《Sunrising》


 Chapter 1: Sunrising

    I ain¡¯t too sure who all these people were¡­I just knew that it was raining and Mama was gone, I was about 11 years old, just a little girl. Cemetery was full of people but was quiet like a library. They brought my momma¡¯s casket out draped in the American flag and I gave a little salute alongside my pappy as they took her and laid her to rest. Just a few months ago she told me she was gon¡¯ be back in time fer my birthday and now she¡¯s gone.


    ¡°Shay ¡°Ruffy¡± Duncan!¡± called out a soldier during her final roll call, Daddy was beside himself to say the least. ¡°Shay ¡°Ruffy¡± Duncan!¡± Each time her name got called he seemed to get more and more, busted up, and I was too¡­ ¡±First Sergeant Shay Duncan, is not here, she has completed her final mission, and is resting well in the hands of god.¡± when those words hit I ain¡¯t never felt my pa hold me so close afore.


    I ain¡¯t knew my momma long but them few years I had her with me was times I only wish I coulda done had for longer. She went out as a soldier defending herself from enemy fire and was killed in an explosion, still hurts to thank about. After the service was over her commanding officer Mr. Malcom came by and handed me her dog tags, and to this day I still keep em around my neck.


    ¡°Be easy Sam¡­¡± he said in his big ol boomin voice, to my daddy. Mr. Malcom always sounded that way even when he was calm. He and my pa had some kind of a discussion but I couldn¡¯t focus on it, I just kept looking at Mama¡¯s dog tags. Felt surreal, I could feel my tears streamin down my face as I clutched em in my hands, not like that was gonna bring her back though. My lip quivered and I just couldn¡¯t help myself. ¡°Mommy!¡± My little dress shoes splashed into a puddle of water and I just bolted for her casket, and clutched it almost tight enough to break it. But before I could I felt my father pull me away.


    ¡°I know¡­I¡¯m gonna miss her too¡­¡±


    Leaving her was hard but I¡¯m sure she¡¯s smiling down on both of us.


    After that it was a long car ride home and an even longer couple a years, Papa was given some leave so he could be with me, seeing as we was grieving n all. He sounded like he really wanted to stick around, but after a couple of conversations with some friends he decided to call it quits. I ain''t never told him, but I was really happy he did that.


    ¡°You sure, Samuel? Can¡¯t you leave her with her Uncle, if you get sent off?¡± I member hearing one of em say kinda garbled over the phone.


    ¡°No can do¡­the idiot got himself locked up¡­and by the time he gets out Sunny¡¯ll be a grown woman.¡± He was talking about my uncle Rooney on my momma¡¯s side he was a bit of a trouble maker I ain¡¯t ever known him other than his name, Mama and Papa always told me he was bad news. I wonder what he got put away for¡­?


    ¡°She¡¯s all I got left and if I passed on out there where¡¯s she gonna go? She deserves a better life, then the one I had.¡± I remember hearing him say that and then scurried off to head out into the living room, past a little shrine we had for Momma sitting over the fireplace. It was simple but sweet, just a pretty little picture frame next to Ol Glory and a cross. She was a real pretty lady, long blonde hair nice blue eyes, Pa always said I looked a lot like her cept my hair was shorter. But while I stopped to look at that frame I remembered something.


    See, Daddy ain¡¯t have no have no daddy, no mama neither. Grew up in an orphanage, When he turned 18 he joined the military, he ain¡¯t have the grades for college, but he loved his country and wanted to protect people. He Served 14 years and had a chunk o money in his wallet, so when he opted to leave he bought a nice little spot by the beach and that¡¯s where we¡¯ve been living ever since.


    He done got stationed out in a U.S. Territory called ¡°El Lugar.¡± it was a big ole island that was real-real pretty like, but a lot of it wadn¡¯t exactly accommodatin to foreigners like Pa and me. And see the military folks knew that so with permission from the folks on the island and some U.S. government assistance they made a little district called ¡°Eagleview.¡± A place where all the military folk and their family could live, active duty or not. It wadn¡¯t a lot whole lot but we made due, funny timing too, cause the base done got decommissioned maybe 2 or so years after the fact never found out why though.


    Living out on the island wadn¡¯t too different from on base, cept the language barrier o course, But we got past that real quick like. Since the district was new we only really had the one middle school at the time so I was seeing a lot o the same faces as before. My grades wadn¡¯t too good, but me being fast on my feet made up for it! Pappy was even talking about sending me out to college out in the states fer it once I graduated from high school.


    I had always wanted to be a soldier like my Pa but he and I both knew I was too rambunctious for something like that. But yeah¡­It was almost perfect¡­almost¡­if¡¯n only Momma was still here. Holidays and Birthdays was still lonely without her, still are even now. I was never kept in the dark though, I knew momma and pappy were soldiers and they were fighting for our country and all but sometimes I kinda wondered what all woulda done changed if¡¯n they just left a little earlier.


    Maybe it wouldn¡¯t have mattered, cause ya see around about a year and a half later a whole lot started changin, and growin pains wadn¡¯t even the half of it. I remember it sure nuff, It was during one of our schools track meets, Pappy was there in the crowds cheering me on with all the other families out there. Was a nice sunny day, nothing too outta the ordinary, but I was feeling kinda funny all day ever since I done left the house. Anyway, while we was getting ready I gave him a little wave and got to my startin marks just waiting for that pistol to fire,I was bout to leave these girls in my dust.


    And after about a minute, BANG! I took off moving as fast as my little legs could carry me, wadn¡¯t no one in front and no one gaining on me, except for Cindy. She was a persistent little thang and she an I had a bit of a rivalry goin, we was always neck and neck, trading trophies, and sharing ribbons, but I wadn¡¯t gone let her beat me¡­nah not, this time. I done came second to her too many times I tell ya but not today.


    Race was fast n loose up until the very end, just me, her and some hot¨Chot gravel. She was fast but from where I was looking it was all mine, as soon as we got maybe 10 or 15 feet from the finish line I stretched out my hands and puffed out my chest and was just about to clinch that photo finish.


    ¡°C¡¯mon girl you¡¯re almost there¡­¡± I was saying to myself, but as I was running that funny little feeling came back it was like I had this little tingle in my tummy that moved on over to my hands it was like that jolt ya get up yer spine cept¡¯ I felt it in my whole body and in a matter of moments BOOM! There was a scream as people covered their ears and Cindy got knocked to the floor, there was this little scent o burnt grass in the air.


    Afore I knew it I was blastin myself forward and smashed into a chain link fence and got all mangled up in it, it was like wrapping a rock in aluminum foil. ¡°Daddy!¡± I cried, there was a big ol gasp, couple people was complaining bout the loud noise, and I thank a couple people got some burns but nothing major.


    Couldn¡¯t say the same for myself though. I tell ya I was sliced up something fierce, all sorts o cuts and bruising, I could feel my tears burning my wounds while I was kicking n screaming to get out. But it didn¡¯t last long, cause just as soon as I got hurt my body felt like everything was washing away. Like someone just gave me a big ol hug and all that pain was just gone.


    After a minute some fire department folks managed to cut me out but when I got looked over at the clinic the doctors said I was fine, I was even able to walk away from the whole thang like nothing ain¡¯t even happened like it was some kinda miracle. But they wanted to do a blood test just to be sure. And sure nuff that¡¯s when they found it, The hybrid gene.


    And according to my pappy the hybrid gene wadn¡¯t something he was allowed to talk about but after I got my diagnosis he sat me down one night and told me the whole thang. It was real-real interestin¡¯ story, me and Pappy was sitting down out on the porch it was warm outside and we was roasting marshmallows over a fire pit.


