Chapter 2: Alegria Ripples Lopez
Warning: This is all for creative purposes. If I talk about certain things that are triggering, then I am sorry. I won't act like I know everything. It is just a fanfiction, and I know I can't please everyone.
While I was passed out, I was flooded with memories of this person's body. It was like I was watching this person's life as a movie, but because she looks and acts so much like me, it felt jarring. Apparently, her name is Alegria Ripples Lopez. Alegria means Joy in Spanish like me..She..has the same name as me just without the middle name, and I prefer to be addressed as Ale.
Odd.
She is half Quileute and half Salvadorian. Her mother was Quileute, and her father was Salvadorian. Notice, how I said in past tense? They both dead tragically. Her mother, Lalia Ripples, was a negligent mother from the looks of ..this person's memory. She became pregnant with her when she was 18. Her mom literally graduated from high school that summer when she met her father. From what it appears, her mom and a group of friends traveled down to California, and that is how her mom met her father. Her father Javier Lopez is a Salvadorian, and he is from Houston, Texas. They immediately fell in love. her father knocked her mom up, but Lalia's mother, Eva Ripples was in enraged with the news. Lalia was supposed to go to college the following semester, and instead Lalia got pregnant and wanted to live with Javier. Thus, Eva threw Lali out the door to go live her 'love life' in quote from Eva. However, it was Eva's greatest mistake.
Lalia moved in with Javier back in Houston, and reality hit her hard. Javier was part of the MS-13 in Houston. The reason that he was in California was because the southwest division of MS-13 were having a convention back in California. Thankfully, Javier seemed to be a decent person. He never hit Lalia or abuse them. If you meet him, you wouldn't think he was part of the MS-13. He always separated his gang life with his private life. He was very loving with his daughter surprisingly. He tried to teach her some Spanish so that she wouldn't be looked down up from his side of the family. Latinos can be very judgment if someone is unable to speak their native tongue. He was always dodging from the cops. As he climbed the hierarchy, the more restrictions that he placed on Lalia and Alegria. For example, he would tell her to not go to certain part of town so the rival gangs like the Crips and Bloods won't kidnap them for ransom.
One time, Lalia tried to send a picture of 9 month Alegria to her mother Eva, but Javier discouraged her in fear that if things go south for him, Lalia's mom would be in danger as well. Lalia safely tucked the envelope in her safe box and locked it away.
Sadly, some things had to end because when Alegria was 12 year's old, Javier was finally caught from smuggling Marijuana from Mexico to Texas. He was immediately locked up, and the rival gangs in prison killed him. Lalia's worst nightmare come true. What would she do without Javier? The people who used to help the family, all disappeared and abandoned her. The only stuck around because they respected Javier. Since he had pissed many people along the way in the gang, they came up to Lalia's front door. They demanded that she should pay for the sins of Javier and asked for a ridiculous amount of money, but of course, she couldn't pay it and she didn't want Alegria to be living in poverty. Thus, to keep living the lavish lifestyle that Javier created for the three of them and to pay off Javier's 'debt', Lalia offered to be their prostitute. She started working for those mysterious people to prostitute herself to "acclaimed" important people in the gang world of some sort. She was ordered to drug them and find out their secrets and report back to her employers.
Alegria didn't know what her mom was doing. She was raised or basically drilled into her that you don't question your parent's actions or motives if you want to keep your life. The times that she had sleepovers at friend's houses all through middle school and high school, it was when her mom was doing her secret job. Her mom would work in the afternoons as Sephora's sale representative at the Galleria, and at nighttime, she would do her secret job. Lalia didn't want Alegria to follow in her footsteps, she set high standards for Alegria, and thankfully, she was a honor student. The times that Alegria couldn't sleep over at friends' houses, Lalia made Alegria to take extra-curricular courses like tennis, soccer, and basketball basically be part of clubs to keep Alegria busy, so when Alegria's get home late from school, her mom would be there. Lalia also did this so her daughter build her resume so that once she graduates from high school, she can go to college with scholarships.
The physically and emotionally exhausting task of being the gang's prostitute finally caught up to Lalia. She tried to be safe and take protective measures, but as a human being, mistakes can happen. Not all things could be prevented, so when Alegria became a junior in high school, Lalia got diagnosed with AIDs. Of course, there was treatment for it with chemo and medication, but Lalia decided not to go through it. The doctors told her that if she doesn't get treatment, then she would die the same summer where Alegria would graduate from high school. She thought it would be better to plan for Alegria to get out from Houston once she graduates from high school, and return safely back to the reservation. Thus, Lalia carefully planned an escape for Alegria.
Alegria then noticed that her mom started getting weaker and frail over the months. She begged her mom to go see the doctor, but her mom was firm. She would repeat herself that it is an incurable disease and there was no point extending her life to just be going in and out of the hospital for the rest of her life. Alegria reluctantly respected her mother wishes, and her mother made Alegria to apply for colleges close to the reservation. She wouldn't tell why, but Alegria simply followed her mother's wishes since she knew her mother was going to die soon. By the time Alegria graduated from high school being 8th in her class with honors, Alegria became her mother's full-time caretaker as her mom congratulated her on her wheelchair.
