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lumiolivier · 4 years ago

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The Good Old Days Chapter Seventeen: Party at Vanessa's

A/N: Oh, you guys. I hammered this chapter out yesterday and good gravy, is it about to be a shit storm. I'm actually really happy with how it turned out and I hope you like it, too. Love you. x

ICYMI:

Chapter Sixteen: Perfect

Chapter Fifteen: Say It

It’s weird as hell being on this side of a party like this. I had no shame. I’ve worked these parties before for the sake of a little extra cash. Granted, those days were behind me, but I still felt for these poor sons of bitches that were enduring verbal abuse for the paycheck. I look back on those days that weren’t too distant and internally cringe. I think back to my last day at the restaurant and nearly throw up. I think of my last customer I ever dealt with and thank God the Old Man got me out of there. I’ll make sure to tip nicely. Although, the staff may not be the only ones in need of my sympathy tonight.

I caught a glimpse of the angel on my left. If I didn’t know any better, I’d think Vanessa was about to throw up. This better not end up a fucking repeat of the night I had to get Veronica out of a mess. I gave her a little nudge, just to snap her out of wherever her head was, “Vanessa? You doing ok?”

“Me?” she chirped, “Yeah. Super. But you know what could make it better?”

“What’s that?” I think I had a feeling where this was going.

Vanessa laced her fingers between mine, “Let’s go get a drink.”

“I love you.”

“I love you, too,” she snuck in a quick kiss while no one was looking. I think I’ll keep this one around for a while. Just a little while. Once we got to the bar, she wouldn’t even let me order, “Cuba Libre. Two of them. Big ones. Heavy on the lime juice in one.”

“Yes, ma’am.” I already had a fifty crawling its way out of my pocket.

“Frankie, what the hell?” Vanessa wondered, “It’s an open bar.”

“Trust me,” I shuddered, “I know what it’s like being on the other side of this. He needs it.”

“Ok,” she wrapped herself around my arm.

“Are you sure you’re ok?” I worried, lifting her chin up. As if I didn’t already know what plagued her.

“I’m nervous as hell,” Vanessa confessed, “I just hope they give you a chance. I don’t ever ask them for much.”

“I told you, baby,” I hugged her tight, “We got nothing to worry about. It’s not often the Spanish charms ever fail me. We’ll be fine.”

“God, I hope so.”

“Here you are, Miss Scarlotti,” the bartender smiled politely, sliding the glasses across the bar, “The one on the left is the heavy lime.”

“Thank you,” I grabbed the glasses and slipped him the fifty.

“Oh, no…” he gasped, “I can’t take…”

“I know you can’t,” I settled him, “Consider it a gift from a friend.”

“Thank you.” If I didn’t know any better, I’d think the guy was on the verge of tears, “Thank you so much.”

“You know what?” I took the fifty back, “I can’t do that, man.”

“What the fuck?” Vanessa gasped.

“Hold on,” I put the fifty back. I saw the look on this guy’s face when he saw the fifty come out. I couldn’t do that to him. I shook the guy’s hand, making sure he felt the hundred I put in there, “That should do it a little better.”

And there they were. The waterworks that shouldn’t have to happen, but here we are, “Thank you so much.”

“No problem, man,” I knew exactly where he came from. And if I got out of it, I hoped to all things holy he did, too.

“You know, Frankie,” Vanessa smiled as we walked away from the bar, “That was really sweet of you.”

“That shit sucks,” I admitted, “Believe me. Been there. Done that. You should’ve been there my last day of work before I started working for the Old Man. There was a woman that was absolutely insufferable. Drove me fucking insane. Real pretentious type.”

“Um…” she winced, “Frankie…You might want to look around at where we are…Pretentious types are a stone’s throw here.”

“Yeah,” I bit my tongue, “Sorry. But you know as well as I do you’re not the pretentious type.”

“And clearly,” Vanessa awed, “Neither are you.”

“Too humble for that,” I kissed the top of her head, “We don’t need to go to the roof already, do we?”

“No,” she shook her head, “I think we got this handled. Besides, after the first drink, I should be ok again.”

“Are you sure?”

“Promise.”

“Frankie!” There was my familiarity. There was the excitable squeal I needed to hear tonight. Vanessa’s drink would take care of her nerves and that voice would take care of mine.

“Veronica!” I caught her as she decided to jump into my arms, her legs wrapped around me, “Hi, kiddo. How you feeling?”

“Right as rain,” she cuddled into my shoulder, “I’m so glad you’re here. I fucking hate these things.”

“I can’t blame you,” I put her back on the floor.

“Neither can I,” Vanessa kept her voice down, “But we put up with them, don’t we?”

“Somehow,” Veronica scoffed, “Usually, these parties turn into Vanessa and me finding a cozy perch to watch the shitstorm go down and heckle Waldorf and Statler style, but here you are. And I know damn well you’re going to heckle, too.”

“Oh, you know it.” When I’m amongst them, there’s no fucking way I’m going to be able to keep my mouth totally shut tonight. I’d explode.

“Hey, Veronica,” Vanessa asked, “Have you seen Mom and Dad tonight?”

“Not yet,” Veronica shook her head, “I’ve been avoiding our parents like the plague tonight. I got better shit to worry about.”

“I can’t blame you,” Vanessa agreed.

“But you know what?” Veronica thought, “I could use a drink…Right? Ness…? Please?”

“No,” Vanessa shot her down, “Not after last time.”

“What happened last time?” I asked, genuinely curious.

“She gets sloppy when she’s drunk,” Vanessa threw her under the bus, “The last time she got drunk at a party like this, she cut the skirt of her dress off and threatened everyone and anyone with her heels. When we drink, it’s in a much more lowkey setting, so she doesn’t snap and kill us all.”

“One’s not going to kill me, Vanessa,” Veronica grumbled, her eyes rolling into the back of her head, “I can handle myself.”

“And the next morning,” Vanessa added, “She’s a hungover mess and I have to be the one to take care of her. Not to mention, I’m the one that gets the ass chewing for not keeping a better eye on you. So, no. I’m not getting you a drink.”

“You know, Vanessa,” I awed, pulling her into my arms, “You’re a good sister. You remind me a lot of myself with my brothers.”

“It’s exhausting,” she cuddled into my shoulder. While I held my drink behind her back. I shot a quick look toward Veronica and nodded toward my unattended straw. She knew what I was doing and got herself a good, long drink from it.

“I have no doubt,” I gave Veronica a little wink. One little drink won’t kill her. And I know it’s good.

“Hey, Vanessa,” Veronica licked the last little bit from her lips.

“What?” Vanessa pulled herself together while I got my own drink.

“Marry him.”

And I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t choking on my drink. But I don’t think Vanessa was too far off either, “Jesus Christ, Veronica. We just started dating! We are leaps and bounds away from even giving marriage a thought.”

“I stand by what I said,” Veronica wasn’t budging. At least I know that if we were to get married, I’d adore my sister-in-law. One of them anyway. I still haven’t met Violet, but I have a feeling I’ll meet her sometime tonight, too.

“I don’t know, Vanessa,” I threw an arm around me, “I’ll keep you if you keep me.”

“You’re alright,” Vanessa scored a quick little kiss, “I guess I’ll keep you.”

“You guess?” I teased.

“Yeah.” Oh, I like this one, “Stay close to me.”

“My pleasure.”

“Vanessa,” a small, angry Young Republican came up to us. She looked like she would call INS on me in a heartbeat. I got my citizenship, kariña, “Mom’s looking for you.”

“Yay,” Vanessa winced, “Where is she?”

“She’s over by the piano,” she looked me over, “Um…Excuse me…Shouldn’t you be working?”

And there it was, “Um…”

“And,” she looked down at the glass in my hand, “You’re drinking on the job?”

“Um…”

“I’m sorry,” she scoffed, “Do you not speak English? Vanessa, you speak three languages. Can you tell him?”

Then, things started to click in my head. And I couldn’t wipe the smirk off my face, “Debes ser Violeta, verdad?”

“Si,” Vanessa stared down at the floor, ready to kill her sister. I knew she wasn’t going to like me. And I knew she was going to be like this. I’m not surprised.

“And who are you?” Violet wondered.

Vanessa let out a heavy, exasperated (and possibly embarrassed) sigh, “Frankie, this is my sister Violet. Violet…This is Frankie.”

“Is he…?” Violet didn’t seem too interested, but at the same time, she had a vein sticking out of her forehead, “Mom’s still looking for you, Vanessa.”

“Oh…” Vanessa grumbled, “Ok.”

“Veronica,” Vanessa ordered, “You stay here.”

“Got it,” Veronica wasn’t moving. Thank God. That’s comforting.

“I’ll be right back,” Vanessa promised. I know she will. I wasn’t worried. Although, something about Violet made me a little twitchy.

Especially when she decided to get uncomfortably close and in my face, “Look. I don’t know what you think you’re doing, sniffing around Vanessa. She’s a blue blood and you’re…Not.”

“Ok.” She wasn’t telling me anything I didn’t know. I know I’m not a blue blood and quite frankly, I didn’t care.

“She’s better off without you dragging her down,” Violet assured me with her undeserved sense of righteousness.

“Hey,” I pointed out, “It’s all good. I’m a trust fund baby, too.”

“EXCUSE ME?!” I thought Veronica was going to have a heart attack, “SINCE FUCKING WHEN?!”

“A while now.” At least I’m pretty sure the Old Man would call me a trust fund baby. My brothers call me a sugar baby, but I think there’s a trust fund involved. Especially when along with that trust fund comes not only a shitload of money coming my way, but the controlling stake of New York. Good times.

“Oh,” Violet still didn’t like me. And I was ok with that. I wasn’t heartbroken. I wasn’t after Violet. I was after her sister. She walked away and left Veronica and me to our devices.

“Isn’t she a charmer?” I teased.

“Oh, yeah,” Veronica confirmed, “She’s like hugging a cactus. Violet is ALL our mother. If I didn’t know any better, I’d think she reproduced asexually. Dad wasn’t even there. It’s either that or she threw herself in the dryer that also happened to be linked to human cloning somehow and out came Violet. It makes for an interesting Thanksgiving.”

“I’m sure it does,” I shuddered at the very thought of it, “If it makes you feel any better, Veronica, you’re more than welcome to come to my house for Thanksgiving.”

