ET Chapter 26: Demons come at dusk, Pain at dawn
"Hoooowwwllll!"Rob howled loudly and proudly as he parked his truck behind the seemingly plain gray-stone motel building.
Beside him, sitting in the passenger's seat, Gabriella rolled her eyes as she fixed her mascara in the little car window.
"Gabs, come," He grabbed her hand, making her mess up the line she was drawing. "Howl with me."
"I'd rather punch you." She twisted her hand free and then checked her reflection.
Great. Thanks to Rob, it looked like her eye-pencil had a mind of its own.
"Jesus Christ," she mumbled angrily. She wiped the line hard off her face until there was barely a trace. Using her right hand, which she figured was a safer option since it was further from Rob's reach, she started her eye-makeup over again. "You're such a child."
The bright smile on Rob's smile chipped down into a frown. "And you're such a buzz-kill. You managed to ruin the fun before we even stepped inside."
"Fuck you!"
"Maybe later."
Annoyance flared in Gabriella, tightening the veins of her neck, causing her teeth to grind her teeth. She wanted to punch him. Badly. She also had to finish her makeup. Lucky for him.
Rolling her eyes, she finished with the eye-pencil, and then moved onto the mascara.
"You're still mad about that puppy dog, aren't you?"
Mad didn't even begin to cover how she felt about her surprise "visitor" coming into her house. Not that se was going to tell him that. She figured her silence was going to great job for her.
"Look, Gabs," Rob said. "The kid was desperate. And when I say desperate, I mean desperate. He came into the place with a determined look in his eye like he was heading off to battle or something. Said so himself that he was going to find you one way or another, even if it meant driving all throughout town."
Finished with the eyes, she moved onto lips. Fishing out a tube of her favorite vixen-red sheered lipstick, she painted her lips with the thin wand.
"I know you don't want to hear it. I know I'll probably get hit for this. But, Gabriella," Oh Lord. Her full name. He was really getting serious. "The kid really cares about you,"
She finished her lips and rubbed them together, making sure they were covered and came out good.
"You know it. You just don't know what to do about it, which is why you're pissed."
She tucked her makeup items inside the flaps of her jacket. She ran her hands through her wild mane of black hair, fluffing it up a bit and taming stubborn strands.
"Maybe because a part of you-deep down like the earth's center-there's a part of you that actually feels the same way. Which makes you even more pissed-off."
When she was sure her makeup was good and her hair looked fine, she turned away from the mirror and over to Rob. "I thought we were to party, not play Dr. Phil."
Rob looked like he was going to retaliate, but Gabriella beat to the punch, saying "I just wanna drink and dance and forget. Okay?"
He rolled his eyes, sighing deeply, but didn't pursue the issue any longer. "Okay. Agreed."
"Good." She smiled, pleased.
They got out of the car and stood for a moment, watching dozens of decked-out people heading inside the building, checking their appearances for any flaw. More than once a pair of eyes glanced over their direction. Not that Gabriella blamed them. They did look good.
Rob was sporting a wife-beater that showed off his much toned upper body paired with his favorite black leather jacket and stonewash jeans that were the right amount of baggy without looking completely shaggy. Completing his look were new Jordans and a backwards black cap.
On her, a gray and black striped, stomach-baring tank top underneath a new black short leather jacket. Bleached skinny jeans tucked into black leather boots that were bedazzled with a swirl of sliver beads. Her hair was half up, half down. Her make-up was light with the expectation of her bright lipstick. For accessories, she had on a pair of big silver hoops, black and silver cross pendant, and, of course, her diamond stub nose-ring.
"What do you think of me getting a tongue ring?" Gabriella asked. She had been thinking about it for awhile.
"I think," Rob said. "that it will definitely be fun kissing you. And much more for my little friend when you kiss him."
Ass-wipe, she thought, punching her laughing friend in the arm before they walked inside the building.
