Thanks to all the people that have reviewed!
Disclaim: Sands NOT mine.
Chapter 5) Family matter.
'He shot at him!' That was all she could think about. 'He actually shot. What must Julio think of me right now?' Her lip started to tremble. 'He must hate me so much … how can he not!?' She buried her face in her pillow. 'Why do I have to be the girl that lives with Sands?! Why can't I just have a dad and a mom and some little brother to bug? No, I have to live with mister Chaos…'
She hadn't slept at all. First she had made some torture plans for Sands, but that didn't make her feel better at all. Okay, a little… But it did not solve her biggest problem. Julio… Julio Lopez, that sounded like a hot actor, or some super model. And she kissed him and it had been…wow…
Until Sands threatened him and made him flee through the window…
She grabbed her pillow and smacked it through her room. 'Alright self-pity-time is over! Lizz, you want that guy, go for it!... but please don't make a bigger fool out of yourself than you already did…'
She opened her closet and searched some descend clothes and put them on. Next was her make up, or what was left of it. Her mascara was around her cheeks, her nose her mouth… well almost everywhere it did not belong.
She washed it off and put some new on. This time waterproof, you never knew.
She grabbed her keys and silently slipped out of her room.
"Where are you going?" Sands snapped from behind the sofa when she opened the front door.
"Non of your damn business, bastard." She mumbled and closed the door.
.-.-.
Julio lay under a car screwing back a bolt into place. He whipped away the sweat with his wrist and placed the screwdriver next to him. He narrowed his eyes and checked all the leaking parts again. 'It'll do. For today.'
He pushed himself from under the car and nodded proudly at his own truck. It was old, leaking, breaking, rumbling, smelling, but it was his.
"Looks good to me." He heard his dad saying. He got tapped on the shoulders and his dad gave him a agreeable look. "Now, back to work, there are a lot of other cars to fix and the shop doesn't run itself."
"Yeah, yeah. I'm working on it." Julio grumbled not so pleased. His parents owned a gas station and a garage. Since he could remember he was helping and working covered in oil and dirt all day. It wasn't easy to run the shop, but it made good money since they where the only garage slash gas station in town. And with some help of family from time to time they always manages to make it.
He walked out of the garage, crossed a dirty path and walked through the backdoor of the gas station. His mom mostly did all the work, but it had been very busy lately and she also had three little kids to take care of.
"The troops have arrived mamá." He joked and threw his dirty shirt in the corner.
His mom was not so pleased. "Julio Leonardo Rafaelo Lopez! How many times have I told you not to through your dirty cloths in the shop! People might see them!" Huffing she picked up his clothes and muttering some Spanish curses he left.
Julio rolled his eyes. He hated when she did that. He'd been working all day and she started to complain about his dirty stuff. Angry he walked to the back and pulled out a cleaner shirt. It was hot in the shop, he was melting from the heat.
They sold all kinds of things, books, strips, drinks, food, souvenirs. Even some basic medicines and drinks with low alcohol. The shop was tiny and full with racks stuffed with items.
Julio walked to the freezer and opened the door. A cold breeze made him ease. 'That's much better.' He looked at the clock, it was three minutes past six.
'Great now I have to sit out until closing time.' He thought irritated. His mom just had started dinner, his dad was still working on some cars so he had to sit here until eight.
He sat down behind the counter and grabbed a comic. Not like he had anything better to do. Off course he could go fill up the racks, or mob the floor. But he had worked hard enough today. It was Saturday, normal teens would be hanging out with friends. But he couldn't he had to work, all day!
He was so into the book that he jumped when the door opened and the bell started to jingle. The comic book slipped through his fingers and he duck behind the counter to get it.
"Julio?"
Surprised he smacked his head against the underside of the counter. He hissed, rubbed his head and stood up.
Lizz stood in front of the counter, face worried and her hand playing with her bracelet.
A little clumsy he places the comic on the wood. "Lizz, so ehhe, how are you?"
"Could do better." She answered. "Julio I'm so sorry for everything." She bit her lip. "Normally he doesn't act that way. Normally he just…" She stopped and rethought what she wanted to say. "I think it's because you're a guy and he can be so overprotective sometimes. Like last time I had a date, wow he was pissed and-"
"- Lizz." he managed to get through the endless string of words. "I'm not mad." 'at you.' "It's not you're fault that, that…-" 'psychopath, idiot, freak.'… " -He fired at me." He gave her a smile. He hadn't blamed her, he blamed that crazy gringo she lived with. He did not know what was going on inside that house when he was not around, but he would find out. He would not leave her alone wit the insane gringo. " But I don't think you should live there any longer."
