio to pick her out of the crowd. Josie was a spitting image of her mother. Josie waved frantically to her mother. Dixie dropped her bags and ran to hug her daughter.
"Josephine!" She cried out.
"Mama!" Josie hugged her mother tightly. "I missed you."
"I missed you too, baby girl. You've grown a little." Dixie said as she pulled back. "You look amazing."
"How was your flight?"
"Long." Dixie sighed. She looked up and saw Antonio. "Who's that?"
Josie picked up her mother's bags and took her mom's hand. "He's someone I'd like you to meet. Come on."
Antonio took a deep breath and smiled as Josie and her mother approached him. Josie was beaming. "Mama, I'd like you to meet Antonio Dawson. He's my neighbour... He's also my best friend's big brother. Antonio, this is my mom, Evangeline Duplessis."
"Oh, your Gabriela's brother?" Dixie said excitedly. "I've heard so much about you and your family. Thank you for being so kind to Josephine and helping her. I know this had been so hard on her."
"Mama, it's Josie."
"I named you Josephine... but if you want me to call you Josie... I will." Dixie smiled. "Hi, Antonio. Please, call me Dixie."
"It's really nice to meet you, Dixie." Antonio extended his hand.
Dixie didn't shake his hand; she pulled him in for a tight hug. "Thank you for bringing my baby to pick me up."
"It was really no problem. Anything to help." Antonio picked up Dixie's suitcase and carryon. "The car's this way." Antonio walked ahead of them, giving them a little space so they could catch up.
"He's cute." Dixie whispered. "Do you like him?"
"Mama!" Josie knew her mom would catch on, but she had hoped that it would at least wait until they were at the house.
"Well, I'm not blind. I see how he looks at you. Do you like him?"
Josie nodded. "Yeah... he... he... um... he asked me to go for dinner with him last night. He said he'd like to get to know me... that I'm not just his sister's best friend."
"Well, did you go for dinner?"
"Not yet. His mom had me over for supper last night. Which reminds me... Liliana asked me to bring you over one night for supper."
"You call her Liliana?"
"She refuses to have me call her Señora or Mrs. Dawson." Josie pointed out.
"Ah. I see, well... maybe you should let him take you out tonight. I can unpack and rest a little bit."
"Mama, it's the 4th. We're not going to be going anywhere."
"Oh, right. I guess since I'm alone now, I tend to forget what day it is." Dixie whispered, as they were getting closer to Antonio and his car. "He drives a very nice car."
"I fixed it up with my dad throughout high school." Antonio said. "Um, I'm not really sure who wants to crawl in the back... these cars aren't exactly family friendly."
"I can crawl in the back." Dixie said, a little more excitedly than Josie had wanted. "Josie can sit up front."
Antonio looked to Josie. She just shrugged and pulled the seat forward to let her mother in. Antonio put the luggage in the trunk while Josie climbed in. He got in the car and put in gear. "So, Dixie... since Josie has been told all my horrible stories of childhood, could you give me some insight into what she was like when she was younger?"
"Mama, don't answer that... please." Josie pleaded.
Dixie took this opportunity to regale Antonio in some of the more embarrassing stories from Josie's childhood and Josie just stared out the window and tried to tune it out.
"Josie..." Antonio tried to get her attention.
"Josephine...Josephine!" Dixie exclaimed from the back seat.
"Huh?... What?" Josie looked around.
"You boyfriend has been trying to get your attention for the last 5 minutes."
"Boyfriend?" Josie looked to Antonio. "Um... Hi."
"Hi. We're here." He laughed.
"Oh! I must have dozed off." Josie blushed. "Well, welcome home, Mama."
"Thank you, darling."
Josie got out of the car and let her mom out. "I'll help Antonio get the bags. Uh, here's the key." She handed her mom the key and let her go to the house. She went to the back of the Camaro to help Antonio with the luggage. "I'm sorry about her."
"Why?" Antonio asked pulling the bigger suitcase out.
"Because, I told her you asked me to dinner... and now she's calling you my boyfriend..."
Antonio put his hand on her arm. "Jo, don't stress it. I don't mind. I've been called much worse things... plus, I don't mind being called your boyfriend."
Josie's eyes widened. "You don't?"
Antonio shook his head. "Nope. As long as I can call you my girlfriend." Josie's cheeks flooded with colour. "I'll take that as a yes?"