On the outside, it looked like a typical, abandoned hotel building two-stories high and painted a dull gray. Yet the second you step inside, you're instantly surrounded by colors shining from the overhead brightly-lit neon lights and looking at your reflection through a row of crazy mirrors as you proceeded downstairs. Then through a plain gray door with the biggest crazy mirror hanging in front, you're transported to a land of bright lights and the biggest dance floor flooded with crazy moves and people following the beat booming from the ceiling high speakers.
When Rob first brought her to the Underground, Gabriella was hesitant, unsure of his words when he told her the Underground was the club for dancers.
The second she went through the mirrored door, witnessing the sickest moves and being lost in the sweet beats of the music, she was hooked.
There wasn't just one floor reserved only for dancing. All three floors were the dance floors, each more crowded and alive than last.
There were also perks that came with the club: a fully stocked bar on the first floor with an endless supply of drinks. The lack of serious authority. Private rooms upstairs.
Stepping through the familiar room, Britney Spears was blaring from the speakers, singing about dancing till the world ends.
A plan that sounded pretty good to Gabriella.
"What'ca you want?" yelled Rick, one of the bartenders over the music. In the Underground, where the music and crowds were always loud, a person really had to shout to be heard.
"A rum and coke." Rob yelled back.
"Tequila. Straight up." Gabriella ordered.
One of the things she loved about the place was the fact she never had to worry about coming up with her ID on the spot. According a friend of Rob's who used to bartend here, their policy was simple. You make a fool out of yourself, hope to God people are too drunk to notice.
"A toast." Rob requested, raising his glass high. "To living fast and doing well in life before the big curtain comes down."
"Cheers." The friends clicked their glasses and drank, the liquor burning their throats as it went down.
Hours later, Gabriella felt like she was in one with her inner aura, floating on cloud nine. Lost in the sweeping sea of loud beats and the haze of alcohol, swaying her hips and waving her hands like she had no care.
After their second drink, Rob followed Gabriella over to the dance floor on the second level. They danced through remixes of Usher and Chris Brown, some mash-ups of Rihanna and J-Lo. In the beginning, it started out with the two of them swaying and grinding together. The another guy appeared in front of her, moving with her in the front while Rob covered her behind, turning their duo into a trio. Around the sixth song, an Asian chick with pink-dyed pink danced with Rob, leaving Gabriella completely free with the remaining partner.
By the thirtieth song, Rob disappeared with the pink-haired chick and Gabriella had relieved herself in the restroom.
Flushing down a vast supply of piss, she came out of the stall and washed her hands.
A second later a pretty Latina emerged from the stall two doors away from hers. Long dark hair, sparkling brown eyes, a thin but curvy body showed off nicely in her little black dress.
"Hey." The girl greeted her tone as bright as her smile.
"What's up?"
The girl shrugged in response, and they continued to wash their hands in silence. The girl finished before Gabriella, who was re-touching her makeup. But she didn't join the party. She decided to make her own, flipping open the cap of her black mood ring.
Gabriella's buzz flew out of her system as if it was sucked by a needle, replaced by a hollowed but hardened emptiness that was associated with her memories.
One line, two line, three line, four. All went down the rabbit hole as Maria deeply inhaled the lines of powder with a rolled-up dollar bill.
Once the fourth line was in her system, mingling with the fellow lines and the shots of vodka she chugged down, a smile of ecstasy spread across her face.
It took what felt like forever for Maria to be sober enough to get off from the floor, the glazed-over expression still remaining in her glassy eyes, twisting the mood over and over on her finger. She walked over to the small mirror hanging by the wall, trying to bring out whatever decent features she had left of her once beautiful face.
Her concentration broke as she noticed a familiar figure standing in between the kitchen and the hallway, her eyes locked on hers. A smirk of taunting, tainted with poisoned bitterness, played across her lips as she turned over to her daughter.
"Want some, honey?" She held out her onyx ring. On the outside, it was just another accessory that went with the scandalous clothes she wore. Inside, it was the on-go stop storing piles and piles of coke that helped her through the day.
Gabriella didn't bother to dignity that question with an answer. She grabbed her toast, grabbed her bag, and headed off to school. All whilst ignoring Maria's cynical laughter.
Fuck.
