El Tigre copyright Jorge Gutierrez and Sandra Equihua
The MASK copyright Dark Horse Comics/New Line Cinema
The American Rivera
Chapter 03: a Friendship Forged
[Casa Del Mariachi]
The Door Opened And Chris And Zoe Walked Into The Manor.
"Now, You Kids Can Go On And Play...I`ll Have Dinner Ready, Soon."
"Don`t You Have Cooks Who can Do That Kind Of thing?" Asked Chris
"Yes.
But, I Like To Do The Cooking And Cleaning Myself...It Makes Me Feel Useful"
"Oh."
Chris And Zoe Walked Off.
"Uh, Chris...You Mind If I Explore The Place a Bit?"
Chris Smiled.
"Sure, Go On Ahead...I have Something I Need To Do."
Chris Ran Off, While Zoe SNickered To Herself.
She Walked Off And Snuck Into Maria Rivera`s Room.
She Walked Over And Saw a Metal Chest With Chains On It.
Zoe Walked Over To It And Picked The Locks On The Chains...
She Soon Opened The Chest And Found a Silver Glove Inside.
"The Guantlet Of PLATA PELIGROSA!" Exclaimed Zoe
"With This...I`ll Finally Gain My Revenge On Manny And The Other Rivera Men!"
Zoe Began To Laugh.
"Zoe?"
Zoe Quickly Hid The Glove In Her Pocket She Turned To See Chris Walk Into The Room.
"What`s With All The Laughing?"
"I, Uhhhhh...Just Remembered a FUNNY JOKE!"
"Oh...
Well, Anyway...I Have Something For You."
Zoe Eyed Him.
"Me?"
Chris Gave Zoe a Wrapped Up Package.
She Opened It...And Saw Small, Wooden Scupture Of a Falcon.
Zoe Stared At It, So Awestruck By How Detailed It Was.
"It`s...IT`S BEAUTIFUL!"
Chris Blushed.
"Well, I Saw How Interested You Were In Birds In One Of Our Classes...
So, I Made You a Little Something In Art Class...Got An "A+" For It."
"It`s Wonderful..."
Zoe Looked At Chris.
"But...Why Would You-"
"Well...You`ve Been So Nice To Me At School.
And, Aside From Maria...Your The ONLY ONE Whose Cared About Me Since I First Came To Miracle City"
"I...(Gulp) AM?"
"Yes...
To tell You The Truth: Your The "Best Friend I`ve Ever Had"."
Zoe Had a Blank Stare On her Face.
"not to mention the ONLY friend i`ve ever had...Besides My Dog, Anyway.
Zoe Snapped Back Into Reality And Looked AT Him.
"W-What Do You mean?"
Chris Looked At Zoe.
"Well...I`ve Been An Orphan Most Of My Life.
The Only friend I`ve Had Since Then Was My Dog: MAX...
Before That, I Was Just a Kid Living Alone On The Streets."
Zoe Looked At Chris With Wide Eyes.
"s-s-streets?"
Chris Nodded Then, He Looked Around.
"Say...What Are You Doing Here, Anyway?"
"OH!
J-Just...Admiring The Place, That`s All."
Chris Looked AT her.
"Oh...OKAY."
Chris Began To Walked Away.
He Then Turned Back And Gave Zoe a Hug.
"Thanks For Being My friend, Zoe..."
Chris Walked Off, Leaving Zoe Alone.
Zoe Was Just Standing In Silence.
She Reached Into her Pocket And Took Out The Silver Glove.
She Looked At It...Then, Looked At The Wooden Falcon.
"best friend i`ve ever had..." Mutter Zoe To Herself
Zoe Sighed Sharply.
She Wanted Revenge Against Manny...But, She Wasn`t Sure If She COULD Hurt Chris.
Afterall...He Was Nothing But Nice To Her And Didn`t Even Have To Be.
And Here Zoe Was...Trying To use Him For Revenge.
Zoe Sighed Sharply...She Couldn`t Do It.
As Much As She Hated Manny, She Just Couldn`t Betray Her Friend For Revenge...
Chris Was The Only REAL And TRUE Friend That She Ever Had.
