The car ride home was unbearable. Tovah sat in the front seat and kept her eyes focused on the road the entire time. She could obviously hear the guys saying things to her from the backseat but she blocked it out. No one had asked Tovah about Blanca, Jay, Stacy, or Paul on the drive back, and even if they had asked she wouldn't have answered them. Tovah felt like she had experienced enough bullshit in the past couple days to last her an entire lifetime, maybe even two lifetimes.

"When's the surfing competition?" Tovah blurted out

"Next weekend," Skip said "Me and Jeff are gonna drive you up there, we're gonna bring a couple boards to try and sell."

"Okay," Tovah mumbled then she suddenly perked up "Are you going to give me a new board to use?" she asked excitedly

"Fuck no, a free board!" Someone yelled from the back "If she gets a free board I want one too, I surf way better than Tovah!"

"Fuck off Paul," Tony said from his place in the backseat while punching Paul in the shoulder

Skip didn't answer Tovah's question, he just kept one hand on the wheel and another one holding a cigarette in between his two fingers. Funny thing about Skip is, that he didn't hold cigarettes like most people; he pinched the stick in between his pointer finger and his thumb as if he was holding a joint. After Tovah and Skip had exchanged words the car became silent, and almost bearable to be in until someone began to tug on Tovah's hair.

"Come over," Tony whispered to her

"No," Tovah replied curtly

He pulled at a lock of her hair again "Just come over for a little bit,"

"For what?" she questioned

"A little girl-talk, we can paint each others nails, and talk about all the hot gossip," Tovah could literally hear Tony's smirk as he spoke

"Fine, but if your sister or Blanca says anything to me while I'm there I'm bailing," Tovah said "And if you pull my hair one more time I'm going to rip your dick off."

There was this one road in Dogtown that had to be the bumpiest road in America. The moment you took any type of wheel over it, it was like you were experiencing an earthquake. And in Skip's rundown car going at 50 miles per hour you thought you were going to die. Tovah gripped onto the dashboard as best as she could and waited for the shittiest ride in California to be over. Skip finally pulled up to Tony's street and skidded to a stop in front of his house. Tovah had just opened the car door when Skip started to speak to her.

"You'll get a new board for the competition," Skip stopped speaking and inhaled "But you have to get first place you want to keep it."

Tovah nodded and followed Tony into his house, she looked around quickly and didn't see Kathy or Blanca so she let out a sigh of relief and threw herself onto the Alva's couch.

"You know you loosened one of Blanca's teeth," Tony said as he pushed Tovah's feet off the couch so he could sit down "She's gonna have to get it pulled. If she keeps messing with you she might loose all her teeth before she turns 18,"

Hearing the words: 'you loosened one of Blanca's teeth' had yet to fail to put a smile on Tovah's face. She hoped that the words would keep that effect on her for a long time, and it would be an even sweeter reward to see Blanca's 30 teeth smile.

In attempt to take the topic of conversation off her she began to gush about Tony's skating at Del Mar "You skated like a mad dog today dude, you were sick."

"Yeah, skating whatever," Tony was never one to not want to talk about how good he was at something but right now he had a motive "JB and you have been getting all types of close."

"No we haven't," Tovah huffed "First of all he is 13, and I am 17. And he just does this weird thing where he gets all kissy and shit,"

Tony started to laugh at Tovah's frustrated face "Tovah-girl, Jay has been after you since he first saw you surf the cove, which was a long ass time ago." Tony began to laugh again after he had spoken

"Well, tell him to stop!" Tovah pushed Tony's shoulder in attempt to get him to stop laughing but he didn't. "There are probably tons of girls his own age willing to do whatever it is that he wants to do!" she pushed her hair behind her ear aggressively "And I'm sure there are tons of girls our age who are more than willing,"

Tony began to wipe tears from his unappreciated laughter away from his eyes, and he was still chuckling a little bit. Tovah glared at him with all the malice she could muster at the time, and put her feet up on the Alva's small table in their living room.

"Quitar tu pies de mi mesa chica," Tony's mom had just come walking downstairs in her work uniform.

"Lo siento,"

Tovah loved Tony's mom, she was so amazing, she loved her Latin roots and she truly embraced them, and Tovah loved that about her. Since Tovah was half Argentinian on her Mom's side and half Jewish on her dad's side, she really loved to embody that very powerful Latin woman that was inside of her. Tovah hadn't exactly come to really appreciate and embrace her Jewish heritage because her Dad didn't really live the lifestyle, but she still acknowledged it.

"¿Cómo está usted?" Tovah asked Mrs. Alva

"Muy bien," Mrs. Alva smiled and answered the same way she did everytime Tovah asked that question "Estoy viviendo cada día a su máxima expresión." Her smiled faltered a bit with her next question "How's your Mom?"

