#rodrick heffley x black!oc

[writerinthedark21]

What’s her problem?

Pt 8 

<333

School was always hell, especially when you had broken the “Golden girl’s” nose and gave her a black eye. 

Heather had been milking it all weekend, always finding a way to leave out the part where she had started the whole thing and pulled on Gina’s hair when she tried to walk away. 

Gina already seemed to be the talk of the school but this just made everything ten times worst. There was no where she could go that didn’t have everyone staring at her. 

And since it was close to the holidays her friends had already left to visit family so she felt alone during most of the school day. 

It only seemed to get worse when Rodrick was around. It didn’t take a genius to know what people were thinking of her. 

Apparently the biggest rumor to come out of everything was that Gina had stollen Rodrick from Heather and then beat her up just to rub it in her face.

It never seemed like it was getting any better until friday when she sat down for lunch. Rodrick felt like shit when he woke up so he stayed home so Gina was beyond ready to go home. 

“Stealer” Gina heard a group of girls whisper as they passed by her, soon followed by them laughing their asses off as they walked out of the cafeteria. 

 “Fucking bitches....” Gina whispers as she begins to open up her lunch box. 

“I was there...” A voice says beside Gina. Gina’s neck had never moved faster until that moment.

“I’m sorry?” Gina asked to the shy girl sitting next to her. Her black curls were covering most of her face. 

“I was there and I recorded the whole thing basically....I can send it to you” The girl says fully turning to Gina. It’s then when Gina realize she looks familiar.  

“You are a total lifesaver....what’s your name?” Gina asked as the girl pulls her phone out of her back pocket and hands it to Gina. 

“Clara Valentine” She answers.

“Wait don’t we have a class together? English right?” 

“Yeah, yeah we do” Clara says with a smile. 

“I’m really sorry for how everyone’s been treating you...it’s fucking bullshit” Clara says as Gina programed her number into her phone. 

“It’s just some shit heather would do...I can’t believe I used to be friends with that pasty bitch” Gina says thinking about how her and Heather used to be straight up inseparable until the beginning of sophomore year.  

“Can I guess what happened?” 

“Yeah I bet....my bag of chips you get it right” Gina says making Clara laugh. 

“Classic case of childhood friend getting ditched for popularity?” Clara guessed.

“Ding ding ding we have a winner” Gina says taking the bag of Doritos out of her lunch box and handing them to Clara. 

“Damn...That’s the worst....and with all this other shit she did too...yeah Heather Hills is definitely the fucking devil” Clara says making Gina laugh for what felt like the first time in forever. 

“Speak of the devil...” Gina whispers as she sees Heather and her friends walk towards them.

Gina didn’t think much of it until Heather had stopped right in front of them.

“You need something?” Clara asks.

“Yeah actually...an apology would be nice” Heather says making Gina burst out laughing.

“Bitch are you serious? The only apology I’d give you is a matching black eye” Gina says getting up from her seat. 

The action had seemed to make Heather back down because all she could do was huff before walking away.

“You are such a badass” Clara says as Gina sits back down.

“I can only dream” Gina says.

“Not to sound rude cause I know my tone can be a little mean sometimes but why were you at the show?” Gina asks.

“Oh um I was just...don’t tell anyone but I kinda have this crush on ward and we’ve been hanging out lately so I was just there for him” Clara says feeling her cheeks heat up. 

“Oh my god girl that man is like in love with you” 

“No”

“Yes he won’t shut up about you, Rodrick’s keeps threatening to kick him out of the band if he doesn't ask you out already” Gina says making the smile on Clara’s lips grow larger. 

Before Clara could get another word out the bell had rung and everyone was getting up to head to class. 

“Oh shit....it was really nice officially meeting you...I’ll see you around and remember to text me” Gina says as she starts to grab her stuff and get up from her seat. 

“Oh yeah see ya later” Clara says before they both walk off to their classes. 

The rest of the day wasn’t so bad and seemed to go by thankfully bad. Meeting Clara had really turned her day around in the best way possible. 

When the last bell of the day rang Gina was damn near sprinting out of the school. Rodrick had texted her that he could still pick her up. 

As she waited patiently for him to pull up she saw Clara sitting on a bench drawing in a notebook. 

“Hey Clara, you need a ride home?” 

“Oh hey Gina...sure if whoever is picking you up is cool with it” 

“Oh yeah Rodrick doesn’t care as long as you give him gas money” Gina says making her laugh.

“How was the rest of your day?” Clara ask stuffing her notebook and pens back into her book bag. 

“Pretty good actually”

“No run ins with the devil?” Clara ask making Gina laugh.

“Thankfully no but you know she always finds a way to appear when you refer to her” Gina says before finally seeing Rodrick’s van pull up. 

“Our ride is finally here” Gina says before leading the way to the van and getting into the passenger seat.

“Hey babe” Rodrick says before pulling her in for a quick kiss.

“Hey Clara” Rodrick says looking in the rear view mirror to find her almost in shock from Ward already in the back of the van.

“Hey Rodrick....Hey Ward” She says shyly sitting her stuff down.

“Hey Clara” Ward replys, a blush rising in his cheeks. 

As they start to ride off Gina shoves Rodrick from laughing at the awkwardness in behind them. The hit only makes him laugh more. 

It’s thankfully not long before Rodrick’s head was on Gina’s lap in the back of his van outside of a skate park. 

“Those two need to get together asap” Gina says as she plays with Rodrick’s hair. 

“You’re telling me”  Rodrick replies, laughter filling his lungs. 

“Oh my god you are not gonna believe what happened today”

“What happened?”

“Okay so during lunch I found Clara and we were talking but then Heather and her fucking posey walked up to our table and basically asked me for an apology” 

“No fucking way” He says sitting up to look her in the eye. 

“What’d you say?”

“That the only apology I’d give her is another black eye” Gina says making Rodrick laugh before pulling her in for a kiss. 

“That’s my girl” He says when they pull away. 

<333

Gina was watching an episode of Jersey shore when her phone buzzed from her sweatpants pocket. She opened it expecting it to be Rodrick but was happily shocked to find that it was Clara that had texted her.

‘Hey it’s Clara’ the text read and Gina was almost jumping for joy at the sight. 

‘Hey’ Gina texted back.

‘Here’s the video’ followed by a 2 minute video.

‘Thanks’ Gina texted back.

Nerves started to set in as Gina pressed play. It was in fact just like she remembered, or at least what she could remember.

It even showed Heather walking up to her and staring her down like Gina had killed her dog. Her glare was getting a little terrifying after a while. 

What really shocked Gina was how hard she had repeatedly punched her in the eye before slamming her head into the side of the bar.

The video stopped right after Rodrick had grabbed her and dragged her out the bar. The amount of blood flowing from Heather’s nose and bruises covering her face made Gina a little guilty. 

Tears started well up in her eyes as she remembered how close they were before high school. 

All the sleepovers, secrets, and promise they made officially meant nothing. They were just bitter memories that saturated Gina’s mind. 

But after watching the video a couple times and crying a few tears the only thing Gina wanted to do was go to sleep. The exhaustion from everything really started to set in. 

It wasn’t much of a surprise when she woke up on the couch the next morning with the TV still playing in the background. 

But all that was on her mind as she head back up into her room was what to do with the video or maybe it was more of a question of how. 

Decisions, decisions, decisions. 

<333

Next chapter 

[awritessomething]

I have absolutely no ideas for writing whatsoever pleaseplease leave requests!!! Smut, angst, fluff, whatever y’all want I can probably do.

Ill write for these people and probably more that I forgot (all male character x fem!reader) :

Formula 1:

Max Verstappen

Lando Norris

Oscar Piastri

Charles Leclerc

Pierre Gasly

Lewis Hamilton

Carlos Sainz

Daniel Riccardo

Mick Schumacher

Criminal Minds

Spencer Reid

Aaron Hotchner

Derek Morgan

David Rossi (preferably young)

Marvel:

Bucky Barnes

Tony Stark

Thor

Sam Wilson

Deadpool

Steve Rogers

Spiderman (Tom Holland, Andrew Garfield, Miguel O'hara)

Call of Duty

Keegan Russ

Simon "Ghost" Riley

König

Phillip Graves

Kyle "Gaz" Garrick

Star Wars:

Anakin Skywalker

Obi-Wan Kenobi

Kylo Ren

Luke Skywalker

Han Solo

Outer Banks:

JJ Maybank

Rafe Cameron

Topper Thornton

John B. Routledge

Harry Potter:

Harry Potter

Cedric Diggory

Draco malfoy

Ron Weasley

Fred Weasley

Blaise Zabini

Regulus Black

Severus Snape

Tom Riddle

Sirius Black

Lorenzo Berkshire

Oliver Wood

The Walking Dead:

Glenn Rhee

Daryl Dixon

Rick Grimes

Carl Grimes

Sports:

Joao Felix

Jude Bellingham

Brock Purdy

Leon Draisaitl

Jack Hughes

Vince Dunn

Mitch Marner

Connor Bedard

Wayne Gretzky (young)

Miscallaneous:

Jack Champion (Ethan Landry)

Patrick Bateman

Batman (Christian Bale)

Johnathan Crane

Finnick Odair

Josh Hutcherson (Peeta Mellark, Mike Schmidt, Sean Anderson, Clapton Davis)

Rodrick Heffley

Colby Brock

Sam Golbach

Tristan Dugray

Dylan O'brien

Bellamy Blake

Patrick Dempsey (Derek Shepherd, Ronald Miller)

Joe Goldberg

Timothee Chalamet (Wonka, Paul Atreides)

Minho (The Maze Runner)

Keanu Reeves (John Wick, Neo, Alex Wyler, Dr. Beckham, Julian Mercer, Ted Logan)

Jim Halpert

Farkas

Ulfric Stormcloak

Miraak

Ben Schnetzer (Max Vandenburg, Brad Land, Russ Sheppard)

Ralph Macchio (Daniel Larusso, Johnny Cade)

Dallas Winston

Sodapop Curtis

Robby Keene

Zuko (atla dallas liu)

Jet (atla sebastian amoruso)

Cillian Murphy (Johnathan crane, jackson rippner, Neil Lewis)

Evan Peters (all ahs characters, Luke cooper)

What I wont do:

Pedophilia

Beastiality or anything animal-y

Waterworks

Male reader (sorry)

Character x character

Threesomes or anything not 1x1

Character x oc

Specific body types (i just don’t see the point)

Daddy/mommy kinks

Incest or stepcest

(I’ll prob have to add on but its midnight rn)

[esmestarz]

⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚ INTRO ˚୨୧⋆｡˚ ⋆

about me ─ ★

esme

she/her

infp

bisexual

i can play on the electric guitar and piano !!