The girl feed one nostril, and then moved onto the other. She breathed in deeply, and the familiar smile Gabriella had seen countless times growing up spread across her face.
Taking notice of Gabriella, the girl smiled and offered her the ring. "Want some? It's good shit."
Gabriella couldn't contain her disgust as she studied the ring. Her disgust wasn't targeted at the drips of snot running down the black onyx, but at the bulks of cocaine nestled inside. She remembered the shameful things her mother had done for just a hit of the stuff.
"You think you're so fucking special, don't you, brat? Like you're so much better than me?" Maria taunted. Her breath smelt heavily of liquor, kissing her skin as she stood behind her, staring at their reflection in the mirror. Gabriella represented the golden past while Maria represented the horrible future. She grabbed a handful of Gabriella's hair and yanked hard. "I got news for you, baby. You are me."
Gabriella's first instinct was to shake off her disgusting hands, then telling the bitch to go fuck herself. But she remembered where she was, and how cold her body felt.
Get a fucking grip, Montez.
She forced herself to look at the ring-bearer, meeting her drug-hazed eyes. "I'm good, thanks."
Confusion crossed the girl's face. "You sure? I always let new customers get a free taste of the merchandise."
She wasn't just a user. She was dealer, too. Lovely.
"I'm sure."
Gabriella left the bathroom and hit the dance floor with vengeance, dancing to every song blaring from the speakers, moving along side a partner or two who wanted a feel of her moves and her body, losing herself in the sweltering heat and music until she felt like she was drowning. Until all thoughts of her mother and drug rings were far behind her.
A hundred songs later and one thirsty throat, Gabriella took a seat at the bar stool and banged her fist against the counter, calling for service. "Yo, bum. Vodka in a keg."
The bartender scowled, not pleased by the name. The scowl did lessen as he eyed her small figure, taking note of the curves. "You sure you don't want to start off with something light? Like a beer? A Cosmo?"
Okay, now he was being an ass. "I'm sure, bum."
He shrugged, as if she were playing a hand in her funeral, but said nothing. A keg of vodka was slide to her direction.
Here's to living young, she thought to herself, taking a big swing at her drink.
One keg of vodka managed to dim her senses for a bit. An additional four rounds swept her mind clean of what happened in the bathroom.
However, there was one thing alcohol couldn't wipe, no matter how many drinks she had.
A pair of innocent, beautiful blue eyes that continued to haunt her.
Damn it.
She finished her third shot of tequila and pushed the glass and empty keg back, signaling the bartender for another round. While she waited, she fished out a cigarette and stuck it in her mouth. Before she could look for her lighter, someone beat to the punch, lighting up her cigarette and making himself comfortable at the stool on her left.
Curious, Gabriella looked up. Dark, nearly black eyes met dark browns that were two or three shades lighter than hers. Attached to those eyes was a good-looking Latino. Black, wild hair. Nice body with good muscles. A fang-baring viper tattoo imprinted on his neck.
She couldn't control the smirk that blossomed on her lips as she studied him from head to toe. He definitely had gotten better-looking since the last time they crossed path. "Julio."
"Gabriella," he smirked back, tipping his head. "Thought I'd be the hero and save the pretty damsel in distress."
And just like that her smirk changed back into a frown-and a tight one. She inhaled her cigarette deeply and blew a cloud of smoke into his face. "If that's your idea of a pick-up line, you're sadly mistaken. You'll find yourself getting a slap instead of a kiss."
"Ouch," Julio recoiled as if he was hit. The smirk hanging by the corner of his lips gave him away. "Try to save the damsel and you get caught in her distress."
She blew another smoke cloud into his face. "I ain't no damsel."
Julio held out his hands in surrender. "Alright, alright. My bad. Now that I think about it, you're right. Damsel isn't the right word for you. No eres una damisela. Eres una princesa. Una princesa que esta muy buena y sexy."
Gabriella leaned closer to him. "Flattery is a like a coin toss. Either you get heads and you score. Or you get tails and lose."
Intrigued, Julio smiled at her. "So did I get heads?"
"Try tails."