“I love you, Frankie,” she wrapped herself around my arm, “God, I hope my sister marries you. If she doesn’t, fuck, I will.”

“I thought you said we weren’t on the same team.” I made sure I kept my voice down. I don’t know how many people Veronica was out to yet. I wasn’t going to be that asshole.

“We’re not,” Veronica confirmed, “But I’m just saying.”

“I love you, too, Veronica,” I threw an arm around her shoulders. I could get used to this. A beautiful woman that had my heart. A precious little angel with a crooked halo and a bark the size of her bite. I mean, I could take or leave Violet at this point, but this was alright. And along with that angel with the crooked halo, she was going to need the bad influence big brother, too, “Hey…See the guy at the bar? The one that looks like he just got done crying?”

“Yeah,” Veronica followed me, “What about him?”

“Tell him Mr. Franklin sent you,” I explained, “He’ll know who you’re talking about. He’ll score you a drink.”

“Seriously?” she gasped.

“Don’t get sloppy,” I shoved my finger in her face, “And…Don’t tell Vanessa. I don’t need her pissed off at me.”

Without another thought, Veronica’s arms went around my neck, “Thanks, Frankie.”

“You’re welcome.”

“I DO!” Oh, shit…That didn’t sound good. Speaking of Vanessa, she grabbed my hand, “Come with me.”

“Vanessa,” I stumbled behind her, “What’s wrong?”

“The way the aristocracy is run,” she grumbled, dragging me over to an older woman that…Uh-oh…Oh, Vanessa…Please tell me she’s not who I think she is. Please, for the love of God, tell me she’s not who I think she is.

“YOU!” the woman snapped at me. I didn’t make it a habit to call a woman bitch, but did this bitch deserve it. She knew what she did to me. She knew damn well that Shiraz was the year she asked for. She knew there was no difference. She just wanted to be a massive pain in my ass. But in the end, I couldn’t hate her. Because of her, she was the push I needed to call the Old Man. She was the one to put me in that path. And now, I went from nervous to pissed to delightfully petty all in the span of a couple minutes.

“Me,” I beamed, absolutely loving every second of this, “I’m sorry. Do I know you?”

“Why are you in my house?” she scoffed.

“I was invited,” I told her, leaning over to Vanessa, “Es esta tu madre, mi amor?”

“Si, Francisco…” Vanessa bit her lip. Huh…Vanessa’s never called me Francisco before…Is it weird if I kind of like it? Because I kind of like it, “Ella es.”

“Oh, no…” her eyes started glowing, “No, no, no. Vanessa, I know you said you had a boyfriend, but tell me it’s not…Him.”

“Yes, Mom,” Vanessa admitted, taking my hand. And squeezing the shit out of it. Christ, Vanessa, you need to unclench, “This is Frankie. Frankie, this is my mother, Victoria.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” I did my best to kill her with kindness. Because chances are, if I’m nothing but a sweetheart to her, it’ll only piss her off that much more.

“Whatever phase you’re going through, Vanessa,” Victoria growled, glaring a hole through me, “Make it quick. And when you’re ready, I’ll introduce you to someone better. Someone much better.”

“If you say so,” Vanessa grumbled. She grabbed me by my wrist and dragged me behind her yet again, “Ven aca.”

“Vanessa?” I couldn’t keep up with her. Don’t get me wrong. Nothing tickles me more than the bitch from the restaurant having to deal with me after getting the satisfaction of making me quit, but not like this. Not if it puts Vanessa in this kind of position. And she wouldn’t say a word to me. But she did steal a bottle of Cabernet on her way through, “Vanessa? Where are we going?”

“Roof,” she growled. Ok. I see her mother isn’t the only one pissed. Someone set Vanessa off. And if we’re being honest here, I’m a little scared. I’ve never seen Vanessa get this mad before. Upset and damn near in tears? Yeah. I’ve seen that. But this was different. This was downright pissed. And it’s bad enough to where she needs to go to the roof. I thought that would’ve been a me thing, but here we are. After a trek through the house and three flights of stairs, the cool night air hit us both with a panoramic view of the Scarlotti estate. Alright. I can see why Vanessa likes it up here.

“Vanessa…?” I treaded lightly. The last thing I wanted to do was dig her deeper in the hole, “Talk to me. What’s wrong?”

“I fucking hate when she does this to me,” Vanessa popped the cork on the wine with her teeth. Her being pissed aside, it was kind of hot, “Absolutely fucking hate it.”

“What did she do?” I asked, pulling her down to my lap.

“I can’t be in love,” she took a heavy drink from the bottle. If it’s empty by the time we leave the roof, I won’t be surprised, “I’m not allowed. I’m not allowed to have a little scrap of happiness without her getting her fucking fingers in it. I have to be miserable. Like it’s my goddamn birthright. Do you know what she tried doing?”

“Wha…”

“She tried setting me up, Frankie,” her tirade raged on, “She tried setting me up with some pain in the ass, stuck-up, aristocratic prick and the second I told her I had a boyfriend, she lost her shit. Because she didn’t approve of this. She didn’t heavily screen you or run a background check. She didn’t have any say in it. You were completely and one hundred percent my decision and I couldn’t have been happier with it. Do you know why I decided to spend my trust fund on my education?”

“Because it was yours to spend how you wanted?” I figured, taking a second to appreciate the fact that I was Vanessa’s good decision.

“Because it’s the one fucking thing she can’t take from me,” Vanessa growled, “She tries to take my love life from me, so I’ll be damned if she tries to take knowledge from me, too. She didn’t care where I got in as long as it was ivy league because heaven forbid I’m the stain on the Scarlotti family tapestry.”

“Vanessa,” I wrapped my arms around her, never wanting to let her go, “You are far from the stain on the Scarlotti tapestry. And she can’t take your love life from you either. I won’t let her. And if you think I’d go down without a fight when you’re on the line, your mother is sorely mistaken. Don’t you worry, baby. I will be glad to fight for you if I have to.”

“Thanks, Frankie,” Vanessa laid her head in my shoulder, “I just…I’m so fucking sick of being under someone’s thumb. And under a microscope.”

“I know,” I gave her a gentle kiss, “I know. But your mom seems like a treat.”

“She is,” she rolled her eyes, “I love her. Really, I do. But then, she pulls shit like this and makes it a little more difficult to love her. And in a way, I was kind of blissfully unaware of just how bad she could be until recently.”

“What was recently?” I wondered.

“I met yours,” Vanessa cuddled into me, “I don’t know what it is about your mom, but Sariña is so fucking sweet.”

“Mama’s been through some shit,” I admitted, “But she came out of it on the other side. And that’s what made her so wonderful. I’ve been through some shit, too.”

“And that’s what made you,” she took another hit from the wine bottle, “I know. But damn, that gets hard after a while. I just want to relax for a while. Is that too much to ask for?”

“Well,” I thought it over, “You want to stay up here for the rest of the night?”

“I don’t know…”

But then, in a stroke of genius, I had an idea, “Hold on. Let me go make a quick call. Do you mind if I use your phone?”

“Go ahead.”

“I’ll be right back,” I kissed her forehead and stole a quick drink of her Cabernet. I wasn’t usually the type for wine, but tonight, anything goes. I snuck inside and found the nearest phone I could. It sat in a little nook in the hallway. Come on, you son of a bitch, pick up. I know you’re in the office tonight. Don’t you dare let this go to your answering machine.

“Yeah?” Never in my life have I ever been so relieved to hear his voice.

“Old Man, I need a favor,” I leaned up against the wall, “And a really big one.”

“That’s what I’m here for, kid,” the Old Man assured me, “What’s up?”

“Do we have somewhere nice in Manhattan?” I asked, “Or at least in the near vicinity? Somewhere someone could, say, crash for the night if need be?”

“We got somewhere in Manhattan,” he confirmed, “Why? Not staying with Vanessa tonight?”

“Quite the contrary,” I winced, “Look. Shit with her parents went kind of sideways. She’s pissed off and needs to be away from the house for the rest of the night. I’ll explain everything later. I just need a place where we can lay low for the night.”

“There’s a place on Fifth Street,” the Old Man told me, “It’s a big, beautiful hotel. Drop my name at reception and they’ll treat you well. I’m sorry to hear Vanessa’s parents were assholes.”

“It wasn’t her dad so much,” I didn’t even get to meet her dad, “It’s her mother.”

“Kind of figured,” he cringed, “But let’s not get into that. Go ahead and take your girl somewhere nice for the night.”

“Thanks, Old Man,” I could breathe a hell of a lot easier, “I appreciate it.”

“No problem, Frankie.”

Click.

I like him. He’s alright. And he’s helping me score brownie points with Vanessa. I’m not complaining. I walked back out on the roof and found the Cabernet bottle empty. Along with Vanessa’s legs dangling over the gutters. I made sure to grab her hand, “Jesus Christ, Vanessa. Are you trying to put me in the hospital?”

“No,” Vanessa was perfectly calm about this, “It’s not the first time I’ve done that, Frankie. I’m alright. I promise. What was the phone call all about?”

“Let’s get out of here,” I suggested, “I got a hotel room on Fifth waiting for us.”

Without hesitation, Vanessa bounced onto her feet and threw her arms around my neck. And I knew damn well I was about to have smeared mascara on my jacket, “Thank you, Frankie.”

“You’re welcome,” I held her tight. She didn’t want to be under anyone’s thumb. She didn’t need to be under anyone’s thumb. In a way, we’ve both been held down by what we are. Granted, one of us has a little more affluence than the other, but she couldn’t help that. It’s what she was born into. It’s not like she asked for it. But on our way out, she managed to catch Veronica trying to score another drink.

“Hey, hey!” Vanessa stopped her, slamming the Cuba Libre in her hand, “Who said you could drink tonight, Veronica?”

“Sorry,” Veronica wasn’t going to throw me under the bus. And I loved her for it.

“Hey,” Vanessa fell into me, but not enough to call too much attention, “We’re getting out of here. Do you think you could crash in my room tonight in case someone gets nosy?”

“Of course,” Veronica hugged her sister, “I got you. Go ahead.”

“Thanks, Veronica.” Vanessa melted inside, “We’ll be back by tomorrow morning.”

“Go, Ness,” Veronica demanded, “You need to get the fuck out of here. I get it. Frankie…?”

“I got her, Veronica,” I promised. Whether her mother liked it or not, I’d always have Vanessa. I always got her back.