The day of her graduation, Lalia made Alegria to drive her to the Galveston Beach. That was when Lali gave her a huge envelope and told her to leave her behind and run. Confused, Alegria tried to beg her mom for an explanation, but the next thing that her mom said, it broke Alegria's heart.
Lali said with begging eyes and tears falling down on her sunken cheeks, "I regret not able to see my hometown's beach for the last time, and ..I want to die imagining that I am back in my homeland..May the spirits protect you, my child. Run and don't look back. No matter what happens to me.. I'll always be watching you in the spirit world together with your father. I'm ready to meet Javier in the spirit world, so please let me go, my sweet child. I don't want to burden you anymore.."
Seeing her mom like that, it pushed Alegria to leave her mom behind and read the plan that her mother so carefully crafted with months preparations. Alegria found out in the news of her mother tortured to death by the beach, and it destroyed Alegria. She was wretched with guilt and sorrow, but she tried to reason herself that she did what her mother told her to do. Her mother finally disclosed everything that she has been doing these past few years since her father died. It pushed Alergia into a deep depression. Because of this, it took weeks for Alegria to find her way to the Quileute Reservation with the small, old envelop that had the direction to her grandmother's house.
When she arrived at the front porch of the house, an older Eva was there in her rocking chair. When she looked up, she gasped. Alegria was like a clone of Lalia. The only difference was that Alegria had thick brown curly hair, lighter complexion with a thicker body frame in comparison to Lalia. Eva took her in with open arms. She regretted throwing out her mother when she became pregnant of her, but she thought her mother would eventually come to her senses and come back home. Lalia left an letter to Eva, and whatever it said, it brought Eva to tears.
Even though it took time for Alegria to forgive her grandmother, Eva was the greatest grandmother that Alegria could ask for. Having her grandmother, it helped Alegria through her depression and grief as they both were grieving together. Since Alegria moved in with her during the summer, the council was gracious enough to give her scholarships. Alegria decided to go to University of Seattle since it was close to the reservation. With her scholarships from high school as a honor student and the scholarship from the reservation, it was enough for Alegria to have full ride to University of Seattle. It made Eva truly happy for her granddaughter and pleased that..Lalia raised such a good daughter despite of everything that Alegria and Lali had gone through. Alegria would visit her grandmother at least once a month and during her breaks to bond the last living member of her maternal family. ..
When things were starting to get better for her, tragedy strike again three year later. Her grandmother died the winter before Alegria graduated from college with both her Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts in Social Work. Her grandmother had an ongoing breast cancer, and she only started properly taking care of herself when Alegria moved in with her. Thankfully, it gave Eva few more months to stay with Alegria, but it was too late.
What is with the girls in her family letting health issues kill them off? I couldn't understand, but I didn't want to judge too harshly. This poor girl had it hard man.
From the looks of the brief memories that I had of this Alegria, it was a difficult semester for Alegria, but she was able to push through to her promise to Eva. On Eva's death bed, Eva made Alegria promised to finish college, and that promise, it was pushed Alegria to keep moving. The council made a small burial ceremony for Eva, and it was honestly the first time that the reservation had seen Alegria. She was shy and never left her grandmother's house whenever she would visit. Sometimes, Alegria would visit the La Push Beach and be forced to go to the local store to buy some things for her grandmother, but she never really bonded with the rest of the people.
Once she graduated, she finally moved back down to the reservation to her grandmother's home because apparently, Eva had life insurance and as her last family member, she inherited it all. If she wanted, Alegria could not work for the next decade before she runs out of the money, but she didn't want to do that.
Now, this is where the memories get fuzzy. The weeks before today gets all blurred just like how my memory of how I got here is blurred as well.
Now, I have to ask who am I?
This Alegria looks like me and has the same personality as me, but she isn't me? She doesn't have the life experiences and knowledge that I possess, but I possess hers somehow?
I'm just Alegria Maria Lopez. Born and raised in Houston, Texas. Instead of Quileute, I am half Colombian. I wasn't part of the gang life, but I had cousins who were part of the MS-13. My parents aren't dead, but I am estranged from them due to their toxic, emotionally abusive personalities. I got my associates in high school, and I graduated college with both Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts in Counseling at University of North Texas. We are similar in some ways, but different in many.
Who exactly am I? I have memories of two version of me, and its overwhelming. It is already hard enough to have my own memories, but now I am carrying someone's as I am in their body? Is this some type of reincarnation deal that I read from mangas? Like those story of a female lead gets into some accident that causes her to remember the memories of her past life in the real world? Gosh, I hope not. That would be so cliché…
Sigh.
I don't know how long I was asleep for until I was woken up by someone growling close to my ear. I druggily woke up. It appears to me that I was in a clinic. I looked up and I was in Sam's arms. He noticed that I woke up, and he looked down to me with gold at the rims of his pupils. He said, "are you okay?"
I said hesitantly, "Yeah, I guess?"