i used to do ballet but now i do belly dancing

i love listening to music esp rap, metal (any type tbfr) and rock, my fav animal is a cat and I'm pretty sure that's it

stuff ─ ★

if you want me to write for a character that isn't on the list feel free to ask me and I'll write for them if possible <3

i will write smut, fem reader, gn reader, platonic and romantic relationships

i will not write rape, incest, gore, threesome, gang bang, male reader, character x character, character x oc, poly relationships, specified race reader

what and who i write for ─ 𐙚⋅˚₊‧

MOVIES ─ ★

black swan

- nina sayers

- lily

diary of a wimpy kid

- rodrick heffley

harry potter

- hermione granger

- harry potter

- draco malfoy

- luna lovegod

- ron weasley

- theodore nott

- tom riddle

scream

- tatum riley

- sidney prescott

- billy loomis

- stu marcher

- samantha carpenter

- tara carpenter

- amber freeman

- anika kayko

- ethan landry

- gale weathers

- jill roberts

- kirby reed

- chad meeks-martin

- mindy meeks-martin

life as a house

- sam monroe

awake

- clay beresford

casper

- casper mcfadden

fight club

- marla singer

- tyler durden

star wars

- anakin skywalker

- padmé amidala

narnia

- edmund pevensie

- peter pevensie

seasquatch squad

- jeremy sumpter

SERIES ─ ★

pretty little liars

- emily fields

- alison dilaurentis

- hanna marin

- spencer hastings

gossip girl

- blair waldorf

- serena van der woodsen

- georgina sparks

outerbanks

- rafe cameron

- sarah cameron

- jj maybanks

- kiara carrera

- pope heyward

- john b routledge

seaquest dsv

- lucas wolenczak

the babysitters club

- sam thomas

- kristy thomas

- stacey mcgill

- claudia kishi

- dawn schafer

shameless

- carl gallagher

- fiona gallagher

- debbie gallagher

malcolm in the middle

- malcolm wilkerson

- reese wilkerson

- francis wilkerson

my babysitters a vampire

- rory keaner

- ethan morgan

- sarah fox

ruby and the well

- sam price

- mina amani

- ruby o'reilly

KDRAMA ─ ★

all of us are dead

- choi nam-ra

- lee su-hyeok

- lee cheong-san

- lee na-yeon

- nam on-jo

sweet home

- yoon ji-su

- lee eun-yoo

- cha hyun-soo

KPOP ─ ★

aespa

- karina

- winter

- ningning

- giselle

twice

- nayeon

- chaeyoung

- momo

- mina

- sana

- jihyo

- dahyun

- jeongyeon

- tzuyu

le sserafim

- sakura

- yunjin

- chaewon

- kazuha

- eunchae

gidle

- soyeon

- minnie

- shuhua

- miyeon

- yuqi

nmixx

- sullyoon

- lily

- kyujin

- haewon

- jiwoo

- bae

new jeans

- danielle

- haerin

- minji

- hyein

- hanni

GAMES ─ ★

the last of us

- ellie williams

fatal frame

- yuri kozukata

- rui kagamiya

cry of fear

- simon henriksson

resident evil

- leon s kennedy

- jill valentine

- ada wong

- claire redfield

- bela dimitrescu

[steve-harringtons-lover]

Masterlist!

Harry Potter (Golden Trio Era):

George Weasley

Fred Weasley

Harry Potter

Hermione Granger

Ron Weasley

Luna Lovegood

Neville Longbottom

Cho Chang

Lavender Brown

Ginny Weasley

Tonks

Draco Malfoy

Pansy Parkinson

Cedric Diggory

Fleur Delacor

Seamus Finnigan

Dean Thomas

Older Colin Creevey

Padma Patil

Parvati Patil

Harry Potter (Marauders Era):

Remus Lupin

James Potter

Sirius Black

Peter Pettigrew

Regulus Black

Lily Potter

Scream(1996):

Billy Loomis

Stu Macher

Poly!Ghostface

Sidney Prescott

Tatum Riley

Randy Meeks

The Outsiders:

Johnny Cade

Ponyboy

Dally

Soda

Darry

Two-Bit

Steve

Diary of a Wimpy Kid:

Rodrick Heffley

Dead Poets Society:

Neil Perry

Charlie Dalton

Todd Anderson

Steven Meeks

Chris

Pittsie

Knox

Cameron

Outer Banks:

JJ Maybank

John B. Rutledge

Kiara Carrera

Pope Hayward

Sarah Cameron

Rafe Cameron

Stranger Things:

Mike Wheeler

Will Byers

Steve Harrington

Dustin Henderson

Lucas Sinclair

Max Mayfield

Eleven (Jane)

Robin Buckley

Jonathan Byers

Nancy Wheeler

The Mighty Ducks:

Charlie Conway

Adam Banks

Jesse Hall

Greg Goldberg

Connie Moreau

Guy Germaine

Julie Gaffney

Fulton Reed

Dean Portman

Luis Mendoza

Dwayne Robertson

Ken Wu

Russ Tyler

Lester Averman

Community:

Abed Nadir

Troy Barnes

Britta Perry

Annie Edison

Jeff Winger

That '90s Show:

Leia Forman

Jay Nelson

Nate

Gwen Rnuck

Ozzie

Niki

That 70s Show:

Eric Forman

Donna Pinciotti

Jackie Burkhart

Steven Hyde

Fez

Michael Kelso

Dazed and Confused:

Randall 'Pink' Floyd

Don Dawson

Slater

Kevin Pick ford

Michelle

Mitch Kramer

____ _ _ _

I will write Character x OC and Character x Reader

I will NOT write going to 'paris' with the Weasley twins or SMUT

Requests can be made on my page

Please be kind<33

[aciid-eater]

𝕸𝖆𝖘𝖙𝖊𝖗𝖑𝖎𝖘𝖙

𝕸𝖞 𝖍𝖊𝖗𝖔 𝖆𝖈𝖆𝖉𝖊𝖒𝖎𝖆

Katsuki Bakugou

“Trying it out” NSFW

“I don’t like rain”

“You were crying”

Deaf! Bakugou HCs

“I won’t leave you”

“Rejection hurts”

One sided love

s/o with haphephobia

Eijirow Kirishima

“Spots”

Sub Kirishima NSFW

“Missing me” NSFW

“Come out and play” part 1 part 2

“I’m in Love”

“Face down, Ass up” NSFW

One sided love

s/o with haphephobia

Denki Kaminari

s/o with haphephobia

Hanta Sero

s/o with haphephobia

Mina Ashido

s/o with haphephobia

Shoji Mezo

“Canvas” part 2

Mirio Togata

“Save me, Love me” part 1 part 2 part 3 part4

Tamaki Amajiki

One sided love

Uraraka Ochako

One sided love

𝕯𝖗 𝖘𝖙𝖔𝖓𝖊

Tsukasa Shishio

“First meetings”

“Better” NSFW

Senku Ishigami

Senku smut NSFW

Yandere Senku Hcs

𝕬𝖛𝖆𝖙𝖆𝖗: 𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝖑𝖆𝖘𝖙 𝖆𝖎𝖗𝖇𝖊𝖓𝖉𝖊𝖗

Sokka

“The universe”

Zuko

“You poor thing” part 1 part 2

𝕳𝖆𝖎𝖐𝖞𝖚𝖚!

Tanaka Ryuunosuke

“Good Days” Black!Reader NSFW

“The girl on Karasano” part 1 part 2 part 3 part 4

“Who’s that?”

Asahi Azumane

Nsfw headcons

“Punishment”NSFW

“Big and Scary”

“Sensitive” NSFW

“We’re something to look at” part 1 part 2

Tsukishima Kei

Tsukishima x Kageyama’s ex! Reader part 2

“Let me love on you” Poc reader

Nsfw Hcs

𝕯𝖊𝖒𝖔𝖓 𝕾𝖑𝖆𝖞𝖊𝖗

Tanjiro Kamado

“Oh Tanjiro”

𝕯𝖎𝖆𝖗𝖞 𝖔𝖋 𝖆 𝖜𝖎𝖒𝖕𝖞 𝖐𝖎𝖉

Cheater! Rodrick x reader

Poc reader drabble

𝕯𝖊𝖘𝖈𝖊𝖓𝖉𝖆𝖓𝖙𝖘

Harry hook

“touching you” part 1 part 2 part 3 part 4

“Siren’s song”

𝕾𝖊𝖗𝖎𝖊𝖘

“Teenage Fantasy” Rodrick Heffley x reader [COMPLETED]

Part 1• Part 2• Part3• Part4• Part5

“Save me, Love me” Mirio Togata x reader

Part 1• Part 2• Part 3• Part 4

“Come out and play” Eijiro Kirishima x reader

Part 1• Part 2

“The girl on Karasano” Ryuunosuke Tanaka x reader

Part 1• Part 2• Part 3• Part 4

“You Poor Thing” Zuko x reader

Part 1• Part 2

“We’re something to look at”

Part 1• Part 2

“Touching you” Harry hook

Part 1 • Part 2 • Part 3 • Part 4

“How Unusual” Sam x oc! poc! reader

before you read • Part 1 • Part 2

[haveanotherfandomblog]

Fiery Passions

Part 1: Argentina

Pairing: Benny Weir x POC!OC, Rodrick Heffley x POC!OC

Genre: Angst, Non-Supernatural!AU, Fluff

Word Count: 8.5k

Warnings: Mild Language, Minor Character Death

Masterlist || Next>>

August 19, 2018

Today was a beautiful day for a funeral. For such a miserable day, everything seemed brighter--happier. The grass was more verdant than it had been yesterday, the birds chirped a cheery tune as the casket was lowered into the grave. The yellow and white roses seemed to have captured the sunlight perfectly as they rested on the closed casket. The world was often described as being duller with the loss of a loved one, but this was far from the truth. While we wallowed in self-pity and grief, the world around us does not seem to share our loss. It glows as if nothing happened, mocking our sorrow with its bright and joyous life.

Our young protagonist, Argentina Castillo, had seen death only once before. She was nine years old when she lost her mother. After battling cancer, and the physical strain of giving birth to her youngest brother, it was only a couple months before death took her mother. Her little brother had never really known his mother, and her younger sister barely remembered her. They did, however, remember their grandfather. After the passing of their mother, their grandfather had taken in his five grandchildren. Argentina, her two older siblings, and her two younger siblings. He had helped them with her passing, even though his own heart broke having to bury his child.

For eight years, they were their own happy, little family. Eight years, which had seemed like such a long time, had been turned into a fleeting moment. Argentina watched as they lowered her grandfather into the grave, right next to her mother’s, remembering times of laughter and unbridled joy. As she watched the casket disappear from view, it felt like those memories would be buried with him.

“The Castillo children?” a man asked. Argentina’s older brother, Joaquin, turned to the stranger who stood awkwardly near the children. The stranger was short and skinny. His eyes seemed to pop out of his oddly shaped head. He wore a long, grey coat that seemed too heavy for his scrawny body. His hand was wrapped tightly around the handle of a black, leather suitcase.