#the good old days #oc backstory #fan fiction prequel #for the family #switch #mafia au

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erikismybitch · 5 years ago

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So.

So I probably won’t add again . And people are still messaging me about stories. So I’m going to post this synopsis of Waiting In Vain. Any other stories y’all want me to quickly do, let me know lol .

So , Marley confronts Erik about the robbery that took place because she’s super fucking smart and put all the context clues together . They get in this huge argument where Erik tries to manipulate her into thinking that he did the crime for her and that everything he does is for her because she needs him to be her savior. Once she fires back like the independent woman she is , he gets upset and tries to hurt her . He admits that he helped get her the apartment she’s living in and if it wasn’t for him she would still be living in a hotel . She stands her ground and tells him that she is done with him . Of course he tries to have sex with her to calm her down but she is seriously done . And she leaves . He told her that if she left , that was it . He’d be damned if he chased after her . But he all talk cause he really loves her .

So these weeks go by and Marley is super sad and tries to live her life without Erik . She misses him a lot and everything reminds her of him ...Her cousin Tiana has been lowkey following her , still obsessed with breaking even with Marley . Marley has no idea because she’s still wrapped up in her life . Marley had been rapidly gaining weight from stress eating and decided to go back to the gym ... during cycling class with her friend Becky , Marley suddenly felt a sharp pain and fell of the bike . The ambulance came and took her to the hospital . The pain was so bad that right before she passed out she begged for Becky to call Erik . He was the only person she wanted . While Marley was passed out , the hospital called her closest next of kin . Her Aunt , Tianas mother . Who came to the hospital to see if Marley was Dead . Instead , she nosily asked questions and found out useful information . Marley was undergoing a small surgery when Becky got a hold of Erik. Who her aunt saw and knew exactly who he was . She slipped away and went home to tell Tiana everything she found out. Marley’s surgery was done , once she came back to reality , she saw Becky and Erik sleep in her room . The doctor informed them that she was pregnant, and the baby was okay & overstressed . Erik apologized and promised to be there from this day forward .

Erik decided that they would live life All over the world throughout her pregnancy, it would be less stressful to be relaxed . Then they came home to give birth. life was good until Erik’s safety is comprised. His partner in the Robbery was murdered. After just giving birth to their beautiful baby boy , they needed to leave the country for safety. Marley did not want to be involved with that part of Erik’s life , but he always protected her & was the father of her child . So she agreed to go . Even though she had second thoughts

On the other hand, Tiana had been messaging Becky often , Marley did not know . She had been telling Becky all these sob stories about how she missed her cousin and wanted to make up with her. She didn’t know how to get in contact with Marley & she hadn’t seen her at her apartment for months (yes she was watching) Becky fell for Tianas stories, because she hadn’t been in contact with Marley ever since she left with Erik.

Going against Erik’s rules (he told her not to contact anybody until it was safe) she snuck and told Becky that she was leaving for a long time again. But had to go to her old apartment first to gather some old things that belonged to her mother . Becky let Tiana know that Marley would be heading to her apartment and she should catch her before she left .

Marley was in her room packing things with Erik when she heard her son crying . She walked out to find a deranged Tiana heading towards the door with her son . She forgot to lock the door because this was supposed to be a quick thing . Marley saw red and charged full speed ahead . With Erik behind her . Tiana dropped the baby and he let out a scream . Marley pinned Tiana down and strangled her to the point of turning blue . Erik didn’t stop her at first, he Wanted Tiana to die . He held the baby ,but Just at the point of killing her, Erik stopped her. He openly admitted to taking a life before and he realized that he didn’t want that on Marley’s conscience.

They leave , leaving Tiana alive . She was no longer a factor because (breaking and entering is a crime) and also , Erik needed his family to move permanently. They wouldn’t have to deal with her anymore .

He lets Marley know that they can’t live in the states anymore indefinitely. He needed to relocate to Havana ,Cuba. It’s what his Boss was telling him. Marley is conflicted because she still doesn’t know exactly what Erik does . Erik knows that he has to leave soon so he wants to take a visit to his mother and sister . This is where Marley meets Rain and Ruby . And they get to meet the baby. They all bond and he tells them the deal . His mom and sister are saddened , but this isn’t the first time he had to leave . Ruby makes Erik explain his line of work to Marley. He Broke down told her exactly what he does . Works for a Government agency , he’s practically a war machine , and he created the weapons the army uses to kill important people. He sold the security systems that he stole because the Us government Believed it was being used with oppositions in Russia .

Marley Moves to Havana with Erik . But for a little under a year . She came to the realization that she couldn’t raise her baby there . She wanted to go home to the states. She wanted her son to live a normal life . And it was selfish of Erik to make this choice for them . Erik pleased and begged for her to stay but Marley made up her mind . It’s very emotional , they both cry because they know this is the end .

They made a pact , that whenever Erik called her She would just pick up and not say anything , just to see if she was safe . He gave her money and told her to relocate somewhere where she knew nobody . He told her to trust nobody and be smart. And that his door was always open.

Then comes Havana (read it if you haven’t)

Then comes Havana part 2 where Naomi and Erik reunite and so does Marley .

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actuallylorelaigilmore · 5 years ago

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beturass replied to your post: i figured out today why i haven’t been enjoying...

I’ve been feeling the same way about s4. it feels like a completely different style and while I’ve still enjoyed it in parts I miss the heartfelt moments and the found family and it just doesn’t feel the same and I miss that feeling

I’M SO GLAD I’M NOT ALONE. it’s been lowkey driving me crazy, especially now that we’re three episodes in and instead of counting the days til a new episode i’m rewatching schitt’s creek endlessly because there’s just so much PAYOFF and CONSISTENCY and GROWTH and i felt the same way about odaat’s first three seasons but am just sort of waiting for s4 to feel like odaat used to, and as each new episode comes out, it seems less and less likely.

i get it on a story level because the kids are getting older and penelope’s moving on from her earlier struggles that have been addressed and schneider’s finally got his own love interest and lydia went with dr. b to cuba, so maybe from now on the show’s path forward is all the characters having funny adventures that often involve outsiders more than each other? their world is growing so their stories are branching out too? but i don’t have to pretend that’s what i came for.

#ilu phoebs this was comforting #i have the best tumblr friends #beturass #odaat #replies

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guarmabeachclub · 5 years ago

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Ok let’s talk about Hercule Fontaine

I promised headcanons and I am here to deliver! Time to embrace my destiny as tumblr’s lone Hercule stan lmao 😭🌸✨

I’m sorry this got long but mobile won’t let me put it under a cut ugh

So the game doesn’t give us much about how Hercule ended up on Guarma except that he got in trouble with some Cuban officials and a throwaway line describing him as a Haitian pirate that is probably more propaganda than fact, buuuuut I'm 100% running with the concept that Hercule is indeed an infamous pirate with a hidden island base somewhere (think Libertatia), and he uses the resources he amassed through piracy to kickstart revolutions and offer a safe haven to whoever needs one because look at him and tell me that he doesn’t interpret “from each according to their ability to each according to their need” as “I’m going to use my ability to steal from rich fucks to help free the people”. It’s just who he is as a person.

I think before slavery was officially abolished on Cuba in 1886, one of his main operations was getting slaves out and some of them ended up joining him.

His ancestors fought in the Haitian Revolution so he has always believed deeply in his personal duty to stand up against oppression and in the possibility of revolutions to succeed.

Social Anarchist Social Anarchist Social Anarchist

Would die before he ever compromises on his ideals. If you try to make him compromise on his ideals he will fight you.

Like he might be the leader of his group but he doesn’t have a single authoritarian cell in his body, so anyone who follows him does so freely and because they genuinely believe in him and share his vision. If he can, he avoids making decisions without hearing everyone out first, and if someone doesn’t want to follow an order there’s going to be a discussion but as long as he knows the person in question is loyal to the cause he’d rather let them sit one out than force anyone to do anything they don’t want.

Many of his people never got the chance to learn how to read and he wishes he could teach all of them, but he doesn’t have the time or the peace for it so he settles for reading to them around the fire. Sometimes he reads them some revolutionary literature but mostly it’s adventure novels. He’s good at it too and always gets them super invested in the story.

He might act casual and relaxed about it but he’s very serious about giving people his word. He has only ever broken it once.

Has a sweet tooth, especially for fruit. He actually loves mangos and tragically this never comes up in conversation with Dutch?? Also puts a fuckton of sugar into his coffee.

He is a vodouisant and his mèt tèt is Agwé. He never sets out on a sea voyage without making an offering and asking the lwa’s blessing.

He learned to swim about the same time he learned to walk and loves to be in the water.

Has cliff dived off the walls of Cinco Torres at least once and the first time he did it Baptiste and Leon lost it because for 10 whole ass seconds they thought Hercule died before he resurfaced laughing at their dumb faces.

His necklaces are keepsakes, by wearing them he carries the spirits of the people he loves with him.

Speaking of Baptiste, they have known each other all their lives and Hercule trusts him 100% and rationally he knows that missing an arm makes his friend no less capable, but boy does he worry if Baptiste is out on a mission and he doesn’t hear back from him within the previously agreed upon time.

Distinguished Bisexual please ask me about his loving poly relationship with Baptiste and one of my OCs

Lowkey wishes Arthur and Javier would have stayed to join him. He can’t quite put his finger on it but he saw something in them that made him feel like in another life their cause would have been the same.

He might have seen the same thing in Dutch but then he heard about him strangling an old woman and was like boi bye

Couldn’t wait for Micah and Bill to leave from day 1 tho and if the gang had stayed longer Hercule would personally have yeeted their racist asses into the ocean.

#hercule fontaine #rdr2 #red dead redemption 2 #rdr2 headcanons #hercule fontaine headcanons

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rosymiel · 6 years ago

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1-100.. bitch

oh FUCK you (im jk.. i love you..)

The meaning behind my url: i love french, and so i wanted to spice up my url and have it not be sims related from the get-go (my previous url was ughplumb). at first i wanted my url to be “cherry wine” in french because my favorite song of all time is cherry wine by hozier, however the url was already taken. i settled for rosy honey, hence rosymiel

A picture of me: honestly just look at my tag “kyla has a face”! i don’t have any new selfies of myself aside from what i’ve posted.