    ¡°Now ya see Sunny¡­you member learning about the first contact war in school?¡±


    ¡°Sure do Daddy¡­it was us vs the aliens! Pew pew!¡± I liked to make sound effects and act the fights outs whenever I was telling the story.


    ¡°That¡¯s the one! Now unlike your momma, I joined up right after it was over so my job wadn''t fighting off whoever was left but clearing out whatever they done left behind.¡±


    ¡°Mhmm Mhmm!¡±


    ¡°And well cause of that...me and your momma to a greater extent, got exposed to some nasty stuff¡­¡±


    ¡°What kinda nasty stuff¡­daddy, like germs?¡±


    ¡°Sure hon let¡¯s go with that¡­see¡­certain germs¡­get in your body and they stay there, and sometimes when you have a baby those germs can pass onto them, and then they get sick.¡±


    ¡°Well getting sick¡¯s posta feel bad yeah¡­but I¡¯unno daddy¡­when I use these powers I feel like I¡¯m on top of the world!¡± I threw my arms out and I let out a little glow, and my daddy couldn¡¯t help but smile.


    ¡°Good sweetpea you keep feeling that way, and don¡¯t let nobody tell you otherwise, you ain¡¯t sick you just different.¡± I held onto that for a good long while kept in the back o my mind. I ain¡¯t never for a second felt bad about having these powers. Way I see it, If god gives a girl named Sunny power related to the sun, well I thank that just means our lord and savior''s got a funny sense o humor.


    But I guess not everybody felt the same way.


    See the next day, I was getting ready for school, I had my backpack on my little trading cards that had that new card smell and I was set and ready I tell ya. I raced my way into the hallway all excited for school but when I got there I heard the house phone ring, who could that-a-been?


    ¡°I got it babygirl, breakfast is in the kitchen.¡± Pa came right down the stairway and I headed into the kitchen to grab my hot plate, he done made my favorite, eggs and bacon, with two little pieces o bread. I scarfed down my food but as I slurped up my breakfast Papa came into the room looking like he had something on his mind. I took a nice bite o that crispy bread and looked up at em.


    ¡°Principal Wesley was on the phone, says he wants to have meeting with us afore school starts, finish up and meet me in the car.¡±


    A meeting¡­? Well what for? I had this weird feeling but I carried on nonetheless. Once we got there I got out of the car and guided pappy to Principal Westley¡¯s office, but being that it was so early in the morning the school was like a ghost town. Wadn¡¯t barely no cars in the parking lot, and none of the buses arrived, you could hear your footsteps echoing in the building with every tap. The only people I done saw was the lunch ladies and a couple of janitors.


    Stolen story; please report.


    Outside of them we had to be the first one¡¯s there. As we made our way past the entrance I could see Principal Westley standing right outside his door, just afore getting to the locker hallway. He had on this plaid jacket that had two different shades of brown on it made him look all stuffy against that pale skin o his and his grey combover. Even still though his expression at the time was soft and reassuring.


    But funnily enough something about the way that door done closed and echoed in the hallway once we got inside made me uneasy. With the door shut I took my seat but couldn¡¯t help but notice that when I looked over at Daddy and then back to Mr. Westley it looked like both of em ain¡¯t get a lick o sleep the night before, were they all stressed out over me? I still wonder that to this day.


    ¡°Sunny, where¡¯re your manners?¡± I was so caught up with them that I done forgot to say hello.


    ¡°Morning Mister Westley.¡± I was kinda nervous so I started fiddling my feet against the little support beam at the bottom of my wooden chair all fidgety like. I was wanting to get to the bottom o what this meeting was for.


    ¡°Good Morning Sunny, and to you as well Mr. Duncan.¡± Principal Westley had this chummy sounding kinda voice, he always spoke real friendly-like even when he was just saying something as simple as a greetin.


    ¡°What¡¯s this about Mr. Westley?¡±


    ¡°Right, I¡¯m sorry to call you both here so early but¡­I felt this needed to be handled in person.¡±


    ¡°Well go on now."


    This seemed like an adult conversation so for the most part I let my Daddy do the talking.


    ¡°Well, unfortunately due to the circumstances regarding the ¡°incident.¡± at the track meet last weekend, Many of the parents of the other students are¡­understandably weary of Sunny after the revelation of her¡­abilities.¡± he pauses to compose himself for a second. ¡°Some of the people involved suffered hearing loss, and sadly her classmate Cindy suffered burn damage to her arm, nothing requiring hospitalization, but it still gave her and many of the other parents quite the scare.¡±


    My heart broke hearing them words, I ain¡¯t mean to hurt her Cindy was my friend. I ain¡¯t even knew what was going on at the time when it happened. I hung my head a bit and Papa resting his hand on my shoulder to just lemme know everythang was alright. ¡°So I take it then¡­you¡¯re expelling her?¡±


    ¡°Well, not entirely, she still needs to meet the curriculum requirements set forth by the School District. But due to the various complaints and the liability risk she presents, she''ll be unable to attend in person and will be shifting to an alternative curriculum.¡±


    Them¡¯s were some words Mr. Westley done said, didn¡¯t understand much of it at the time but I still did what I could to plead my case.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­I ain¡¯t know that was gonna happen¡­I ain¡¯t mean it!¡± I said through my little sniffles. Pappy quietly shushed me, still keeping his arm around me. He knew what I was going through wadn¡¯t easy and really tried his best to ease me through this.


    ¡°So homeschooling then¡­?¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir, Again I apologize for the inconvenience and I didn¡¯t like having to make this decision but, we feel it is within the best interest of the student body.¡±


    I wanted to say something, but all I could do was look to my daddy. Surely he had a way to fix this couldn¡¯t he, why was he just letting him get away with this? But judging by the way he ran his hand across his face, and that shaky look in his eye, seems like that wadn¡¯t gonna be the case.


    ¡°Then I thank we¡¯ll be taking our leave, C¡¯mon Sunny¡­let¡¯s go¡­¡±


    My eyes done welled up with tears and I felt a little betrayed hearing my daddy talk like that, wadn¡¯t he gonna do something or say something er fight for me!? But when I looked at his body language on the way out the building, the way he balled his fist by his sides, how hunched over he was and the lack of really any kinda expression on his face. I realized that it wadn¡¯t that he wouldn¡¯t fight for me, but he just couldn¡¯t, don''t thank I''d seen him that beat up in a long while.


    After that we left the office and made our way back over to Daddy¡¯s truck. We both sat back down and there was just a silence for a second. Pa kept a grip on his steering wheel and just looked outta focus, ¡°So I guess I ain¡¯t going to school, huh Daddy?¡± I hung my head and just stared at the floor, all them tears I held back in the office finally coming out. Pappy let out a big ole sigh himself and looked over at me for a moment, noticing that I was crying and handed me a little tissue afore squeezing down on my shoulder.


    ¡°Nah, not today Sunshine¡­¡± I could tell his heart was feeling all achey having to tell me that, and so was mine if¡¯n I¡¯m being honest.


    ¡°But that ain¡¯t fair¡­¡± I whined, stamping my little sandals on the floor of his truck.


    ¡°I know darling, I know¡­but don¡¯t you worry okay, you¡¯re still gone get your education and you still gone go to college, pappy¡¯s gonna make sure o that!¡± He¡¯d wipe the tears from my eyes and I looked back up at him.


    ¡°You promise¡­?¡±


    ¡°I sure do, c¡¯mon!¡± He¡¯d place the keys in the ignition and I felt the car shake as the engine rumbled. ¡°Best part about not going to school means you get to have lunch early c¡¯mon I¡¯ll take ya wherever ya wanna go!¡± He backed out of the parking lot, turned up the radio to my favorite station and off we went.