Her mouth fell open. "What?!" She started to laugh. "No, you get it all wrong. It's not such big of a deal. Sands' is a bit… well, strange lately. But he's not all that dangerous or something."
He rose an eyebrow. He absolutely didn't believe a thing she was telling him. But he could not blame her, she had no other place to go. Or she did not want him to be worried. Sweet, but she could trust him. He wanted to help her out with her problem, in this case, the gringo. But right now he could better play along, until it was the right time.
"If you say so." He said, still not sounding convinced. " Hey, my mom always cooks to much, are you staying for dinner?"
She thought for a second. "All right!"
"Kay!" He looked at the clock, looked at the empty shop and shrugged. 'There is no-one around, let's close early today.' He locked the door, and took the garbage bag from the trashcan.
"Let's go." He opened the back door for her and followed her outside.
"Is this all from your family?" She asked pointing at the shop, the garage and the house behind the garage.
"It is." He answered and dumped the bag in the container outside.
"Looks big." She said impressed.
"It looks big, but it's not really that big and believe me the outside looks at much a dump as the inside." They walked across the dirty sand through the garage, he warned her to watch her step and pointed out some cars he'd been working on.
He knocked on the door.
A small boy opened, he was changing teeth, both his front teeth were missing. "Mamá is mad at you!" He warned laughing.
"Shut up, Miguel." He growled to his much younger brother. Miguel laughed and stuck out his tongue.
"You're going to be in so much trouble!" He nagged and pulled the door further open. "MOM YOUR LITTLE CHICO IS HOME!"
"You little-" Julio snapped but got interrupted by his mothers high scream.
"I TOLD YOU TO KEEP THE SHOP OPEN, DIDN'T I?!" His mom, wearing a apron, her hair in a knot, his younger sister whining in her arm, holding a wooden spoon in the other. She came marching to the door. "I'M WORKING ALL DAY, COOKING, CLEANING, FEEDING, CHANGING! AND I ASK YOU TO-"
She spotted Lizz outside on the porch. "Owh! You brought a guest! Why didn't you say so?!" She pushed the wooden spoon in the sobbing toddler's arms and grabbed Lizz her hand. "You must be Lizz! I'm making Tortillas, I hope you like it, you are staying for dinner?" Before the girl could say a thing she got dragged in, into the kitchen.
Julio stared a bit stunned into his house.
"Chico has a girlfriend!" he heard his two younger brothers singing teasingly.
Julio blinked, restored and shot daggers at the two boys sticking their heads through the bars from the stairs. The two boys, Paco en Miguel laughed and run up the stairs.
Julio shook his head, grinning. 'This could become a long, long meal.
.-.-.
Lizz looked stunned at the cheery lady in front of her. She was older then she had expected, had some grey locks through her black curling hair, fine lines where visible in the corners of her eyes and mouth. But her eyes still looked very young, full of spirit and temper.
She was telling her all about the family recipe that had been in her generation for ages. Meanwhile she was still holding the girl who was playing with the spoon and making high sounds.
Suddenly the woman turned around. "How stupid of mine! I haven't even said my name. Lorena! Lorena Lopez!" She wiped the sauce of her hand and smiled.
"I'm Lizz, Smit." Lizz said and had to say her name sounded so lame compared to miss Lopez. "Nice to meet you Miss Lopez."
"O, please call me Lorena, I'm old. But not that old!" She giggled and threw some chopped red peppers in the sauce.
"Okay, Lorena, is it okay if I stay for dinner, I know you hadn't expect-"
"Sure you can girl! Everyone is always welcome here!" She assured Lizz. "You're lucky we will be eating soon!"
She picked up some plates. "Mind putting them on the table. I'm a bit busy." She pointed at the now asleep girl in her arms.
"No, not at all." Lizz said and walked to the dinner table.
"MOM!" The plates got gripped out of Lizz her hands. "MOM!" Julio yelled again. "She's a guest, she doesn't have to do that!"
"Then you do it." Lorena snored and took the pan of the fire. "Can you call your brothers and your dad, it's dinner time."
Julio rolled his eyes and quickly places the plates on table.
"PACO! MIGUEL! FOOD!" He yelled upstairs, grabbed his sis from his mothers arm and places her in her kiddie seat.
Lizz received a hopeless smile from him when the girl started to cry again.