Josie nodded silently. Antonio laughed, grabbed the last suitcase and closed the trunk. Together they headed into the house. Once inside, Josie showed him to the guest room where her mom would be staying for the next few weeks. They put the luggage in the room and headed to the living room where Dixie was reclining on the sofa.
"Everything's put in your room, Mama." Josie smiled.
"Dixie, my mother asked my to invite the two of you over for dinner tonight." Antonio said.
"OH! I don't want to be a bother for your family, Antonio. You've already done so much for my baby."
"Mama, I think the invitation is more like an... well order. Liliana really wants to meet you... so does Gaby."
"And... it's not a bother either. Mama's been planning a big celebration supper for weeks... tonight is one night where everyone will actually be home. It's a celebration for my brother getting into law school and getting engaged... for Gaby and Josie entering Senior Year in a few weeks... and that I'll be graduating from the Academy in a month or so. Not to mention it's the 4th."
"Wow! That is definitely a lot to celebrate... well, I guess I can't so no. Josie's told me how amazing your mother's cooking is... and how much she's learned from her... I would love a home cooked meal. What time should we be over?"
"I'll come by and pick you up... well... walk you next door. Probably around 7."
"That sounds great. We'll see you then." Dixie grinned. "Thank you again for coming to pick me up."
"It's been a pleasure." Antonio went and kissed her on the cheek. "I'll see you later on."
"I'll walk you to the door." Josie grinned. She knew her mom was going to have a million questions about him and everything that had happened since June. She walked Antonio to the door. "Thanks again. It means a lot to me."
"Hey, if you're happy... I'm happy." Antonio put on his sneakers. "Enjoy some quality time with her and I'll be back around 7."
"Thanks, Antonio." She could feel her cheeks warming up again. She just went with her gut and hugged him.
Antonio hugged her back then lifted her chin. He kissed her lips. They tasted of the cherry cola Lipsmackers she always had on her. Josie's arms instinctively wrapped around his neck. Antonio could feel his blood surging. He had to regain his control and composure. He gently broke the kiss. "See you at 7, babe."
Josie nodded and watched him walk back to his house. She closed the door and leaned against it. Whatever had just happened had made her feel like she was on cloud nine. She went back to her mother and prepared herself for 20 questions.
Right at 7, the doorbell rang. Josie ran to answer the door. Antonio was there with a large bouquet of flowers. "For you." He grinned. "I didn't know which one was your favourite, so I got a mix."
Josie gratefully took them and inhaled their perfume deeply. "Wow. They're beautiful. Thank you."
"Anything for my girl." He kissed her cheek. "Is your mom ready?"
Josie nodded. "She's just finishing her hair. Come with me to put these in a vase?"
He cocked his head to one side. "Can't reach the vases?"
Josie blushed. "Yeah. Something like that."
Dixie was coming down the stairs as they headed to the kitchen. She just stood back and observed. Her little girl was growing up. She may not like the idea that her baby was just 17 and dating a guy that was almost 4 years older than her, but at least he respected her and cared about her. He was going to be a cop. She sighed. She knew most women got together with men who were like their fathers. Josie was following that pattern by falling for a cop. 'At least he doesn't behave like her father.' She thought to herself. She waited for them to come back. They were laughing about something. "What's so funny?" She asked.
"I was just telling Josie about my mom's idea for a small supper... it took her all day to cook it, and even though we'll still be about 8 people, there's enough there to feed half of Chicago."
"I told Antonio we'd be eating leftovers for the next few days." Josie added. "You ready, Mama?"
Dixie nodded. "Sure. Let's go. I'm starved."
Antonio looped both their arms through his and they walked over to the Dawson house.
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September 1997
Josie was sad that the summer had flown by. Her mother's visit had been the highlight. They'd done a lot of things together. Dixie had insisted on buying Josie's school supplies and new clothes before heading back to New Orleans. Billy hadn't been around much, which was just fine for her. She was basically taking care of herself, and she was rarely at their house anymore. She spent many nights sleeping at the Dawsons' because when Billy was home, he was drunk. She didn't want to see that. At least with them, she was safe. Antonio was graduating from the Academy at the end of the month. She was excited because he had invited her to the ceremony with his family and to be his date for the ball. She had asked him to come with her to Homecoming. He had agreed which had made her day. Dixie had left money for to go buy a new dress. That was the plan for the first weekend after school started. Gaby and Liliana would be taking her. She was excited. She had a great boyfriend and an amazing best friend. Nothing her father could do would take that happiness away from her. She was pinning up her hair when the doorbell rang. Billy wasn't home so she went to see who it was.