    I don¡¯t know how, but Daddy always knew just what to do to put a smile on my face, even if what he said wadn¡¯t the answer I wanted to hear, it still made me feel like everythang was gonna be alright. O course some comfort food ain¡¯t never hurt, neither.


    After that for the rest of the time I was in school I¡¯d do my studying on my own and he¡¯d help wherever he could. And Shee-yoo lemme tell ya if¡¯n I thought school was hard afore it was even harder when I ain¡¯t really have no one to show me how it was done, was just stuck with my head in a book. Pappy couldn¡¯t even get me no tutor neither since ain¡¯t no one wanna be around a little girl that had powers that coulda gone off any second they felt like. Honestly, It was lonely. But whenever Pappy was home he was my everything, he wadn¡¯t too book smart so he couldn¡¯t always help me with my homework but he sure did know a thang or two about physical fitness.


    See, after I discovered my powers whenever Pappy was home he did his best to help me learn how to use em. We figured everythang out together, like how I needed to be in contact with sunlight cause when I was it¡¯d make my skin glow, er how whenever I got hurt it was the sunlight I took in that was helping me heal. We always took it one day at a time¡­baby steps. A know a lot more about myself now but them lessons was where it all started. They were some good memories.


    Eventually after learning the basics we moved on up to other stuff, Like how to be patient and concentrate my energy so eventually I could start moving in all sorts a directions, instead o just one. He even showed me how to turn my little explosions into little bullets, he went out and bought a little skeet shooter and I¡¯d do target practice. Heh sometimes when he wadn¡¯t around I used to stand out by the beach behind our house and practice my shooting, and watch the pretty little laser¡¯s make waves on the water.


    ¡°Look Daddy I¡¯m Moses!¡± I¡¯d always say afore shooting out this big ol beam and watching the ocean rise up, the beam always left a sizzle on the end o my hand and hearing the crash of the water as the waves rise was so satisfying.


    ¡°Stop that now girl, dontcha be making jokes like that.¡± He¡¯d say giving a little light tap on the butt, he never did like it when I said that, he look out at the water as the ocean calmed down.


    ¡°You¡¯re getting real good at that, them waves are getting wider n wider!¡± I looked back up at him.


    ¡°You think so?¡± I''d say with a smile.


    He¡¯d come right around to where I was standing.


    ¡°Mhmm! But just remember now, don¡¯t go using these out in public, gotta be careful.¡±


    ¡°I know¡­¡± I kinda frowned when he said that, I looked like a sad ole puppy, but he tucked his hand under my chin and brought it up to his level.


    ¡°Now look here hon, your powers remind people a lot of something they all wanna forget, takes a long time for bad memories to go away, and some people ain¡¯t got no sense.¡±


    ¡°But ain¡¯t you tell me to not let nobody tell me how to be?¡± I pouted back


    ¡°I did, but what you gotta realize¡­ is that when people see your powers¡­they don¡¯t see you, they see them aliens, who done ripped this planet apart all that time ago.¡±


    My chest felt heavy and then I let out a sigh, even when I was small I learned that lesson loud and clear after getting kicked outta school. But he was right, Hybrids like me weren''t none to common round this time, at least not on the island. Heck even now, it''s still kinda the same.


    ¡°That¡¯s why, I thank its time I taught you how to defend yourself.¡±


    I looked over at him, and you shoulda seen my little eyes that looked like fireworks was going off.


    "Defend myself? Like fighting!?" Ever since I was tiny I¡¯d always been a fan o them boxer movies Daddy used to have me watch. When I was in the bathroom getting ready I used to practice my punches in the mirror, bobbin n weavin. I¡¯d always wanted to learn how to fight like them, but there wadn¡¯t any programs for that on base at the time so to little ol me this was excitin.


    ¡°Ya mean it!¡± I say my little legs bobbing up and down.


    ¡°Mhmm, but you gotta understand this ain¡¯t no game you ain¡¯t learning to fight fer sport, but to protect yerself, now get your hands up.¡± He then shifted his body and stood like he was about to throw a mean left hook.


    ¡°But hey daddy what about¡­other folks¡­?¡±


    ¡°Ya mean like other people¡­what about em?¡±


    ¡°Well I ain¡¯t the only one who¡¯s gonna get in trouble? And can¡¯t everybody fight like me, so why can¡¯t I learn to defend myself and other folks too, like you Daddy!¡±


    He¡¯d pat me on the head and smile.


    ¡°Well¡­a¡¯fore you can take care of others¡­you gotta take care o yourself first ya hear?¡±


    I gave him a little salute. ¡°Sir, Yes sir!¡±


    For the next couple o months Pa taught me everythang he knew about self defense and taking care o myself and lemme tell ya I learned quick! My technique wadn¡¯t as good as his was and I struggled with a few thangs but I had a handle on the basics. But everytime we went at it, I never got tired of it. The feeling of throwing a punch and sparring was excitin and I couldn¡¯t wait for each session! It was like a challenge and I always wanted to get over the next hurdle, guess it filled that void in my heart now that I couldn''t run track no more.


    But the thang Is, even though I knew how to take care o myself, he still had two rules. ¡°No leaving the neighborhood and always come home a¡¯fore dark.¡± I ain¡¯t know it at the time but he was trying to protect me. And now that I¡¯m a bit older I kinda get it, but back then well¡­it was just how thangs were and I ain''t like feeling like I couldn''t go nowhere...


    ¡°Alright Sunny girl, I¡¯m heading off to work¡­do your homework now ya hear¡­?¡±


    I let out a little sigh and I opened up that dang math packet, ¡°Ooookaaaay¡­¡± lord I hated that thang, I¡¯d a had more fun at the dentist, getting teeth pulled. Fer the next hour or so I turned the pages twiddlin¡¯ the pencil against my desk, while the TV ran in the background. It was like this all the time, day in and day out and everyday round the same time bout 12 P.M. I¡¯d hear the same old commercial. It came on so often like clockwork. I done seen it so many times, I could practically recite the words.


    ¡°Want to spice up your life? Come to El Lugar, where the waters are blue, and the people are just as beautiful. Want a slice of Paradise? Come to El Lugar, we¡¯re waiting for you.¡± Course it was all in spanish cause o where we lived.


    Now normally I¡¯d just recite it and pay it no mind but today something was different, I¡¯d been cooped up in this house for a while now and felt like that commercial was always tryna tell me something. I ain''t been out there since a''fore I got my powers and seeing it now just got me thanking "Man the city sure looks like fun!" the part of city they showed on TV was a place called Westwood Central and it was chock full o stuff, and I just had to go back and see it again.


    "I could sneak out yeah, just this once...right?" I figured as long as I could get back inside a''fore Daddy done found out it''d be fine, Just needed to be back a''fore dark. I ain''t really like breaking the rules and felt real guilty and even still do today. But I just had to see it, god forgive me.


    So against my Daddies wishes I shut my books, I slapped on my favorite yella jacket, grabbed my little jar o silver dollars and made my way to the train station and just like that was on the road to adventure, Westwood Central here I come!

 The Pearl of the East Coast

    ¡°One ticket for Westwood Central, please!¡± I said, sliding my jar of silver dollars across the counter. I remember the ticket teller raising his eyebrows¡ªguess he didn¡¯t see coins like that too often.


    ¡°You got some ID, young lady?¡±


    I pulled out my wallet and handed it to him. After counting my coins, he finally gave me my ticket. Something about holding that little piece of paper had me all kinds of excited!


    The train wasn¡¯t going to arrive for another hour or so, so with the extra time, I wandered over to the gift shop. I picked up a small bag to hold my coins, a map, a city pamphlet, and some markers! Since I knew I was gonna be waiting for a while, I figured I¡¯d better have something to keep me busy.


