"Bye Mama, bye Papa, bye Anita, bye Nikita, bye Grandmamni." Frida called as she stepped out of the house. "See you after school."
"Hey Frida where are you going?" Manny asked her.
"School."
"Can I come?"
"No way."
"Why?"
"Because you don't exactly remember how to live in civilization completely yet."
"Come on, I spend pretty much everyday in your bedroom alone. I'm bored."
"Trust me you wouldn't like it. Now go back to my room before somebody sees."
Frida then went to get on the bus, but Manny had a major case of cabin fever so he decided to follow her. He turned invisible, climbed on to the bus, and rode on the roof. When they arrived he began to explore the school grounds. He didn't really see anything that interested him. When he got bored again he went to look for Frida. He found her in the library reading about explosive guitars and churros.
"Hey there angel eyes." He said changing back.
"What are you doing here? Go home." She whispered.
"Lighten up Frida."
"Get out of here! If someone sees you they'll freak."
"Oh yeah a regular looking teenage boy talking to a girl in the library is totally freaky."
"Manny I don't have time for this. If you're bored go find T.J."
"No. All he wants to do is flirt with girls."
"Wouldn't you like that?"
"Maybe but I have vowed never to love or marry."
"Still you can't stay here! I have a free period right now so I'm taking you home."
Before Manny could object, Frida grabbed his wrist and pulled him along outside.
"Hey! Loosen up on your grip will ya?" Suddenly he froze and smelled the air. "What's that?"
"What is it?" Frida asked.
"Something smells off...Smells like sweat and the rear end of an animal. Oh no."
"What?"
"Where is he man! Where's that snot nosed brat!" El Oso was rampaging through town throwing cars and mashing buildings.
"Great! He found me! Looks like he needs another beating." He cracked his knuckles and changed into his spirit form.
"Manny!" T.J called running toward him with a spear. "Let me help you."
"What?"
"I'm an excellent fighter! I was one of the undefeated warriors in my tribe not to mention with my father's book I know all his strengths and weaknesses."
"Okay shaman you're with me."
"What about me? What do I do?" Frida asked.
"You get somewhere safe and stay out of harm's way." Manny ordered.
"I'm not just gonna stand here on the sidelines. I want to help."
"Frida you'll only be in the way! Now don't get into trouble."
Manny and T.J took off after El Oso.
"Hey ugly! Looking for me?" Manny called.
He jumped up on to the bear demon and began claw at him. El Oso roared and threw him against a wall. T.J struck him in the leg with his spear.
"I thought I killed you the other day!" El Oso said grabbing T.J.
"Unhand me you miserable pig!" T.J demanded.
"How about I break your bones man!"
"Put him down!"
Manny ran at him full speed ahead and tackled him into an old abandoned building. T.J followed in after them.
"I can't just stand here and do nothing." Frida said. "But what can I do? It's not like a weapon is just gonna fall out the sky?"
Then out of no where a bow and arrow fell right at her feet. She looked around for someone but no one appeared to be there.
"That was weird. But I can worry about that later."
She grabbed the weapon and ran into the building. She found T.J frantically looking through his book. While El Oso had Manny in a choke hold.
"Manny!" She cried fearfully. "T.J what are you doing?!"
"Trying to find El Oso's weak spot! What are you doing? Manny told you to stay away!"
"I never listen to him! You keep searching I'm gonna help Manny."
"Frida I can't allow you to endanger yourself!"
"I didn't ask your permission!"
Manny coughed and struggled to breathe as El Oso choked him.
"Your old man's been kicking my ass for years man! I may not be able to kill him! But at least I can make him suffer by killing you."
"Don't waste your time." Manny choked. "He doesn't give a damn about me."
El Oso raised his claws for the killing blow but hissed in pain when he felt an arrow pierce his leg. He dropped Manny who began breathing heavily and faced the direction of the arrow in anger.
"Who did that?!" El Oso snarled.
"Me you gross bucket of slob!" Frida cried bravely. "Why don't you pick on someone your own size! You coward!"
"Uh Frida let's not make the big scary bear demon angry." T.J said nervously.
"You've got some nerve! Picking on those weaker than you are! Why don't you beat up a demon who's a lot bigger than you!" She cried.
"Who you calling a coward man?!" El Oso said. "Before I finish off the half spirit I think I'll beat you to a pulp first!"
"You leave her alone!" Manny scratched El Oso's arm. "It's me you want remember?"
"I have had enough of you man!"
The three teenagers watched in horror as El Oso changed into a horrible monstrous bear and lunged for Manny.
"T.J, hurry up with that weak spot!" Manny cried.
"I got it! It's in his right elbow!"
"I'm on it!" Frida said.
The bear pinned Manny to the floor and using one of his claws began to cut down Manny's chest. The boy fought to stop him but he was too strong.
"I've got just one shot!" Frida fired her arrow though she missed his elbow and it managed to hit his arm. "Crap!"
"Nice try man!"
The bear laughed but while he was distracted Manny plunged his claws into El Oso's right elbow. He gasped and fell to the floor.
"Are you okay?" Frida asked helping Manny up.
"Fine but what the hell are you doing here?"
"Saving your ungrateful life!"
"I had it handled!"
"Not from where I was standing."
"Alright you two knock it off." T.J said. "Let's get out of here."