“Who’s asking?” Joaquin inquired. He moved to stand in front of his two youngest siblings. Joaquin easily towered over the stranger, his arms crossed over his chest. He had giant muscles that strained against the restraining fabric of his black dress shirt. His narrowed gaze seemed to see straight through the short man. Even though he hadn’t shed a single tear during the entire ceremony, his eyes were bloodshot and tired. This whole situation had aged him well past twenty-three.

“My name is Carnie Wilson,” the man said, shifting from foot to foot as he nervously glanced up at the giant Joaquin. “I’m from New York, in America. Let me first offer my condolences for your loss.” His other hand fidgeted at his side, shaking slightly. “I have come on behalf of your last living relative.”

“We just buried our last living relative.” Argentina’s older sister, Xiomara, had stepped beside Joaquin, her hands wrapped around herself. She was wearing one of their mother’s old dresses. Her hair was lazily pulled away from her face, tears staining her cheeks. “Besides, we don’t have any American relatives.”

“I’m sorry ma’am, but that isn’t true. You are, in fact, related to one Mr. Beckett. He’s your--uncle,” Mr. Wilson told them. The Castillo children looked at each other confused.

“Our mother doesn’t have a brother. She was an only child,” Xiomara said.

“Yes, that’s correct,” Mr. Wilson said. His eyes darted between Joaquin and Xiomara, briefly falling onto the other three Castillo children. “However, your father had a brother.” There was a moment of shocked silence as Mr. Wilson’s words sunk in. He offered them a tight-lipped smile. “I know this is a lot to take in. Perhaps there’s some place where we can talk privately?” Joaquin nodded.

It was some time before the Castillo children and Mr. Wilson were able to return to the Castillo residence. Their entire small town in Guatemala had come to the funeral. Their grandfather had been loved by so many others. Each person told a different story about how helpful and thoughtful their grandfather had been. Each story pulled at Argentina’s heart, filling her with sorrow and visibly upsetting her sensitive, little sister, Esmeralda.

“Now that we’re somewhere private, do you have any questions?” Mr. Wilson asked, sipping the tea Xiomara had served him.

“I have a few. First off, how did you find us?” Joaquin asked, his arms folded over his chest as he sat back in his chair. “As far as we know, our father died shortly after our mother returned from America. He didn’t know we existed, so how did you know where to find us?”

“Why don’t you two go play,” Xiomara suggested to Esmeralda and their youngest sibling, Rafael. While Argentina knew that Esmeralda no longer “played”, Esmeralda understood the true intentions behind her oldest sister’s words. She grabbed onto Rafael’s hand and led him into the living room. Joaquin didn’t take his eyes away from Mr. Wilson, watching as he took another nervous sip of the tea, his eyes wandering around the tiny kitchen.

“Yes, it’s a rather unique set of circumstances,” Mr. Wilson began. “Your--uncle received a letter upon the request of Mr. Mateo Castillo’s will. It gave a detailed account on who you were and that you’d need a guardian to look after you. We simply followed the sender’s address to find you.”

“I can look after my own family,” Joaquin said, an edge to his voice. Xiomara put a hand on his shoulder. “Besides, our grandfather would have told us if he knew our uncle. The Castillo’s don’t keep secrets.” Mr. Wilson watched Joaquin carefully, a glint in those nervous eyes that didn’t quite sit right with Argentina.

“I’m sure your grandfather had his reasons for not saying anything. Unfortunately, I don’t know, for sure, those reasons, but if I were to guess, I would assume it was the same reason your mother didn’t tell your father about you,” Mr. Wilson said. He glanced down at the cup, his spine straightening, though it didn’t make him any more imposing than a blade of grass. “While you and Ms. Xiomara Castillo are both of legal age to take care of yourselves, Ms. Argentina Castillo, Ms. Esmeralda Castillo, and Mr. Rafael Castillo are still minors and henceforth will be transferred to the custody of their uncle. You could sue for custody, but as Mr. Beckett’s attorney, I would advise against it. He has quite a sum of money.”

Joaquin clenched his jaw, his gaze narrowing on the small, fragile frame of Mr. Wilson. Argentina was perfectly okay with watching her brother tear him into pieces. It certainly wouldn’t take him long to do so. Xiomara squeezed his shoulder, her eyes on Mr. Wilson.

“Are Joaquin and I allowed to join our siblings in America?” she inquired. Mr. Wilson straightened his spine, sparing a fleeting glance towards Joaquin and Argentina.

“As per the request of the late Mr. Mateo Castillo, Mr. Beckett has extended an invitation to you both,” Mr. Wilson said. He set his briefcase, which had been sitting in his lap, onto the table. He opened it up and produced five tickets. “You are scheduled to leave at the end of the week. Pack as much as you can, and Mr. Beckett will send someone for the rest of your things.” He set the tickets on the table before snapping his briefcase shut. He pulled at his coat, standing up from the table. He nodded his head once before leaving the house.

Xiomara wrapped her arms around herself, leaning against the kitchen counter. Joaquin let himself relax as well, leaning forward to run a tired hand through his dark locks. Xiomara took a seat between him and Argentina. Argentina was staring at the plane tickets on the table, rage filling her heart the longer she stared.

“Think of it this way,” Xiomara said. “At least we’ll be together. That’s what’s most important. The Castillo’s stick together, no matter what.” She had a tendency to look at the bright side of things. Argentina knew that no matter what darkness was thrown their way, she could trust Xiomara to be there as a beacon of light. She pulled Joaquin and Argentina into a little group hug. “We’ll get through this. I promise.”

August 24, 2018

The end of the week came sooner than Argentina had been hoping. Their week had been filled with goodbyes and packing. Xiomara had made sure to pack enough clothes for everyone and some precious family mementos that she wanted to make sure made it to America. They didn’t own a lot of stuff to begin with, but leaving the house behind with some of their possessions still in there felt wrong, but there was nothing that could be done. They couldn’t exactly pack the house onto the plane, or the cab.

None of them had ever been on a plane before. Argentina sat next to Esmeralda in the middle row of the plane. Across the aisle was Xiomara, Rafel, and Joaquin. Rafael bounced excitedly in his seat, peeking around Joaquin’s large frame to stare out the window as they waited for the plane to depart. Joaquin was staring out the window. While she couldn’t directly see his face, Argentina could see the melancholy, slightly glazed expression on his face through his reflection in the glass.

Xiomara was doing her best to keep Rafael as calm as possible, reminding him to mind his manners and be respectful while she shot nervous glances at Joaquin. Esmeralda had her nose buried in a book, her knuckle white from her grip as she ignored everyone and everything around her. Argentina let out a silent sigh, simply putting in her earbuds. She let Black Sabbath and Metallica take her to her own happy place where she was still in Guatemala with her siblings and grandfather.

It was mid-afternoon by the time they arrived in New York. Unlike their small town, New York was filled to the brim with people. Joaquin immediately grabbed onto Esmeralda and Rafael, keeping them close as people bustled around them. Xiomara and Argentina went to look for their bags, receiving odd and curious looks as they did so. They huddled together awkwardly, wondering what was supposed to happen now.

“Look over there,” Esmeralda said, pointing towards a man with thin-rimmed glasses and a funny hat. He stood at a semi-empty space, holding a sign that simply read, “Castillo”. The Castillo children awkwardly made their way to the funny-dressed man. Argentina felt uncomfortable in the terminal. Unlike most people who were tall, pale, and spoke with the stereotypical New York accent she’d heard on tv, the Castillo were a dark shade of brown from spending time out in the sun and from their Mayan heritage. Their hair was as black as ebony and their eyes were the same dark brown color as the earth.

“Welcome,” the man said. He didn’t have the accent other people in the terminal had. His voice was deeper than Joaquin’s and up close, Argentina could see the grey eyes that seemed to peer through to her very soul. His piercing gaze reminded her of her grandfather’s: sharp and knowing. Under his gaze, she felt like all her secrets and private thoughts were out on display. “I have been sent to retrieve you for Mr. Beckett. I am the caretaker of his estate and the butler, Mr. Winsby.”

“Why didn’t our uncle come and ‘retrieve’ us?” Joaquin asked, sizing Mr. Winsby up. Joaquin’s English was the best out of the Castillo children. Xiomara and Argentina could speak it well, but they had incredibly thick accents. Esmeralda was better at understanding, and Rafael had only just begun to learn. Mr. Winsby didn’t flinch under Joaquin’s gaze. His face remained completely neutral, but there was a knowing twinkle in his eye.

“Mr. Beckett is in an important business meeting. While he wishes he could be here, business is business. He will be back at five-fifty for dinner which will be served at six p.m. sharp,” Mr. Winsby said. The Castillo children exchanged glances with each other before looking back at Mr. Winsby. “Now come along. I’m sure you’d like some food and some rest before dinner.”

With that, Mr. Winsby turned on his heel and began to walk away, the Castillo sign tucked under his arm. The Castillo children chased after him, for an old man, he was rather fast. Mr. Winsby led them to a big, black, SUV. The Castillo's paused their movements, staring at the car. Because their town was so small, and their grandfather believed that walking was good for your heart, the Castillo children had never been in a big car. Most people in their town didn’t have cars.

Mr. Winsby came to them and took their bags, loading them into the back of the car. He ushered the children into the vehicle and took off away from the terminal. The leather seat was unusually cold against Argentina’s skin. She focused her gaze out the window, watching as New York City disappeared and made way for the smaller towns upstate. Argentina was happy they weren’t living in the city, and that little bit of familiarity she felt brought her some comfort.

It wasn’t long before the Castillo children and Mr. Winsby arrived at their new home. A small town named Whitechapel. Driving down the roads, Argentina was able to glimpse into life in the small town. Children played out in their yards, adults talked and laughed with one another, older kids walked down the streets. Whitechapel reminded her of her home in Guatemala, and a brief hope of a similar life passed through her.

Her hope was immediately crushed when Mr. Winsby pulled into the driveway of their uncle’s house. It was more of a manor than a house, and Mr. Winsby was right to refer to it as an estate. This was definitely the richer part of the small town. Argentina stared at the house in disgust. Why would someone who supposedly lived alone need such an obnoxiously large house.

“Come on guys, let’s get our stuff moved--” Xiomara trailed off as three women came towards the car. They grabbed the Castillo children’s bags without a single word and began taking it into the house. They watched as the women disappeared into the house. “Oh. Okay then. Um, how about we go see the house,” she suggested. Argentina rolled her eyes before climbing out of the car.

“Do you think the house has secret tunnels?” Rafael asked. Argentina cracked a smile, turning to look at her little brother.

“Probably. I bet it’s full of skeletons and creepy, giant bugs,” she said, moving to tickle him. He let out a loud squeal, squirming away from her ticklish touch.

