Thank you for beta'ing, MsSchneeheide, or as I like to call her, my fellow Salma Hayek lover! Seriously, I've been marathoning Salma's movies so much, it's insane! She's an amazing actress and fifty-three, but looks in her early thirties! Holy...
Also, a very happy twenty-first birthday to Caitlin (A Star In My Universe)!
celoso-jealous
They end up in the same coffee shop together in April of nineteen eighty-nine, both on crutches, but just sitting and relaxing, listening to Selena's songs on the radio. They both love the Mexican pop star and sometimes, sing along to her lovely voice. Mostly it's Blanca who starts and Diablo joins in. Their combined voices are a harmonious melody. Beautiful. Passionate. Lively.
Every chance they get, since their first conversation in the hospital, they talk about whatever has been on their minds as their injuries fade. The latest topic is comparing Blanca's favorite meal, Sancocho, with his mother's Olla soup. They often joke about who will win the contest if they were to cook their specialties and have Karla, their one mutual friend, try it. Diablo teases her that his is better, and then Blanca pulls some random neon-colored scrunchie of hers off her wrist and tosses it at him, telling him through her laughter that he's not even being original, that he would actually have to make his own soup instead of his mother's. It's a pattern between them, it's how they bond.
Today, though, she's just quietly reading at a table with her bad leg propped up on a chair next to her. He's across from her, in the same position, except that instead of reading, he's drawing up construction plans in his notebook while imagining himself banging drumsticks on cymbals, causing a crowd to go wild with excitement-preferably at an underground rave. He would want to take her there as a friend.
Obviously.
She's just a friend-or maybe getting to be one, at least.
He has an innocent little schoolboy crush on her. That's all it is. Karla has asked who-or what-he's dreaming about nowadays, probably because his mind drifts in class and she's just dying to set him up with girls, but every time he goes out with one, they just aren't as good as her.
Blanca Flores.
Of course, he'll never tell Karla that about her best friend. They have some sort of girl code. Blanca can't find out, she'll stop talking to him for good. He just has to focus on being her buddy.
"I never got to ask you, ¿por qué Diablo?"
He looks over at the thin girl in her bright red cotton dress and matching shiny boots. Her black-now straightened-hair contrasts with her outfit beautifully. She's wearing it in a half-pony braid with a large crimson rose clip holding her hairstyle together. Simple silver heart-shaped hoops hang from her earlobes. She sets down the book she'd been reading and smiles at him, her brow raised as if she's anticipating an answer. So, he lifts up his short-sleeve over his shoulder, revealing his red devil tattoo and then Satan's number, three sixes side-by-side on his hand. She looks highly impressed. "Got another one coming up in a few weeks."
Blanca giggles. "Wow, nice. I assume you're a fan of the devil? No wonder you're called Diablo."
"Oh, sí. I'm an atheist, too."
"That's fuckin' amazing, so am I! ¡Odio la iglesia con pasión!" She throws her hands up and stares at the ceiling with wide eyes as she says this.
I hate church with a passion!
He grins at her. "¡Yo también!"
"How's your sister? She okay, I hope?"
"Sí!" he answers enthusiastically. "She pulled through within a couple days!"
"Oh, that's great!" Blanca sounds truly happy for him.
Karla later has them both over and she determines it's a tie between the two soups. She can't decide which one she loves more.
They're not actually on a date or anything like that-he wouldn't dare mess with her or her boyfriend-but they just happen to see each other at a taqueria in May. He and his family are celebrating his sister's eighth birthday and the fact that she and Diablo made it out of that car accident alive. Blanca's with Karla on the other side of the room, cracking up at something her best friend has just said. She's got her head thrown back as she claps a few times, her reddened face looking like the picture of extreme giddiness. Karla is quick to point him out, though, so he immediately glances away.
Adriana starts making kissing noises. "Ooooh, es tu novia..."
It's your girlfriend...
Diablo rolls his eyes and steals a bite of her cake. "Shh!"
"Hey! Maaaaamí..." she whines.
"Adriana, deja de molestar a tu hermano," Luz scolds the little girl.
Adriana, stop teasing your brother.
Blanca walks by his table just then. "¡Hola!" she greets them, and he nods at her shyly in acknowledgment. She smiles back at him.
"Hola," he replies. "¿Cómo estás?"
How are you?
"¿Estoy bien, y tu?"
I'm good, and you?
"Bien."
Good.
