Where We Are
The next few posts wrap up the story. I thought about leaving it at All the Things, but the characters had more to tell.
Adrianna begins several times to say what running away will mean. Big Sister has split; we aren’t on a train but at a bus station somewhere downtown. Adrianna parrots most of what Julio has been telling us for months now, it’s all about what he knows and neither of us have really figured out yet. Her repetition is a kind of comfort, a thing we both do, even if it isn’t good for us.
“I hate my father,” she finally says.
I tell her about how I don’t have a place anymore.
And then she says it, “when other kids leave they have a path like college or some kind of big European trip. They get a degree or they learn a new language. We’re not doing anything like that.”
“And Julio’s got this cousin,” she says.
And I think how I’ve been fatherless for a very long time, motherless too.
I stand up and gather my things.
“I’m coming with you,” she says.
“What about Julio?”
“Julio will be fine. His cousin studies fashion design in San Diego. I’m not worried about Julio.”
And then Julio grabs on to Adrianna’s arm.
“I’m scared to go alone,” he says.
“You have people,” she says. “You’re going to be great out there.”
I don’t think I’ve ever seen Julio look more upset. It’s as if he’s got a giant ketchup stain on his brand new, bleached out jeans. He gives me the stink eyes I’ve seen a hundred times and says, “I blame you for this.”
“Don’t,” Adrianna says. “Where were we going to stay, really? There was never any big apartment, there was never going to be any extra room.”
“I figured you had that dress,” he says.
“Which dress?” Adrianna asks.
“You know the one with the espresso stain. You really should get it properly cleaned, just take out the money first,” Julio says. “It always looked good on Bev.”
Adrianna hits him over the head with her magazine and asks, “Is your uncle a good man?”
He nods and then he wraps his arms around both of us. Two frenemies feel more like friends than ever. All of the tension between the three of us is gone. Maybe I imagine this a little quickly and maybe too it has something to do with what I start to hear.
I’m messed up gorgeous.
Adrianna begins several times to say what running away will mean. Big Sister has split; we aren’t on a train but at a bus station somewhere downtown. Adrianna parrots most of what Julio has been telling us for months now, it’s all about what he knows and neither of us have really figured out yet. Her repetition is a kind of comfort, a thing we both do, even if it isn’t good for us.
“I hate my father,” she finally says.
I tell her about how I don’t have a place anymore.
And then she says it, “when other kids leave they have a path like college or some kind of big European trip. They get a degree or they learn a new language. We’re not doing anything like that.”
“And Julio’s got this cousin,” she says.
And I think how I’ve been fatherless for a very long time, motherless too.
I stand up and gather my things.
“I’m coming with you,” she says.
“What about Julio?”
“Julio will be fine. His cousin studies fashion design in San Diego. I’m not worried about Julio.”
And then Julio grabs on to Adrianna’s arm.
“I’m scared to go alone,” he says.
“You have people,” she says. “You’re going to be great out there.”
I don’t think I’ve ever seen Julio look more upset. It’s as if he’s got a giant ketchup stain on his brand new, bleached out jeans. He gives me the stink eyes I’ve seen a hundred times and says, “I blame you for this.”
“Don’t,” Adrianna says. “Where were we going to stay, really? There was never any big apartment, there was never going to be any extra room.”
“I figured you had that dress,” he says.
“Which dress?” Adrianna asks.
“You know the one with the espresso stain. You really should get it properly cleaned, just take out the money first,” Julio says. “It always looked good on Bev.”
Adrianna hits him over the head with her magazine and asks, “Is your uncle a good man?”
He nods and then he wraps his arms around both of us. Two frenemies feel more like friends than ever. All of the tension between the three of us is gone. Maybe I imagine this a little quickly and maybe too it has something to do with what I start to hear.
I’m messed up gorgeous.
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