“Children! This way please,” Mr. Winsby called, peering over his glasses. His gaze was focused on Argentina, but she could see the hint of amusement in his eyes. She turned around so Rafael could hop on her back. Once he was situated, they followed their other siblings into the house.

The inside of the house was, in short, grand. There was a large entryway that led straight to a grand staircase. The floor and staircase was a white marble that had a black carpet as a walking path. A fancy chandelier hung from the giant ceiling. Mr. Winsby stood at attention in front of a long line of people, his hands clasped behind his back. The Castillo children hung back at the door patiently, watching Mr. Winsby carefully.

“Children, allow me to introduce you to the household staff. As you know, I am Mr. Winsby. This is Mrs. Lockley, she is the head of the staff and will be one of your caretakers. This is Ms. Jiang, she is the head chef. The three women you’ll recognize from grabbing your bags are Ms. Clark, Ms. Taylor, and Ms. Addams. They are also your caretakers as well as maids. Should you need something, you are to ask one of them, Mrs. Lockley, or me for it. Are we understanding?” The children nodded. He went on to introduce the other cooks and maids and gardeners and other weird job holders that Argentina had no interest in memorizing. “Now that introductions are done, Mrs. Lockley will take over. I have business to attend to.” Mr. Winsby offered a curt nod to Mrs. Lockley before exiting through a side door.

Mrs. Lockley was an old lady. She had fair skin with lots of wrinkles. She had grey hair and light blue eyes. She stared at the kids, an all-knowing glint in her eye. Argentina wondered briefly if this was what her grandmother had been like.

Rafael began giggling uncontrollably, catching her off-guard. Xiomara lightly tapped his shoulder, shaking her head. He covered his mouth with his hands, but his giggles still escaped him. Mrs. Lockley arched one of her thin brows, her head tilting down to stare at Rafael.

“Do you find something funny?” Mrs. Lockley inquired. Her voice was soft but sharp. It reminded Argentina of when their grandfather would scold them in public. He never raised his voice, least of all in public.

“Her hair looks like cotton candy!” Rafael giggled in Spanish. Esmeralda and Argentina snickered under their breath, looking at poor Mrs. Lockley who didn’t seem to understand Spanish in the least bit. Joaquin shot the girls a pointed look, subtly shaking his head as a hint of a smile tugged at the corner of his lips.

“Rafael! Don’t be rude!” Xiomara scolded in Spanish. She gave Mrs. Lockley a small smile. “Excuse him, Senora Lockley. He is still just a baby.” Mrs. Lockley nodded at Xiomara, sparing Rafael a pointed look. He had stopped giggling, biting his lips together. He offered her an innocent smile, his dark curls hanging loosely across his forehead.

“Follow me, children. I will show you to your rooms. I’m sure you’d like to freshen up before dinner. Ms. Jiang has also been kind enough to leave something for you to snack on,” Mrs. Lockley said. She led the children up the grand staircase and to the right. She kept her hands clasped behind her back as she turned to face the children briefly. “Directly across from us is the West Wing. You are to never, under any circumstances, enter the West Wing. Everything you need is in the East Wing or on the first floor.”

“What’s in the West Wing?” Argentina inquired. Mrs. Lockley pursed her lips.

“That would be where Mr. Beckett’s room and study are. You are not to go to the West Wing. Ever.” She gave each child a pointed look. She turned on her heel and continued up the right side stairs, her steps muffled by the carpet. The children looked at each other before continuing to follow her up the stairs.

The top of the stairs led to a dead end and a hallway that stretched far on either side. She turned right and kept walking. The children followed her until she stopped at a door on the left of the hallway, identical to the other doors in the hallway.

“This will be your room, Mr. Castillo,” Mrs. Lockley said. She opened the door, pushing it inside to reveal a very plain looking room. The walls were a light grey with nothing on them. A bed, bigger than any the children had ever seen, was pushed against one side of the room. The bed sheets were dark blue and looked rather expensive. Across from the bed was a desk with a chair and a lamp. On one wall, next to the window, was a bookshelf full of old books.

“I get--all of this--to myself?” Joaquin said, taking a step inside the room. Mrs. Lockley looked at him with a scrunched up face.

“Of course. You’re a grown man who needs his own space,” she replied. Joaquin nodded, letting out a low whistle. “The young Mr. Castillo’s room is right next door.” She opened the next door, revealing a room like Joaquin’s, only it was bare of the desk and bookshelf. On the bed sat a brown teddy bear. Rafael ran past everyone, jumping on the bed. Mrs. Lockley said nothing as she went to the door across from theirs. “This is the bathroom for you both.” She turned to the Castillo girls. “Follow me.”

She led the girls back down the hallway, past the stairs, and down the opposite hallway. The girls struggled to keep up with her fast pace. For an old lady, she was a fast walker. She stopped abruptly, gesturing to a door on the right side of the hallway. She looked directly at Xiomara.

“Ms. Castillo, this will be your room.” Xiomara opened the door slowly, letting the door swing softly into the room. The room was almost identical to Joaquin’s. However, unlike his, her room didn’t have a bookcase, and instead of the desk being across from her bed, it was along the same wall, leaving a wide, empty space for her.

“Wow. This is amazing,” Xiomara said, stepping inside to fully appreciate her room. Mrs. Lockley smiled softly, nodding her head thoughtfully. She moved to the next door.

“This room is for the youngest Ms. Castillo.” Esmeralda looked at Argentina before entering the room to take a look. It resembled Joaquin’s room the most, only it had more bookshelves than his. She looked back to Mrs. Lockley before stepping into the room.

“Why do we have to have separate rooms? And why are we so far away from the boys? I don’t like it here. I want to go back home,” Esmeralda said, her Spanish coming out in one long breath. Xiomara emerged from her room, leaning against the door frame.

“I know it’s a big adjustment, but you’ll get used to it. I’m right next door,” Xiomara assured her. Esmeralda stuck out her bottom lip, moving to Xiomara’s comforting embrace. Mrs. Lockley watched, confused at the scene unfolding before her. “It’s nothing to worry about. Just homesickness,” she said to Mrs. Lockley.

“Which one is my room?” Argentina inquired. Mrs. Lockley straightened her spine and beckoned for Argentina to follow. She continued down the hallway, taking a sharp left into a hallway identical to the one they’d just been in. At the end of the hallway was a door that was different from her siblings’ doors. Argentina’s steps slowed as she approached the door. Mrs. Lockley opened it to reveal a set of stairs that spiraled up.

“A--special--request was put in on your behalf,” Mrs. Lockley said. Argentina quirked a brow before slowly ascending the stairs.

The stairs led to another door. She opened the door to reveal a room just like her siblings, only, it wasn’t exactly like theirs. There was a bed on a wire frame pushed against the side of the room with a giant vanity across from it. On one side of the bed was a small desk, the other side was a night stand. Across from the door was a giant window with curtains. Walking across the bedroom, she threw open the curtains.

Outside the window she could see the house next door. Peering out the window, she saw a bunch of vines snaking up the side of both houses. She looked down and saw a big lawn with hedges. She figured she was in the back of the house. She glanced back up at the house and noticed a window directly across from hers. Inside, a little off to the side, she could make out two boys around her age sitting on a bed. They had game controllers in their hands and headphones on their heads.

One of the boys happened to look over and spot Argentina through the window. His eyes went wide as he frantically tapped the other boy, eyes locked onto hers. The second boy rolled his eyes, looking at his friend annoyed. The first boy pointed towards Argentina. The second boy followed his friend’s gaze until his eyes too landed on Argentina. Once their eyes connected, his jaw unhinged completely. Both boys freaked out before dropping out of view. Furrowing her brows, Argentina shut her curtains. She definitely wouldn’t be opening them again.

Turning around, she was greeted with the sight of one of the maids bringing up her bag and a plate of fruit. The maid set the plate on the nightstand and the bag at the end of the bed. She certainly didn’t look like a maid. She actually looked like she was Xiomara’s age, making her around eighteen or nineteen.

“Thank you, for bringing me my bag, I wasn’t sure where it had been taken,” Argentina said, her Guatemalan accent thick. The maid gave her a crooked grin, patting the bag.

“It was no trouble, really. Compared to your little sister’s bag, yours was nuttin’.” The maid’s accent was like the ones she heard on tv, but not as aggressive. She had a slight tan and long, dark brown hair. It was pulled away from her face and rested in a ponytail at the nape of her neck. She had light brown eyes that glowed in the light. “Did you need anything else Ms. Castillo?”

“Uh, no, but you don’t have to address me like that,” Argentina said. “I don’t think anyone’s ever referred to me with such… formality. Argentina is fine.” The maid nodded, giving her another smile.

“Then feel free to just call me Clara.” She stuck out her hand for Argentina. They shook, sharing a smile. “So um, how are you? I was told your grandfather passed away,” Clara said. Argentina nodded, moving to sit on her bed.

“Uh, yeah. He passed away a couple weeks ago, a bad heart,” Argentina said. She paused briefly, looking over to the vanity. “I didn’t know I had an uncle. What’s he like? Sr. Beckett?” Clara blinked, caught off guard by her question.

“Oh! Um, Mr. Beckett is--nice. I don’t really know him too well. I’ve seen him around though. He doesn’t seem too bad,” Clara said, twiddling with her thumbs. Argentina stared at Clara, tilting her head to the side. Clara avoided eye contact, her eyes shifting around the room.

Outside her door, Argentina could hear a commotion coming up the stairs. The rest of her siblings came barreling in. Clara jumped slightly at their intrusion. Rafael ran to Argentina, scrambling up her bed to sit on her lap. Two more women, the other two from grabbing their bags, followed shortly after the children. They hunched over, breathing heavily.

“Let me introduce Ms. Clark and Ms. Taylor,” Clara said, pointing to each woman. Ms. Clark was a young, pretty woman with light brown hair that was pulled away from her face. A few loose whisps escaped her bun, framing her face naturally. She had light brown eyes that had wrinkles around the creases, aging her more than she likely was.

Ms. Taylor was another young woman, close to Joaquin’s age. She had long blonde hair that she had pulled back into a braid. She had pale blue eyes and a long, wide nose. Her skin was pale and covered in tiny freckles.

“You… all… run… surprisingly fast,” Ms. Clark panted. She stood up straight, letting out a loud breath. Xiomara chuckled, shaking her head.

“We have to keep you, what’s the phrase, on your toes?” she said, shooting Ms. Clark a wink. Ms. Clark tilted her head, blowing out a big puff of air. Xiomara smirked.

“Who are the weirdos next door?” Esmeralda stood in front of the window, the curtains thrown open. The two boys from across the yard stood in the window, flexing as hard as they could--their sleeves rolled up as far as possible. Xiomara and Joaquin rushed to the window to see what Esmeralda was looking at. Xiomara raised both her brows, her mouth falling open slightly. Joaquin began laughing so hard he clung to his sides, doubling over.

