I just realized that I have over 100 reviews…. THANK YOU I LOVE YOU ALL!
This chapter is dedicated to Katy (QuixoticLover), for knowing when to give it up and just go to sleep. (-;
Grace comes up in this chapter, and I am going to say that last time we saw her, she was just under 2 years old, so she'll be about 3 in this one, as a little over a year has passed.
Angel woke up the next morning on time for school, expecting to see her sister sleeping in on her 'sick day.' She found a note in the place of Mimi's head.
Angel chica –
Went for a walk. Needed to clear mi cabaesa (my head). Don't worry, hermana (sister), no dancing today.
- Mimi
Angel's heart went out to her sister, and still thinking of her, she dressed herself up, and walked to school.
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Pit pat pit pat pit pat
Mimi's shoes padded against the grimy New York sidewalk. Looking around at everybody on the sidewalks and in the streets, she smiled. This is what she loved about New York, the variety. She saw couples taking early walks together before work, old ladies walking around enjoying the weather – brisk but not raining yet. One of the couples she saw was of two men – not an uncommon sight in the city, but it's not something you see every day. Mimi did her best not to stare, but when she did look over, she ended up looking right past the happy couple… at her mother, holding her baby sister's hand.
Only… Grace wasn't a baby any longer. Dressed in elastic-waist jeans and a pink shirt that said DIVA in sparkly letters. She was openly gaping at the gay couple.
"Mama… ¿por qué ese hombre está besando a hombre?" (Why is that man kissing a man?)
"él no debe ser. es incorrecto." (He should not be; it's wrong), her mother replied, spitting at the pair. Mimi stood, rooted to the spot. Her own sister… her own blood. Her heart pounding in her ears, she ran with tears in her eyes back to the place she now called home. Mimi knew that Angel would not be there, but she needed some comfort. A pillow, a jacket of hers… something to let out all her anger at her mother and sister-
No.
That little girl was not her sister.
Her blood, yes. And she once was her sister, back when she was that naïve.
No longer.
Now, her sister was Angel.
She kept running. Running, running, running, trying to escape the deep sadness that had settled in her. The kind of constant loneliness she felt ever since she lost contact with Gaby and Street welled up again as she tried to outrun it. She soon reached the door. She could hardly see the handle to yank it open and fling herself on the bed, sobbing.
How?
How could this happen? And why is it affecting me so much?
Angel…
How could she break this to her? The toddler that she had helped care for was now being taught to be homophobic?
-
Angel didn't feel like walking far. Several people had trodden on her toes today, so her feet hurt, and she wanted to get home as quickly as possible. She knew of a shortcut through an alley… not as safe as the normal way home, but much quicker. Her shoes had heels today… and she knew how to use them…. She should be fine. She slipped quietly into the alley, and heard a rustle and a moan coming from her left. She ran towards the person, asking,
"Oh my G-d, are you okay?"
"Uhh…" was all the person could answer, when Angel felt a hand reaching for her mouth. She whipped around and was now eye-to-eye with a gun.
"A single peep from you will cost you your life," the man behind the gun growled. Angel bit her lip. Abuela had always told her that there was a better chance of surviving if she gave whoever it was what they wanted, then just walked away.
"Possessions don't matter that much, in the long run anyways," she could hear the long-lost warm voice of her grandmother clearly… in her head.
"And no sudden movements, either." The man's harsh voice bright her crashing down to reality, where her Abuela was not there to protect her.
"You will do what I say, nothing more, nothing less. Understood?" Angel was about to open her mouth to say "si," when she remembered her first order. She nodded slowly instead.
"Good…" and with that, the large man pushed Angel to the ground. He had to use two hands to do so, resulting in the gun skidding across the alley, away from Angel's head. Once she knew this, she began thrashing about, kicking, biting, and breaking whatever she could. Meanwhile, the man was doing the same to Angel. They both struggled to get free of the other, while inflicting as much pain as possible, until Angel fell limp. The thugs rifled through her backpack, finding a small calculator they could sell, and tossed it away in the general direction of the rag doll Angel.
Once he heard the footsteps die away Street looked to his right at Angel. He didn't expect to be here, much less for one of his old friends to check to see if he was okay. He would have to find a new alley to camp out in, now that Angel knew where he 'lived'. Street inched toward the hardly-breathing multi-colored figure, and asked,
"Angel? Angel… can you hear me?"
"Street…" was all the drag queen could get out before she closed her eyes. Street scooped her up, walking down the alley in the direction Angel was running.
Her home must be somewhere around here…
"Angel? Angel… where do you live?" he asked. Getting no response, he asked again.
"Angel! Angel… Donde esta tu casa?" (where is your house?) he tried choppy Spanish.
"Middle of the block… it's yellow…." She replied weakly. Street looked all around him. There was only one yellow house on the whole block.
"Mimi…. Mimi should be home…" and she slipped into unconsciousness.
Street rapped sharply on the door three times.
Please, please, please oh please be home, Mimi.
And with that, I leave you for a week. Going to Hawaii! See the review button? Click, please! Thank you! –muah!-