Then I heard a males voice in the distant, "Alpha..please, let me attend to your..uh..companion."
I glanced toward the voice, and it was a male nurse. He had a scared expression on his face, and I felt Sam growling, "I know.. Dr. River, you are just doing your job, but we..uhm I..can't allow another male get close to her… I.. want Sue."
Dr. River sighed with hands up, "You would have to wait for an hour for Sue to come." bowed lowly to Sam before exiting the room. It seemed like we were at the tribal clinic in one of their rooms. I was cuddled up with Sam in the bed. My leg was already strapped together in a boot, and my head feel woozy. Sam was so huge that he was practically about to fall off the bed, and I felt tiny in comparison to his huge frame.
Sam nodded, and he turned to me. His gaze softened with his eyes reverting back to normal hot temperature was cozy to touch, and I felt shy to be in arms of a man. I honestly never been in a relationship with a guy from all of my 21 years. I asked shyly, "uhh…would you mind putting me down on the bed, so..this Sue person can check me out?"
His shoulders tensed, and his grip on me got tighter. He said, "what do you know of the Quileute legends?"
Fuck. We are going to jump straight into this?
I sighed and said, "…Uh..hmm.."
I wasn't sure what to say next, but I was pretty drugged up from whatever Sue gave me. I was slowly remembering stuff from the Twilight series. I read them when I was in intermediate school, and I was twi-hard around that time, but I got busy with life and couldn't keep up with that hobby. I may have certain details forgotten and confused, but I am certain what he is for sure, so it took a minute for me to respond.
I said, "Uhh, you're a shape shifter, well technically a spirit warrior. You're the black one that I just saw in the meadow."
Gosh, did I just referred his wolf form as the 'black one'?
He froze and said, "..How do you know?"
I didn't feel like explaining that I am in someone's body. Heck, even I don't know what is up with me… Also, I don't know if the real Alegria would come back…Maybe I am just a stand in for her since her life has been terrible lately? I don't know..
I said, "Uhhh..Grandma Eva told me the stories. It wasn't hard to put two together with everything that happened in the meadow."
He said amazedly, "You're pretty intuitive."
No, not really. I am just someone who read too much supernatural books, manga and watched too much kdramas to be honest. Bella was able to figure things out as someone from the "outside". In comparison, Charlie basically spends majority of his life in the reservation, and he is the chief of the police for crying out loud and yet he never figured it out.
He said with eyes glowing up gold, "so..you are not afraid of..us?"
I said questionably, "why do you use plural, and ..no? your protectors, so I shouldn't be, I think."
He chuckled lowly, "I mean me and my wolf spirit, and you're cute."
He purred and nuzzled me on the cheek. I tensed slightly. I know he is a wolf, so they are very physically affectionate. However, I am not used to this much of physical contact even though I am affectionate as a Hispanic. I grew up being kissed on the cheek and hugged by family members. I am confused, though. If I am not mistaken, he is imprinted with Emily? She Makah girl that he accidently scarred her face. ..But, why is he so touchy-touchy with me?
Since he said we, so the wolf spirit is a separate entity in his body. It confirms the theory that they are sharing a body with the spirit warrior more in control. The Quileutes just don't have the power to shift, they share their body with the wolf spirit in order to shift. It makes much more sense now.
As if he felt my emotions, he asked, "..what about imprinting? Do you know that story?"
I said, "Yeah? Is it that soulmate type of deal? I remember Grandma Eva would make it seem like it is the best thing on earth?"
Why is he bringing that up?
He chucked, "it's sort of like that, but it is when the wolf becomes whatever the imprint needs and wants. We can be their friend, protector..or lover..We feel what they feel, and it helps up to take care of them. If our wolf spirit is willing, we can become their mate, but as alpha..my imprint automatically becomes my mate."
Oh..Dang, is that why Emily betrayed Leah despite being cousins and fully knowing how intimate Sam and Leah were before Sam phased? Yikes. I knew Emily received a lot of hate form people for taking Sam away from Leah, but I feel sorry for her though. She got scarred by someone who is supposed to protect her, and maybe in her insecurity, she took in Sam since no one else would "love" her like Sam does. I admit Emily shouldn't have taken Sam that easily, but I don't hate her.
But, wait. Jacob is the rightful Alpha. Then, remembering who he imprinted to. Omigosh, eww. Nooo. No wonder Edward threw Jacob against the wall when Edward read Jacob's mind that he imprinted on Renesmee when she was born. This is worse than Quil and Claire's imprinting situation. Now, that is some straight up grooming that Meyers wrote for this story.
I said, "Oh..I am glad you were able to find Emily, Sam, so ..would you mind letting me go please? I lowkey feel bad for being this close to you."
He crooked his head in confusion, and he said, "Emily? I didn't imprint on a 'Emily'. I am trying to say that I imprinted on you, Alegria."
What?!
Author's Note:
Woah, I didn't expect this much of people liking this story. Thanks guys, so I made this chapter a little longer than usual.
As always reviews are very much appreciated.