When they saw Xiomara, they stopped moving. Their jaws dropped all the way to the floor as they drank in the sight of her. Argentina rolled her eyes, stepping over a still laughing Joaquin and pushing past Xiomara and Esmeralda. She gave the boys a sharp glare before closing the curtains again.

“Who lives over there?” Xiomara inquired, picking Rafael up and setting him on her hip. He hugged her excitedly, burying his head in the crook of her neck. She rubbed his back, moving to sit on Argentina’s bed.

“Evelyn Weir,” Ms. Taylor said. The Castillo children looked at her expectantly. “Mrs. Weir is one of the oldest residences of Whitechapel. She’s lived in that house her whole life. She lives with her son and grandson. She’s really nice. Everyone just calls her Grandma Weir.”

“But there were two boys in the window,” Esmeralda said.

“Probably just one of his friends.”

“You have such a nice room,” Joaquin commented, changing the topic. “Sr. Beckett has very nice taste.” He looked around the room, nodding his head. “Although your room is a bit far from everyone else’s.”

“Sorry, that’s my fault actually,” Clara said. Argentina cocked an eyebrow, waiting for her to explain. “Well, Mr. Beckett hired me after hearing about you. I was s’posed to take care of Argentina. I was explorin’ the house when I found this room. Took a quick peek and thought you’d like it. Course, I didn’t know about the neighbor boys.”

Argentina didn’t have anything to say. She rarely spoke nowadays. Ever since the funeral, she’s done her best to keep quiet, listening to everyone else fill the silence. Xiomara would occasionally try to coax her into conversations, but one pointed look from Argentina stopped her.

“Well, I think that’s enough of that,” Ms. Clark said. “We still need to get everyone prepped for dinner.” She ushered everyone out of the room, shutting the door firmly behind her. Clara glanced at Argentina before clapping her hands together.

“Welp, now that that’s been taken care of, let’s get you ready for dinner,” she said, jumping from the bed.

“Why? I’m already dressed.” Clara offered her a bashful smile, rubbing the back of her neck. She looked around, as if checking to see if there was anyone secretly listening.

“Let me tell you, while I think you look perfectly fine as you are, Mr. Beckett is, well, he’s kind of a socialite. He dines with senators and CEO’s and other big, important people. He expects a level of--fanciness--with his meals. Mrs. Lockley, while understanding not everyone dresses like Mr. Beckett, has asked me to make sure you look your absolute best.”

Argentina crossed her arms, jutting her hip out.

“And what’s wrong with the way I dress? I’ll have you know that all my clothes look exactly like this. Sorry I don’t conform to your American style, but I am not American. I am Guatemalan and I refuse to have my culture stripped from me in favor of some--some--pendejo.” Clara blinked, quite a few times. She took a deep breath before rejoining Argentina on the bed.

“I have no idea what a ‘pendejo’ is, but I do know one thing, you’re probably right.” Argentina couldn’t help herself. She burst out laughing, leaning forward as she clutched her sides. Was that how she sounded speaking English? How did everyone not laugh at her? Clara smiled, rubbing Argentina’s back. “There we go. Now I know it’s not desirable, but can I help get you ready for dinner?”

She wanted to say no. She wanted to tell Clara she wouldn’t be joining them for dinner. She wanted to go back to Guatemala and pretend she never met anyone or saw anything. She couldn’t. Her siblings needed her, what’s more, this was the only connection she had left of her father. She’d always been curious about him, what he was like, what kind of man he was.

It was these thoughts that allowed Argentina to silently concede to Clara’s request. And while Clara obviously knew very little about the styles of Guatemala, she certainly didn’t do half bad. She pulled Argentina’s hair back into a single braid, letting it fall over her shoulder. She hadn’t bothered with makeup, only dabbing something on her face to hide the bags under her eyes.

“This is beautiful.” Argentina watched Clara through the mirror as she pulled one of her Sunday dresses out of her suitcase. It was beautiful, a white top with a magenta skirt that had vertical stripes going down the length of the skirt.

“Thank you. It was my mother’s. My abuelo told me she--she used to wear it almost every Sunday. I usually wear it for special services,” Argentina said, tearing her eyes away from the dress. There was shuffling behind her. She glanced up and saw Clara had pulled out a different dress.

“I’ll be back in a couple minutes.” Clara slipped out of the room, leaving Argentina alone once again. She sat on her bed, staring blankly at the wall. A loud noise drew her attention back once again to the window. Standing up, she slightly moved the curtain to peek into the house next door. The boys were back at their videogame, yelling at the tv and smashing their fingers against the controllers. She let the curtain fall shut, moving to put the dress on.

Staring at herself in the vanity mirror, this was the first time any effort had been put into her appearance since her grandfather’s death. She could barely bring herself to smile anymore, and if she did, it didn’t reach her eyes. Xiomara assured her she did the exact same thing when their mother died, but she eventually grew out of it. However, back then she had her grandfather to help her.

There was a quick knock at her door before Clara poked her head in, offering a small smile before pushing the door opened farther. She too had changed her clothes. She was now in black pants and a white button down shirt. She had minimal makeup on and wore almost no jewelry.

Argentina followed Clara down the stairs, through the hallways of the East Wing, and back to the main entrance. They took a right which led them to a giant dining room. A large table with more chairs than people sat in the middle. All around the room were old, antique paintings. Two chandeliers hung from the ceiling. They were tinier than the one in the main entrance and had a more rustic look to them.

Clara sat her near the middle of the table before stepping off into a different door. A few moments later, she was joined by Xiomara, Rafael, and Ms. Clark. Ms. Clark was dressed identical to Clara. The tiny wisps that had surrounded her face had been pulled neatly back. Even her makeup matched Clara’s.

Xiomara and Rafael were also dressed in their Sunday outfits. Xiomara had her hair pulled into a low bun, her makeup subtle. She fixed the sleeves of her shirt, sitting a few seats down to the right of Argentina. Rafael sat across from Argentina, fiddling with the strings of his colorful shirt. A giant, ugly, center-piece sat between Argentina and Rafael. He reached to touch it, but Xiomara stopped him, giving him a pointed look. She turned to Argentina, her brows furrowed. Argentina shrugged, waiting for the rest of their siblings.

It was another few moments before Ms. Taylor appeared with Esmeralda and Joaquin in tow, dressed in their best Sunday apparel. Ms. Taylor sat Joaquin across from Xiomara, next to Rafael. Esmeralda was seated on the other side of Argentina, multiple chairs between them. Joaquin gave Xiomara a questioning look, but she just shrugged in response.

Ms. Taylor smoothed out her outfit, which was identical to Clara’s and Ms. Clark’s, before disappearing into the door the aforementioned had exited through. Argentina slumped against her seat, staring around the dining room. This felt more like a fancy, formal, dining event than a supposed family dinner.

Mr. Winsby and Mrs. Lockley entered the dining room shortly after Ms. Taylor’s departure. Unlike the other three, their outfits were considerably more classic. Mr. Winsby wore a black suit with a white shirt, a colorful waistcoat, and a black bow tie. Mrs. Lockley also wore a suit. Hers was a light bluish-grey and more flowy than Mr. Winsby’s stiff suit.

“Now children, we’re going to go over some rules before Mr. Beckett arrives,” Mrs. Lockley began. Joaquin turned to Rafael, murmuring the translations. “Yes, good thinking Mr. Castillo. Thank you. Now, firstly, when Mr. Beckett arrives, you are to stand and stay standing until he has taken his seat. You are to thank him for his hospitality, you are guests after all. After that, you are not to speak unless spoken to. Should Mr. Beckett speak to you, you are to address him as Mr. Beckett.”

The front door opened and was followed by a loud slam. Mrs. Lockley straightened herself out and moved so she was pressed against the wall, quiet as a mouse. Mr. Winsby exited the dining room towards the main entrance. Argentina looked to Xiomara as muffled voices traveled through to the dining room. Xiomara shrugged, glancing over to Joaquin. They quickly stood as footsteps approached the doors. Mr. Winsby opened the door, folding his arms behind his back.

“Mr. Beckett, the Castillo children.” Mr. Winsby stepped aside to allow Mr. Beckett through the door. He looked rather young for a middle-aged man. He had thick, black hair and piercing blue eyes. On his face was a beard that reminded Argentina of Obi Wan Kenobi from the Star Wars movies. He wore a business suit that was dark blue.

He paused when his eyes fell onto the children, almost as if he was frozen in time. His eyes swept over each child. He glanced over to Mrs. Lockley and quickly cleared his throat. He didn’t say a word as he made his way to the head of the table. He took long strides and sat closest to Xiomara and Joaquin. Once he was seated, the Castillo children sat.

“It was kind of you to take us in, Sr. Beckett, including me and Joaquin,” Xiomara said, a soft smile on her lips. Mr. Beckett nodded, his movements stiff. He tilted his head slightly as he stared at her.

“We’re family. It’s what I’m supposed to do,” he said. Argentina bit her tongue, keeping her gaze down. His statement rubbed her wrong, but she didn’t want to be rude. He cleared his throat, tugging at the collar of his shirt. “I hope you traveled well.” Xiomara glanced up to Joaquin, jerking her head slightly.

“Um, yes. The plane ride was very nice. As was the car ride here. This is a beautiful town, Senor Beckett,” he said, looking to Xiomara for support. Mr. Beckett nodded again. Behind him, a clock struck six o’clock and without missing a beat, Ms. Clark, Ms. Taylor, and Clara entered, carrying two silver dinner dishes each.

Ms. Clark set her dishes in front of Rafael and Joaquin, Ms. Taylor set hers in front of Mr. Beckett and Xiomara, and Clara set hers in front of Argentina and Esmeralda. Then the three girls disappeared as quietly as they came back into the door. Mr. Beckett wasted no time beginning to cut into his meal. Rafael grabbed onto Joaquin’s hand expectantly, closing his eyes and bowing his head. Mr. Beckett paused, glancing at the youngest Castillo before looking around at the other children.

“What’s he doing?” he asked.

“Nothing, Senor Beckett. It’s just… we usually pray before we eat,” Xiomara said. Mr. Beckett nodded thoughtfully before setting down his silverware.

“Of course. How rude of me not to ask about that. Please, don’t let me stop you,” he said. Esmeralda grabbed onto Argentina’s left hand and bent her head. Xiomara grabbed onto her other hand before holding a hand out for Mr. Beckett’s. He blinked multiple times, staring down at her hand. She didn’t move until he eventually grabbed her hand. Joaquin reached for his other one and bent his head and began the prayer.

“Bendícenos, oh Señor, y estos, Tus dones, que estamos a punto de recibir de Tu generosidad. Por Cristo, nuestro Señor. Amén.”

“Amén.” The Castillo children lifted their heads and began to enjoy the meal Mr. Beckett had offered them. Every once in a while Mrs. Lockley would step forward to help Rafael with his food. While the kids ate, Argentina noticed Mr. Beckett studying each child. From the corner of her eye, she watched him observe her siblings then herself.