With that said she finished off her drink and went off to find her friend. What she didn't expect was Julio to catch up with her quickly, laying her against the wall and smiling with those wicked eyes of his.
"You know," he said without an ounce of shame. "The more you walk, the more I chase. The more I chase, the more I want."
Another night, another time she would punch a guy for laying a hand on her. Tonight was different. She wasn't feeling right. She was still thinking, despite the liquor and music. Despite herself. She was still seeing blue.
She looked into Julio's eyes. Chocolate brown, the complete opposite of brown. Blue was complicated. Complicated was the stepping stone of messes, which she had no desire to deal. Brown was easy. Brown was lustful and temporary, which she could handle easily.
A seductive smirk spread across her red lips. Gabriella grabbed hold of Julio's shirt and brought him close to her, their faces so close their breaths kissed the other's face. The want he possessed for her was practically gushing from his body from the slight shaking, the moan escaping his lips, and his little friend nudging against her.
"Lucky for you," She slowly ran her hand through his tattoo to cheek, knowing she was tormenting him with her deliberate movements and loving it. "I'm in the mood for a distraction."
Just one brush against his lips, and any self-control or plain Julio had gone completely out the door. Pulling her against him, he kissed Gabriella hungrily, nearly devouring her, trying to have every piece of her.
This is nice, Gabriella thought, her back pressed against the wall, keeping up with his hungry lips. This is very nice.
It wasn't long before she found herself in a familiar position. Private spot,mighty turned off. Lying flat on her back, her shirt tossed aside somewhere, being deeply and roughly kissed by a great distraction whose hands were busy exploring her body as his tongue swept through her mouth.
"God, you're sexy." Julio murmured against her skin as he kissed her neck.
Such flattery, it was pleasing to hear. But at the moment unwanted. Gabriella didn't want talk. She wanted action.
"How about you use that mouth for something useful?" she suggested.
Thankfully, Julio took the hint. He brought his lips back to hers in a lustful kiss where their mouths collided and tongues clash, the temperature-slash-pleasure escalating to a very high level. He scrambled out of his pants and she helped him with hers. He rocked against her groin, causing her moans to grow louder.
"My god," she moaned, closing her eyes.
To see those haunting blue eyes staring back at her.
SHIT! Her eyes snapped open. The lightness, the weightlessness, the pleasure-it only took seeing blue for them to all fade away, leaving her with nothing but an unsettling hollowness.
It didn't feel right. Suddenly none of this felt right-or even fine. Julio's lips were too rough and hard to be considered pleasurable, his tongue too needy and wet. His hands too eager.
He didn't feel right. His lips didn't cause a fire. His touch didn't ignite her.
It wasn't-he wasn't-oh Sweet Jesus son of God, no!
"Fuck!" Gabriella roared, pushing Julio away from her. Anger was fueled behind the strong shove that sent the boy tumbling to the ground.
Her head was spinning, filled with too many thoughts. Her gut twisted and coiled inside her, trying to contain something too wild and vast. Annoyed and confused, she climbed off the bed, grabbed her things, and started to dress.
"What the hell? What just happened?"
She slipped back on her top and wiggled into her tight jeans. She didn't put back on her jacket; the building was starting to get hot. She tied it around her waist.
"What the hell is your problem?"
After she zipped up her boots, Gabriella answered. "Changed my mood. Not in the mood tonight."
"What!" The question came out louder than the last question, sounding more like a demand. Gabriella turned around to see the confusion on Julio's face darken to anger.
"Not. In. The. Mood." Gabriela repeated. "Want me to say it in Spanish? No estoy de humor para esto."
Julio was loss at words. It might have been the first time he didn't get the full ride at the Underground. Judging by the nasty scowl on his face, he didn't look one bit happy about it. "What the-you're fucking me, right? You can't just led someone on like that and pull back last minute. For God's damn sake, my balls are choking me."
Hearing him whine added more fuel to her escalating annoyance. She already had too much crap on her mind. The last thing she needed to deal with was a distraction's inability to accept rejection.
"Then masturbate!" Gabriella snapped, walking out the door without giving Julio a second glance.