Suddenly the building began to shake and rubble began to fall.
"What's happening?" Frida asked.
They turned to see El Oso barely alive pulling off the building pillars.
"He's gonna tear this whole place apart." Manny realized. "Everybody down! Hurry!"
T.J ducked under a table.
"Brace yourselves!" Manny warned.
Large bits of ceiling began to fall. Manny quickly grabbed Frida and shielded her from the rumble by keeping his arms around her head and body. Part of the building collapsed on top of them and El Oso. Luckily the building stopped collapsing before it could get any worse. When it was over T.J quickly began to pull the rubble off of them until he found Manny lying on top of Frida who was unconscious.
"Is she alright?" He asked.
Manny felt her face and listened for a pulse.
"She's fine just stunned and a little bruised. I took most of it."
"What about you? Something like that could kill a person."
"Yeah but me being half spirit makes it feel like I just fell off a bike on the road."
Manny lifted Frida into his arms.
"We better get out of here before the cops get suspicious." He ran out the building with T.J following.
When Frida's relatives saw her bruises she told them she fell down the stairs at school so they wouldn't suspect anything. Later she got her first aid kit out and tended to Manny's wounds.
"Oww!" He hissed as she cleaned one of his cuts.
"Sorry this might sting."
"Might?!"
"Okay it will, just keep still okay."
"Ow! Ow! Ow! Owww!"
"Oh shut up and be a man! Geez why are all men such babies?"
She bandaged up his arm and then his ankle. When she went to clean the cut on his chest he grabbed her wrist defensively.
"Can you let go? You're hurting me."
"Sorry." He said releasing her. "Habit. That's a very sensitive area."
"Is this it?" She asked. "Your weak spot? Is it your chest?"
"No. It's my heart. If El Oso's claw had gotten any closer I'd be dead."
"That's why he went for it."
"You can't tell anyone okay? Swear you won't!"
"I won't. I swear I won't tell a soul." She gently put her hand over the bleeding cut. "Thank you for protecting me when the building collapsed. But why did you do it? You got badly hurt from that."
"And you would've been killed if I hadn't. Besides I've had way worse. That was like a scratch."
"Well your body says otherwise. Huh that's weird."
"What?"
"Look." She took her hand off his chest. The cut was gone, completely healed there wasn't even a scar. It was as if his chest had never been injured.
"Well I heal faster than the average human."
"What about your other injuries?"
"Must be the ones that are caused by demons. Speaking of which, are you crazy? Why would you go after El Oso?"
"I said I wanted to help."
Manny huffed in frustration while rolling his eyes.
"Frida you are one of kind." He told her.
"You're not the first to say that."
"Where did you even get the bow and arrow?"
"I don't know it just came from the sky."
"Came from the sky?"
"I know it sounds crazy but it did."
"Did someone give it to you?"
"Maybe but I don't know who."
"Let me see that weapon."
He handed her the bow and arrows. He examined them with his eyes and smelled them.
"This bow and these arrows were carved from wood of a holy tree. Allowing them to be one of the very few weapons that can injure a spirit or demon. Good choice for today though your aim was a little off. You sure you didn't see anyone?"
"No one."
"That's very...Ahh..."
"We'll talk about it another time right now you need your rest."
Frida made a bed of blankets for him to lay on. Manny was so exhausted from today that he fell asleep the minute his head was on the cushion.
"I hope you're okay Manny."
"Frida?" Sandra called. "May I come in?"
"Sure Grandmami. What is it?"
"Where did you get those bruises?"
"I already told you. I fell down the stairs at school."
"Oh Frida, you may have your mother and your bullheaded father fooled but I know you. You can't pull the wool over my eyes."
"Grandmammi-"
"It's okay if you don't wanna tell me. Just be more careful dear."
"I will."
"And try to work on your aim."
"What?! What do you mean by that?"
"Who knows? I'm just an old woman. Maybe I'm just babbling out of my head." She giggled. Sandra planted a kiss on her granddaughter's forehead. "Buenos noches mi pequeno nieta."
"Goodnight Grandmammi."
Sandra left her room and went to the guest room. Frida turned off the lights and went into the bathroom to change into her pajamas then she went to bed. A couple hours later she woke up to the sound of someone whimpering. She saw Manny shaking and panting in his sleep.
"Don't..." Mumbled in his sleep.
"Manny?"
"Don't...Don't hurt her...Mama."
"Manny." She said gently shaking him. "Manny wake up."
"Mama...Mama." Sweat dripped down his face. He was having a nightmare. "Please don't hurt my Mama."
"Manny! Manny wake up! It's just a dream! Wake up!"
"Mama?" Manny asked waking up.
"No it's Frida. Are you okay?"
"Wha...What happened?"
"You were having a bad dream. Are you alright? What did you see?"
"It's...It's nothing. Forget it."
"It was about your mother wasn't it?"
"How did you know?"
"You were talking in your sleep. You kept saying Mama, don't hurt my mama."
Manny sighed in embarrassment.
"What did you see?" He didn't answer. "Can you tell me? You don't have to if you don't want to."
"I...I...I saw my mother getting beaten without mercy by El Oso. I tried to help her but I couldn't move."
"It's okay. El Oso is dead and your mother is somewhere safe. I'm sure of it."
"I hope so."
After that they went back to sleep without anymore disturbances for the rest of the night.