She wondered if it was weird for him, to see kids that looked like his dead brother. She noticed subtle similarities between him and her siblings. She could finally see where they got their thick, black hair and sharp noses. Were there other similarities he could see that she couldn’t? Did he see their mother in them? Had he even met their mother?

These questions circled around her head, but she didn’t dare to ask them. Instead, dinner was quiet, as he didn’t ask any questions, the children weren’t permitted to talk. Eventually their plates were clear and the girls reappeared. Rafael turned to look Mr. Beckett right square in the eye.

“What’s for dessert?” Rafael asked in Spanish. Xiomara quietly scolded him for his bold request. Mr. Beckett stared at Rafael for some time in quiet contemplation. Rafael stared back with an innocent gaze, occasionally sparing glances to Joaquin.

“Whatever the young man desires,” Mr. Beckett responded in perfect Spanish. Rafael clapped excitedly, turning to tug on Joaquin’s sleeve as the other children stared at Mr. Beckett with wide eyes.

“I wasn’t aware you spoke Spanish,” Xiomara commented. “You speak it very well.”

“Thank you. I have found that being bilingual in my position comes quite in handy,” Mr. Beckett said. He glanced down at his watch, frowning slightly. It was made of gold and looked like it could pay for two months worth of meals in Guatemala. “If you’ll excuse me, I have important phone calls I need to make. Mrs. Lockley, see that the young man receives his dessert. Buenas noches, Castillo children.” Mr. Beckett didn’t wait for a response before he disappeared out the door, Mr. Winsby hot on his tail

“Is he always so… detached?” Xiomara inquired, trying her best not to offend him in case he could still hear. Mrs. Lockley pursed her lips but didn’t respond. “I will take that as a yes.” The children joined hands once more for their after meal prayer.

“Te damos gracias por todos tus beneficios, oh Dios Todopoderoso, que vives y reinas en el mundo sin fin. Amén. Que las almas de los fieles difuntos, por la misericordia de Dios, descansen en paz. Amén.”

“Amén.” The children stood from the table and looked around awkwardly. They didn’t have dishes to clear away and nothing to wipe the table with. They turned to Mrs. Lockley, unsure of what to do. She pointed to the door that Ms. Clark, Ms. Taylor, and Clara had disappeared into.

They went through the door and found themselves in a giant kitchen where the aforementioned sat around an island with the head chef whose name Argentina couldn’t recall. The girls beckoned them in, patting the seats around them.

“How was dinner?” Ms. Clark asked. The Castillo children looked at each other apprehensively before back at the girls. “That bad, huh?”

“We weren’t really sure what to expect, but I don’t think we were expecting… that,” Joaquin said. The chef let out a snort, moving to open the refrigerator doors.

The chef was really pretty, just like Xiomara. She had long, dark hair and slightly tanned skin. Her soulfully deep, almond-shaped eyes reminded Argentina of two black stones peeking out from a white lake. She quickly searched the fridge before producing a carton of ice cream. Rafael clapped his hands together, bouncing in his seat with a squeal.

Ms. Taylor reached up to grab a bunch of bowls from the cupboards. She placed them in front of the chef as she began scooping out the chocolate ice cream. Ms. Clark placed spoons in the bowls and passed them around until everyone had a bowl.

The older Castillo children chatted idly with the women, asking questions about the town and what they should expect. Argentina and Esmeralda ate in silence, focusing on their ice cream instead of the conversation. Rafael was perfectly happy with half of his ice cream ending up on his face.

Once everyone, except Rafael, was finished, the Castillo children collected the bowls and began doing dishes.

“What are you guys doing?” Ms. Clark asked. The Castillo children looked at each other before Xiomara gave a little chuckle.

“Helping clean up, of course,” she said with a smile. Ms. Clark shook her head vigorously, moving to stand up.

“No. You don’t have to worry about that. That’s our job.” Ms. Clark went to grab the plates but Xiomara swiftly dodged her hands.

“It’s not your job to clean up after us--”

“No, really, it is.”

“No. While Mr. Beckett might not mind leaving a mess behind, our madre and abuelo taught us better than that. Especially when you’re company.” Xiomara moved past Ms. Clark, carefully setting the dishes in the sink.

“But you aren’t company. You’re family now,” Ms. Taylor said. Argentina roughly set the bowls in the sink before she began washing them. Joaquin nudged her softly, shaking his head. She rolled her eyes but didn’t do anything else. The Castillo children continued to wash the dishes and put them away. “I don’t know what to do. I wasn’t trained for this.”

Joaquin glanced over his shoulder, shooting Ms. Taylor a wink. She blushed slightly, turning her head away. Argentina nudged Joaquin in return, a hint of a smile crossing her face. Even in a weird and confusing time, her brother could manage to find time to flirt with a pretty girl.

“I’m sorry, your name seems to have escaped me,” Xiomara said once the dishes were put away. The chef smiled.

“I’m the head chef, Yingyue Jiang, but everyone calls me Meimei,” she said.

“Why?” Esmeralda asked.

“It’s a nickname. It’s Chinese for ‘sister’. It’s also easier for people to pronounce,” she explained. “What about you guys? If you want us to refer to you by Mr. and Ms. Castillo, we will, but since there’s five of you, a first name or nickname will be easier to remember and know who we’re talking to.” She tilted her head slightly, giving Esmeralda a kind smile.

“I’m Esmeralda.”

“That’s a beautiful name,” Meimei said. Esmeralda gave her a small smile, bowing her head.

“I’m Xiomara and this little man is Rafael.” Rafael lifted his head at the mention of his name. He seemed to have more ice cream on face than he’d actually eaten. Xiomara shook her head and accepted the rag to wipe his face. He sat perfectly still as she did so before diving right back into his ice cream and successfully dirtying his face again.

“You all seem close.”

“We are. Family is everything. After our mother passed away, it was just us and our abuelo. He taught us that we worked better together than apart,” Joaquin said.

“He sounded like a smart man.”

“The smartest.” They sat there in silence for a brief moment. “I’m Joaquin, by the way.”

“Wakin?”

“Heh, not quite. Joaquin. Wa-keen.” Meimei practiced it a couple times before she got it. “Very good! Not my easiest name.”

“‘Names’?” Clara asked.

“Yes. I thought Americans had middle names,” Xiomara said.

“Oh, yeah. What is your middle name?”

“Mine? They’re Elena, Sofia, and Itzel.”

“Whoa, that’s a lot of names. Why do you have so many?” Ms. Clark asked.

“Because we have no father,” Argentina said. Xiomara gave her a pointed look as Joaquin sighed. The other women shifted uncomfortably, glancing at each other. “I only mean we grew up without a father. Most families in Guatemala have two last names, our mother did as did our abuelo. Since we didn’t know our father’s last name, our mother gave us an extra middle name to fill the gap.”

“Well that’s not so bad,” Meimei said. “So all of your names are that long?” The Castillo children nodded. “Well, let’s hear them. Because if I have to scold any of you, I will use your full name, no matter how long.” She gave them a pointed look, a smile tugging at the corner of her mouth.

“Well, mine is Xiomara Elena Sofia Itzel Castillo. Then there’s Joaquin Mateo Primo Benito Castillo, Argentina Carmen Luciana Perla Castillo, Esmeralda Marisol Viviana Lillianna Castillo, and then there's Rafael Manolo Sebastian Jorge Castillo,” Xiomara said, pointing to each Castillo child.

“Well those are certainly mouth fulls,” Ms. Clark said. Xiomara shrugged, smoothing her brother’s curls. Not up for conversation, Argentina excused herself, stating she was tired from the journey.

She left the kitchen, went through the dining room, and ended up back in the main foyer. Mr. Winsby and Mrs. Lockley were nowhere to be seen. She continued up the stairs before pausing to look over to the West Wing. Something deep down told her to go and demand answers from Mr. Beckett--demand he send her and her siblings back to Guatemala. Instead she turned and went towards the East Wing, down the hallways until she was climbing the stairs to her room.

Once she was safely in her room, she collapsed onto the bed. She finally took the time to notice just how soft her bed actually was, much more than her one in Guatemala. It was like laying on a cloud. She lifted her head up to look at herself in the vanity mirror. She looked so tired. More than she usually did.

She laid back down, thinking about her life and everything that had brought her to this point. She hadn’t really thought about who her father could be. After her grandfather told her and her siblings he was dead, she didn’t feel the need to ask about anything else. Maybe she should have. Maybe then she could have known what to expect when she met Mr. Beckett.

She wondered if her father was like Mr. Beckett, cold and distant, awkward around children. Was he fun like her mother? Spontaneous and hard-working? Maybe he had been more like her grandfather, kind, wise and compassionate.

She pushed her thoughts away as she readied herself for bed. There was no use in those types of thoughts. Both her parents were dead, her grandfather was dead, and her uncle--her last living relative--didn’t seem to have any interest in getting to know his family, but she couldn’t bring herself to be angry with him. After all, Joaquin and Xiomara were both adults. He had no part in their lives and his presence was too little too late.

Letting out another sigh, she buried herself in her covers. Maybe once she woke up, she’d still be in Guatemala and this would have been a weirdly long dream. One could hope.

[writerinthedark21]

Everybody loves a bar fight, Right?

Pt. 7

<333

The day was finally here, Gina was finally going to see Rodrick play with his band on stage. 

Live.

She had ransacked her whole room for any article of black clothing. All she found was a 6 year old black shirt with a skull on it and a red and black plaid mini skirt she swore she would never wear again.

She felt like everything was gonna bust at the seems as she bent over to tie her old doc martens she had to go to her attic to find. 

Nerves start to set in as she started on her makeup. The millions of questions and insecurities started to fill her mind as she applied the black eyeshadow.But they seemed to disappear as she remembered who she was doing this for. That skinny, white, drummer boy that she loved with all her heart.

It wasn’t long before Gina was stepping outside to find Rodrick leaning against the front door of his van mindlessly playing a game on his phone. 

“Hey stranger” Gina says walking closer to him. 

“Hey- wow you look amazing” Rorick says before putting his phone into his back pocket and pulling her in for a kiss. 

“Thanks” Gina says almost breathless after having to pry herself away from him.

“This is gonna be a weird request but can you please do my eyeliner, I left mine at home and I know you never forget yours-”

“Yes Rodrick I will help you” Gina says stopping him from rambling on any more.

He pulled her in for one last kiss before running to the passenger door and opening it for Gina. It wasn’t long before they had pulled up the venue and Gina was on top of Rodrick doing his eyeliner in a room in the back. 

Rodrick was entranced as Gina was lasered focused at getting the perfect amount of eyeliner on his lower lids. He was focused most on her hair. She had gotten new braids and he was beyond in love with them. 

The blonde with pink underneath put him under a trance whenever he saw her.  