"Lo siento si fuéramos ruidosas..." she begins, but then trails off.
Sorry if we were loud...
"Todo este lugar es ruidoso, me sorprendió verte aquí también, eso es todo. I mean, not that you can't dine here, you can go wherever you want, I-" He stammers. She truly is intimidating. He's always afraid of offending her.
This whole place is noisy, I was just shocked to see you here, too, that's all.
"Yo sé lo que quieres decir." She flashes him a thousand watt beam again. "Have a nice lunch! See ya!"
I know what you mean.
"You, too!" he calls back.
He has a lot more in common with her than he realizes. For one thing, they're both rebels without a cause. As June, July, and August pass them by, they spot each other shopping at the supermarket, buying the same types of Spanish and rock CDs at their local music store, checking out similar books and movies at the library, and rooting for their home team at the Yankees baseball stadium quite a few times. They've exchanged smiles here and there. She recommends everyone-including him-watch reruns of her favorite television show, Perfect Strangers, and it turns out that he enjoys it, too. Especially the part about the sign that reads America or Burst. The two of them can relate to coming to a foreign country for a better life than the ones they had in their respective homelands. She also loves the telenovela starring Salma Hayek, Teresa, and he enjoys watching it with her and Karla starting in August.
When he finally gets his drum set in September, he brings Weevil and their guitarist, Sonya Chekova, together, and they perform outdoor concerts at Central Park, and Blanca and Dean are always there, dancing to the music that Diablo and his bandmates make. He knows why Blanca wouldn't really make eye contact with him, it would send the wrong message, but he's just ecstatic to have her there, listening to his screaming band. Karla, Gloria, Aleida, Lila, James, Leon, Fahri, and the other girls and guys he's friends with are there in the audience too, jamming. The music is dark, yelling about death, but so much fun to play.
As soon as school starts, Blanca and Diablo are both in the same group in Art class. That's how it'll be all year long. He joins the football team because he wants to play. It's just a bonus that she'll always be present, as a cheerleader. He's tired of just being a spectator, even if his friends say watching the game is not too horrible. He wants to be in on the action-even if Dean Juarez and Carlos Litvack shove him to the ground harder than necessary.
October brings on Halloween, and Dean throws a party, as usual. He's in a purple pimp outfit. His party is so big and he has his own jock buddies to mess around with, so a bejeweled Blanca-Diablo can't figure out what she's supposed to be, maybe a princess or a queen-gets to spend some time interacting with a devilish Diablo while Karla, dressed as a fairy, has a dance-off with her boyfriend. Aleida and Leon are heavily making out in one corner of the room in matching king and queen costumes.
Blanca and Diablo pass Fahri, who's smoking weed with Gloria in the kitchen. He knows Fahri is a stoner, but Gloria having a bump is surprising. She probably just wants to try it and get away from her aunt's strict rules for one evening-although Lourdes is just being a caring tía for not wanting her niece to get hooked on unhealthy habits. Gloria and Fahri are in period costumes-the nineteen-twenties, to be exact. They're two peas in a pod and often plan things together.
"Harían una buena pareja, si Gloria no fuera ese maldito perdedor," Blanca mutters and then turns around. Diablo follows her actions, as he doesn't want to be caught staring at them.
They'd make a good couple, if Gloria weren't fuckin' that loser.
Diablo nods. "Hey, uh...what are you...¿qué se supone que eres?"
What are you supposed to be?
"Esmeralda," she responds as she spins around in her purple and white dress. It's so clear now, but with her gold hoops, her tousled black hair, and her red lipstick, she could've also been Selena, the Mexican pop star, even if Blanca herself is Dominican. It never really dawned on him that Blanca would be a Disney princess, although she pulls it off nicely.
"Right." He claps his hand over his forehead. "I should know, she's my sister's favorite."
"Really?"
"Oh, yeah." He chuckles. "Well, eres hermosa. A-as Esmeralda, I mean," he quickly says.
you're beautiful
"Mm-hm, gracias. Bonito disfraz de diablo, por cierto," she compliments him with a wink.
Nice devil costume, by the way.
He grins. "Gracias." He's in a black suit and tie, accompanied with a red cape and matching horns on his head.
Blanca guzzles beer and then slams the can of Bud Light onto the table. "Holy fuck, that's good!"
Holding his own almost-empty can of the same alcoholic beverage in one hand and his fake pitchfork in the other, Diablo nods in agreement. "Hell yeah! Your man knows how to throw a party!"