    Normally, if Daddy were here, he¡¯d hand me his CD player, and I¡¯d listen to all my favorite songs on it. I used to fall asleep in his lap all the time¡ªit takes me back. I wonder if he and Momma ever rode on a train together before.


    While I was waiting, I pulled out the pamphlet and started highlighting everything there was to do. The first place on my list was a restaurant called Shipwreck.


    It used to be a big ol¡¯ cruise liner, but when it got all old, the owner decided to turn it into a tourist attraction. Now, you can go inside, enjoy a good taste of El Lugar, and pick up some trinkets on your way out.


    Then I spotted an arcade downtown that had just opened up, and it looked like it was packed with all sorts of games. Daddy never bought me one of those home consoles, but we used to have an arcade near our house. I¡¯d spend almost the whole day there¡ªbefore it shut down.


    Finally, there was this little store called ¡°Hechizo!¡± They sold cards, magic kits, and all sorts of cool stuff. The place was named after the magician who owned it, and every day, he¡¯d put on a magic show! I¡¯d always watch him on TV, but I¡¯ve never seen one up close before!


    I marked off the location of each place and planned how long I¡¯d spend at each one. I just had to make sure I was back on board by 4 P.M. so I could get home before Daddy did.


    After about half an hour of waiting, the train finally arrived. You¡¯d think I didn¡¯t have any manners, the way I rushed inside! Once I was in, I found a spot near the window and kept my face glued to it the whole ride over.


    Going to the city was always exciting! No matter where you looked, you could always see the ocean. The sky was so serene and seemed like it went on forever¡ªlike it was its own little world.


    The breeze was always gentle, the sun was always shining, and doggone it¡ªthis window seat wasn¡¯t doing any of it justice!


    As soon as we pulled into the station, I rushed out just as quickly as I had rushed in. Holding the map up to my face while running, I charted my course.


    ¡°Okay, according to this here map, Shipwreck ain¡¯t too far¡ª¡¯bout a block away!¡±


    I rushed over as quickly as I could, but by the time I arrived, there was already a line¡ªa real long one. It stretched about half the block. Just my luck. Then again, considering it was a tourist attraction, I don¡¯t know what I was expecting.


    ¡°Shucks¡­¡± I muttered. It looked like I was going to have to wait for a while. I hated waiting.


    I¡¯m the kind of person who¡¯s always on the move¡ªjittery and full of energy. As a kid, I could barely sit still most of the time.


    While I was waiting, my eyes started to wander, and that was when something caught my eye¡ªa couple of fellers up on the roof.


    What were they doing up there? I couldn¡¯t see much, but it looked like they were trying to climb the buildings¡ªflipping, running, and jumping or something like that. How are they doing that? I wondered.


    However they were doing it, it sure looked a lot more fun than just standing around. So, I left the line and did my best to keep my eyes on them.


    They seemed to be heading deeper into the city, but I wasn¡¯t going to catch up at this pace. I knew one way to do it, but I had to make sure no one was around to see.


    As I kept running, I cut through alleyways and put my track skills to work, hopping and jumping over obstacles in my way.


    After a minute, I reached a dead end¡ªexactly what I was hoping for. From where I stood, it was going to take one heck of a jump to make it to the roof.


    ¡°Just member what Pa told ya¡­¡± I muttered.


    ¡°When yer using yer powers, think of it like lightin¡¯ a fuse. Let it simmer, and then let it loose.¡±


    From there, I let the warmth build up in my body as I kept running, focusing that energy on my hands. With a running start, I whispered to myself, ¡°Light the fuse¡­¡±


    After a few steps, I raised my hands above my head and pushed into a handspring. ¡°Let it simmer¡­¡± I felt the energy ready to burst as I reached the halfway point of my flip.


    ¡°And then¡­!¡±


    BOOM!


    As I shot into the air, a tickle ran through my tummy, like I was riding on the wind, and a big ol¡¯ smile spread across my face. But that was only half the distance¡ªI wasn¡¯t out of the woods yet.


    Using the momentum from my flip, I found myself nearly upside down in mid-air, at least 15 feet off the ground. Almost there¡ªjust one more jump to go. I just needed to keep focusing on my training.


    ¡°Just remember ya gotta focus your fire when that momentum fades. Get your hands in position for how ya want yer next one to go.¡±


    ¡°Right...¡± In my new position, I focused my energy again, channeling it through my hands as I directed them toward the ground, letting it flow through me again. ¡°Here I go...¡±


    BOOM!


    My body launched upward at a slight angle, but this time, I put too much force into it. Not only did I overshoot the rooftop, but I couldn¡¯t slow down either.


    ¡°Uh-oh¡­!¡±


    I was in it now. Before I knew it, I smacked my head on the edge of a water tower and dropped chest-first onto the rooftop. Shee-yoo. The back of my head was throbbing, but hey, at least I made it.


    ¡°Oww¡­¡±


    Thankfully, I could feel the injury healing itself up, nice and easy-like. Unfortunately, though, I¡¯d lost track of those fellers hopping across the buildings thanks to my little blunder.


    But that¡¯s okay because now that I was up here, I don¡¯t think I¡¯d ever seen the city look this pretty before.


    ¡°Oh, wow¡­¡± If I thought it looked good from the train, nothing could beat this.


    You could see everything from up here¡ªthe tall buildings, the beach, and even the mountains way off in the distance. A friendly little blackbird perched right beside me as if it was enjoying the view, too. Now, this was the way to live.


    As I soaked it all in, my eyes wandered back to the line I¡¯d left. It hadn¡¯t even moved an inch.


    ¡°Heh¡­ Guess Shipwreck can wait.¡±


    From where I was standing, the city in front of me might as well have been a super-sized jungle gym. Just looking at it, I felt my whole body trembling! Was it because I was closer to the sun, or maybe just because I was so excited? Daddy always told me not to use my powers in public, but how could I not? Flying around was way too much fun!


    I pulled out my little map and started planning my next adventure. ¡°The arcade ain¡¯t too far away. Maybe I¡¯ll head there next!¡± With another blast, I raced off toward my next destination, hopping, skipping, and jumping along the way.


    I made sure to be careful where I landed so nobody would catch wind of me.


    When I got there, though¡ªhoo-ee¡ªthis place had everything: skee-ball, a basketball machine, and all sorts of arcade games.


    I always loved these little places, and I couldn¡¯t wait to try them all out!


    I traded in some of my silver dollars for coins and took a seat right in front of my favorite arcade machine. With a big ol¡¯ grin, I booted up a game.


    It was a two-player racing game, but the cabinets had dividers, so you couldn¡¯t see the other person¡¯s screen.


    Just before I could pick my vehicle, these big, bright letters flashed across the screen: ¡°A NEW RACER HAS ENTERED THE TRACK!¡± As soon as I saw that, my eyes lit up! I wasn¡¯t the best at these kinds of games, but I loved a good competition.


    The first few challengers were easy enough, and before long, I was running the cabinets. But then, out of nowhere, when I got to my last challenger, something exciting happened. They were good¡ªlike real-real good.


    They kept hitting those corners with a speed I¡¯d never seen before, darn near draining me of all my quarters. We were neck and neck, turn for turn¡ªit was just me and them.


    By the time we got down to the final round, things were getting down to the wire.


    As the timer ticked down and I was about to clinch a photo-finish victory, the screen suddenly flashed: ¡°DRAW GAME.¡±  Both our cars had crossed the finish line at the exact same time.


    The screen flashed a countdown timer asking to retry, but I guess they didn¡¯t want to keep going since they let it run out.