“You keep looking at me like that I just might have to kiss you...” Gina threatened as she put the cap back on the eyeliner pencil and admired her handy work. 

Without thinking Rodrick had grabbed her by the back of her neck and pulled her in for a kiss. The action had damn near winded her as she did her best to stabilize herself against him.

“Oh my god Rodrick” Gina says, fake annyonce filling her tone as she pulled away and stood up. 

“Were on in 5 get your ass out her Rodrick” Warren yelled from the doorway. 

“Coming” Rodrick yells back standing up and leading Gina backstage.

“Knock ‘em dead” Gina says before giving him a kiss on the cheek then running back to her spot in the surprising busy crowd. 

Gina shortly realized why the crowd was so big, And why it seemed to be filled with mostly girls.

He was a god on those drums. The way his sticks twirled around his slender fingers made Gina’s jaw hit the floor. She was quite literally drooling at the sight.

Most of the set was a blur, a lot of originals and a couple of covers. 

The part Gina remembered the most was the second to last song. It was the song Rodrick played every time she had been over for band practice but refused to tell her the title of. 

It was the song that he made sure to play whenever they were driving around in his van. 

The second the first note hit her ears Gina almost fainted at the sound. If she wasn’t going feral before seeing the smirk on Rodrick’s face as he played his heart out on those drums seemed to do the trick.

It wasn’t long before Gina was running to meet rodrick backstage. Rodrick almost fell to the floor from the force of Gina’s hug.

“You were amazing up there” Gina says as she puts herself back on the ground and lays her arms around his neck. 

“Thanks” He says before pulling her in for another kiss.

“I gotta help the guys put the equipment away, It’ll be quick” Rodrick says knowing Ward was gonna start yelling his name soon. 

“Okay okay, I’ll be at the bar” Gina says before giving him one last kiss and heading to the bar. 

Gina had been waiting by the bar sipping on a canned sprite for a couple minutes when a girl had walked up  right next to her, sizing her up it seemed. Gina did her best to ignore but after a while the girl’s gaze felt like it was burning her skin.

“Can I help you?” Gina finally asked.

“Oh no just looking at my competition...”

“I’m sorry?” Gina asked venom seeping through her tone.

It was only then when she fully turned to look at the girl and realize that it was in fact Heather Hills.

“Oh come on girl you know Rodrick’s only with you so he can get some-”

But she couldn’t even finish her sentence before Gina started laughing her ass off knowing what she was about to say. 

“Okay Heather whatever you need to tell yourself” Gina says starting to walk off but before she knew she was getting yanked back by her hair.

It wasn’t until Rodrick was pulling her off a bleeding and bruised Heather, Gina realized she had blacked out. 

“Jesus christ....” Rodrick whispered as he rushed her out of the place and back into his van.

“Gina what happened? Are you okay?” Rodrick asked as Gina tried to steady her breathing.

“All I remember was her pulling my hair when i tried walking away....” 

“Let’s just....please get in the car Gina, I’ll be right back” Rodrick says finally making her sit in the passenger seat. 

Tears started to well up in her eyes as Rodrick gently closes the door and walks back into the now complete chaotic bar. 

It seemed like everyone was fighting anybody as he looked for his friends and bandmates.

“RODRICK” He hears Chris’s voice yell making him turn around to find both him and ward.

“Guys I’m-”

“Dude it’s just rock and roll you’re good” Ward yells over all the fighting.  

“Ay it’s cool go to your girl well handle it” Chris follows up before Rodrick could get a word out. 

Rodrick was damn sprinting back to his van. His heart almost broke in two when he opened the drivers door and saw Gina crying in the passenger seat. 

“Hey Gina don’t cry it’s gonna be okay...” Rodrick says after he gets into his seat and closed the door. 

“I can’t- I don’t remember anything.....what happened in there?” Gina asked tears still falling down her face. 

“Gina you beat her fucking ass- Uh no I mean that-”

“Rodrick please just tell me what you saw” Gina pleads.

He takes in a deep sigh before recounting everything he say. 

“I just remember I was walking in to come and get you and people were shouting and shit and everyone was circled up by the bar....you were on top of her and just beating her face into the ground...”

“Oh my god.......”

“Hey it’s gonna be okay let’s just take you home....good thing she’s got all the money in the world to fix her nose” Rodick says slightly lightning the mood.

After a long pause of silence passes Gina finally speaks. 

“You looked good up there by the way...”

“Forreal? No bullshit?” 

“Nope....I understand why Heather wants you so bad”

“Why would that matter to me when you’re all that I need and want? Huh?” Rodrick asks, half jokingly as they pull into their neighborhood.

“Mine or your house tonight?” Rodrick asks.

“Um yours already told my parents i was staying at Jennifer’s tonight...” 

“Oh we got a little rebel on our hands now” Rodrick says making Gina laugh as he turns into his driveway.

Once they get inside Rodrick is basically dragging her to the upstairs bathroom to clean her up. He quickly picked her up and sat her on the sink counter before searching for the first aid kit. 

“there’s just a small cut on your eyebrow” Rodrick answers after Gina asked why they were there.

Gina had never seen Rodrick look so beautiful as he was gingerly cleaning her cut. The bathroom light above them seemed to give him a halo. 

It wasn’t that much of a surprise when she pulled him by the collar of his shirt. Rodrick complete forgot about the cut as he melted into the taste of her lips and her soft hands wrapping around his neck.

He pulled her in impossible tighter by waist, complete taking her off the counter. 

Rodrick could only seemed to come up for air when they were in his room and Gina helped him out of his shirt. 

Gina felt like she was under a spell as Rodrick pulled her back in for another kiss and led her to his bed. She only seemed to come out of it when he had gently pulled off her shirt. 

Everything seemed to move so slowly but so fast. Gina was stuck thinking all the insecurities that filled her mind.

“Hey Gina......you okay?” Rodrick asked noticing her state of shock. He gently moved his hands up from her waist to the sides of her face.

“We don’t have to.....you know...”

“Yes...Yeah I know but I don’t want to....to....”

“To what Gina? You gotta talk to me” Rodrick says worry starting to set in. 

Gina hesitated for a only a moment.

“I don’t want you......to leave me cause I’m making you wait..”

Tears started to well up in Rodrick’s eyes as he slowly moved Gina off his lap and sat her next to him. Gina started to hide her face but Rodrick was quick to grab on to his wrist and lightly hold them in is hands. 

“Gina I need you to listen to me and never forget what I’m about to say.....I will never leave, especially not for that reason”

“I meant it when I said we don’t ever have to do that....I am more than happy just to be around you and being able to hold your hand....I’m surprised I haven’t fainted just from the thought of it” 

Rodrick hadn’t realized tears had started fall from his eyes until Gina started to wipe them away. 

“You hear me?” Rodrick asks noticing Gina finally being able to look him in the eyes.

“Yeah...yes I hear you” Gina says before placing a small peck on his lips. 

Rodrick gets up and walks over to his closet. He returns with pajamas he kept just for Gina for when she slept over.

 “Let’s just get ready for bed” Rodrick says before placing a kiss on her forehead and walking back into the bathroom. 

Gina knew for sure she was truly in love with Rodrick as she heard him turn on the shower. 

The rest of that night is silent up until they’re about to go to sleep. They’re in bed cuddling when she remembers the question that had been fighting to leave her mouth for a while now.

“What’s the name of that song? It was the second to last one I think” Gina finally asked.

Rodrick’s eyes blew wide remembering it. 

“Oh it’s um ‘The new national anthem’ by Pierce the veil.....”

“Oh cool....why’d you play it?” 

“Cause I couldn’t jump off that stage and kiss you....” 

Those words make heat rise up into Gina’s ears and cheeks.   

“Goodnight Rodrick”

“Goodnight Gina” Rodrick replies before reaching over and planting one last kiss on her cheek. 

<333

Next chapter 

[writerinthedark21]

The ups and downs of partying

Pt. 6

<333

It was officially 2 months of Rodrick and Gina being together and almost everybody knew. Mainly from the fact they couldn’t shut up about each other, especially when it came to Rodrick.

With halloween right around the corner and a huge house party an old friend of Gina’s was throwing on the same day all she could think about was how to convince Rodrick to go with her. 

Currently sitting in his room and on top of him on his bed Gina was doing everything in her power to convince him to not stay home that night. 

“Rodrick please it’s halloween and it’s just one party” Gina pleads as she straddles Rodrick’s waist.

 Rodrick let a light laugh as he placed his hands on each side of Gina’s hips. 

“If I kiss you, will you stop asking?”

“If I let you will you go with me?” Gina counters,

Rodrick softly placed his hand on the back of Gina’s neck and head then gently pulled her down until she was inches away from his lips. 

“Yes..but i’m not dressing up” Rodrick says when he pulls her in for a kiss 

It sends a surge of giggles out of Gina when they pull away before she answers with “I thought you would say that Soooo all you have to do is where a white shirt, some black pants, and a blue tropical button up” making a smile spread on Rodrick’s face.

“That sounds a lot like dressing up....but I’ll do my best” Rodrick says pulling her in for another kiss. 

<3

The night was here and Rodrick was pacing back in forth in Gina’s room as he waited for her to come back into her room. The tag on tropical blue button up he had found at a thrift store was starting to really irk him and all he wanted was to see Gina. 

Mainly so he wouldn’t have to guess what he was supposed to be.

“I’ll be out in a second” Gina yelled through the door of her bathroom connected to her room. 

“Okay” He yelled back his pacing finally coming to an end when he started to hear her clean up and open the door. 

Rodrick’s jaw was damn near on the floor when Gina walked out the bathroom. 

The white dress and wings was making him go feral in the best way as she ran over to her pink standing mirror and did a couple twirls. And the way her curls were pulled into a half up - half down ponytail made him feel as though he was gonna faint. 

“Well? what do you think?” Gina asked stopping to look at Rodrick.

“I um....I love y- It, I love it, you look amazing” Rodrick said hoping she didn’t hear his mistake. 

“Thank you” Gina says pulling him in for a kiss.

“And you look absolutely dashing by the way....thank you for dressing up” Gina says when they pull looking down at his attempt at Romeo. 

“So i’m just gonna go on a whim and say I’m Romeo to your Juliet” Rodrick says taking in her full appearance.

After a couple beats of silence Gina finally says “I think it’s time to get on the road”

“Yeah....let’s go” Rodrick says pulling his keys from his back pocket as they made quick work to his van.

Most of the ride was silent filled with halloween music the radio was overplaying. The second they had approached the over crowded party Rodrick was ready to go home. 

It felt like his whole high school was at the party as they made their way through the party.

The party was going well for the most part. Rodrick and Gina couldn’t leave each other sides until Gina was whisked away by some of her friends that wanted to hang out and take pictures.

That left Rodrick nursing a a flat drink in the kitchen waiting for Gina to return to his side. 