"Puta!" he yelled behind her. "Eres una maldita puta provocadora."
"Vete a la mierda, hijo de puta!"
She was dreaming of munchkins.
Cute little munchkins with huge heavy hammers they were banging against her skull, wearing huge close-to-psychotic smiles on their faces.
Demons by Imagine Dragons was playing as background music.
I wanna hide the truth
I wanna shelter you
But with the beast inside
There's nowhere we can hide
The munchkins suddenly weren't munchkins anymore. They were demons-her own set of monsters, taking a swing at her.
Her mother in revealing attire, traces of her former beauty faint. Lips twisted into a biting snarl. Dark eyes lit with such fury and hatred.
Scorpion, face ever emotionless, eyes soulless, studying her like a dissected frog.
No matter what we breed
We still are made of greed
This is my kingdom come
This is my kingdom come
Carols with his ever-present smirk that pinned her frozen, eyes undressing her cloth by cloth, his lust uncontrollable and monstrous.
Javier as two different people. One Javier as the protector she remembered, the brother that never let her down. The other Javier as the man she didn't recognize anymore, the stranger always disappointed in her. Always assuming the worst of her.
When you feel my heat
Look into my eyes
It's where my demons hide
It's where my demons hide
Pup. Pup with his annoying, idiotic mouth. Pup with his pretty-boy face he used as mask. Pup with his beautiful, innocent blue eyes that could easily break her.
Don't get too close
It's dark inside
It's where my demons hide
It's where my demons hide
"I really like you," he murmured, the soft words causing her nerves to run on overdrive before he delivered the final blow.
"Fuck!" Her eyes snapped opened as she woke up, a move she soon regretted as pain-intense, brutal, and just plain mean-hit her at every corner of her skull.
"Fuck." She laid back down on the hard floor. One hard, smooth floor, trying to ease her way through the demonic hangover.
Why the hell did have to drink so much last night?
Why the hell did she have open her eyes?
What the hell was up with that dream?
And why the fucking hell does she still hears the song going on now?
When you feel my heat
Look into my eyes
It's where my demons hide
It's where my demons hide
Don't get too close
It's dark inside
It's where my demons hide
It's where my demons hide
The last question answered inside, vibrating against her thigh.
"Hell-" A cough made its way up her desert-dry throat, cutting her off. Her mouth was dried up and reeked in foulness.
Morning breath mixed with alcohol. Lovely.
"Hello." she tried again.
"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't hunt you down and kill you?" Javier demanded, not caring to hide the anger thundering in his voice. "Por favor dame esa buena razón."
Just friggering lovely. A monster of a hangover. A disturbing dream. A cactus throat. And, the cherry on the top, her brother's wrath.
Fate clearly did not like her.
Sighing, Gabriella answered his question. "Because Anita will personally declaw the family jewels if you make your children visit you at the slammer."
"Where the hell are you?!" he demanded. Loudly. She had to pull away the phone to keep her ears from going permanently deaf.
It took all the strength she used in her exhausted, drunk-limp body to get herself into sitting position and not fall over to the pounding headache. Turned out the hard, smooth floor she was lying on was surface of an egg-white bathtub. She was lying in the tub while across from her, his head buried in the toilet, a half-conscious dude in his plaid boxers.
Somehow when the drinks finally got to her, she stumbled into one of the suite's bathrooms and crashed.
Though she would have preferred waking up in a comfy bed, she couldn't really complain. At least when she woke up, toilet water and vomit won't be the first thing she sees.
"Gabriella!"
"Oh, you know," she told Javier. "Here, there. Out and about. Everywhere and nowhere."
She literally felt his temper flaring up, melting her phone. She half-expected it to go up in smoke. "You have thirty minutes-and only thirty minutes-to get your ass here."
He hanged on her.
"Always a pleasure, bro." Gabriella rolled her eyes, hanging up.
Okay, she needed to find Rob, but first she needed to get out of the tub.
She used the shower curtains to support her as moved her numb limbs.
God damnit.