She nods fervently. "Sí. Pero...I don't know half these people here. No importa, supongo."
It doesn't matter, I guess.
Her eyes roll back in her head and glaze over for a second. Diablo forgets about whatever he's holding and throws his arms out toward her, ready to catch her if she falls, but she doesn't. She just stumbles back a few feet and then takes a step forward.
"How many have you had?"
"Solo tres so far, but who's counting?" she slurs and then giggles hysterically. "Sorry you dropped your beer for me."
Just three
"Está bien, estaba casi terminado, Blanca. Cuidado, no quieres desmayarte," Diablo warns her.
It's okay, I was almost finished. Careful, you don't wanna pass out.
Dean suddenly comes barreling over and Diablo gets out of his way. "You're not invited to her quinces next month," he snaps. "Fuckin' all over my girlfriend, hombre!" Dean sneers. "You're gonna clean up that spill!" It's just a tiny drop on his precious floor. He's making too big of a deal out of it. Diablo leans down and wipes it away with his cape, gritting his teeth. He grabs the can and tosses it into the trash.
"Dean, he wasn't doin' nothin'!" Blanca assures her boyfriend, but he takes her away, ranting about Diablo wanting to touch her too much. That's not true-Diablo always respects her personal space. They've never even hugged-just talked-like good friends do.
At least he'd be able to simply wish her a felíz cumpleaños, work with her in Art, and run into her occasionally. He doesn't need to see her in such an enchanting gown-he can imagine her in it.
Diablo doesn't understand why Blanca picked that scrawny guy anyway when he's so much more buff than Dean. Diablo actually has muscles on him and lavish curly hair and a beard. To be fair, though, Blanca met Dean first. He never had a chance.
He feels like he's trapped in the San Francisco earthquake that happened on October seventeenth of this year. Not being able to even ask Blanca out is disappointing, but her asshole boyfriend forbidding them to be friends is truly awful. He can tell Blanca hates it, too, the way she sometimes complains about Dean's domineering behavior and how he gets jealous quite often.
"You don't see me getting pissed when girls swarm all around him. I know he's popular, I'm used to it. How he acts when boys look my way, celoso...like I'm gonna leave him for another dude...it's just so annoying," she gripes as they make clay pots in Art class.
"Sounds like he's got some issues...maybe you could talk to him?" Diablo suggests.
"I'll try. I just hope he listens when I assure him that having male friends doesn't mean I'm gonna cheat."
"Same here..."
Blanca feels herself slipping away through the years that she's with Dean. He's very controlling with her, especially about chilling with Diablo, but for some reason, she still loves Dean. Her grades drop, she begins losing her school friends she'd made through Karla, and she barely sees her mom, since Dean keeps her at his apartment. To her mom, she's a rebellious teenager just going through a phase, so Trina tries to ignore it. On her birthdays, he throws her parties. They're so lavish and so grand, especially her quinceañera. Blanca wonders why he lives in a shack if he has this much money.
Blanca and Dean are lucky until she's fifteen and possibly pregnant. She might have to stay back and repeat sophomore year because of this.
"¿Usaste protección?" Karla asks when she hears the news.
Did you use protection?
"Eh...oh, shit! No, no lo hice...pero let's just hope for the best!"
No, I didn't...
They cross their fingers behind their backs, but it doesn't work. Blanca finds herself pregnant a week later and she cries for hours in the bathroom. She doesn't know how to tell Dean. She doesn't know when to tell Dean. She hopes he won't be mad. She hugs her knees to her chest and takes a few quivering breaths to calm herself down.
She loves kids, but she isn't ready for one of her own, not in high school! Not when she has to do homework and projects and look into a career that suits her!
"What am I gonna do?" she sobs to herself. "¿Por qué yo? Why the fuck me?"
Why me?
She tosses the pregnancy stick across the room and it hits the wall.
She finally has to tell her mom and stepdad when they suspect something is wrong. She keeps throwing up in the bathroom and eating excessively. Plus, she's grown half a size and she has to buy herself bigger shirts. Dean really likes the fact that her boobs are getting larger day by day. She's just told her friend her secret so far, but she knows she has to tell Dean. The longer she keeps it from him, the more furious he will be. Couples tell each other everything.
She puts a brave face on when she comes up to him one day by his locker while he's talking to a friend. She squeezes his hand and he turns around to look at her. She swallows hard. "Dean...I have to tell you something."