Tony's Mom had been asking Tovah that same question for a little over a year now. Ever since Tovah's Mom's parents had died she always asked how her Mom was. Tovah's Mother's parents grew up here in Santa Monica, and everyone knew them, they were two of the sweetest people you could ever have the pleasure of meeting. And even though they had a handful of opportunities to leave Dogtown they never did, it was forever their home.

"She's good Mrs. Alva, thanks for asking,"

"Evita," She corrected "Honey, I've known you since you were about as big as my thumb and ever since then I've been asking you to call me Evita," Evita smiled warmly at Tovah "Get it through that grande cabeza of yours,"

"It's my hair too, I've got such big hair it takes a couple times for information to sink in,"

Evita put her palms on Tovah's face, and looked right into her pupils. Evita hands were warm and her fingers smelled like spices.

"I heard about what you did to that Blanca girl," Evita paused "Serves her right."

Evita quickly turned her head to look over at Tony "You need to stay away from that loca chica hijo. You and Tovah would make a nice couple, how come you two aren't together?"

Tovah's face immediately turned a light shade of pink and she knew Evita could feel the temperature change on her palms because she released her hold the girls face.

"Basta ya ma, I think you're the crazy one telling me to go out with Tovah," Tony said as he looked directly at Tovah with a stupid smile on his face.

"I think you're both crazy with your skating hobby," Evita shook her head at the two of them

"Tovah doesn't skate," Tony, said blatantly "Well, actually she can't skate." He corrected himself

That put a smile on Evita's face "Good, your face is too pretty for riding around on those flimsy pieces of wood with wheels." Tovah shook her head and smiled at Evita.

"Ok well I have to go to work, I'll see you later Tony, don't do something stupid to make padre mad." Evita looked sternly at Tony as she said that.

"And Tovah tell your Mom I said hi." With that she made her way out the door

The two teens watched Evita walk out the door and Tony waited for the door to click shut before he spoke "Why don't we go out Tovah?" Tony questioned, "We could make such beautiful Argentinian, Mexican, Jewish babies together."

Tovah and Tony both laughed hard at the thought of dating each other, and at the thought of having a kid. The thing would drown in the mess of curls it would have.

"Yeah right Tony, Blanca would gauge my eyes out with a spoon."

Tovah glanced over at a clock hanging on the wall and realized it was getting late "I'm gonna head out Tony, I'll see you tomorrow if you go to the cove, and if you go to school."

Tovah got up and walked over to the door and saw the handle moving indicating that someone was about to walk inside. She backed up from the door and saw Kathy walk in.

"Hey Tovah," Kathy smiled at Tovah

All right, here's the thing. Kathy wasn't a bad person, shit, she was actually one of the nicest people Tovah knew, it was just the girl's she decided to surround herself with. And sure maybe Tovah had called her easy but it's not like it wasn't true.

"Hey Kath I was just about to head out, I'll see you at school tomorrow." Tovah got one foot out the door until Kathy started to talk again

"Hold up a sec, I just wanna say sorry about Blanca all the stuff she said to you was totally not cool and she really does need to learn to watch her mouth," Kathy paused for a moment "So I just wanted to say sorry for her."

Tovah inwardly groaned, why did Kathy have to be so damn nice all the time "S'cool Kathy, I mean, that's just who she is, ya know?"

Kathy nodded "I'll see you at school tomorrow,"

Tovah exited the Alva home and started on her short walk home, and on that walk home she thank. Tovah wanted so badly to hate Kathy but she just couldn't. She had never done anything to personally offend Tovah, and Kathy always tried to her hardest to go out of her way and be nice to most people. There was never this huge detest towards the female Alva until she starting giving Stacy attention. You could even say that Kathy and Tovah were friends up until she started hooking up with Stacy. And as Tovah thought about her defensive nature towards Stacy she began to think of other feelings she may have been hiding for him. But right now he was happy, he was happy with Kathy, and Tovah had to accept that. But if Kathy hurt him Tovah wouldn't have one problem telling Stacy I told you so.

On Tovah's way home from Tony's she always passed a certain alleyway, and although she had lived in Dogtown all her life, walking home at night still freaked her out. If a guy saw a girl walking down the street he wouldn't have a problem messing with her, even if she had lived here all her life. Ever since Tovah was a little girl she held her breath when she walked pass an alleyway. It's not that Tovah couldn't defend herself because, if someone did decided to fuck with her on her way home she could most likely handle him, or her. The only thing she really feared was getting a knife or a gun pulled on her.

Tovah arrived home and saw a car in their driveway, which was odd because neither her nor her Mother owned a car. It was a nice car too; I mean really nice, way too nice to be in this neck of the woods. Tovah walked inside of her home cautiously looking for the owner of the incredible car outside. Tovah didn't find anyone when she first looked around, then she walked into the kitchen and there sat who she assumed to be the owner of the car.

"Hola Tovah, this Keith," Tovah's Mom was literally glowing, no literally she had to have some sort of product on "Keith this is my daughter Tovah."