Fuck the saying head spinning as one of the symptoms of a hangover. Her whole body felt like she was strapped onto a roller coaster going through countless high, stomach-churning loopy-loops. And the bout of nausea riding her stomach, so intense and painful, didn't help things either.
"Son of a bitch." she murmured. Slowly she stuck her left foot out the tub, setting it slowly on the ground. Then did so with the other foot.
Once the nausea lessened to a less intense level, she made her way out of the suite, passing by more party-goers crashed in various spots and positions. Outside in the hall, the scene wasn't much different. Only difference being there were more passed-out bodies. Half-empty cups and bottles spilled here and there. Discarded clothes.
There were too many places where Rob could be. She decided the best thing to do was call him, hoping he was still in the building.
Girl look at that body
Girl look at that body
Girl look at that body
I work out
Hearing the annoying-but-all-too-predictable ringer, Gabriella followed the sound down the hall into room 32.
She found Rob passed out with a pink bra-clad blonde nestled against him and a brunette pressed against his crotch.
Nice, she thought sourly.
A good friend would nudge Rob up and help him through the hangover that was soon to come. A friend like Gabriella-hung-over, pissed-off, bent on time with a crappy stomach-swung her left leg back and slammed it against his stomach like a soccer ball.
"Fuck!" Rob yelped, instantly up. The blonde rolled off him, the brunette landed not-so gently on the ground.
He brushed a hand against the bruised area and let out a hiss that rivaled that of a cat.
"What? Who? Fuck." Rob asked, distorted. He rubbed his head eyes hard as the evil hangover made its course. "Gabs?"
"Morning sleeping beauty." She had a little strength in her to smirk at her miserable friend.
He scowled at her. "You're a real bitch sometimes, you know that?"
"Proud of it."
Rob lost his shirt, along with his jacket. A brand-new jacket she knew cost him two paychecks, which had him muttering curses left and right. Like Gabriella, he drank too much and remembered little. Somehow in between make-out sessions with his two snuggle buddies and a game of strip poker with a small group of people, he was left only in his jeans. Thankfully, for his sake, he put all of his belongings in his pocket-including his keys.
"I'm amazed. Really." Gabriella said, helping Rob get on his feet and keeping him steady while he battled with the wicked hangover. "How the fuck does one lose half the clothes he came in wearing?"
"The same way you managed to go from being the beauty to the beast." Rob gestured towards her face.
Gabriella responded with a solid punch to the arm that was bound to leave a mark. "You're a bum."
"And you're a bitch."
The two friends locked eyes with each other, glaring, before losing it in laughter.
It was clear Rob was in no condition to drive. He needed her as a human crutch to keep him on his feet. Gabriella wasn't that much better. With her head pounding and eyes seeing double, she knew if she got behind the wheel an accident was bound to happen.
Which left them one opinion: the bus. And, proving fate really didn't like them, it was full. So not only did they have to deal with monster hangovers threatening to split their skull wide open. Not only did they have hang onto the contents of their stomachs with every bump and turn the bus went through. They had to endure curious, judgmental glares from everyone including the driver.
No one was more relieved than Gabriella when they finally reached her stop. Her relief turned to annoyance as she realized what was waiting for her. Damn.
"You know you can chill at my place and wait for the storm to blow over?" Rob asked, referring to hurricane Javier.
Gabriella almost took him up on his offer. Almost. Problem was she knew her brother. She knew how his temper worked.
The more she avoided him, the hotter the storm. Better to face the music and be done with it, even though she nearly died more than once walking up all those stairs.
Opening the door to her apartment, a surge of déjà vu hit Gabriella. The moment reminded her too much of her first disastrous day of school. The truth was too much for East High to handle. Principal called Tweety, Tweety called Javier, and Javier wanted to wring her neck.
She smelt the smoke, indicating he has been smoking a lot while waiting for her. But he wasn't on the couch.
Surprised, Gabriella's eyes darted away from the empty seat to the TV stand. Javier was leaning against the wall, staring at the pictures and cigarette in hand.