“Hey” Heather says a slight slur in her voice.

Rodrick really didn’t hear her due to how focused he was on looking for his girlfriend.

“I said hey...” Heather repeated moving closer to Rodrick. 

“Oh um...hey” He let out awkwardly rubbing the back of his neck finally realizing that she was even there.

“What are you supposed to be?” Heather asked looking him up and down. 

“Um Romeo...” Rodrick says feeling himself starting to get antsy.

“Oh nice....I’m a-an angel” She stutters out.

After a minute of silence Heather asked “You wanna get out of here?” 

The question had made Rodrick spine shiver in the worst way. How close she was and the obvious stench of alcohol that floated from her mouth made him want leave the party all together.

“No I’m good...I actually have a girlfriend so if you could stop whatever you’re doing that be nice” Rodrick said to her not wanting to cause a scene but still feeling he was gonna bang his head into a wall if this conversation didn’t end.

But what he didn’t know is that Gina was watching the whole interaction from the living room. 

She couldn’t hear what they were saying and she didn’t want to seem insecure or jealous but it was hard not too when the most desired girl in town was all over her man and he didn’t seem to do anything to push her away. 

“Oh come on rody that Gina girl isn’t all that.....what she won’t know, can’t hurt her right?” The girl let out sliding her arm up and down Rodricks bicep.

The nickname already made him want to throw up but the mention of Gina and touching was what really pushed him over the edge.

Without thinking he had grabbed the girls wrist and forced her hand off of him.

“Like I said I have a girlfriend and if you say another word about her I’ll-”

“Hey Romeo” Gina’s angelic voice filled Rodrick’s ears and he was immediately at ease.

“Hey baby” Rodrick says before fully turning to her and pulling her in for a heated kiss.

“Is there a problem here?” Gina asked when they finally pulled away and noticed the almost disgusted look on the girl’s face.

“Not anymore” Rodrick let out still looking at Gina with nothing but love in his eyes.

“Wanna get out of here?” Gina asked after feeling how tense he was.

“Do you really have to ask?” Rodrick said before slinging his arm over Gina’s shoulders and walking away from a now bitter looking Heather.

Most of the walk to Rodrick’s van was silent. They had traded the shoulder hug for just holding hands.  

“Who was that?” Gina finally asked when they made it outside. She knew who Heather Hills was but something seemed to be bubbling under the surface when she looked over to Rodrick.

Rodrick took in a deep breath before spilling the beans “Heather...I had pretty bad crush on her last year...ruined her birthday trying to show it” 

A seed of insecurity started to grow within Gina as her worst fear started to seem true.

“You don’t...you don’t still have feelings for her right?” Gina’s soft voice let out as they made it to Rodricks van.

“God no..she hasn’t crossed my mind since the second I first ever saw you....no other girl has actually” Rodrick finally admits looking over to Gina’s shielded form.

A small smile appears on her face but Rodrick could tell there was something she wasn’t telling him. 

“Gina...look at me” Rodrick says turning Gina to look at him to find tears start to form in her eyes.

“What’s really going on?” He asked pulling her in for a hug after wiping away a falling tear. 

After a minute of letting her tears fall Gina finally gathered the strength to speak. 

“I just.....it’s hard not to look at a girl like heather then at me and not see a clear difference.....”

“it’s just you’re kinda the first guy that I liked that wasn't completely in love with her or any other white girl in the school... and I just thought that maybe you would forget about me when you were-”

“Gina I couldn’t forget you even if I tried....Besides drumming you are the only thing on my mind” Rodrick says making Gina laugh through her tears. 

When they finally pull away Rodrick makes quick work to wipe away any falling tears. 

“And fuck those others guys for not even beginning to comprehend the beauty that was in front of them” He says making Gina laugh.

It was in moments like this that made Gina think her life was some big rom com and she wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world. 

“Now let’s get out of here” Rodrick said softly before walking Gina to the passenger side and opening the door for her.

Neither of them said anything as Rodrick hopped into the driver seat and started the car. 

“You wanna sleep over at my house tonight?” Rodrick ask as the start to drive away from the party.

“I would but I don’t have anything for my hair or a change of clothes and your parents-”

“You can just borrow mine, we can be quiet plus I’m pretty sure my parents are at some party,......and I kinda sorta wentandboughtstuffforyourhair...” 

“I’m sorry what was that last part?” Gina asked having zero clue what Rodrick had just mumbled out.

“Don’t laugh but I might have went and bought some things for your hair just in case you ever needed to stay over...” Rodrick says blushing like a tomato and gripping the steering wheel like there was no tomorrow. 

Gina wanted to cry due to how much she loved the boy to her left. 

“God rodrick...Why would I laugh at you for that? That is the sweetest thing a boy has ever done for me....If you weren’t driving I’d suffocate you in kisses” Gina says making him immediately relax. 

“What’d you get?” Gina asked curiosity as always getting the best of her. 

Rodrick let out a small laugh before saying “Basically whatever I see in your bathroom whenever I’m at your house and whatever i thought you might like....”

The words made Gina’s heart swell and she couldn’t help hold his free hand. 

“You are the best boyfriend you know that right?” Gina asked after placing a kiss on the back of his hand making him almost swerve out of his lane.

“Gina baby I love you but I need you to stay on your side so we make it home in one piece” Rodrick said making Gina laugh as she let go of his hand. 

The rest of the ride to the Heffley household was filled with music playing on the radio. 

When they had finally arrived and parked in front of his house Rodrick made quick work to hop out of his seat and open her door after noticing that he was right about his parents being out for the night.

It wasn’t long before Gina was sitting patiently on Rodricks bed waiting for him to hand her some clothes to sleep in.

“Here’s a shirt and some shorts” He said as he handed her the clothes. 

Before she could walk off to his bathroom he lightly grabbed her forearm and pulled her back.

“Wait I just have too....” he trailed off as he turned around and went to grab for something hidden under random blanket.

Rodrick was almost sweating bullets as he turned around to give Gina the “hair basket”, his name for what he had been hiding for the last couple weeks.

“Here” he says handing her the small pink basket holding everything he had spent basically his whole paycheck from his last gig on.

The smile that appeared on Gina’s face let him know it was beyond worth it. The first thing she saw was the pink bonnet, it almost made her cry from all the joy she felt. 

“I’ll be right back” She said before walking to the bathroom to get ready for bed. 

Before Rodrick knew it Gina was walking back into his room.

“If we ever break up I’m stealing all of this from you by the way” Gina said after walking back into Rodrick’s room and handing the basket back to him.

“You look beautiful.....” He said before taking the basket and pulling her in for a kiss. 

“And of course you can steal it from me”  He said putting the basket back in it’s original place.

Gina was standing nervously waiting for Rodrick so she could finally sleep. Thankfully it didn’t take long for Rodrick to notice and climb into bed.

As always Gina was completely knocked out only a couple minutes after her head hit the pillow. 

“I love you.....” Rodrick whispered even though he knew she couldn’t hear it, he just had to say it. Saying in his head a million times a day wasn’t enough for him anymore.

<333

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[writerinthedark21]

Puppy love

Pt. 5 

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Rodrick wasn’t Gina’s first boyfriend but the way he gave her butterflies at just the thought of him made her believe he was. 

They had only been dating for a month she couldn’t get enough of him. Something about the skinny, messy haired, eyeliner wearing drummer that made her swoon. 

And him sneaking into her room at just the suggestion of helping her study for a test almost made her faint.

“Hey Juliet” Rodrick says out of breath, when she finally opens her window to let him in.

“Hey Romeo” Gina says trying to hide how giddy the gesture made her feel as Rodrick fixes his appearances. 

After a beat of silence Rodrick pulls her in for a kiss by the back of her neck. Gina used his chest to brace herself against the sudden movement. 

It took a couple of seconds for her to kiss him back do to the shock. 

“I really missed you” Rodrick sighs out when he finally pulls away.

“You literally walked me home from school yesterday” Gina replies moving her arms to rest on his shoulders and behind his neck. 

“Okay? your point?” He asked before placing a kiss on the top of her head.

“Thanks for coming over” Gina says lightly pushing herself off of Rodrick and moving over to the flashcards she had left on her bed. 

“Of course” Rodrick says following after her. 

They end up sitting on opposite sides of her bed.

After an hour of catching her taking glimpse of his lips every time he quizzed her on anything Rodrick just had to know what was going on in Gina’s head.

“Gina come on what’s up-” Before he could finish his sentence Gina was all over him.

Her lips and hands explored damn near every inch of Rodrick. 

“Hey Gina...baby...I really love what you’re doing but...YOU have to study” Rodrick says gingerly pushing Gina away.

Everything in Rodrick was screaming no as he forced space between him and Gina.

Gina let out a light sigh before going back to her work. But she was nowhere near satisfied as she forced herself to read over her notes. 

It took 20 minutes for Gina to become restless and her need for Rodrick’s lips took over once again. 

“Rodrick?” Gina asked sitting her work down.

“Yes?” He answered looking up to her. 

“Can we take a break?” 

“Yeah but only for a while cause I don’t want you to-” 

Again Rodrick barley finished his sentence before Gina pounced on him again. 

But this time he accepted it with open arms. He pushed whatever he was “working” on to the floor and helped Gina into his lap.

Their lips intertwined and seemed to refuse to separate as they moved into a more comfortable position. 

“Oh god” Rodrick whimpered out as Gina moved her lips down to his jawline then neck. 

For a moment he pulled her face away from him to look into her eyes and the smile that appeared on his face made Gina start laughing.

“What?” Rodrick asked almost breathless as he still held onto the sides of her neck.

“Nothing just....god I love your smile” Gina says making him blush and turn his head away from her.

She gently pulls him back in for a another kiss that he mindlessly reciprocates. 

“You can’t blame me if you fail this test” Rodrick whispers to Gina as he moves his hands up and down the tops of her thighs. 

Gina laughs before sliding her body down to cuddle with Rodrick. She knew he would be gone in the morning if she fell asleep like this but she didn’t care.

Holding him right now was worth not waking up to him in the morning. 

“Hey...Gina...I’m gonna have to go soon” He whispers softly placing his hand on the back of her head.

“I know...I know but can you just wait until I go to sleep?” She asked looking up into his brown eyes. 

Rodrick let out a soft sigh looking down into Gina’s eyes and it was impossible not to cave. 

“Yeah I’ll stay” He whispers as he caresses the side of her arm. 

It took less than 30 minutes for Gina to be completely knocked out. Once Rodrick noticed how limp her body had become and the steady rhythm of her breathing he knew it was time for him to head home.

It was like he was playing the hardest level of Jenga as Rodrick removed himself from Gina and her bed.  

He took a long look at a sleeping Gina before picking up the discarded work on the floor and foot of the bed and sat them on her desk as neatly as possible.

Right before he hopped out of the window he came into he tucked Gina in and placed a soft kiss on her head.

<333 

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