Zoe Put The Glove Back Into The Metal Chest.
She Clutched The Wooden Falcon And Walked Away.
"best friend...i`ve ever had."
[Later]
Chris And Zoe Were Eating Some Lunch While Watching Television.
Maria Was Currently Busy With Something Else, So Chris And Zoe Were Alone.
"So...Chris.
Do You Remember ANYTHING About Your Real Parents?"
Chris Sighed.
"no..."
"Nothing?
Not Even a Little Bit?
"Uh-Uhh...
I Was Just a Baby When They Left Be At The Doorstep Of An Orphanage In New York.
Zoe Looked At Him, a Little Surprised At this.
"Ohhhh...I See."
Chris Exhaled Deeply.
"I Wish I COULD Remember...Their FACES At Least.
But, I Don`t Know ANYTHING About My Real Family."
Chris Sigehd Sadly.
"I Don`t Even Know Their Names...I had To Make Up My Own."
Zoe Sighed.
"I...I Know What That feels Like, Chris."
Chris Looked At Her.
"You Do?"
Zoe Nodded.
"My Dad Wasn`t Around When I Was Born...Mom Says He Died."
"Oh...I`m Sorry.
"It`s Okay."
Chris Sighed.
"Well...I Don`t Know If My Parents ARE Alive Or Not.
I Just Wish I Knew Why They Left My There All Those Years Ago...
Did They Love Me With All Their Hearts, But Couldn`t take Care Of Me?...
Or, Was I Just Some "Mistake" That They Wanted To Get Rid Of And Just DUMP ME, THERE."
Zoe Looked At Chris And Saw The Pain In His Eyes.
"I`m Sure They Loved You...Your a Nice Person."
Chris Sighed.
"Yeah, I Know I`m Nice...I`m The Nicest Guy Around.
But, I Learned The Hard Way That "Being Nice Don`t Pay The Bills"!
I`ve Been Picked On And Pushed Around All My Life...Just Like Today."
Zoe Sighed.
"Nice Guys Like You Shouldn`t have BAD DAYS..."
"Yeah, Well...My Personal Life Is The Least Of My Worries."
Zoe Eyed Him.
"What Do You Mean?"
"Well...You Could Say It`s a "Family Issue".
Maria Obviously Loves Me...And Her Ex-Husband And His Father Like Me, Too.
But...I Don`t Think My New Brother, Manny Likes Me All That Much."
Zoe`s Eyes Narrowed.
"If He Doesn`t, That`s HIS PROBLEM..."
Chris Looked AT Zoe.
"Do You think Manny Will EVER Accept Me Into His Family?"
Zoe Sighed As She Thought a Bit.
"Chris...I`m Not All That Sure.
My History With Manny Isn`t Really Good...
But, What I Do Know Is This: Your Part Of HIS FAMILY, Now...
And, Like It Or Not...He`s Going To have To Deal With that Someday."
Chris Smiled.
"Thanks, Zoe.
Zoe Smiled.
"Your Welcome."
[a Few Days Later]
Zoe Aves Was Walking Down The Street...When She Saw Chris Sitting By Himself.
Curious, She Walked Over To Him.
"Chris...Why Are You All By Yourself?"
"Manny Was Suppose To Show Me Around The City Today...I`ve Been Waiting For HOURS."
Chris Sighed.
"i guess he forgot, or something..."
Zoe Frowned.
"yeah...Or "Something".
Chris Got Up.
"Guess I Have No Choice But To GO HOME."
Zoe Looked At Him, Then Got An Idea.
"Hey!
I have a Better Idea...Why Don`t I Take You Around The City?"
Chris Looked At Her.
"You Will?"
"SURE!
I`m Not Doing Anything Important Right Now."
Chris Smiled.
"Gee...Thanks, Zoe."
Zoe And Chris Walked Off Into The City.
The First Place They Went To Was a Local Shopping Mall...Where Zoe Tried On Hats And Chris Watched Her.
Later, They Went To The Park Where They Fed Some Birds Some Bread Crumbs And Enjoyed The Peace And Quiet.
They Explored UPTOWN To DOWNTOWN...
