There are two parts that I really wanted to write. And this is one of them.

I used an automatic translator for most of the Spanish here, so it might not be correct.

And I still don't own it.

Oh, yea, and this is a few days after the dance.

"Mama, yo estoy aqui!" Mimi called out as the came in the door from school. She could hear the clunky sewing machine. The humming of the machine stopped, and she heard footsteps coming down the hall.

"Michelle Maria," her mother began. Michelle knew she was in trouble. Her full name was being used.

"Michelle, my baby, is it true?"

"Is what true, mama?"

"That you- you went dancing with that unnatural… boy?"

"I danced with a few boys mama, which one do you mean?"

"The one who has your dress, Michelle. The one with your dress." Michelle hung her head.

"Si, mama. Mike came over and we got ready for the dance."

She watched in horror as her mother's knees fell to the ground, her face turned towards the sky. "Haven't I brought you up right? Oh, Santa Maria, what have I done wrong to deserve this?"

Michelle went to go comfort her mother. "Mama, what I have done wrong? He is mi amigo. He helped me on my first day of school."

"But he is… él tiene gusto de muchachos! It is… no correcto! Not right! Entender, Michelle Maria?"

"No, Mama. No entienda." Michelle shook her head softly. Bad move. Her mom exploded.

"You don't understand? How can you not understand how evil that boy is? Next thing I know, he'll have AIDS and will try to make you a lesbian!"

"Mike would never do that!" Michelle screamed.

"Then why is her wearing your dress!"

"Because he didn't have one of his own!"

"And he shouldn't! Boys do not wear dresses!"

"That's what Mike wants, though, Mama! Mike wants to be Angel!"

"Oh, now he has a girl's name?"

"Mama, Angel can be a boy's name, too."

"But you just said he wants to be a girl! G-d made him a boy, he should stay a boy!"

"What if G-d made a mistake?" Her mother's face contorted with rage. She stopped screaming, and said in a calm, controlled voice,

"Leave this house. Now. Nunca deseo verte otra vez. Nunca." Michelle was crushed. Leave?

"Bien." She found herself saying. She calmly walked to her room, got out her battered old suitcase and packed all her clothes, her prized possessions, and her schoolbooks. She slung her messenger bag over her shoulder, her suitcase in hand, and she walked out the door. She didn't even look back at her mother.

Now, where? She asked herself. Now that she thought about it, she was being really stupid. She had no clue where to go, and she had a few dollars, but not nearly enough to get anything to live off. She looked at the ground, and saw her feet moving. They were carrying her towards her school. Thank goodness it was close. She might be able to stay there until school started the next day, and then ask Angel, Street, and Gaby for advice. She sat down on the steps, looking at her hands.

"Hello there, girly." And oily voice came from above her. She looked up at the face. It was a pale face, with a small brown goatee and long brown hair tied in a ponytail behind it. He had a weird leather-looking coat on, and he was grinning at her as though she was a caught bird.

"Hello." She replied slightly stonily. She did not want anything to do with this man. He was creepy.

"You look sad. A pretty young thing like you should not be sad. Here, I have something that will make you feel like the million dollars you look like." She was flattered by the compliment, and curious. What could he have that could make her feel happy when she had just been kicked out of her house?

"Wanna see?" He asked. She nodded ever so slightly. "Here," he pulled out a tiny baggie of white powder, a spoon, a candle, and a matchbook. He handed them all to her, and explained.

"You light the candle, and put the powder in the soon, see? And you mix the powder with a bit of water and boil it over the candle. Then you put the liquid into the needle… you don't have one do you? Here, use one of my old ones… and you inject it into your veins right here." He pulled up a sleeve of his jacket and showed her the veins.

"It helps if you tie a cloth all tight here," he pointed to her arm, just above the elbow, "and hit yourself here, "he pointed to just below the crook of her arm, "a bit. Here, take all the stuff… I have a feeling I'll be seeing you sooner than you think." He walked away, leaving Michelle there to think. She wasn't as naïve as he thought she was – she knew what the powdery stuff was. And she knew it could hurt her.

But, she also knew that people would pay for it. She pocketed the items by her feet and waited.

After a few hours, it began to get dark. She was curled up, freezing. She pulled a worn-out sweater out of her suitcase, and curled back up, trying to use her long hair to keep her neck warm, and the oversized sweatshirt for the rest of her body. Her mind flitted to the packet of smack in her pocket, but she shook her head. No, she told herself. Never. Nunca, she said over and over again.

She awoke to footsteps. It was still dark, and the footsteps were getting louder and louder.

"Oh my Lord…" it was Mike.

"Mike…" she sounded pitiful. "Angel…"

"Shh," he shushed her. "Mimi-chica, what are you doing at school in the cold?"

"Mi mama… no puedo volver a mi casa."

"Oh, chica… come with me, I'm sure Abuela will help you."

Spanish translations (once more, I used an internet translator so yea):

Mama, yo estoy aqui!" – Mama, I'm here!

él tiene gusto de muchachos - The boy likes boys!

no correcto! … Entender, Michelle Maria? – It's not right! ... Do you understand, Michelle Maria?

No, Mama. No entienda. – No, mama, I don't understand

Nunca deseo verte otra vez. Nunca. – I never want to see you again. Never.

Bien – good.

Mi mama… no puedo volver a mi casa – My mom… I cannot return to my house.