    ¡°Aww¡­¡± I thought to myself. No way they were gonna let it end like that! Wanting to keep the fun going, I leaned my head out from behind the cabinet divider to look at my opponent.


    ¡°C¡¯mon now, one more race¡ª¡±


    But that¡¯s when I saw her¡ªlong red hair, bright green eyes, and that unmistakable freckled face. Cindy.


    She stared back at me with as much disbelief as I had for her. It only lasted a couple of seconds, but still...


    ¡°C¡¯mon, Cindy... the rest of the class is waiting,¡± someone called out to her. She didn¡¯t say a word; she just turned and walked away. She was wearing a bright yellow shirt that read ¡°Eagle¡¯s Landing Class of ¡¯99¡­¡±¡ªmy old middle school.


    I¡¯d completely forgotten about the class trip scheduled for this summer to celebrate us all moving up to the 8th grade. I was supposed to go, but on account of my incident, I wasn¡¯t allowed to.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.


    I knew that couldn¡¯t have been a coincidence¡ªnobody could bring out the best in me the way she could. By the looks of her arm, those burn scars were still there. Seeing them made me wonder¡­ what does she think of me now? Would all the fun we just had be washed away just because she saw my face? Guess I don¡¯t know¡­


    ¡°Cindy¡­ I¡¯m so sorry.¡±


    I stood there, frozen for a moment, trying to collect my thoughts.


    ¡°Maybe coming here was a bad idea¡­¡±


    My emotions were weighing on me, and just as quickly as I¡¯d arrived, I turned back around and headed off. I just needed to be alone.


    After grabbing a quick snack from a food stand¡ªsome salchipapas¡ªI found a quiet rooftop where I could sit and watch the clouds drift by while munching on my crispy fries. The combination of mustard and sausage was heavenly, but even so, all I could think about was something my daddy once said.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you ever stop feeling that way. You ain¡¯t sick; you just different.¡±


    I kept holding onto his words to stay strong, but after seeing Cindy¡¯s face and being reminded of what I¡¯d done, that wasn¡¯t a weight I felt like lifting again. Sometimes, I wished my powers could make that pain go away.


    As I finished my food, I let my little plastic cup get carried off by the wind. Then I leaned back and laid there for a moment, tying my jacket around my waist and soaking up some sun. It always tickled, and that warm fuzziness made everything feel just a little easier.


    For a minute, it was nice and peaceful, but it didn¡¯t stay that way for long. As pretty as this place was, even a pearl like El Lugar had its cracks.


    Just a few minutes later, a door burst open with a loud snap. I turned my head just in time to see a man get thrown right through it.


    Honestly, it was less of a toss and more like he flew. The sound of the metal creaking made me think the door was about to bust clean off. I just sat there, stunned at the sight.


    As soon as I snapped out of it, I ran over as fast as I could to check on the old man who¡¯d been blasted through the door.


    When I got to him, I saw a pool of blood spreading from his right side¡ªa grisly, deep wound.


    His arm was busted, with the bone sticking out right in the middle of the space between his forearm and bicep. A red river of blood was staining the white cloth he wore.


    I¡¯ve seen so much worse  nowadays, but something about this sight had me shaky. Not just because of how it looked but because of the pain he must¡¯ve been in. And if someone could do that to him¡­ what the heck would they do to me?


    I tried to get his attention, but before I could, I heard faint laughter echoing from someone making their way up the stairwell.


    I turned back toward the door and caught the sound of a tap, tap, tapping, like something was striking the railing.


    The old feller looked like he was trying to come to, but the pain must¡¯ve been too much. He could barely open his eyes¡ªbut at least I knew he was alive.


    ¡°Of all the places to run¡­ why the stairs? Trying to save me the trouble by taking a swan dive yourself¡­?¡± a voice echoed as the footsteps grew closer. The tapping turned into a scraping sound, as if he was dragging something along the ground.


    I¡¯d never been too worried about fighting¡ªheck, I was actually kind of excited. But the thought that I could end up like the old feller wasn¡¯t exactly something I was looking forward to, healing powers or not.


    But now wasn¡¯t the time for that¡ªbecause if I didn¡¯t stop this feller, things might¡¯ve only gotten worse for the old man. I just needed to remember what I¡¯d said to Pa.


    ¡°But what about other people, not everybody can fight like me?¡±


    ¡°If you wanna take care of others, you gotta take care of yourself first.¡±


    As long as I had these powers, I would be fine. The older fella couldn¡¯t take care of himself, so now it was my turn. If Pa were here, he wouldn¡¯t let this man get beat up, and I wasn¡¯t about to either.


    Whenever I got these kinds of jitters, there was always something I told myself.


    ¡°Ain¡¯t nothing a little sunlight can¡¯t fix!¡±


    I turned to face the door, and after a minute, there he was¡ªMr. Tough Guy. I tell you, he was something else. He wore a sharp, fancy suit: a white blazer over a black dress shirt.


    He stood nearly twice my height, and with how perfectly that shirt fit, I¡¯d bet he was hiding some serious muscles under those fancy duds of his.


    ¡°Eh¡­ a gringa here?¡± he said, twirling his bat. A red stain on the end of it splattered right in front of my feet.


    I raised my fists as he stepped closer. ¡°?D¨¦jelo en paz, e-est¨²pido, o si no!¡± That was my way of saying, ¡°Leave him alone, you dummy, or else!¡± My Spanish wasn¡¯t perfect, but I knew enough to say that.


    ¡°?En serio? ?O si no, qu¨¦? ?Eh? ?Qu¨¦ vas a hacer?¡± His words were pure taunt. What he meant was clear: ¡°Are you serious? Eh? What¡¯re you gonna do?¡±


    Hmph, that only made me clench my fists even tighter¡ªno backing down now. He stepped a bit closer, spinning his bat again, and this time, another splatter of blood hit the floor.


    ¡°Beat it, pendeja!¡±


    CLANG!  Before I knew it, that bat cracked me in the jaw¡ªsomething FIERCE! All I remember was the sharp pain of my jaw snapping out of place as my teeth tore through my cheeks and out the other side of my mouth.


    A few seconds later, I hit the ground, blood drooling from the gaps where my teeth used to be and dripping down onto my shirt.


    ¡°Stupid gringa¡­¡±


    I let out a ragged cough, gasping for breath as I felt the small holes in the sides of my face pulsing where my teeth had torn through.


    I was a mess! If you compared how I looked after hitting the chain-link fence to how I looked after taking that bat to the kisser, you¡¯d think I¡¯d been a beauty queen.


    Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Mr. Tough Guy taunting me as I struggled to breathe. What kind of foul person gloats about hitting a little girl?


    But, just like clockwork, I felt the sunlight washing away all the pain. It was like a warm, cozy hug, soothing and comforting.


    Within seconds, my teeth started poking back through my gums, and the bones in my face shifted back into place, good as new. It never really hurt the way you¡¯d think it should, thanks to my powers.


    You should¡¯ve seen the look on Mr. Tough Guy¡¯s face¡ªI tell you, he looked like he¡¯d just seen the second coming.


    ¡°W-what¡­? How are you¡­ doing that!?¡±


    I stood up, wiped the blood off my mouth, and smirked at him, showing off my nice, pearly whites, all back in place.


    ¡°Wanna try again?¡± I asked with a big ol¡¯ chipper smile. What¡¯d I tell ya?


    Stunned, he fumbled to reach into his pocket, probably going for a gun. But before he could pull it out, I got a running start. In a flash, I sent a small burst of sunlight surging through my legs and arms, propelling myself forward like a rocket.


    Before he could even blink, I closed the distance in a flash. My head slammed into his chest with all the force my body could muster.