Until They Reached Their Final Destination: The MAYAN ARCADE.
Chris And Zoe Looked At The Large Building.
"So, THIS Is Where All The Other Kids Go After School..."
"Oh, Sure...Even I Come Here Sometimes."
Chris And Zoe Walked Inside.
They Found a Room Full Of Electronic Devices And Such.
Manny Kids, Pre-Teens And Teenagers Were Playing On The Videogames.
"COOL!" Said Chris
Chris Looked Around...Then, Spotted Something He Liked.
"OOO!
I Like This One!"
Chris Ran Over To a Videogame Entitled: "Woody Woodpecky 2000!"
"You Like THIS ONE?" Asked Zoe
"Sure!
I Always Did Like Cartoons As a Kid..."
Chris And Zoe Played The Game Awhile, And Soon...
"WHOO-HOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
I WON!, I WON!"
The Screen Showed The Highscore.
Zoe Smiled.
"Good Job...Your Pretty Good At this."
"If There Is One Thing I`m Good At, Z...It`s How To Hit Head With a Large Mallet."
Zoe Smiled At Chris Just Then, They Heard a Noise.
Chris And Zoe Walked Over And Saw Manny And Frida Playing Some Videogames.
Chris Was None-The-Less...SHOCKED.
"Wow...So, That`s Where They Were." Said Chris, a Litte Sad
Zoe Glared At Manny And Frida, She Then Looked Back At Chris.
She Then Took His Hand Firmly.
"Come One, Chris...Let`s Go."
Zoe Lead Chris Out Of The Arcade.
Once Outside, They Stood Outside At The Curb.
"Chris...I`m So Sorry."
Chris Sighed.
"it doesn`t matter..." Said Chris
"I Don`t Blame Them For Avoiding Me...I Guess I Am "Weird"."
Zoe Sighed Sharply.
"Chris, Your Not WEIRD."
Chris Looked At Her.
"If I`m Not Weird, Then WHAT AM I?"
Zoe Thought a Bit.
"Your...UNIQUE.
Yes, Your Unique...And, Unique Is GOOD."
"Really?"
"Yes...I`m Sure.
Chris Smiled.
"Thanks, Zoey..."
Chris Looked Around.
"So...Now What Do We Do?"
Zoe Thought a Bit.
"Well...How About I Take You to See MY FAMILY?"
Chris Looked At Her.
"Your Family?...You Think They`ll Mind?
"Oh, Sure...Not One Bit."
Chris Thought a Bit.
"Okay, Then..."
"GREAT!, I`ll Call Them Real Quick."
Zoe Took Out Her Celphone And Dialed a Number.
CLICK!
"Hello? Said a Voice
"Hi, Mom...I-"
"MIJA!
Why haven`t You Been Answering The Wrist Communi-"
"Mom, I Bringing Over a Friend For Dinner."
"A FRIEND!
What Kind Of Friend?"
"Maria Rivera`s Son."
"RIVERA!"
"Can He Come?"
There Was Silence.
"Of Course, Sweetey..."
"Thanks."
CLICK!
Zoe Walked Up To Chris.
"Okay, Let`s Go!"
Chris Smiled.
"Okay."
Chris And Zoe Walked Down The Street.
[Later, At The Aves House]
The Door Opened Where a Young Woman With Short, Black Hair And, a Short Older Woman With WHite Hair Tied Up Into a Bun Greeted Zoe And Chris.
"Greeting, !"
Carmelita Aves And Nana Aves Shrieked Upon Seeing Chris, Who Waved At her.
"Hi..."
Chris And Zoe Walked Inside The House.
Zoe`s Mother And Grandmother Stared At the Boy.
"You a Rivera?" Said Nana Aves In Confusion
Chris Nodded.
"Uh-Huh..."
"But...You Don`t Look Anything Like a Rivera!"
"That`s Because I Was Adopted By Maria Rivera...I`m Actually From New York City."
Carmelita And Nana Aves Had Eyes Like Saucer Plates.
"NEW YORK CITY!" Exclaimed The Women Loudly
"So, Is Dinner Ready?
"Yes."
"NO!"