How many tattoos i have and what they are: i only have one, and it’s right in between my shoulder blades on my back. it’s of my family’s crest, which says “miseris succurrere disco”, which basically means to help people in need.

Last time i cried and why: last night because i was watching queer eye

Piercings i have: i used to have my ears pierced, but i hated keeping track of my earrings so i just let them close up. i wish i never let them close up, and now i also want to get my nose pierced

Favorite band: i don’t really listen to any bands, just artists!

Biggest turn offs: burping and chewing sounds. chewing sounds legitimately anger me so much, i don’t know why

Top 5 songs: Cherry Wine (Hozier), Rain On Me (Joji), IDFC (Blackbear), I Love You (Billie Eilish), The Night We Met (Lord Huron)

Tattoos I want: OHHHHH MY GOD i want so many!!!! i just honestly want my body to be covered in flower tattoos to the point that i’m just a walking garden!! i really want to get a pair of watercolor roses or lilies right under my collarbones!!

Biggest turn ons: good cologne. i don’t know why, but cologne makes me go insane, i love it so much

Age: 18 going on 19!

Ideas of a perfect date: relaxing at home and cuddling with my boyfriend while watching our favorite show

Life goal: oh god this is super deep and i’ve sat on this question for a fat minute and all i can think about is how much i want to be content with myself, so i guess that’s my goal

Piercings i want: nose and ear piercings, babie!!!

Relationship status: happily taken!

Favorite movie: oh god, probably across the universe. i’ve loved it ever since i was a kid

A fact about my life: i’ve been in choir almost all my life

Phobia: the dark. when i was a kid i used to see faces on my walls when my room was dark

Middle name: marie

Height: 5′5.5 (basically just 5′6)

Are you a virgin?: yessirree

What’s your shoe size?: 7

What’s your sexual orientation?: i’m pretty straight, but i think i’m heteroflexible. i’d definitely get down and nasty with a girl, but i’ve never felt any romantic attraction towards females

Do you smoke, drink, or take any drugs?: no, my parents smoked cigarettes for most of my life, and my dad regularly smokes weed. the smell of weed makes my head hurt and makes me feel nauseous, so no thanks.

Someone you miss: my boyfriend. he’s been on a family trip to cuba, and he hasn’t contacted anyone (including me) in almost 10 days. i miss him so much that it genuinely hurts.

What’s one thing you regret?: not learning to love myself sooner and finding comfort in feeling depressed because it’s something familiar

First celebrity you think of when someone says attractive: zendaya

Favorite ice cream?: i don’t eat a whole lot of ice cream, so i guess cookies and cream

One insecurity: my teeth. my two teeth next to my front teeth are pointed, and i used to get called a vampire when i was young. i was always bullied for it, and for most of my life i would cover my mouth with my hand whenever i laughed or smiled. a recent incident that comes to mind was sophomore year in high school in my english class. i sat next to my friend mooney (i called her by her last name because we met in gym), and one day she was talking to the guy infront of her about how pretty she thought i was, and how she thought that i could’ve been a model. the guy who sat in front of me, who’s name was tristan and was also in my choir the previous year, said that i’d be pretty with me if my teeth weren’t so fucked up.

What my last text message says: “god this fan feels so nice”

Have you ever taken a picture naked?: :)

Have you ever painted your room?: no, but i’ve tried painting the bathroom with my mom

Have you ever kissed a member of the same sex?: nope

Have you ever slept naked?: yeah?????????

Have you ever danced in front of your mirror?: i can’t dance, so absolutely not

Have you ever had a crush?: yeah??!??!?!!? ofc. i had a major crush on my current boyfriend, and he had a crush on me first before we started dating. it’s actually a really cute story

Have you ever been dumped?: yeah, twice. my last one was really brutal, but not because of how he dumped me.

Have you ever stole money from a friend?: nope

Have you ever gotten in a car with people you just met?: nope

Have you ever been in a fist fight?: nope

Have you ever snuck out of your house?: nah, i’m a goody-two-shoes

Have you ever had feelings for someone who didn’t have them back?: oh HELL yeah

Have you ever been arrested?: nope, and not planning on it!

Have you ever made out with a stranger?: nope!!

Have you ever met up with a member of the opposite sex somewhere?: not in a sexual or romantic way, no

Have you ever left your house without telling your parents?: nah

Have you ever had a crush on your neighbor?: i don’t think so??

Have you ever ditched school to do something more fun?: i ditched my nesika (which was like homeroom, but only two days of the week rather than daily) to go to a coffee stand with a friend

Have you ever slept in a bed with a member of the same sex?: not in a sexual or romantic way

Have you ever seen someone die?: no, and i really don’t want to :^(

Have you ever been on a plane?: yup!! i love it

Have you ever kissed a picture?: maybe…………… :’^)

Have you ever slept in until 3?: oh my GOD no. i fall asleep relatively early and wake up early, even on my days off.

Have you ever loved someone or miss someone right now?: yeah??? lowkey this question is phrased in a weird way

Have you ever laid on your back and watched cloud shapes go by?: oh my god yes, it’s so relaxing

Have you ever made a snow angel?: yup!!!!

Have you ever played dress up?: oh HELL yes i have!!!

Have you ever cheated while playing a game?: okay does anyone remember doing the stock market game in freshmen year/middle school in history class? my friend and i looked up the answers online and cheated. we were rich that day in that class.

Have you ever been lonely?: i’m lonely right now

Have you ever fallen asleep at work/school?: maybe for 10 seconds, but no

Have you ever been to a club?: nope!

Have you ever felt an earthquake?: i don’t think so, no

Have you ever touched a snake?: SDKJGBSD NO!!!!!

Have you ever ran a red light?: nope!

Have you ever been suspended from school?: nope!!!!

Have you ever had detention?: i had lunch detention for saying “stfu” to a guy who was bugging me in 5th grade. i thought i was the shit for that.

Have you ever been in a car accident?: nope!

Have you ever hated the way you look?: 100%. i’ve always had huge insecurities surrounding my body or how i look.

Have you ever witnessed a crime?: bruh i literally stole a pack of gum from a store when i was 4. i COMMITTED a crime. in my defense, i stole it for my mom to make her happy. i got yelled at

Have you ever pole danced?: nope, but i would love to! it looks like a really good workout!

Have you ever been lost?: i got lost just last week

Have you ever been to the opposite side of the country?: nope!!! i don’t travel much

Have you ever felt like dying?: yes. i used to be suicidal

Have you ever cried yourself to sleep?: hell yeah babie!

Have you ever sang karaoke?: i sing karaoke on youtube almost every single day. not only that, but on the first day of practicing for my high school graduation i stopped by my choir class before it began (seniors got out earlier than everyone else), and i sang karaoke with them.

Have you ever done something you told yourself you wouldn’t?: 100%

Have you ever laughed until something you were drinking came out your nose?: NO?!?!?!?!?!?!?

Have you ever slept with someone at least 5 years older or younger?: no

Have you ever kissed in the rain?: how can u kiss the rain. bruh.

Have you ever sang in the shower?: i sang in the shower earlier today

Have you ever made out in a park?: nope!

Have you ever dream that you married someone?: yep!!!!

Have you ever glued your hand to something?: i don’t think so????

Have you ever got your tongue stuck to a flag pole?: no, but i got my tongue stuck to one of those metal low monkey bar things.

Have you ever gone to school partially naked?: no?????

Have you ever been a cheerleader?: no, but my childhood friend and i wanted to be cheerleaders in high school before i moved to a different state

Have you ever sat on a roof top?: nope

Have you ever brushed your teeth?: who are you, my mom?

Have you ever been too scared to watch scary movies alone?: oh my GOD yes

Have you ever played chicken?: nope!! im a pussy

Have you ever been pushed into a pool with all your clothes on?: nope!

Have you ever been told you’re hot by a complete stranger?: not that i’m hot, but i’ve gotten many compliments from strangers

Have you ever broken a bone?: nope!

Have you ever been easily amused?: i used to be one of those kids that would laugh before they could finish a joke

Have you ever laughed so hard you cried?: i’ve laughed so hard that i’ve pissed myself. so yes.

Have you ever mooned/flashed someone?: i mean????

Have you ever cheated on a test?: i cheated on a 2nd grade spelling test. who knew that i would end up actually being great at spelling shit

Have you ever forgotten someone’s name?: oh my god i have the worst memory and i’m terrible with names

Have you ever met someone who didn’t seem real?: my boyfriend :’’’’^)

Give us one thing about you that no one knows: a couple friends know, but when i’m too lazy to throw on shoes or socks to walk around the house i just pull my sweatpants legs a bit over my feet and just wrap it around my feet. it’s weird

#non sims #reply #roseiio

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nomader-where · 6 years ago

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Anam Bar Recommendations

As an exchange student to Korea University, I noticed that there is a lack of recommendations for restaurants in the Anam area. So then, what’s a hungry KU student gonna choose? Simply put, for the first few days I was in Korea I lived off of GS25 Kimbap. Not too bad, but the sooner you get to know all the delicious food Anam has to offer, the better.

So here’s my list of some of the best restaurants, cafes, and bars you’ll find in Anam! The neighborhood is constantly changing, just like the rest of Korea, so if you find this blog post and come to find that the restaurant no longer exists, first let me know! I love knowing what has changed and replaced the old, second Anam is missing out these places were a go to!

[ Broken down into a 3 part series for the other two go here: Cafes / Restaurants]

Bars

TLC: Y’all, don’t sleep on TLC if you like to drink and appreciate a good cocktail! This bar isn’t necessarily tiny, they just don’t have that many tables. So often times, if you will be drinking on the weekends get here early and save a table! Let’s talk atmosphere, this bar is pretty casual and slightly romantic. It’s very low-lit and the main source of light comes from a Beyonce concert that is always on re-run? It’s not a rowdy bar either, where you play Korean drinking games, so keep that in mind. The best thing about this bar is the happy hour special! You can get 3 big and STRONG cocktails for only 10,000won or $10. My favorites, Kakaotalk, Cuba Libre, and Oppa! Don’t Go Home (yes that was the drinks name lol)

[ Storytime ] One night my friends and I are out for a lit night, there’s 5 of us and we each ordered 3 cocktails to drink for ourselves. As the bartender brings us 15 cocktails which need to be strategically placed on the small square table, we realize our crackhead antics. The happy hour special is meant to be shared among 3 friends ( they won’t stop you by any means if you order 3 for yourself), but looking around at the other tables we quickly realised we pinned ourselves as lowkey alcoholics oh well~

English Menu Offered: No, and the staff doesn’t speak English too much

Average Cost: 10,000won or $10

춘자 (Choonja): Oh Choonja, my messy love. If you go to Korea University and attend the University Buddy Assistant dinners and after party’s you’re likely to end up in Choonja at least once.