    BAM!  Direct hit. He stumbled back, clutching his chest, and I swear I heard a bone crack on impact. Couldn¡¯t tell if it was one of his or mine.


    He hit the hard concrete floor like a rock, letting out a wet, ragged cough as he landed. It sounded like he was choking on a fishhook.


    Using my powers like that might¡¯ve been risky, but if he was about to pull out what I thought he was, there was going to be some real trouble¡ªfor the old man and me.


    I gotta to say though, in that moment¡ªknowing he couldn¡¯t hurt me any more¡ªthat was one heck of a thrill.


    After a minute, I tried to get back on my feet, but for some reason, my vision was all blurry. Thankfully, my body took care of it and cleared things up. I can¡¯t say the same for Mr. Tough Guy, though.


    ¡°Hija de puta¡­¡± he groaned.


    When I turned to look his way, I saw he was still keeling over, though the anger in his eyes hadn¡¯t faded. He was practically trying to set me on fire with his glare.


    Once I got my bearings, I looked back at him and stuck out my tongue.


    ¡°Serves you right¡ªI warned ya!¡±


    Now that Mr. Tough Guy was laid out, it was time to tend to the poor feller who was still bleeding out.


    ¡°You okay, mister¡­?¡±


    He didn¡¯t say a word¡ªthe pain must have knocked him out cold. I needed to get him out of there and fast.


    The problem was, I wasn¡¯t exactly strong enough to lift him off the floor¡ªbut I had a feeling my powers might help me pull it off.


    ¡°Hang on, mister. Lemme getcha to a hospital!¡±


    He was a hefty feller¡ªor maybe just hefty for someone for my age. I wasn¡¯t what you¡¯d call book smart, but I did know a thing or two about how the body works.


    Whenever you lift something heavy, your muscles take on tiny bits of damage.


    At the time, I didn¡¯t realize it, but because of the way my powers worked, my body was healing the damage instantly! And the more I kept at it, the stronger I got. Eventually, after about a minute of effort, I was able to lift him off the ground like it was nothing.


    ¡°There we go¡­ c¡¯mon, we gotta get you somewhere safe.¡±


    Now that I had him in my hands, I was able to get him down the stairs and carry him to the hospital.


    Once we arrived, the doctors took him from me and asked for his ID. While they were examining him, I managed to hear someone call out his name.


    ¡°Ernesto Reyes! Get him to a room quick!¡±


    After I left, I made sure to write his name down next to the hospital on my map so I¡¯d remember to come back and check on him to make sure he was okay.


    I wondered what he must have done to make those fellas so mad at him. If I remembered correctly, Pa had once told me that those fancy fellas in suits were called the ¡°Cartel.¡± Nasty folks who sold bad stuff to people out in the streets. I wonder how Mister Ernesto had gotten wrapped up in all that? Maybe I could ask him the next time I saw him.


    But now, with him off getting rest at the hospital, I still had another problem on my hands: my bloody clothes.


    ¡°Now what¡­? If¡¯n Pa sees my clothes like this, he¡¯s gonna flip.¡±


    I looked up at the clock and realized I¡¯d spent most of the morning out here¡ªit was already 2 P.M.


    I ought to have gotten going sooner rather than later, but with my shirt all covered in blood, I had to find a new one fast.


    I didn¡¯t have much of a concept of money back then¡ªheck, I still don¡¯t, even now as an adult. But I pulled out my little jar of silver dollars and thought.


    ¡°This itty bitty chunk of change oughta be enough to get me a new shirt, right¡­?¡±  I had about 8 dollars left.


    Anyhow, I ran over to the nearest clothing store and headed inside. Once there, I grabbed a nice new T-shirt that looked really similar to the one I was wearing.


    After picking it up, I made my way to the register with my little jar of coins. The cashier eyed me from the other side of the counter with a raised brow, and I shot him a big, toothy grin as I laid down my jar.


    And well, without even needing to count them all, he just said, ¡°Next!¡± I didn¡¯t need to know how to speak Spanish to figure out what that meant, dangit...!


    With that being a bust, I took my little sandals and marched out of the store, then took a seat on the sidewalk. Man...


    ¡°Ay, ?qu¨¦ pasa, mija¡­?¡± said a real soft voice. I looked over and saw this nice old lady staring at me.


    She was real pretty-like, with long black hair tied up in a little purple hairband. I tried to say something, but the right words wouldn¡¯t come to me.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright, I can speak English if you¡¯d like. What¡¯s wrong?¡± she said. I let out a sigh of relief, figuring it must¡¯ve been pretty obvious I wasn¡¯t a native¡ªand I was still tripping over my Spanish.


    ¡°Well¡­ I done got my clothes dirty, and I need some new ones¡­¡± I said, leaning back and showing her my shirt. The lady frowned and extended her hand to me.


    ¡°Is that so¡­? Come with me.¡±


    I took her hand, and we walked right back into the store, heading to the youth section. ¡°Which one do you want?¡± she asked.


    I pointed to the shirt I¡¯d been eyeing on the rack. ¡°That one¡­¡±


    She took it down, and we walked together to the counter, where she paid the nice man for it.


    ¡°There you are¡­ no more trouble,¡± she said with a smile as she handed it to me. I held the piece of fabric in my hands and looked up at her.


    ¡°Thank you, miss¡­ How can I pay ya back? I think I got some coins left¡­¡± I said, rummaging through my jacket to offer her some of my silver dollars.


    ¡°No, no, don¡¯t worry, mija¡­ Just pay it forward. It¡¯ll come back to you in time.¡±


    I nodded, though I wasn¡¯t too sure what she meant. Anyhow, with my new shirt fresh off the rack, I headed into the fitting room and put it on. But by the time I came out, she was gone. Somehow, though, I had a feeling I¡¯d see her again¡ªjust a hunch.


    But with all that settled¡ªbetween fighting with Mister Tough Guy, running through the city, and playing at the arcade¡ªI figured it was time for me to head back home.


    Stunk, too¡ªfighting that feller up top had made me miss my magic show. I guessed I¡¯d get my chance eventually. The day hadn¡¯t turned out like I wanted, but at least it was eventful.


    Fighting that varmint had been an unexpected surprise, and the arcade had been a lot of fun! Still, I hoped Cindy was having a good time on the trip with the others¡­ even if I was pretty sure she hates me. For now, I just needed to get home. Hopefully, that nice man was gonna be okay.


    All through the train ride home, I couldn¡¯t stop wondering who Mr. Tough Guy was, why he attacked Mr Ernesto, and what they wanted with him. If breaking his arm was part of the plan, it couldn¡¯t have been good. But I guess that¡¯s an adventure for next time.

 The Light at the top of the Summit

    As I made my way back home, the coast seemed clear, so I ran inside quickly to the washing machine. I tossed in my shirt to make sure I could get those stains out. ¡°Phew¡­¡± Mission accomplished.


    I was so tired from running around all day that I almost crashed right onto the couch. But just as I was nodding off, a loud BRRRRRING from the phone jolted me wide awake. It gave me such a start that I nearly jumped out of my skin. If I hadn¡¯t been so tired, I might¡¯ve been annoyed.


    But who could that have been? I shuffled around on the couch, turned my head toward the phone, and raised my eyebrows at it.


    Daddy always told me never to answer the phone unless it was his voice on the other side of the answering machine. And lo and behold...


    ¡°Hey, sweetpea¡­ it¡¯s Pa. No need to pick up the phone since Imma make this quick. Imma be a little late getting home today. I figured I mighta been but needed to get confirmation afore given ya a call.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t too unusual for Daddy to come home late, but it didn¡¯t happen often. Daddy was a mechanic, and he usually had a set schedule since there was always someone to cover for him. If he was late, though, I figured it probably meant someone had called in sick.


