HEY! New chapter! READ, REVIEW, AND REQUEST!
XOXO Jules
Chapter 1: "There's nothing here to see"
Ryan laid in Rauls bed in the boys bedroom. There were 7 boys that slept in the room. There were two sets of bunk beds against a wall, and then a cot against another that they all scrunched in every night. Ryans presence hardly went noticed among the kids who were too busy fighting and gnawing at each other.
Abuela had a bad allergic reaction to a medicine that the doctors had given her. She had been in bed for over and week and showed no signs of getting better.
"So what is up with this North Chino kid?" Raul asked as he and Marissa sat on the couch folding the laundry.
"Por que?" Marissa asked
"Because he is in my bed right now. And cause I ain't jus' gonna let some guy 'round my baby sister is all." He said.
"I met him today at the train tracks…" Marissa said
"And you just brought him home. Are you crazy?" Raul practically yelled
"I practically sent him into gun fire Raul. If it were you I would'a wanted someone to do the same." She reasoned angrily.
There was low deep groaning sound that came from the boys room.
"That's Ryan. I'll go check on him." Marissa said
"Be careful." Raul said. Marissa just rolled her eyes at her overprotective brother.
Marissa crept into the room to find Ryan struggling with the sheets.
"Hush." Marissa said startling Ryan.
Ryan looked at the girl who had just entered… Marissa, from earlier at the train tracks. The moonlight made her face glow through the single window of the trailer.
"Don't move." Marissa said checking the bandage on her arm.
Ryan tried not to look at the wound. Marissa watched him turn away.
"Pussy." She said
"I have a weak stomach." He said groaning.
"The bullet didn't go in. It just grazed your skin." Marissa said rolling her eyes and pressing firmly against his wound.
"FUCK!" Ryan practically yelled. "What the hell was that for?" Ryan asked
"Shits and giggles." Marissa said smiling. "Now be quiet, the boys are sleeping." Marissa warned him.
Ryan looked around. He was surrounded by children hanging off of bunk beds.
"Where am I?" Ryan asked looking at the sleeping children.
"My house." Marissa said looking anywhere but at him.
"How many siblings do you have?" Ryan asked her
She shrugged
"We've got kids coming in and out all of the time. Raul and I have been here the longest."
"So is this like a foster home?" Ryan asked
Marissa shrugged again.
"To me it's home. I've been here since I was two, so I guess, what's it been, 14 years." She said almost in disbelief herself.
"Do you know anything about your biological parents?" Ryan asked rather bluntly.
Marissa took a deep breath.
"Not much besides they are in Newport beach. Or at least they were when I was born."
"Ever think about finding them?" Ryan asked
"What's the point? Chino's all I got. It's what I am."
"You're better than this place Marissa."
"Oh the lies that we tell ourselves to feel better." She said getting up and leaving. "Go to bed. It's late." She said spinning on her heels and leaving.
The next morning Ryan woke up to find children standing over his bed. Boys, girls, white, black, hispanic, every kind of child that you could imagine.
"Who are you?" A boy asked Ryan.
"I am Ryan." He said sitting up, his eyes darting around looking for Marissa. But then a tall muscular Hispanic guy, about their age came in.
"Breakfast is on the table. Leave him alone."
Ryan looked up at him. He was very apprehensive.
"I am Raul, Marissa's brother. You want breakfast follow the kids to the kitchen."
Ryan nodded.
"Thanks for putting me up last night man." Ryan said
"Yeah." Raul said walking out.
Marissa opened the door to Abuelas room.
"Abuela?" She said knocking lightly on the door and then opening it
"Hola hija." She said as Marissa gave her a kiss on the cheek."
"How are you feeling?" Marissa asked
"Asi asi." (ok) She said
Marissa didn't like the way that she looked. She couldn't keep anything down, the color was flushed out of her face.
"Did you take your medicine?" Marissa asked sitting beside her on the bed.
"We have no more." Abuela informed her.
"Well than I can go pick up-" Marissa said beginning to stand when Abuela grabbed her hand to stop her.
"I have no money to pay hija." She said her eyes clouded by sadness.
"WELL THEY CAN'T NOT GIVE YOU MEDICINE!" Marissa said
"Be calm hija." Abuela warned her.
"I'll get you medicine if it is the last thing hat I do." Marissa said standing fully
"Keep your head on hija!" Abuela warned her
"Lo siento." Marissa said leaving the room.
"Te amo hija." Abuela said
"Te amo." Marissa said leaving
Abuela knew when Marissa left that she was up to something.
Marissa walked into the living room to find children spread around the floor eating as usual, and Raul and Ryan at the table. Before she said anything Rodrigo came in.
"Hola chica." He said coming up to her giving her a kiss.
"Hola." Marissa said as he whispered in her ear causing her to giggle. "Lo siento (I'm sorry) Ryan. This is Rodrigo."
"Hey." Ryan said from the table.
"He'." He said waving to Ryan. Continuing to whisper something in Marissa's ear.
"We'll be right back." Marissa said leading Rodrigo outside of the trailer.
"Que (what) ?" Rodrigo asked concerned that Marissa was acting strange.
"Abuela is really sick." Marissa said wrapping her arms around her thin frame.
"Is she going to be okay?"
"I have to get money somehow to pay for medicine for her." Marissa said looking up into her boyfriends eyes.
"What can I do? I can help you." Rodrigo said putting his arms around her waist pulling her close. He was going to say something about her recent weight loss but he would have to save it for later.
"I am going to Newport." Marissa said. "I have to find my biological parents. Chances are if tey live there they will have something to give me." Marissa reasoned although she was unsure.
"I don't think that's good idea. I don't want you getting hurt." Rodrigo said.
"I love Abuela more than life itself and I will do anything to help her."
"Alright. Vamos." He said heading to his truck.
"Wait. Raul, I want Raul to come too." She said running back into the house. "Raul vamos!" She said
"Where?" He asked
"Newport beach. I'm finding my family." Marissa said.
"Coming North Chino?" Raul asked
Ryan shrugged. Juan Miguel was gone. What did he have to stay for.
"I'm in." Marissa and Raul tossed some clothes in plastic bags and told Javier, the oldest other than them he was in charge while they were away.
Marissa grabbed one last thing before they left, it was a picture that she kept in her top drawer. It was of a blonde woman holding what appeared to be a young Marissa. She had had it since she came. The back of the picture said "KC, and MC." That was the only clue that she had.
Next Chapter… NEWPORT!!!!!!!!!!!