Atmosphere:This place is messy, but makes you fall in love with it. It’s a classic, rowdy, kinda dirty bar, where you sit around round metal tables, siting on stools knowing you’re in for a long night of soju and games. The bathrooms get rough throughout the nights, so if you’re weak of stomach beware. Tables fill quickly too! This is everyone’s hot spot because the soju tonic (fresh soju with fruit flavoring and tonic) is so good, drinks aren't too expensive, and everyone has an amazing time! You can order lots of diffrent foods to go along with your soju too. I recommend the yogurt soju tonic or mango soju tonic and kimchi jigae.

English Menu: No

Average Cost: Soju tonic is 5,000won or $5 and food on average is about 8,000won or $8.

#seoul #south korea #korea #travel #study abroad #korea university #yonsei #ewhawomansuniversity #isa #bars #culture #kpop #studyblr

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clementineverett · 7 years ago

Text

Chasing Waves - Chapter 1: Global Warming

I FINALLY FINISHED THE FIRST DAMN CHAPTER HOLY MOLY

I HOPE YOU ALL ENJOY!! :D

[Ao3 link]

Summary: Clementine chuckles before asking, “So, what’s the verdict?”

Gabe meets her gaze and nods. “I’m in.”

OR: Wanting to escape his dad’s expectation of joining the army after graduation, Gabriel Garcia stumbles across his opportunity in the form of the annual National History Bowl Championship.

Chapter 1: Global Warming

Of course.

Of fucking course Kate would tell him Mari’s ballet lessons ends at 5:00, not 5:30.

Gabe turns away from the reception desk with an exasperated sigh. As annoyed as he is, Gabe admits to himself that maybe he does run on Hispanic time. Consistently showing up to school fifteen minutes late for the past three years is an achievement his dad and Kate like to remind him on the daily. Given his track record of punctuality, he admits Kate made a smart move.

However, Kate had underestimated how eager Gabe still is to take the beat-up car he affectionately calls “Sexerella” (or “The Gabemobile” around his family) out for a spin. He had worked at Howe’s since the beginning of the year to save up for it -- a beige sedan older than he is that sports a few shallow dents. His old neighbour Pete offered her for $800 cash. Dad even inspected the car and commended on her well-maintained condition, given her old-ish age. Only the brake pads needed replacing.

Gabe considers grabbing an ice cream cone and waiting out the next thirty minutes at a nearby McDonalds, but gas is expensive and Gabe isn’t exactly balling, okay? So he plops down on the bench in front of the dance studio and prays there’s wifi. But before Gabe pulls his phone out, he peers into the windows of the studio and his breath catches in his throat.

Of all the people he expected to see today, Gabe definitely does not expect to see Clementine. Clementine, with the wide amber eyes, the curly hair often tucked under a baseball cap. Clementine, as in the girl he hasn’t maybe completely been lowkey crushing on for the past three years. Clementine, as in his best friend’s adopted sister who is not only totally out of his league, but also probably off-limits.

(Not that Duck had ever explicitly stated it -- Duck doesn’t even know, for starters. It’d be a cold fucking day in hell before Gabe would ever admit to Duck that he maybe has a thing for Clementine.)

And today, Clementine is helping an older woman (the instructor probably) correct the postures and stances of younger students. He knew she did ballet, from Duck’s offhand comments about dance rehearsals over the years. Gabe internally regrets not tagging along with Duck to her recitals.

Which isn’t weird, right? The Gordon household was essentially his second home, after all. But come to think of it, he had never exchanged more than a handful of sentences at a time with Clementine.

On an average day, Gabe would come upstairs from the basement to grab a glass of water in the kitchen after a grueling match of Melee with Duck (No Items, Fox Only, Final Destination). He’d stammer out a hello to Clementine, who’d normally be studying in the dining room or curled up on the couch with a mug of tea, and then run back downstairs before he could run his mouth and say something stupid like he usually does around cute girls.

He’s only here to fetch Mariana and get back home, easy peasy. Don’t look like a moron. Maybe even say hi to Clementine. But most importantly, don’t look like a moron. Or a creep. With that thought, Gabe rips his eyes from Clementine and glues them to his phone.

Browsing on his phone makes the half-hour wait go by smoothly. Students pour out of the door, signalling the end of the lesson. Mari isn’t among them, unsurprisingly. Gabe remembers how excited she was when Kate and Dad finally saved enough to pay for ballet classes.

Sucking in a deep breath, he pushes the studio doors open and suddenly pauses in his tracks. The sound of violins flood the room.

Clementine moves effortlessly across the floor, arms flowing above her and then behind her like a silk banner caught in a gentle breeze. She eases onto one foot and spins on her toes -- once, twice, three times -- then glides into a stance, with her arms reaching in front of her, her leg stretched behind, and her foot high above her head. Gabe is mesmerized.

And the door promptly collides with his face.

He stumbles backward and lands hard on his bum. Gabe instinctively presses his hand to his cheekbone where the door had hit it. It’s tender and smarting like a motherfucker. In that moment, he prays for two things: 1. that the bruise won’t be too obvious, and that 2. no one saw that.

Unfortunately for Gabe, God does not answer prayer number 2.

“Oh my god, are you okay?” Gabe looks up to see Clementine standing over him, her eyes wide in surprise and concern. Great, he cringes internally.

“Yeah, I’m good,” Gabe replies as he struggles to his feet. “Hi, Clementine,” he greets her, his face burning in utter embarrassment. Real fucking smooth, Garcia.

“Hi, Gabe,” Clementine says, brows furrowing in worry. “Are you sure you’re okay? That looked like it really hurt.”

“I’m fine, really,” Gabe refuses to meet her gaze. “Have you seen my sister, Mari, by the way?”

“Gabe!” he hears Mari call out as she rushes to him. “What happened?”

“Accident,” Gabe quickly responds. “Anyways, Kate sent me to pick you up, so,” he adds, “are you ready to go?” Gabe’s just a little desperate to leave. He’ll nurse over his bruised face and bruised ego the moment he gets home.

“Yeah,” Mari replies, nodding.

“Okay,” Gabe says. He stammers, “I, uh, I’ll see you at school next week, Clementine.”

“See you around,” Clementine replies. “You should probably get some ice for that.” She gestures to the bruise starting to form on his cheek.

“I will, thanks,” Gabe answers, absentmindedly scratching the back of his head.

“Okay then,” Clementine says. “I’ll see you next class, Mari.” Gabe huffs out a sigh when they reach the parking lot. Plan: Don’t Look Like A Moron has crashed and burned miserably. No survivors here.

Mariana snorts.

“What?” Gabe asks.

“That was kind of sad to watch back there,” Mari says lightly.

“What on earth are you talking about?”

“The door slamming on your head?” Mari responds. “I saw the whole thing.”

“It was an accident,” Gabe insists.

“You mean how your brain fries itself whenever you’re around a girl?”

“You’re crazy,” Gabe interjects. “It was just an accident. And my brain doesn’t fry itself, okay? I know how to act around girls,” he asserts with a thump to his chest. “I’ve had girlfriends before.”

“A girlfriend,” Mari corrects with a grin, “and that was in middle school? How long did that last again?”

Gabe swats Mari on the arm playfully. “You know, maybe leaving you on the side of the road is a good idea.”

“You wouldn’t,” Mari scoffs.

Gabe rolls his eyes before admitting with a fond sigh, “No, I wouldn’t.” He ruffles her hair wildly. “You’re my little sister, after all. It’s your job to annoy me.”

“Gabe! What the heck!” Mari yelps, ducking away. She combs her hands through her hair with an annoyed huff.

“Don’t fucking swear, Mari,” Gabe lectures, deadpan.

Mari rolls her eyes. “You’re such a dweeb.”

“Love you too,” Gabe teases as he unlocks his car.

“I’m guessing you’re picking me up from ballet from now on?” Mari asks with a smirk as she climbs into the passenger seat.

“Yes,” Gabe adds as he locks in his seatbelt, “but it’s only because Kate asked me to, since I have a car and I’m pretty much an adult now.”

“Riiiiiiight,” Mari singsongs, wiggling her eyebrows.

“You know,” Gabe suggests, “I was thinking of stopping by good ol’ Ronald for some ice cream, but since you’re being mean to me right now…”

“Oh come on,” Mari pleads. “Please? Can we?”

“I don’t know,” Gabe sighs, shrugging. “You really hurt me, Mari.” He dramatically places a hand over his heart and sticks his bottom lip out in an exaggerated pout.

“Alright, alright,” Mari concedes with an eyeroll. “I’m sorry, Gabe. Okay?”

“That’s better,” Gabe grins as he backs out of the parking spot. From the corner of his eye, he spots Mari fishing something out of her pocket. “What’s that?”

“It’s Pipo’s,” Mari replies quietly, showing him a portable cassette player.

Gabe nods solemnly. “Pop the cassette tape in.”

Gabe catches a glimpse of the tape’s label: Mi vida, mi corazón. He smiles as familiar salsa tunes drift through the car. The wind roars through the rolled down windows and threads through Gabe’s hair. Today, he’d forgone his beanie.

“This is the tape he always plays when he dances with Yaya,” Gabe recalls.

Mari chuckles. “Yeah. It’s his favourite.”

Gabe smiles wider at the fond memory. He used to find it embarrassing when he was younger. In hindsight, it was actually really adorable. Now Gabe would give anything to watch his grandparents dance again. To see Yaya laugh and smile like she did before. Just once more.

“I miss Pipo,” Mari murmurs.

“Me too,” Gabe sighs. “You know,” he changes the subject, “he kept a journal when him and Yaya left Cuba in 1980.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, I found it on a shelf at him and Yaya’s house,” Gabe says. “Dad must have been a baby when they left.”

“I wonder what made them leave Cuba,” Mari wonders.