"Hey baby." Antonio greeted her with a quick kiss. "You ready for your first day?"
Josie nodded. "Totally. I'm still not used to this uniform thing though." She tugged at the skirt of her uniform. "I feel weird."
"You look great." He pushed a strand of hair behind her ear. "So, shall we?"
"Let me just grab my bag." She reached around the door and grabbed her new school bag and house keys. She set the new alarm system and locked the door. "Where's Gaby?"
"She's... uh... Papi is driving her to school today."
"Why? We used to ride in your car all the time." Josie said.
Antonio grinned. "She wanted to let me drive you today... we'll carpool again tomorrow. I guess she just doesn't want to interfere or something."
"Ah. Well, I'm ready when you are." Josie took his hand.
They chatted the whole way to school. It only was about 10 minutes from their houses to Holy Trinity. They pulled up to the school. Antonio took her hand. "Don't get into too much trouble with Gaby today. I won't be able to come rescue you."
Josie kissed his cheek. "I promise. Will you be able to come over tonight for supper?"
"Are you cooking?"
Josie arched an eyebrow. "After all the lessons your mom's been giving me, you're asking if I'm cooking?"
Antonio threw his hands up in defense. "Sorry. Sure. I'm done at the Academy by 5. I can be there for 6?"
"Sounds great. Maybe, we can talk about Homecoming and your graduation from the Academy?"
"Sounds like a plan to me... is your dad gonna be there?"
Josie shook her head. "He called yesterday. He's undercover again. He probably won't be home for a week... if not longer."
"Okay. I just... I don't want him to know about us... not yet."
"If I had my way, he'd never find out."
"Well... Get going... Mr. Kelly is going to be pissed if you're late." He kissed her. "Have a great day, baby."
"You too." Josie grabbed her bag and got out of the car. She headed to where Gaby was waiting for her.
Antonio waited for her to meet up with Gaby before taking off. He had a plan for them. He just needed to get everything in order. She was everything to him. He had talked to Dixie about his plan, and she'd given him the okay. He just needed to get to December. He saw Gaby hugged Josie. He put the car in gear and headed off to the Academy.
"What was that all about?" Gaby asked when Josie reached her.
"We were talking."
"And kissing." Gaby pointed out.
"Seriously?" Josie poked Gaby in the ribs.
"I swear... each day... you're getting closer to being my sister."
"I'm 17, Gaby. I don't think Antonio is gonna pop the question yet."
"Why not?"
"Because, he's 21 next month. I think there are laws against that kinda thing."
"He'd wait until your legal to get married. Doesn't mean he can't ask you to marry him."
"Come on. Walker will be pissed if we're late for the first day." Josie grabbed Gaby's hand. "I'm not gonna be stuck being one of the crappy roles in Hamlet either."
Gaby laughed as they ran up the steps of the school and headed to their Lit class.
At the end of the school day, the two friends headed to the bus stop to go discuss what kind of dresses they wanted for homecoming. Gaby helped Josie get some of the prep for supper done. While Liliana had taught Josie many Dominican and Latino recipes, she wanted to make something more Cajun tonight.
"Just remember, Antonio is allergic to shellfish."
"Despite me being a good New Orleans girl, I can't eat them either." Josie snickered. "I'm thinking gumbo."
"Very nice. Do you have the Andouille sausage?"
"Mama had some shipped to me. It's the real deal. She also sent me the herbs and spices I need."
"Sweet. So where do we start?" Gaby grabbed a knife and cutting board.
She helped Josie prep the veggies, or as Josie called them 'The Holy Trinity'. Josie got the rice started. Once the gumbo got going, it was time for Gaby to get going.
Gaby headed home around 5. It gave Josie time to tidy up before Antonio showed up. She set the table and put out the nicer dishes. She made some fresh lemonade and added some Sprite to make it fizz. At 6, the doorbell rang and she quickly checked her appearance before answering the door. Antonio was there with a huge grin on his face. She kissed him. "Right on time."
"Smells great... but it definitely ain't one of Mami's recipes."