Carmelita Ran Off.
"Uhhhh...I`ll Go Check On Her."
Zoe Walked Off, leaving Chris Alone With Nana Aves.
The Old Woman With a Cane Just Looked At Him.
"So...You From-a The United States Of-a America?"
"Yep." Said Chris
"That Nice..."
[Meanwhile, In the Kitchen]
Carmelita Aves Was Dumping Some Gross Looking Food Down The Trash.
"What Are You Doing?" Asked Zoe
"Throwing Away The Hazardous Food...I Thought You Were Bringing That El Tigre Boy!"
"MOTHER!"
"Now, Go Entertain Your Friend...I Have To Cook Some GOOD FOOD."
Zoe Huffed As She Left.
She Saw Chris Sitting Down, Talking To her Grandmother.
"And, When I Grow Up...I Want To Be a CARTOONIST."
Nana Aves Smiled.
"That Sounds Impressive..."
Zoe Walked Up To Them.
"Hey, Chris...Your Gonna Have To Wait Awhile For Dinner."
"No Problem...I Can Wait."
Nana Aves Got Up.
"I Go Help..."
Nana Stopped For a Second.
"i like him, he a good boy.
you can go on the dates with him, ANYTIME." Whispered Nana Aves To Zoe
"NANA!"
The Old Woman Left.
"Your Grandma Is Nice." Said Chris
Zoe Chuckled.
"Sometimes..."
Zoe Sat Down With Chris.
"So...I Overheard You Want To Be a CARTOONIST."
"Yes...I think I Have Potental."
Chris Grabbed a Pen And Paper.
He Did a Doodle And Showed It To Zoe.
Zoe Looked At It: It Was a Picture Of HERSELF As a Cartoon.
"WOW...This Is Good."
"You Think?"
"OH, YES!
You have Quite Some talent..."
"Good To hear Someone Say That...Besides Mom That Is."
Zoe Smiled.
"Chris...I Am Sorry About What Happened Earlier."
Chris Looked At Zoe.
"Oh, Don`t Worry About It...i`m fine."
The Sound In Chris`s Voice Didn`t Fool Zoe.
"Chris...It`s Okay For You To Be a Little Bit Upset."
Chris Sighed.
"Okay, Fine.
I Guess I Am a Little Bit Mad...But, I`m Not The "Vengful" Type."
Zoe Sighed.
"Well...If You Ever Need Anything, You Know That I`ll Always Be There For You."
Chris Smiled
"I Know, Zoey...I Can Always Count On You For ANYTHING."
Zoe Blushed.
At That Moment, Carmelita Aves Called Out.
"DINNER IS READY!"
[Later]
The Aves Family And Chris Were At The Dinner Table, Enjoying The Food.
"So, Chris...How Do You Like Living In Miracle City?" Asked Carmelita
Chris Thought a Bit.
"Well...At First, I Wasn`t Too Sure About It.
Seemed Like Life Here Would Of Been The Same As New York.
But, After Maria Rivera Adopted Me And Zoe Became My Best Friend...I`d Say I`m Doing Alright.
Carmelita Looked At Him.
"CHRIS JOHNSON, Now I remember You...
Your The Boy Who Made That Falcon Scupture In Art Class."
Chris Nodded.
"Yeah, I Did...It Was a Present For Zoey."
Zoe Blushed, Then Chuckled.
"Well, You Have Some Talent...You Could Be One Of My BEST STUDENTS."
Chris Smiled.
"Thanks."
Chris Looked Around And Saw Many Bird Artifacts.
"I guess You Guys Are BIRD LOVERS?"
Carmelita Sweated a Little.
"Uhhhhh...Y-Yeah, We Are.
C-Can`t Get Enough Of Birds, WE JUST LOVE EM!"
"Well, I Like All Kinds Of Animals..."
Nana Aves Eyed Him.
"Really...And, What About CATS?"
"Cats?"
"Yeah...Like Panthers, Pumas And TIGERS!" Said Nana Aves, Looking a Little Crazy
Chris Eyed Her.
"I`m More Of a Dog Person.
Nana Aves Expression Become "Normal" Again.