“Cause of some guy named Fidel Castro,” Gabe responds. “He imprisoned and executed a lot of people who were against him. Even people who were thought to be against him.” Gabe grimaces. “I don’t blame them for leaving, it must have been really scary back then.”

“You got that from all documentaries you’ve been watching, haven’t you?” Mari asks.

“I wanted to know all the shit that was going on at the time,” Gabe says with a shrug.

“Books exist, you know,” Mari points out, “and they’re a lot less noisy, too.”

“But do books have moving pictures and explosions?” Gabe replies with a dismissive wave of a hand. “And besides, does it really matter how I learn?” He taps the side of his forehead. “Knowledge is power.

“Inglourious Basterds doesn’t count,” Mari drawls. “And besides, why would anyone want to know about what a bunch of old guys did years ago? Boooring.”

Gabe gasps sharply. “First of all, Quentin Tarantino’s movies are fantastic,” Gabe objects, “and secondly, that was the only history-related thing you actually managed to stay awake for. If you had just stopped falling asleep in the middle of the other actual historical films, I’m sure you would’ve found it interesting.”

“I fell asleep because they were uninteresting,” Mari responds sarcastically.

“Come on,” Gabe says, “how do you not find it interesting at all? How things came to be? Why our family came to the States in the first place? The wars and global events that literally affected everyone? How is that not interesting?!”

“I mean that’s cool, I guess,” Mari remarks, “but it’s just not my cup of tea.”

“Fair enough.”

“Hey,” Mari chuckles, “at least learning some history is more productive than bashing your head on the sidewalk all summer, like you did last year.”

“For the record,” Gabe starts, “I did finally master that kickflip, so it was totally worth.”

---

They hear the yelling before they even make it out of the driveway.

Gabe glances at Mari, who winces.

“Just go to your room, okay?” Gabe assures her. Mari nods meekly.

Inhaling deeply, he turns the key and swings the door open.

“Unless you want to dig up my CO’s fucking corpse-”

“David, it was an accident,” Gabe hears Kate plead. She’s clutching her left hand with a towel that’s stained bright red. Pieces of shattered glass lie scattered around the kitchen floor where they’re standing. “Maybe if we can actually afford a dishwasher, this wouldn’t have-”

“Do not start with this again,” his dad roars back, “that is the absolute last thing I need when I come home from work to support this family and pay off Pa’s treatments-”

Gabe retreats to his room, locking the door behind him before flopping onto his bed. He pops his headphones in, selecting a random song on his phone and maxing out the volume until the thundering drums and screeching guitars drown out the world.

He hates it when they get like this. Which is rare to begin with, though, since Kate usually goes along with whatever Dad says. Not that he can blame her, honestly. It’s the easier thing to do.

His phone beeps, shaking Gabe out of his thoughts. A text message from Duck.

Duck Gordon (6:17 PM): THE END IS NIGH

Gabe snorts and types out a reply.

Gabe Garcia (6:18 PM): Wat

Duck Gordon (6:18 PM): Senior year starts next week bitchez

Right. Gabe swallows nervously.

On one hand: fucking finally. It wasn’t that high school had been bad. It had just been so… average. He got decent grades, skateboarded with Duck, and generally stayed out of trouble. His high school life, so far at least, is nothing like those melodramatic teen soap operas Mari likes so much. Not that he wants his high school experience to be filled with messy love triangles and skeletons in the closet. But all those movies and TV shows Gabe had seen over the years made high school seem so magical, you know?

On the other hand: he graduates from high school… and then what?

“Not today,” Gabe groans to himself as he sits up on his bed. He’ll cross that bridge when he gets there.

Gabe pulls up his laptop, an outdated thing his uncle Javi passed down to him. He can’t run League of Legends on it anymore (he needed to quit anyway, since it really brought out his temper) and it’s a little laggy, but it still does the job when it came to watching YouTube and scrolling through social media. Gabe decides to finish up on the last hour of this documentary he’s been watching about the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. He pops the disc in the laptop and makes a mental note to drop off the DVD at the library tomorrow, since it’s due that day anyway.

He’s about half an hour in (and close to tears) when a loud knock rattles his door. The doorknob jiggles. “Gabe?” It’s Dad. Gabe instantly flies to the door and opens it.

“Why did you lock your door?” Dad snaps.

“Force of habit,” Gabe replies quietly. “Sorry, I won’t do it again,” he quickly adds.

“Good,” his dad comments curtly as he tiredly runs a hand over his head. Gabe can’t help but notice how even more salt and pepper-y his dad’s hair has become. “I need you to take Kate to the clinic tomorrow morning. Can you do that?”

“Yes, dad,” Gabe answers. He watches his father intently, noting the clenched jaw and the tension in his shoulders. Don’t set him off again. Just be the obedient son he needs you to be right now, Gabe thinks to himself.

“Gracias, mijo,” Dad says. “I know I can count on you.” Dad gives him a squeeze on the shoulder before smiling at him fondly. “Look at you, starting your last year of high school next week,” he breathes a deep sigh. “It only seems like yesterday you were running around in your diapers.”

“Now I’ll be graduating,” Gabe replies, smiling back.

“And then you’ll be enlisting, just like your old man.” His dad beams at him proudly.

Just like your old man. The words echo in his head. Gabe’s mouth goes dry. “Of course.” He swallows hard.

He doesn’t remember exactly when Dad started expecting him to join the army. (Since forever maybe?) But Gabe had always went along with it. Although it always fills his heart to see his dad puff his chest out in pride because of him, the thought of inevitably enlisting also fills his stomach with dread.

“By the way,” Dad starts, interrupting Gabe’s train of thought. “What happened to your face?”

Gabe instinctively touches his bruised cheek. “I ran into a door, that’s all.”

“You should get some ice for that, mijo,” his dad clasps him on the shoulder one last time before turning away. “There’s some soup in the kitchen, too. Don’t stay up too late.”

The kitchen is cold when Gabe steps in. The window is thrown open. The floor is free of glass. A pot sits on the stove. Kate leans on the counter by the window, smoking a cigarette. Her hand is wrapped in gauze, the blood dried to a dark, brownish red.

“There’s some food on the stove,” Kate says before taking another drag of her cigarette.

“Thanks,” Gabe replies as he helps himself to a bowl. “How’s your hand?”

“It’s been better,” Kate mumbles. “Nothing too serious, though. The cut’s not deep and I’ve cleaned it as best as I can.”

“Well,” Gabe begins, “Dad wants me to take you to the clinic tomorrow, so…”

Kate sighs, shrugging. “I guess it wouldn’t hurt to have someone look at it.”

“We can go before your shift starts,” Gabe suggests. “I’ll drop you off at your work, too.”

A small smile forms on her face. “Thank you, Gabe,” Kate says.

“What happened, earlier?” Gabe asks quietly. “If you don’t mind me asking…”

Kate looks so drained, with her slumped shoulders and shining eyes. “It’s nothing, really. I dropped your dad’s army glass, that’s all.”

Gabe frowns. He knows how important that glass is to Dad. Gabe would be upset too if something sentimental to him broke. But Kate also got hurt, you know? Yelling at her, especially when it was an accident, just… left a bad taste in his mouth.

Kate must have seen the look on his face, because she quickly adds, “Don’t worry about it. Your dad and I talked it out. We apologized. We’re good now.”

Gabe nods, a little wary. “If you say so.”

---

Gabe normally likes to sit window-side and towards the back row. Not the very last row, though, where the teacher's voice drowns out into a low, coma-inducing drone and the heat of the afternoon sun entices sleep. And not the very front row either, where the teacher can watch your every move.

Except today, Gabe slides into a desk at the front row and lets out a nervous breath. Sitting at the front of the classroom naturally makes you more attentive (at least, according to a few internet articles). After all, AP World History may be his last class of the day, but it’s his first Advanced Placement class, ever. Sure, Gabe isn’t a terrible student. But he’s not exactly top-of-the-class material -- just enough to make Dad and Kate happy. And besides, he’d also been in an Honors class before (in freshman year). It can’t be all that different, right?

Gabe watches as students enter the classroom and immediately recognizes most of them as the top-of-the-honor-roll types: those who’ve been taking AP classes since sophomore year (and even freshmen, for some of them), whose sights set high for Ivy League. His stomach sinks a little.

His mouth goes dry and his stomach knots when Clementine enters the classroom. No duh she’d be in this class. Gabe always saw her name on the honor roll, and knows how often she studies, as it was the one activity she was always doing every time he would be at Duck’s house. Plan: Don’t Look (Even More) Like A Moron is officially back in motion. This is going to be a long-ass year, Gabe internally grumbles to himself.

“Hello, class,” Mr. Everett greets as he begins to pass around the course outlines. “Welcome to AP World History. As you know, this class is equivalent to an introductory college course.”

Gabe swallows nervously. Mr. Everett does the roll call before briefly explaining the basics of AP tests and scoring. Gabe follows along, jotting down important information.

“A common theme you’ll notice throughout the course is that no matter the era or the civilization,” Mr. Everett scrawls the next words he says on the chalkboard, “there is always war and conflict.” He underlines the words, further emphasizing them.

“Instead of just talking about the syllabus today,” Mr. Everett turns to the class, dusting his hands of chalk, “I’d like to start off this year with a discussion.”

Mr. Everett returns to the chalkboard and writes in all capitals: IS WAR JUSTIFIABLE?

Every hand in the room shoots up.

Gabe notices that most of the answers his classmates give are a variation of Sometimes. Not that it was wrong or anything -- everyone has a right to their opinion, after all. But Gabe’s sweating as he mentally prepares himself, running through the points he wants to make and recalling the facts he’s learned from the documentaries he watched.

“Gabriel?” Mr. Everett’s voice pierces through the fog of his nervousness.

“Yes,” Gabe stands in his desk and clears his throat. “Right, um. I don’t think war is justified. Ever.”

The classroom immediately breaks into a buzz.

Mr. Everett shushes the class before he turns back to Gabe. “And why do you think that?”

“Because,” Gabe begins, suddenly feeling every eye on him. He inhales a deep breath before saying, “it’s just not right that the people at the top can declare war while everyone else pays the price. While innocent people pay the price.”

“Pretty sure the people who enlisted knew what they were signing up for,” pipes up a classmate. A few stifled giggles erupt behind him.

“That’s not what I meant,” Gabe bites back. He clenches his hands into fists to still them from shaking before he continues, “I meant like, men, women, and children who never asked for war, whose homes were invaded. People who were killed because they were at the wrong place at the wrong time, like Hiroshima and Nagasaki.”