Josie closed and locked the door. "No. It's one of my grandma's. Mama left me her cookbook before she headed back to Louisiana. It's chicken gumbo."
"Smells delicious. Let's eat."
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They had come to conflict of events. Antonio's graduation was the same day as Homecoming. He had told her they could do his ceremony and then do her dance. Josie had talked it over with Gaby and they'd both decided that Homecoming was overrated. From what they had heard, it wasn't going to be their scene anyhow. So they would solely be going to Antonio's graduation and then Josie would accompany him to the ball. They had gotten their dresses and they had begun their planning. It wasn't long before that weekend was here. Josie got up early to start getting ready. She was doing her makeup and then Gaby was going to pop over and do her hair. Half of her hair was going to be pulled back while the rest was in loose curls. She was excited. This was a big deal. She felt giddy. She was starting to think that Gaby may have a point. Maybe Antonio did have bigger plans for them. They'd been seeing each other for a couple months now. He was into everything she was doing. He genuinely cared for her. She was starting to feel as if she could say that one little four-letter word, but she was scared she'd scare him off. She finally felt like a normal person.
Gaby soon arrived and did her hair. Once that was done, they helped each other into their respective dresses. Gaby's dress was a navy blue with a cream coloured underskirt. It had cream coloured embroidery down each side of the slit. Josie's dress was a lilac hi-lo skirt with a halter neck. The bust was empire wait with beads and sequins covering it. There was a thin brooch that had a narrow piece of lilac organza that flowed down the middle of the dress. It was a little more than what she had thought of, but when she had tried it on, Gaby and Liliana had told her it was the one. Once the girls were ready, they headed back to Gaby's.
Josie had to catch her breath when she saw Antonio. He looked very dashing in his uniform. He broke into a huge smile the instant she walked into their living room.
"Wow, Josie... you look beautiful." He kissed her cheek. "Just. Wow."
"You look pretty handsome yourself, Antonio."
"I got you something." He said. He turned and grabbed something from the counter behind him. "Here. You need this." He pulled out a corsage made of orchids. "Gaby only told me the colour of your dress. I knew I needed to get you this... and I got you something else."
"Antonio, you didn't have to. You're spoiling me." Josie whispered.
"You deserve to be spoiled, Jo. It's part of us being in a relationship." He pulled out a small jewellery box. "We've been dating almost three months... and I don't want to be with anyone but you. So... I got you two things... the first..." He opened the box. "Is this."
In the box was a beautiful heart shaped pendant on a fine white gold chain. The heart was made up of intertwined stones of alexandrite and opals, their respective birthstones. "Antonio!" Josie gasped. "It's beautiful!"
Antonio carefully lifted it out of the box. "Read the inscription."
Josie took the necklace and turned the heart pendant over. Engraved on the back was 'Te amo. A+J'
"Antonio." She whispered.
Antonio took the pendant and put it on. "There. Beautiful. Like you."
"Antonio... the inscription..."
"It reads, 'I love you'." He answered. "And, I do. I do love you, Josie." He bent down and kissed her. "You mean the world to me, Jo."
"Antonio... I love you too." She was barely able to breathe. "I've been wanting to say it for a while now, but... I was scared."
He kissed her again, this time with a little more fire. "Don't be scared. I'm never leaving you." He took her hand. "In time, I'm gonna do this the right way, but for now..." He pulled off his high school ring. "I'm gonna give this to you as a promise ring."
Josie felt a tear slide down her cheek. "Antonio."
"I mean it, Jo. Nothing will take this... what we have... away from us. I'll wait as long as I have to."
"I... I don't know what to say."
"Say you'll wear my ring."
"I will."
He slid the ring onto her finger. "It's a little big... I guess... I'll get it sized for you, but for now... it'll fit your middle finger."
Josie laughed. "We're going to be late."
"No... we're gonna make it. So, Tiago and Rebecca are already there... Mami, Gaby and Papi headed out... so we are going in my car."
"Is it weird that you're like one of the youngest to graduate from the Academy?" Josie asked.
"I should be asking you the same thing." Antonio smiled. "Come on. Let's get going."
*SBU*SBU*SBU*SBU*SBU*SBU*SBU*SBU*SBU*SBU*SBU*SBU*SBU*
A/N: Ch. 2 is coming very soon. I had originally planned to do a prologue... but it was almost 25000 words. I had to break it up. Let me know what you think!