"Oh...i see."
Zoe Slapped Her Face In Aggravation.
Carmelita Sighed Sharply, Then Continued To Speak.
"Chris, How Is It Like Living With Maria?"
"Oh, It`s Great!
I`ve Gone From Living In An Old Cardboard Box In a Dark Alley...To Living In a MANSION On The Hill."
Carmelita And Nana Aves Were Awestruck.
"You...Lived On The Streets?"
"Well, Not Anymore...
I Did Since I Was Twelve, But That`s All Changed."
"Oh...i see." Said Carmelita, Feeling Sorry For Chris
"Anyway...Maria Is The Nicest Person Around.
she Never Misses a Chance To Show Me How Much She Loves Me And I Appretiate It."
Chris Sighed.
"It`s...Nice To Have a Mom.
Though, I Kinda Wish I had One When I Was Born."
"Born?
You Mean You never Knew Your Real Parents?
Chris Shook His Head.
"No...I Was Left At The Doorstep Of An Orphanage When I Was a Baby.
I Guess My Real Parents Left Me There And Took Off On Their Own..."
Chris Sighed a Little.
"Though...I Wish I Knew Who They Were And Who I AM.
The Caretakers Said They Must Of been Teenagers Who Couldn`t Take Care Of Me...
But, Other Kids Said They Just Didn`t Want Me And Left Me There To get Rid Of Me."
Carmelita Looked At Chris, Her Eyes Teary.
"I`m Sure They Cared For You, Chris..." Said Carmelita, Her Voice Soft And Loving
Chris Smiled.
"Anyway...Mom Said You And Her Are Friends."
Carmelita Snapped Out Of her Trance.
"Uhhhhh...YEAH!, We Are.
We`re...GOOD FRIENDS, Have Lunch Together All The Time!"
"Hey, That`s Good!
Now Me And Zoe Will Have Something In Common: Parents Who Are Friends."
Zoe Smiled.
"Speaking Of Maria...
Has She Brought You Over To See Pante-, I mean Rudolfo Rivera?"
"Her Ex?
Sure...WHy Do You Ask?"
"Well...How Do You Like Him And His Family?"
Chris Shrugged His Shoulders.
"I Don`t Want To be Mean...But, Rudolfo Is Kind Of a "Scatterbrained Idiot"."
Carmelita Chuckled.
"I Know...(Chuckle), We Used To Date In High School."
"You Did?
"Yes...But, I Broke Up With Him."
Nana Aves Eyed Her.
"Uhhhhh...He Broke Up With You."
"AS IF I COULD FORGEEEEEEEEEEET!" Shouted Carmelita
Chris Eyed The Woman.
"Uhhhhh...So Sorry.
Sometimes I get a Tad "Emotional". Said Carmelita
She Smiled Nervously.
"Please Continue..."
Chris Cleared His Throat.
"Well, Anyway...
Rudolfo Is a Little Crazy, And That Old Guy In The Metal Sombrero Is Pretty Nuts, Too-"
Nana Aves Smiled.
"Oh, Don`t I Know It..."
"What About Manny Rivera?" Asked Carmelita
"Manny?"
"Yes, Manny...Your Brother.
The Kid Who Broke My daughters Heart-"
Zoe Gave Her Mother An "IX-NAY" Expression.
Chris Looked At Zoe, Who Just Smiled Nervously.
"You never Told Me That You And Manny used To Date..."
Zoe Sighed.
"It Was a Long Time Ago...I`m Over Him, Now."
Chris Sighed.
"Well, Anyway...
I Have Tried To be a Good Brother To Manny, But I Don`t Think He Likes Me."
"How DO You Feel About Him?" Asked Carmelita
Chris Thought Awhile.
"I...Don`t Really Know.
I Want Us To Be Friends, But He And Frida Are Always Avoiding Me..."
Chris Sighed Holding His Head In Stress.
"i just don`t know..."
Carmelita Sighed.
"Well...Your a Good Kid, Chris.
My Daughter Doesn`t Have Many Friends And I Think Your a Special Boy."
Chris Smiled.
"Thanks, Miss Aves."
Carmelita Smiled.