“Well, it was because Japan refused to surrender,” another classmate challenges. “More people would’ve suffered and died if America had invaded Japan instead. Would you rather lose millions of lives or just several thousand?”

“Two hundred thousand,” Gabe corrects, blood pounding in his ears. “War is more than just a numbers game. Sacrifice two hundred thousand people to save more? Okay sure, but two hundred thousand people still died, you know? And most of them were just regular old folks minding their own business when the bombs hit. They didn’t deserve to die. Life is precious but life is irreplaceable too. The lives that were saved because of the bombings aren’t replacements for the lives that were lost.”

“So what,” someone responds, “countries should just do nothing then, like how Britain dealt with Hitler in the late 1930s? Should people just stand by and do nothing while something like the Holocaust happens?”

Gabe goes silent, brows furrowing in thought. When he meets the gaze of his challenger, he’s greeted by their smug, triumphant expression. “No,” Gabe finally admits, grudgingly.

“So then doesn’t that make war justifiable?”

“I’m not saying that countries should do nothing,” Gabe declares, his blood boiling. “But war often comes with war crimes, too. Both the Allies and the Axis raped thousands of women. Both sides bombed each other’s cities -- cities filled with innocent civilians. Cities like Hiroshima and Nagasaki. I think countries should step in and stop things like the Holocaust from ever happening. But even if the cause you’re fighting for is good, raping and killing innocent people isn’t. And that is never justifiable.”

The bell rings, a sudden shrill noise that startles Gabe out of his thoughts.

“All right, I’ll see you all tomorrow then,” Mr. Everett says to the class. “You all have a good day. Gabriel, can I see you for a moment?”

When Gabe is done packing his things, he makes his way to Mr. Everett’s desk. “You wanted to see me, Mr. Everett?”

“Yes,” Mr. Everett says, nodding. “I just wanted to commend you on what you said in our class discussion.”

“Oh,” Gabe responds, scratching the back of his head. “Thanks.”

“Have you ever heard of the principle of ahimsa?” Mr. Everett asks.

Gabe shakes his head.

Mr. Everett raises his eyebrows. “I’m surprised, because a lot of what you said reminds me of that. We’ll actually be touching on it in the course. But anyways, ahimsa is an important principle in Hinduism, Jainism, and Buddhism. It means to not harm. Non-violence. Ahimsa has greatly influenced theories of war and military ethics, and was also central to the independence movement of India.”

“The one with Gandhi, right?” Gabe faintly recalls from previous social studies classes.

Mr. Everett nods. “All forms of resistance against the British Empire were non-violent and it actually worked, as India finally achieved their independence in 1947. In fact, it worked so well that it influenced the Civil Rights Movement right here at home.”

Gabe nods thoughtfully. “Huh, no way.”

“Yeah,” Mr. Everett says. “Well, I also wanted to talk to you about joining our History Bowl team. I really think you’d make a great addition, and I’m not saying that just because I’m the sponsor teacher.”

History Bowl. Gabe had heard of that before -- isn’t that some kind of Jeopardy for history or whatever? Where a bunch of Ivy League types from different schools gather round and flex their knowledge or some shit? Gabe is certainly not Ivy League level, and the idea of being stuck in a whole room of them… ok well, he is in AP World History. But still. Gabe’s about as average as you can get, honestly. And besides, who wants to study for fun? He’s got enough classes to worry about.

Mr. Everett must have read his mind or something, because he says, “I know it’s not as glamorous as the football team, but I really do think you’d be great at it. At least consider?”

“Thanks,” Gabe replies a little sheepishly. “I’ll think about it.”

“Great,” Mr. Everett says, “You have a good day then, Gabriel.”

“You too,” Gabe replies as he leaves the classroom.

---

Gabe spots his uncle sitting on the porch as he approaches his house. A worn box sits next to him. “Hey, Javi. What are you doing here?”

“Hey, buddy,” Javi says. “I was hoping Kate would be here. I’ve got a package to drop off.” He gestures to the box.

“How long have you been waiting?” Gabe asks. “And what’s that?”

“Just ten minutes, no biggie,” Javi replies, grinning, “and these are your abuelo’s cassette tapes.”

“You have his cassette tapes?” Gabe questions.

“Just some of it.” Javi says. “I hear music really helps with memory. Maybe your dad can take them with him when he visits your abuelo.”

Gabe peers into the box. Cassette tapes stack on top of each other, almost spilling over the brim. “Those are… a lot of tapes.” He turns to Javi and quietly asks, “Why don’t you go with my dad?”

Javi looks away, scratching the back of his head. “I love your dad,” he sighs. “He is my brother, after all. We just… don’t see eye-to-eye on a lot of things.” His gaze rests on the box. “Let’s just say your dad doesn’t agree with how I’m… processing all of this.”

“Was that what it was about?” Gabe mumbles, studying his uncle’s face. “You know. Two weeks ago, at Yaya and Pipo’s house?” He recalls the yelling being so loud from he could hear it from the backyard. His abuela crying, pleading with them to stop. A door slam that seemed to shake the walls and the air around them. A loud tire screech. Javi nowhere to be found after. His dad dark-eyed and tense and silent for the rest of the night.

“Sort of, yeah,” Javi answers, quietly.

Gabe decides to change the subject. “So why does Pipo have a lot of cassettes?”

Javi smiles, eyes tinged with fondness and melancholy. “He made a mix for every event,” Javi sigh. “Like, every event. Not even just for milestones and holidays, but for days when it rained, when the sun shined. I think he has a whole tape dedicated to cafecito.” Javi shakes his head, chuckling. “Freaking obsessed.”

“More than dominoes?” Gabe asks, almost astounded.

“More than dominoes,” Javi affirms. “That man really loves music.”

Gabe chuckles, shaking his head. “Well, since Kate’s out, I can let you in and you can put it on the coffee table or something.”

“That’d be great, thanks.”

Gabe unlocks the front door and steps inside. He plops his backpack on the floor of his bedroom and double checks his pockets to ensure his wallet, phone, and keys are still with him before heading back towards the door.

“By the way, I need to pick up Mari from school and drop her off to ballet,” Gabe says to his uncle. “Do you need me to drive you back to your place?”

“No I’m good, my car’s just down the street,” Javi responds. "Actually, is it okay if I tag along? I feel like it’s been ages since I really spent some time with you guys.”

“I hope my dad won’t mind,” Gabe wonders hesitantly.

“I hope not,” Javi says, sighing. “Listen, no matter what’s going on between me and your dad, we’re still family.” Javi then playfully nudges him in the shoulder. “Now come on, I’ll treat you and Mari to McDonalds.”

Gabe grins. “You sure you want to wait out until Mari’s lessons are over, though?”

Javi cocks an eyebrow up. “You’re gonna wait out the whole hour?”

“Hour and a half,” Gabe corrects. “Plus, it’s kind of a waste of gas to keep driving back between home and the studio. Global warming, am I right?”

Javi snorts. “Since when did you care about global warming?”

“I always have,” Gabe shoots back, “but especially since I started noticing gas prices, you know?”

“Of course,” Javi says with a laugh.

When Gabe pulls up in front of Mari’s school, she climbs into the backseat and sets her duffel bag of ballet stuff next to her. “Hey uncle Javi,” Mari greets. Gabe feels her nudge at the back of his seat. “Are we heading to the studio right now?”

“Yup,” Gabe replies.

“But it’s only 3:15, and class starts at 4,” Mari points out, “can’t we wait at a McDonalds or something?”

“Well, Javi is planning to treat us after your lessons anyway,” Gabe responds, “and besides, it’ll be 3:30 by the time we arrive to the studio. You can wait another thirty minutes. Go practice or something.”

“Oh, I see what this is about,” Mari drawls, glaring at him through the rearview mirror before smirking. “You’re just eager to see Clementine, is that right?”

Gabe nearly swerves the car. “What?!” He sputters.

“Who’s Clementine?” Javi asks excitedly.

“No one,” Gabe interjects hastily.

Mari simultaneously answers, “His girlfriend.”

“I don’t have a girlfriend!” Gabe yells, knuckles white as he grips the steering wheel hard.

“She’s the teaching assistant for my class,” Mari says matter-of-factly, completely ignoring Gabe, “She’s really pretty, and she also goes to Gabe’s school. I think she’s also Duck’s sister?”

“Aww,” Javi sings, grinning.

“She’s not my girlfriend!” Gabe yelps indignantly, cheeks flushing.

“Uh-huh,” Mari sarcastically mutters.

“Mari,” Gabe hisses, glaring fiercely when they make eye contact through the rearview mirror.

“All right, all right,” Mari grumbles. “I’m sorry, Gabe.”

“Thank you,” Gabe huffs, annoyed. He relaxes his grip on the wheel.

“Clementine is amazing at ballet, though,” Mari says with wonder, “I want to be just as a good of a dancer as she is one day.”

“I believe in you, Mari,” Javi replies, “You can achieve anything you set your mind to.”

“Thanks, Javi,” Mari says, smiling. “Maybe it’s not a bad idea to get some extra practice in,” she admits.

“Told you,” Gabe remarks, and spots Mari rolling her eyes at him through the mirror.

Predictably, Gabe doesn’t see Mari exit the studio when the lesson finishes. Gabe pushes the doors open (and steps through them quickly before they can crash into his head again).

“Clem, you should come with us,” he hears Mari practically beg, “My uncle, Gabe, and I are going to McDonalds. It’ll be really fun.”

Gabe freezes in his tracks. She’s doing this on purpose, isn’t she? She’s totally shitting him right now. Seriously, Mari? Wow.

“Gabe!” Mari calls out to him. She’s beaming brightly and sporting puppy dog eyes. He knows that look and sighs internally. Okay, so she’s definitely not trying to mess with him. Somehow, that makes it worse. “Can Clementine come with us? Pleeeease?”

“Um,” Gabe mumbles, scratching the back of his head. He desperately tries to force down the blush that begins to rise in his face.

Okay. So. It’s not like he wants to say no because honestly? That’s a little dickish. But Plan: Don’t Look Like A Moron failed spectacularly last time and Gabe definitely does not want to risk embarrassing himself in front of her again. He’s not sure if he can survive it.