    ¡°We ain¡¯t got nothing to eat in the fridge, so I want ya to go into my room and look in my closet. On the right of it, you¡¯ll see a jar that says ¡®emergencies only.¡¯ Take the twenty dollars outta there and order yourself a pizza. I ain¡¯t sure when Imma be back, but save a slice for your pa and make sure you¡¯re in bed afore 9, ya hear?¡±


    The phone clicked, and that was that. Most kids would¡¯ve loved having the house to themselves¡ªstaying up late, hogging the TV, watching things they weren¡¯t supposed to, and blasting music as loud as they wanted. But honestly, it felt kind of lonely without him there to eat with me.


    Usually, we¡¯d sit together, and he¡¯d tell me about his day and the customers he met at the shop. I never really understood much of it, but he always seemed happy just to have someone to listen. Afterward, I¡¯d help him with the dishes, we¡¯d say our prayers, and head to bed. I never liked it when he came home late, but sometimes, that¡¯s just how things were.


    ¡°Guess it¡¯s just me and you tonight, Momma,¡± I said, glancing over at the shrine we kept for her above the fireplace. Even if Pa couldn¡¯t be here, I always knew she was keeping me company. I wondered what she must¡¯ve been thinking, looking down from up on high. I hoped she¡¯d found her peace on the other side.


    Later, after drying my clothes, I settled in and ordered myself a nice pizza, taking a few slices into my room. While I sat there, I reflected on the day¡¯s events. I couldn¡¯t get the old man off my mind. I kept replaying the fight over and over in my head, thinking about his injuries. It had me seeing more red than the tomato sauce on that pizza.


    But there just wasn¡¯t nothing I could do¡­ It was a funny feeling, having these powers and still knowing that even though I could help people, some things just couldn¡¯t be changed. I guess all I could do was my best, yeah? Maybe the most important thing was using ¡¯em my way to make a difference¡ªand not letting nobody tell me how to do it.


    Anyway, I eventually finished off my pizza, left a couple slices in the box, and shoved it in the fridge for Pa. It was dark out, so I didn¡¯t have much else to do when it came to practice. I headed to my room and started watching reruns of old cartoons until I finally passed out in bed.


    I was sound asleep for a good few hours when I heard the sound of a car pulling into the driveway. ¡°Huh¡­?¡± I mumbled as I wiped the slobber from my lips and sat up in bed.


    ¡°Daddy!¡± I bounced up and ran to the door, pulling it open eagerly as I waited for him to come inside. The engine of his car shut off, and the familiar hum of his pickup faded into the night.


    He stepped out of the truck, looking a little surprised to see me, probably because it was well past 9¡ªcloser to 10 or 10:30.


    ¡°Sunny¡­?¡± he said, glancing in my direction. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry, did I wake you? Guess I must¡¯ve had my brights on.¡±


    ¡°Nah, it¡¯s okay!¡± I ran over to him and threw my arms around him. He hugged me back, squeezing me tight.


    ¡°You save me a slice?¡± he asked with a smile.


    I nodded enthusiastically. ¡°Sure did!¡±


    He leaned down, kissed me on the forehead, and gave my hair a playful ruffle.


    ¡°Well, you go on inside. I¡¯ll be just a minute.¡±


    I nodded and headed back inside, pulling the box of pizza out of the fridge and setting it on the counter for him. After a moment, he came in, carrying his toolbox and a small plastic bag¡ªprobably his lunch leftovers.


    He sure looked sluggish; it must¡¯ve been a hard day. His boots and overalls were smeared with oil, and his eyes were red and puffy. Guess somebody must¡¯ve had a busted engine.


    ¡°Aww, thank you, darlin. You ain¡¯t have to take it out for me. You go on and get to bed. It¡¯s late.¡±


    ¡°Okay¡­love you, paw paw.¡±


    ¡°I love you too, sweetpea.¡±


    The next morning, I got myself up pretty early and headed straight out to the beach to soak up some rays and get some practice in. I kept thinking about how I handled that scrap the other day with Mr. Tough Guy on the roof. While it wasn¡¯t bad, I knew I couldn¡¯t keep doing things like that.


    I needed more ¡°technique¡± when it came to my... well, techniques. Something that wasn¡¯t so reckless. Charging in headfirst all the time just wasn¡¯t going to cut it.


    So, I started working on something different¡ªtaking the same principles and applying them in new ways. I didn¡¯t want to rely on my powers in a fight, especially since I made a promise to Pa. But after what happened the other day and how bad things could¡¯ve gone, I knew I couldn¡¯t afford to be careless.


    ¡°So if¡¯n I can send a boost to the back of my leg to shoot myself forward¡­ maybe if¡¯n I get a better handle on it, I could maybe¡­¡±


    I sat there for a good few minutes, going over ideas in my head about what I wanted to do and how I wanted to handle it. After a minute, it came to me.


    ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s try it this way!¡±


    A smirk spread across my face as I gave myself a running start. I funneled some energy beneath my legs and jumped straight up, twisting my body in the air like one of those flying kicks you see in the movies. Once I was fully off the ground, I let a burst of energy surge around me, propelling me forward. My arms swung back as my leg shot out in front, driving the motion.


    Ka-schooom!


    I shot through the air in a short burst, then quickly sent another burst to spin my body around just a touch before skidding into a landing. A bit of a messy one, anyway. I was standing upright for a good few seconds before I dropped back and plopped into the sand. Honestly, it was kinda funny.


    ¡°Whooooa,¡± I said, laughing for a minute.


    ¡°Hoo¡­ okay¡­ I thank I got an idea, but Imma need to work on that landin¡¯¡­ and maybe spruce it up a bit more. Feels a little sloppy.¡±


    As I lay in the sand for a second, I looked up at the bright blue sky and the sunny day ahead of me. Instead of getting up, I just rested my hands behind my head.


    ¡°Now, this here is a way to live,¡± I said, grinning.


    Or at least it was¡ªuntil I heard the door creaking.


    ¡°Sunny-girl, what¡¯re ya doing out there?!¡±


    Hearing Pappy¡¯s voice, I raised my head and looked over at him, cupping my hands around my mouth to holler back.


    ¡°Practicin!¡±


    ¡°Well, come on inside and help with breakfast!¡±


    I hopped up out of the sand and made my way over to him¡ªbut not before brushing the sand off me and running ahead.


    Once I got inside, I was greeted by the mouthwatering smell of some nice, juicy bacon. The griddle was sizzling, and I could hear the oil popping in the pan.


    ¡°Hoo-ee, smell that breakfast,¡± I said, licking my chops.


    ¡°Well, it ain¡¯t done yet. C¡¯mon now, you get the eggs.¡±


    ¡°Sir, yes sir!¡±


    I gave my daddy a silly little salute and quickly grabbed the carton of eggs, cracking them into a bowl and whisking them up.


    My stomach was already rumbling at the thought of how good it was all gonna taste when we were done. Normally, we¡¯d cook dinner together, so it was nice to make up for it this morning.


    ¡°Trying out something new?¡± he asked, glancing at me out of the corner of his eye.


    ¡°Well, kinda  just doing movement drills¡­figured it was a good way to make practicin control more interestin¡¯ stead o doing the same thang all the time.¡±


    As I handed him the bowl of whisked eggs, he poured them onto the hot skillet. The eggs hissed and crackled as they hit the pan, filling the kitchen with their savory aroma.


    ¡°Well look-at-chu being responsible¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s like you said¡­if¡¯n I wanna protect others, I gotta take care o myself.¡±


    ¡°Good ta know yer listenin at least, but ya know I been thinkin¡­¡±


    As he spoke, I grabbed some bread and popped it into the toaster, but my eyes never left his gaze while I worked. Just what was he thinkin¡¯?