"You sound serious. What's wrong?"
Just spit it out! "I'm pregnant," she whispers. She pats her belly for effect.
A grin breaks out across his face. "You're shitting me."
"No, I'm not, I really am pregnant. I found out last time I went to the doctor's."
"What the fuck? How did this happen?"
"You wanted to have sex with me, and I agreed."
"No, I know how it happened...how did it happen after having sex so many times? Why didn't it happen before?"
"I don't know...we didn't use a condom this time."
"Fuck! I knew I forgot something that day!" Dean kicks a lower locker a few times, which makes Blanca jump.
"I'm sorry. I should have reminded you. I was just...out of it," Blanca says softly. "You ain't gonna leave me, are you?"
"Leave you?" Dean scoffs. "I would never leave you. We'll take care of our kid together, we'll tell your parents, and if they're mad at me, whatever. As long as they don't hurt you."
Blanca steps closer to her boyfriend and leans her head on his chest. "I knew you would understand."
"I know desires. Right now, I have one for you." He lifts her up and pushes her gently against the lockers. She feels faint when he starts to kiss her.
"Dean...please...I'm too heavy right now."
"No, you're not."
"Ay dios mío, you're too good to be true," Blanca says while he was touching his lips to hers.
"You know I am. Hey...was that Spanish?" He draws back from her and she nods.
"Yeah, it means-"
He sets her back down to her feet."No, no, this is America. We speak English here, alright?"
"I'm sorry...I didn't think you'd care-"
"I do. You came to this country, you know the language, so please speak it when you're with me."
Blanca's heart aches for a second and she inhales and exhales deeply. Karla and Diablo would never talk to her that way. She doesn't want Dean to break up with her for something as dumb as her speaking in her native tongue. "Okay. I'll respect that."
"I love you. You're a diamond in the rough."
"You, too."
They hold hands while they walk up to her doorstep. She knocks and her mom opens the door.
"Hello, Dean, Blanca," Trina greets them and tries to hide her distaste for him. "How are you?"
"Good, you?"
"I'm fine, thank you. What brings you two here?"
"Is Chad here?" Blanca asks nervously and bites her lip. "We need to say something."
"Yes. Chad! They want to talk to us!"
Blanca's stepfather comes downstairs and they both sit on the couch. She huddles into Dean's side and he holds her closer to him.
"I'm pregnant," she confesses.
"I'm gonna be a dad," Dean says cockily.
Chad begins to stand up with a scary glint in his eye. Trina pushes him back down. "What are you two talking about?"
"I'm pregnant," Blanca repeats, "with his baby."
"I'm gonna kill you, Dean!" Chad yells. He gets up and pushes Trina off him. Blanca and Trina scream as her stepfather kicks Dean in the face. "You're fucking dead meat!"
"Stop! Stop, Chad, you're hurting him!" Blanca hollers.
"¡No puedo creer que dejes que te deje embarazada! You are a sophomore in high school, Blanca Raiza Flores!" Trina shouts. "¿Por qué no tomaste anticonceptivos?"
I can't believe you let him get you pregnant! Why didn't you take birth control?
Chad turns to his stepdaughter. "You won't be seeing him ever again. He's a disgrace and I don't want him in this house anymore."
Blanca hugs herself. "Chad, please...Mamá..."
"Dean, get out of here!" Trina says angrily.
"No, you can't do this...you can't kick him out!" Blanca protests. Tears run down her cheeks. "I was in the wrong. I'm a slut and a whore...you didn't raise me this way, and I'm so sorry...maybe I should be the one to get out."
"Blanca, you don't know yourself anymore!" Chad interrupts her.
"We miss you, baby! We need you back!" Trina cries.
Blanca falls to her knees and Dean picks her back up again. He carries her out back to his car and they go to his house. She weeps while he lays with her on the couch.
"I have to reconnect with my family."
"Hey. You have me. They don't understand us, babe."
"Only because you got me knocked up." Blanca sniffles. "Are you all right?" She kisses the bruise on his cheek and runs her finger over the cut on his lip when her stepfather's fist had smashed into her boyfriend's mouth.
"Just a split lip. I'll be fine. You, however, need your rest."
Blanca snuggles into him and closes her eyes. She cries herself to sleep.
For some reason, she dreams about Diablo.
Thank you for reading and reviewing, Boris Yeltsin, MsSchneeheide, VeraRose19, Juliette45, and A Star in My Universe!