Before Gabe can reply, Javi calls from behind him, “Of course, of course. The more the merrier.”

“I do have an hour to kill before my shift starts,” Clementine says, shrugging.

Mari beams. “Great! I’ll grab my stuff.”

“You, uh, work with the Gordons, right?” Gabe finally manages to unswallow his tongue and speak. “I can drop you off at the diner before your shift.”

“If it’s any trouble-” Clementine starts.

“It’s not,” Gabe replies sheepishly. “Really, it isn’t. It’s on the way home, anyway.”

Clementine nods gratefully and smiles. “Thanks, Gabe.” Gabe’s heart immediately accelerates. “I’m just gonna pack up and change.”

Gabe nods, his eyes unconsciously following her as she exits the studio. Did she really just smile at him? Was that real? He didn’t imagine it, right? Holy shit.

“What happened to ‘global warming?’” he hears Javi ask slyly. Gabe doesn’t turn, fearing his face is bright red.

“I’m just being nice,” Gabe asserts defensively.

“If you say so,” Javi casually replies.

---

“Please,” Javi begins, “I insist, Clementine. You’re our guest.” The four of them are standing in front of the counter. Gabe hears an exasperated sigh behind him -- another impatient customer, probably. They’ve been holding the line up for only a minute or so. Jeez.

Gabe watches as Clementine hesitantly puts her wallet back into her pocket. “You’re too kind, thank you.”

“No worries,” Javi says before addressing Gabe. “Gabe, why don’t you and Clementine find us a booth? Mari and I will wait for our order.” His uncle’s eyes glint playfully.

“Uh yeah, sure,” Gabe replies. He contemplates maybe killing his uncle as he and Clementine sit down at an empty booth.

“By the way,” Clementine begins, “Good job in the class discussion today.”

Gabe’s eyes widen in surprise. “Oh. Thanks.”

“What made you join AP World History, by the way?” Clementine asks, brows furrowing in curiosity. “Not that I’m saying you’re not smart or anything, but I didn’t think you… well, it’s just that I haven’t seen you in the other AP classes before-”

“I’m not exactly the AP student type, I know,” Gabe admits, nervously laughing.

Clementine chuckles with him. “I’m sorry, I just wanted to ask.”

“It’s okay,” Gabe replies. “I, um, kind of switched into that class last minute, I guess? It was sort of a spur of the moment.”

“Really?” Clementine cocks her head sideway in curiosity.

“Yeah,” Gabe responds. “Well, um, I’ve always liked social studies, and I also watched a lot of history documentaries over the summer. Made me realize how much I liked learning history. So I figured, why not?” He scratches the back of his head absentmindedly as he shrugs. “How about you?”

“I really like history, too,” Clementine replies. “I want to do a minor in History when I go to college, and you know, the AP class would be great for the transfer credits.”

“What are you planning to major in?” Gabe asks.

“Dance,” Clementine answers. “Hopefully at the University of Georgia. They have a pretty good ballet program.”

“That’s great,” Gabe says. “You’ve, uh, been doing ballet for a long time, right?”

“Yeah,” Clementine says, “Since I was 7 or 8. I really love it. But how about you? What are your plans after high school?”

Gabe’s eyebrows rise. He’s caught off guard. “I…” He trails off, lost in thought. What the hell is he supposed to say? “I’m still figuring it out, to be honest,” Gabe finally answers.

“No worries,” Clementine responds. “But if you plan on going to college, you should join the History Bowl team. It’s a great opportunity and looks really good on college applications.”

“Mr. Everett talked to me about that earlier today,” Gabe notes.

“He is the sponsor teacher,” Clementine says. “And this year, I’ve been made captain of the team. We need more members -- one more at least. It’s just me and Sarah now, since Arvo graduated last year.”

“Arvo?” Gabe recalls the familiar name. “You mean that really smart Russian kid? Didn’t he graduate early?”

“Yup,” Clementine sighs loudly. “He also got accepted into MIT’s engineering program.”

“Wow,” Gabe says in awe. “That’s… pretty impressive.”

“It becomes less amazing the more you hear about it,” Clementine drawls. “Arvo never failed to remind me every single week.” Gabe notes the way she rolls her eyes with deliberate annoyance.

“Duck told me he was kind of a dick,” Gabe replies.

“Oh, he definitely was,” Clementine says with a hint of a grin. “Big brain, bigger ego. But because of him, we did get pretty far last year. And this year, I really want to win the National Championships. So,” Clementine pauses, exhaling a deep breath, “I’m asking you to join the team.” “Me?” Gabe asks incredulously. “I’m no Arvo, though.” He looks down at the table.

“I’m not asking you to be Arvo,” Clementine replies. “Besides, it’s clear from the discussion today that you’re passionate about history, and you seem to know a lot about it. Give yourself some credit. We’d be lucky to have someone like you on the team.”

Gabe’s heart skips a beat. “I, um…” He trails off, attempting to fight the heat beginning to rise in his face. “Can I think about it, at least?”

“Of course,” Clementine says. “Well, tomorrow is Club Day, and I’ll have a table set up in the atrium during lunch. Come talk to me when you’ve made your decision.”

“Sounds good,” Gabe responds.

“If it helps,” Clementine starts, “the grand prize for the Nationals is a scholarship. Divided among the teammates, of course.”

“Really?” Gabe asks with a piqued interest.

“Yeah,” Clementine says, “it’s a pretty decent amount. But I think you have to use it within a year before it expires.”

Gabe hums and nods thoughtfully. “I’ll let you know tomorrow?” He asks.

“Sure thing,” Clementine replies.

---

Gabe is in the living room watching TV when he hears the keys turn and the front door unlock. His dad steps through. Gabe quickly checks the time on his phone. It’s nearly 10:00 PM.

“Hi dad,” Gabe greets him. “Long day at work?”

His dad nods. The exhaustion is apparent on his face. “Yes, mijo. Have you eaten dinner yet?”

“Yeah,” Gabe answers. “Kate put the food in the fridge, by the way.”

Dad suddenly pauses. “What’s this?” he asks, pointing to the box on the coffee table.

“Javi came by earlier today,” Gabe tells him. “He dropped off a box of Pipo’s tapes.”

His dad frowns slightly, brows furrowing as he chews on his cheek. “Okay,” his dad comments quietly. “Anyways. Come sit with me,” he invites him. Gabe nods, and follows his dad into the kitchen.

“How was your first day of classes?” His dad asks as he opens the fridge.

“It was good,” Gabe replies as he reaches into the cupboard to grab a plate for his dad. “We just got our lockers and course outlines, that’s all. Real lessons start tomorrow.” He sets the plate on the dining table. “But we did have a class discussion in AP World History today.”

“An AP class?” His dad notes. “You know, it doesn’t really matter what kind of grades you get. As long as you have a high school diploma, the military will accept you just fine.” He shrugs dismissively.

“I just wanted to take it this year,” Gabe asserts quietly.

“Okay,” Dad responds. “What did you talk about in class?”

“Whether war is justifiable or not,” Gabe answers. “A lot of the class said it was justifiable sometimes.”

“But what did you say?” His dad asks.

Gabe immediately regrets bringing up AP World History. “I said it wasn’t justifiable,” Gabe murmurs. He studies his dad’s face, trying to decipher the unreadable expression he now wears. “Why?” Dad says with an eyebrow raised. “Sometimes we have to fight back when bad guys threaten the rights and lives of other people.”

“I guess,” Gabe says uncertainly. “I was talking more along the lines of, um, war crimes. Like murdering and raping innocent people. Stuff like that.”

“That doesn’t really happen anymore, mijo,” his dad says pointedly. “There are international laws that stop that from happening now, don’t you know that?” His dad lets out a harsh sigh before taking a bite of his food. Gabe winces slightly.

“I know. I just, I don’t know,” Gabe mumbles, shifting his gaze down. “I was just offering another view. That’s all.” He half-lies.

His dad only nods and continues to pick at his food. Gabe takes his leave and heads to his room.

He shuts the door behind him quietly and sits on his bed, lost in thought. Gabe had been on fire earlier today, adrenaline pumping and blood boiling and thinking on his feet. He had a lot to say in class, but all the points he wanted to repeat to his dad seemed to just… evaporated from his head or something.

I’m just tired, Gabe justifies to himself. And Dad’s tired too. A debate is the last thing he needs.

Though, Gabe really did enjoy the class discussion today. He normally hates debates -- Gabe usually never knows enough to effectively participate, and he hates how tongue-tied he can get. Except today, Gabe actually did know enough, for once. There was something incredibly satisfying about being able to prove your points with cold, hard facts. Like a perfect one-two punch. And damn, did it feel good.

Maybe joining the History Bowl team isn’t a terrible idea. Sure, it’s not quite the same as debating morals and whatever like they did in class today. But Gabe has always found his history and social studies classes so much more interesting than his science classes. He liked learning about importants events that happened, and how and why they still affect people today. It always intrigued him.

And besides, Clementine did mention the scholarship grand prize. If they win Nationals, then he’d have no choice but to attend college. Dad would understand. He would see. Surely.

But I’m nothing like Arvo, Gabe admits to himself internally. Winning Nationals sure as hell isn’t a guarantee. It’s a slim chance, especially with the likes of someone like himself. Someone like me, Gabe thinks. He is… painfully average.

But, he has to try, right? Taking a chance can’t hurt. It’s not like it’s totally hopeless -- Clementine mentioned Sarah was on the team too. And they’re both really smart. He’s not on their level, sure, but Gabe can compensate with a lot of work and effort. Winning Nationals is definitely possible, he decides.

Dad will understand. Dad will see.

---

Gabe pushes through the crowd of students, his mood slightly souring with every shove of a shoulder. Just when he’s had enough and considers charging through the swarm like a bull on the loose, Gabe stumbles into empty space.

He spots a simple poster (HISTORY BOWL CLUB, it reads) hanging down the front of the table. Clementine and Sarah sit behind, chatting.

“Hey,” Gabe calls out breathlessly, giving a small wave to Clementine. She waves back. He approaches their table.

“Woah there, you’re gonna have to wait in line,” Clementine says sarcastically, gesturing to the considerable lack of students around them.

A grin plays on his lips. “Hilarious,” Gabe replies with equal sarcasm.

Clementine chuckles before asking, “So, what’s the verdict?”

Gabe meets her gaze and nods. “I’m in.”