"Tovah it is so nice to finally meet you you're Mom speaks very highly of you," He held out his hand for her to shake

Tovah took the strange man's hand into her own and shook it "I wish I could say the same for you. Who are you?"

Keith chuckled and released Tovah's hand and dropped a huge verbal bomb on her "I'm your Mom's boyfriend."

Tovah nodded her head and then looked towards her Mom, she plastered on a smile and excused herself from the room. As much as Tovah would have loved to worry about her Mom's new boyfriend situation, she had a friendship to try and repair.

Tovah carried the rotary phone from her Mom's room into hers or at least as far as the cord would allow her to go. For a couple minutes she just stared at the phone contemplating all the negative things Stacy must think about her. But she had to call him and she had to do it tonight. Tovah held her breath as she waited for one of the Peralta's to pick up the phone.

"Hello?" It was Stacy's mom

"Hi Mrs. Peralta it's Tovah, is Stacy there?"

"Yes, he is just hold on one-second,"

Tovah could hear Mrs. Peralta yell for Stacey, and she heard him as he picked up the phone and held it to his ear hesitating and then finally speaking.

"Hello?"

"Hey Stace, it's Tovah you gotta minute?"

"Yeah, I guess so,"

Tovah exhaled deeply and began to talk "I'm sorry," Stacy said nothing "I know I said a lot of bitchy things about Kathy, and I didn't have any right to say that stuff, so I'm sorry." Tovah heard Stacy open his mouth to begin to say something but she cut him off. "And you're right you know," she paused trying to compose herself "I am jealous of Kathy," Tovah shocked herself by saying that out loud.

"Shit Tovah I didn't mean any of that stuff I said to you," Stacy began "I was just mad y'know all the guys had been saying stuff like that and I didn't expect to hear it from you so I got pissed." Stacy inhaled "And why are you jealous of Kathy?"

Tovah cursed inwardly "I dunno, she's just really nice to everyone and junk, and a lot of guys like her," Tovah was screaming at herself in her head, she sounded so dumb saying all of those things, but I suppose sometimes the truth does sound dumb

Stacy starting laughing "Are you stupid?" Stacy chuckled even louder "Do you know how many guys want to hook up with you?"

"What guys?!" Tovah practically screamed into the phone "And if you say Jay I'll come over to your house and punch you in the stomach."

"Lots of guys Tovah trust me,"

"Yeah okay whatever you say Stace," Tovah said, "So, we're cool now?" Tovah asked carefully

"Yeah we're good," Tovah could hear his smile over the phone

"By the way, you did really good today, I mean really, really good,"

"Thanks Tea-bag,"

"You're obnoxious," Tovah said with a smile "Whatever I'll see you tomorrow morning right?"

"Yup," Stacy said popping the 'p' in that word harshly

"Good, alright I'll talk you then, later,"

"Later,"

Tovah heard the phone click signaling the end of the call. She put the phone back down and carried it back into her mom's room. Tovah quickly looked out the window to see if "Keith" was still there, he was. He was downstairs in her kitchen in his tweed suit, chatting it up with her Mom.

Tovah shuffled back into her room, stepping over her surfboard that was lying on the floor. Tovah made her way around the perimeters of her room collecting all of the dirty clothes she had disregarded there over the past week. She made her way downstairs to throw the clothes into the wash and there they were. Sitting on the couch watching some dribble on the television. Tovah quickly turned away from the couple and made her way into the kitchen, which also served as a laundry room. The couple hadn't noticed her presence at all, either that or they were just to wrapped up in their moment to care.

Usually things like new relationships tended to come up in conversation, but apparently not with her mom. Especially when these relationships are with men with nice cars, and suits. She looked on at the couple once again with a dissatisfied look on her face. She quickly turned heel and made her way to her room, she didn't want to worry about that just now.

What the fuck is today? Tovah though First Paul, then Jay, then Mom brings home this kook? Twilight Zone bullshit. Tovah flopped down on her bed and put the needle on the Bob Dylan record that was sitting in her record player. The sweet sound of guitars greeted her when the song You're a Big Girl Now began to play.

Our conversation was short and sweet, it nearly swept me off a my feet, and I'm back in the rain again.

Tovah glanced at the clock from her position on the bed, the hands read 10:30. She threw her legs over the bed and collected a pair of pajama shorts and a top from her drawer. She slowly crawled back into bed, flopping her head ungracefully on the pillow.

Tovah let out the deepest sigh, and began thinking of ways that she could tear down all the other girls at this surfing competition.

I don't even have any excuse for not updating this story for so long, I suck.
I took Spanish for 6 years so I have a pretty solid handle on the language:

Translations:

"Quitar tu pies de mi mesa chica" - "Get your feet off my table girl"
"Lo Siento" - "Sorry"
"¿Cómo está usted?" - "How are you?"
"Muy bien" - Very good
"Estoy viviendo cada día a su máxima expresión." - "I'm living each day to its fullest"