"MAMÁ! CHICO MADE LUU CRY AGAIN!" One of the boy's yelled, grinning to their older brother.
"NO SQUEELING PACO SIT DOWN!" Lorena snapped and stepped into the room with a plate of tortilla.
Mocking the boy sat down, next to his other brother who was making faces at his little sis. The girl looked and started to giggle.
In the meantime mister Lopez had walked in, rubbing his hands with an old dirty cloth.
"Dad, this is Lizz." Julio introduced her. Mister Lopez grinned and winked. "Ramon, would love to shake your hand, but that stuff will never come off again."
"You better not get stains in my table-cloth, I just bought a new on!" Lorena huffed.
"I will make sure of that, Tica." Her husband assured her.
The whole family sat down. Julio seemed a bit nervous, Lizz didn't really understand why though. The two boys were annoying each other, poking the other in the ribs until their mom snapped. The little girl called Lucia, tried to grab a plate and mumbled her own name over and over, 'Luu, Luu, Luu.'
Ramon, Julio's dad started to talk about the few cars he'd set back together that day and Lorena complained about the ice machine that broke again.
"So and how long have you been living her?" Ramon suddenly asked.
Lizz blinked and started to notice everyone stared at her, including Luu. "Ehhe, almost three months I think."
"And did you came from America?" Lorena asked.
Lizz started to feel a bit nauseous. "No, I've been living in Mexico for a while. First I lived much more south, but there was a Coup in that town and I-… we- didn't feel much for staying there any longer."
"I can understand that." Lorena nodded. "So you live with your mom or dad, I haven't seen new faces in town."
'Crap, this could turn ugly.' Lizz thought. "Well, my dad kinda ran away when I was a kid and my mom…" She wanted to lie as less as she could. "Couldn't take care of me anymore, because… Because… because she, she was very depressed." Lorena nodded and gave her a understanding look.
That gave Lizz hope her story sounded trustworthy. "Luckily I still had an uncle where I could live, but he had to go work in Mexico and I had to come with him. That's why I couldn't finish high school."
"You poor thing." Lorena said. "Well, at least you're settled again. I'm sure everything's going to be alright!"
Lizz nodded sheepish. 'You have no idea…'
.-.-.
After dinner Julio and Lizz walked outside. It had become dark and the stars stood bright in the sky.
"I'm so sorry for my family…" Julio apologised. "They're great but sometimes a pain in the butt."
Lizz turned around. "What do you mean!? Your family is great!" She clapped her hands and smiled. "I wish I had a family like that, you don't even know how lucky you are!"
"Lucky?" Julio asked. "I have two younger brothers that nag me all day, one little sister who destroys half of my things and a mom that's mocking me all day!"
"That's not true, your mom is the best, she's really nice-"
"-Yes, to guests."
"- And brothers are suppose to be annoying. And your sister is so cute."
Julio shrugged. "I guess they will do."
"Your family is awesome, it must be great living here." She sadly smiled.
"Well, if you want you can come live here. We still have a closet room." He joked half.
"That would be cool, but I can't." She seemed a bit down. "Julio I gotta go. Thanks for inviting me, I had a great time."
"Well, next time we will do something fun." He promised. He grabbed her hand and stared into her eyes. He would have kissed her again but something related had to spoil the moment.
"JULIO IS KISSING A GIRL!!!!" His two brothers yelled through a window on the second floor.
He turned around. "SHUT UP! GO BUG SOMEONE ELSE!"
Lizz giggled. "I better go, see you around!"
"Well, I'll be in the shop or garage the rest of the week." He sat miserable. "We're very busy at the moment."
"I'll come by." She promised and waved as she walked away.
Julio waited until she walked around the corner and sighted.
"JULIO AND LIZZY SIT'N IN A TREE!-"
"-That's it! You two are dead!" He turned around and run inside, while his two brothers screamed and closed the window. Screams filled the house, Luu started to cry, his mom got mad and his dad started to laugh. Yes, the 'perfect' family.
Yes a whole lot of new characters. But don't worry the main characters will stay Sands and Lizz and… well her new sorta boyfriend, Julio. You might think this will become a love story, or something romantic.
Believe me it WILL NOT!
I'm not really the type to write sappy lovestory-thingys. I'm not good at that. Sure, there will be some little romance but nothing big, I promise. Soon there will happen something I can't say to much, but soon something drastic will happen. Something from the past (livin' la vida loca)…
X Nuky