[Later, At The Casa Del Macho]
Manny And Frida Walked In the Door, Laughing.
"MAN, WHAT A DAY!" Said Manny
"Dude!, We Must Of Played That Game TEN HOURS STRAIGHT!"
Just Then, The Two Teens Were Met By a Very Stern Looking Rudolfo And Grandpapi.
"MANUEL PABLO GUTIERREZ O`BRIEN EQUIHUA RIVERA!" Shouted Rudolfo
"WHAT I DO!, WHAT I DO!" Exclaimed Manny
It Was At That Moment, That Rudolfo And Grandpapi Stepped Aside...And Maria Rivera Approached Manny.
"Manny...Where Is Your Brother?" Asked Maria Very Sternly
"Uhhhhhhhhh..."
"You Were Suppose To Show Him Around The City, Today...Where Is He?"
Manny Twiddled His Fingers.
"Oh, RIIIIIIIIIIIIIGHT!
That`s What We Were Forgetting To Do!" Said Frida
"FORGET!" Exclaimed Maria
Manny Glared At Frida, Who Covered Her Mouth In Shock.
"Just Where Were You Two At All Day!"
Manny Looked AT His ANgry Mother.
"The...Mayan Arcade?"
Maria`s Face Turned Red.
She Then Starting Yelling Out Angrily In Spanish.
Then, She Started Hyperventilating.
"MARIA!"
Rudolfo Handed His EX-Wife a Paper Bag.
She Breathed In It, But Tried To Speak Never The Less.
"My (Gasp)...Son Is (Gasp)... Lost Somewhere (Gasp)... IN THE CITY!
HE COULD BE (Gasp)...HURT BADLY! (Gasp)...OR DEAD! (Gasp) OR WORSE!"
"RIGHT!
I Shall Organize a Search Party!" Said Rudolfo
He Approached Maria.
"Maria, My Dear...
I Shall Not Rest Until Chris Is Safely Home Once Again, THIS I SWEA-"
Just Then, Rudolfo`s Celphone Rang.
He Reached Into his Pocket And Held It At His Ear.
"Helloooooooooooo..." Said Rudolfo, In a High Voice
After a Few Minutes Of Listening To Someone, He Hung Up The Phone.
"Well?" Asked Grandpapi
"That Was Chris...He Said He Is Fine And, He Is Wondering When Maria Will Be Home To Unlock The Door Since He Lost His Key."
Maria Finally Calmed Down Enough To Talk.
"DID HE SAY WHERE HE WAS!"
"He just Said He Was With a Friend."
Maria Sighed With Relief.
"Thank God..."
Maria Turned To Leave.
Manny SMiled Sheepishly.
"Goodbye, Mo-
"Your Grounded, Manny." Said Maria Sternly
The Door Slammed Shut.
Rudolfo And Grandpapi Eyed Him.
"Well, See Ya!"
Frida Ran Out The Door, Leaving Manny Alone.
"Uhhhh-
"NO TV OR VIDEOGAMES FOR A MONTH!" Said Rudolfo
"BUT-BUT, DAD!"
"NO "BUTS"!
Manny, Whether You Like It Or Not, You have a Responsibility To Your New Brother...
And, Until You Learn That Your Every Action Has Coniquences...Your Gonna Have To be Punished!"
"Eh, For Once...I Agree With Rudolfo." Said Grandpapi
"Family ALWAYS Come First Above Ones Own Personal Needs."
Manny Growled.
"BUT, HE ISN`T FAMILY!" Shouted Manny
"He`s Just Some Loser Kid That Mom Felt Sorry For!
He Isn`t a REAL RIVERA!, HE`S NOt EVEN MEXICAN!
"Mexican Or American, He`s Part Of OUR FAMILY NOW!
And, There Is More To a Family Than Just "Blood", Manny..."
Rudolfo then Pointed To teh Stairs.
"Now, GO TO YOUR ROOM!"
Manny Grumbled As He Marched Up The Stairs He Slammed The door Shut, While Rudolfo And Grandpapi Sighed.
"What Am I Gonna Do With That Boy!
"I Still Say You Should Spank-a Him.