Without sparing a glance at her direction, he said "It feel like it was just yesterday when this picture was taken. You and I had ridden the tea cups before the picture. Six times and didn't barf once. Despite the fact we had the biggest pile of chili-cheese fries. There was so much cheese; you were convinced all that rats were going to come. You remember?"
Of course she remembered. It was the first Halloween she and her brother spent outside their room. They hitched a ride over to the amusement park on Coney Island, where for one night it was open for some Halloween fun. They stuffed their faces with pumpkin-shaped funnel cakes, eye meat-ball subs, and creepy chili-cheese fries. Then rode every ride they could more than twice. It was so much fun she never wanted to leave, insisting that she and her brother could just live there.
While Javier couldn't allow that, despite the great temptation, he promised that every Halloween they would come back to Coney Island-and so they did, clad in costumes even when Javier got too old for dressing up, stuffing their faces with carnival food, and going on every ride available.
Right up until she turned eleven and the tradition abruptly faded.
"I remember." Gabriella whispered through clenched teeth, her eyes focused on her shoes.
Javier looked over at her, taking in the party clothes, her dishevel hair, putting together the clues on where she was last night. He shook his head, murmuring under his breath. "Gabriella, please tell me you didn't do drugs last night."
Her eyes snapped back to him, darkened in anger. "Because that's why Maria would be gone all night, right? Besides screwing around?" she snapped. "And since I'm so much like her, I must have been doing one or the other? Maybe even both."
Annoyance sheered her brother's eyes, wiping any nostalgia they held onto moment ago. "Do not start, Gabriella. Don't. I already have enough shit to deal with without worrying if my baby sister is even conscious enough to know where she is or to pick up her goddamn phone."
Gabriella couldn't conceal the sharp, bitter laugh that escaped her lips. "That's rich, bro, coming from you. I seem to remember there were plenty of nights you creep back through the window escape smelling like a bar,"
He scowled. She continued on.
"And I didn't start anything. You did. The second you came out of hiding and decided to play guardian with me, you did nothing but give me shit, always assuming I'm redoing Maria's best hits."
"That is not true."
"Oh really?" She raised her eyebrow suspiciously. "Who was the one who went right up to my face and said, and I quote "You're just like her."'
"You know I didn't mean it."
"Bull and shit."
Javier turned away from her, needing a minute to compose himself. Gabriella noticed how tight his fists were clenched, the skin turning white. He breathed in deeply and let out a long breath. "Tweety called. She wants to see us."
Gabriella rolled her eyes, annoyed. "Tell the bitch she can go fuck herself."
"She wants to meet at your school." he said.
"I repeat. She can go fuck herself. Then go to hell."
Javier ignored the jab, continuing "The principal called her and he wants all of us to be in his office in one hour."
Lovely. As if fate didn't jerk her around enough, she had to meet up with two people who were on the top of her shit list.
"Yea. I'll pass." Gabriella smiled sweetly as she made her way to the bathroom.
Javier clamped her arm. "Not a chance. And I'm not in the mood for any whining so save your breath. Get your shit together, clean your face up, and then we're out of there."
Gabriella yanked her arm back and shoved him. Hard. She cursed under her breath as she walked to the bathroom.
"Motherfuck…" she whispered, stunned, staring back at her reflection.
To say she looked out of it would be an understatement.
Her hair looked like it had gone against wild ravens that were trying to make it their nest. Stingy, matted, out of control. Her face wasn't much an improvement. Her mascara was caked under her blood-shot eyes with black streaks running down her cheeks as if she did nothing but cry the reminder of the night.
Which was completely crazy since she didn't cry. Well, at least she didn't think so. Or remember.
Gabriella raked through her muffled brain, trying to conjure up something. A moment, a picture. Anything.
She and Rob going to different directions. A girl snorting coke from her ring in the ladies' room. Drinking kegs and taking shots. Julio, a welcome distraction-turned-annoyance.
After that…after that….
She recalled vaguely more shots, both straight-up and body. She remembered dancing and dancing until her legs were searing from use. She remembered more shots. Then more dancing.
Then nothing but a big, black hole after that.
"Shit." she murmured.
A fist pounded against the bathroom door, breaking her train of thoughts. "One hour. Get moving."
Scowling, Gabriella answered his fist-pounding with several of her own. "Put a goddamn sock in it. You sound like a parrot."
Gabriella poured most of her annoyance into her teeth that she brushed vigorously, picturing every trace of foulness in her mouth was an extension of her brother. When her teeth was done and minty-fresh, she stripped off her clothes, emptied her pockets, and dumped them in the laundry basket.
She set the water to cold before stepping into the shower. The cold water was like a hard slap that stung her whole body. Her teeth were chattering within seconds. But the more she stood under the pour, the more awake her body became. As soon as her she built a tolerance against the icy water, she poured a handful of Dove shampoo in her hand and washed her hair.
Anita was leaning by the bathroom door when she came out of the shower, as if she were wating for her.
"Did our Cinderella enjoy her night out?" she asked Gabriella.
Gabriella had drunk until she passed out. Danced until she could feel the soles of her feet bleeding. And couldn't remember much after that. But there was no way she was going to tell Anita that. She wouldn't immediately judge her like her brother did, but she definitely would be disappointed. And Gabriella had dealt with that enough for the morning.
She responded with a shrug.
"Did Prince Bolton meet you there last night?"
Gabriella scowled at her.
"Or did our princess have a night out to avoid thinking about Prince Bolton?"
Okay, now she was just being mean. And a pain.
Before Gabriella could tell her off, Paco toddled out of his room. He grinned big at the sight of his aunt and ran over to her, wrapping his arms around her legs.
"Gabi." he happily cried.
Her precious one was the only person on earth Gabriella could never not smile at. He was simply too precious. Bending down on knee, careful to make sure her towel stayed put, she gave him a proper hug. She inhaled his sweet baby smell that was almost like a ray of sunshine.
Her relaxing mood soured, though, as Anita hummed a familiar tune under her breath, purposely trying to get on Gabriella's nerves.
Who do you think you're kiddin'?
He's the earth and heaven to you
Try to keep it hidden
I Won't Say I'm In Love from the Hercules movie, a song that Anita believed was quite fitting for Gabriella.
"Have I mentioned how much I don't like you?" Gabriella asked, keeping her voice light for Paco's sake.
Anita smirked, this time singing the song out loud.
Honey, we can see right through you
Girl, you can't conceal it
We know how you feel and
Who you're thinking of
"The second that squirt is out of you," Gabriella pointed at her baby-budlged stomach. "I'm so going to get you."
You swoon, you sigh
Why deny it? Uh, oh
Meg's answer to that question was on the tip of Gabriella's tongue. She knew if she said it, then it would only encourage Anita's antics. She refused to do such a thing. She stood back up, gently directed her nephew to the living room, and hissed "Muérete, Anita."
Alone in her room, Gabriella dried herself off and moisturized her body with her favorite lotion, slipping on a new pair of underwear and cotton bra. She stared back at her reflection.
Her eyes were still red. Tweety would have a field day if she saw them.
She dropped drops of Visine in her eyes, hoping they'd work their magic on her.
Too bad they couldn't work their magic on Anita by sealing her lips.
Girl, don't be proud
It's okay, you're in love
Gabriella looked over at her Meg doll.
"I understand completely why you preferred handling Hot-head than Wonder-boy."
To most people, Meg was just another pretty but unimportant face from the Disney franchise. To Gabriella, she was another awesome Disney girl she could relate to. She had a sharp tongue. She handled her own business. She doesn't trust easily.
"Sometimes, it's better to alone," she had told Hercules. "Nobody can hurt you."
It was a quote that stuck in Gabriella's head long after the movie was over. One that she found oh so true.
So so so sorry that this took forever. I've been taking summer classes and had to study for too many confusing exams. Thank god tomorrow is the last day.
consider this chapter to be spilt into two. originally I planned having this and the meeting tied into one chapter but it looked too much and I had very little free time. i have most of the next chapter written down already so I believe it wIll be updated sooner.
Thanks isarodas10 for being an awesome translator. And thank all of you are reading, favoriting, and alerting.
You guys rock