    ¡°You¡¯ve been a good girl these last few months, and I know bein cooped up here has been hard fer ya¡­so as a reward fer yer good behavior¡­¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m thinking that maybe it¡¯s time to get you a cellphone fer your 13th birthday.¡±


    ¡°Ya mean it?¡± I said, practically banging on the table.


    ¡°Hey, easy now¡ªdon¡¯t shake up the pan.¡±


    ¡°Sorry, Pa!¡±


    ¡°But yes¡­yer a big girl now. Gonna be a teenager now, and I thank you earned a little freedom.¡±


    As soon as the toast popped out of the toaster, I waited for him to set down the eggs before giving him a big old hug.


    ¡°Aww, thank ya, Daddy!¡± I said with a grin. Heh, funny how things worked out. If I¡¯d just waited a day, I¡¯d have gotten the freedom to go out whenever I wanted. But if I hadn¡¯t, Mr. Ernesto might¡¯ve been front-page news.


    ¡°Anyhow, we can talk about that next week¡­ fer now¡­¡± He set my plate in front of me, leaned down to kiss me on the forehead as I sat at the table, and then started for the door.


    ¡°I gotta get goin to work.¡±


    It was always like this¡ªPa made sure I had something hot for breakfast every morning before heading off to work. Part of me felt a little upset, though, since we didn¡¯t get to eat together last night. But the mechanic shop he worked at got pretty busy, so it was either him getting up early and leaving me with nothing or going in late to steal a little time with me.


    ¡°Might be late again, so don¡¯t stay up. Ya got leftover pizza in the fridge, so survive on that, and I¡¯ll cook ya up somethin¡¯ when I get home tonight, okay? That way, ya can have somethin¡¯ fresh for tomorrow evenin¡¯.¡±


    I nodded.


    ¡°Sure thing, Daddy!¡± I said. Guess he was expecting to be late for a good few days. With that, Pappy made his way out the door and headed off to work.


    Once I finished my breakfast, it was time for me to get ready, too. I really didn¡¯t like lying to him like this, but maybe once I got my cellphone, I could clue him in on everything.


    For now, though, I had to get going. The train was arriving soon, and I needed to visit Mr. Ernesto. I really hoped he was doing okay after everything that had happened the other day.


    After finishing my meal, I grabbed my little bag, threw on my jacket, and caught the first train to the city. Thanks to marking up my map, I found the hospital quickly and made my way to the front counter.


    ¡°¡¯Scuse me, miss.¡± The older lady turned in her chair, looking a bit surprised to see me.


    ¡°Ah, good morning!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m here to see Mr. Ernesto Reyes¡­¡± She nodded, almost as if she had been expecting that answer.


    ¡°Right this way.¡±


    After leading me down the hallway, she took me into Mr. Ernesto¡¯s hospital room. He was looking better than the day before, but I don¡¯t think I¡¯d realized just how badly he¡¯d been beaten. Not only was his arm taped up, but he also had bandages on the side of his ribs. It must¡¯ve been worse than I thought.


    ¡°Mr. Reyes, you have another visitor,¡± she said, gesturing toward me with a smile.


    ¡°You¡­ do I know you?¡± he asked, sounding a bit confused. Seeing as he¡¯d been out cold for most of the day after I brought him in, I figured he might not recognize me¡ªhe¡¯d never seen me before, after all.


    ¡°This young woman brought you here after you broke your arm the other day,¡± she explained.


    He looked at me in disbelief.


    ¡°Impossible, she¡¯s just a little girl.¡±


    That¡¯s what he thought.


    ¡°Heh, I¡¯m a bit more than that¡­¡± I said with a grin. After a moment, I took my hand and grabbed hold of my wrist, focusing some of my sunlight until a shiny little orb glowed right in my palm.


    He and the nurse stared in disbelief as a small burst of heat flooded the room. ¡°See¡­¡± I said, glancing at the two of them with a smile as the shockwave from the heat made my clothes ruffle. The nurse quickly stepped back.


    ¡°I¡ª I think I¡¯ll just leave you to it, then,¡± she said, looking a bit flustered as she power-walked out of the room. I figured hospital folk might¡¯ve seen people like us all the time, but I guess that doesn¡¯t make it any less scary.


    After she left, I pulled up a chair and sat across from Mr. Ernesto.


    As I got myself settled, he fixed his gaze on me. He looked a bit surprised to see me.


    ¡°You came all the way here just to see if I was alright¡­?¡±


    ¡°Ya-huh¡­! I got worried after I saw how bad you done got beat around so I wanted to check on ya.¡± I shot him a big, toothy grin.


    He nodded slowly, his eyes drifting over to his arm. ¡°Gracias, chica.¡± His voice was kind of stony as if he was speaking from a place of regret or something. Poor fella.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, mister? I took care o that feller for ya, so he ain¡¯t gonna bother ya!¡± I figured that¡¯d be enough to perk him up but I wasn¡¯t sure.


    ¡°If only I had your optimism¡­¡±


    ¡°Watcha mean¡­?¡±


    Before he could answer, the door creaked open, and the nurse came back in. I couldn¡¯t help but notice that his eyes stayed on me the whole time. He seemed a bit annoyed.


    ¡°Mr. Ernesto, you have another visitor,¡± she announced.


    Hearing her voice, I turned to see who it was¡ªand wouldn¡¯t you believe it, there was that nice old lady from the day before. She stood next to the nurse, her eyes locked on Mr. Ernesto, not even noticing me. I¡¯d figured I might see her again, but certainly not like this.


    ¡°Ernesto¡­te duele algo? Como te sientes?¡±


    She wrapped her arms around him, her expression softening with concern as she looked him over. I didn¡¯t want to interrupt, but I sure wasn¡¯t expecting to see her here.


    Was she his wife or something? Nah, couldn¡¯t be¡ªthat wasn¡¯t how Daddy acted whenever Momma was sick in bed. There was something different about it.


    After giving him a hug, she finally noticed me out of the corner of her eye.


    ¡°Ah, it¡¯s you¡­!?¡± the older lady said.


    ¡°You know her?¡± Mr. Ernesto asked, his brow furrowed as he looked from the older lady to me and back again.


    He seemed just as shocked as we were that we were both even here.


    ¡°Yeah, she done bought me a new shirt yesterday¡­¡± I said, patting it down with a smile. ¡°Good ta see ya!¡±


    ¡°But why are you here, mija?¡±


    I pointed to Mr. Ernesto. ¡°I was just making sure he was okay¡­?¡±


    ¡°Por dios¡­is that why your shirt was covered in blood¡­?¡±


    She looked like a lightbulb went off in her head as she put the pieces together, then turned back toward him.


    This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    ¡°Porque no lo digo, que te pusiste una chica en peligro!? Es Malo!¡±


    She was getting mad at him for putting me in danger. But if I¡¯m being honest, it was my choice to get involved, so he didn¡¯t deserve the blame for that.


    ¡°Actually, ma¡¯am, I did it myself¡­it was my choice¡­I if¡¯n ya¡¯ll want I can fill ya¡¯ll in on everythang¡­¡±


    The two of them stopped arguing and looked at me.


    ¡°Okay, chica. Explain¡­¡±


    And that¡¯s exactly what I did¡ªI told Mr. Ernesto everything that happened after he lost consciousness and filled in the lady, who I later found out was actually his younger sister, about what took place that day.


    ¡°I see¡­ so that¡¯s how you did it,¡± Mr. Ernesto said, rubbing his chin.


    ¡°Thank you for helping him¡­ mija,¡± she said, smiling at me. But almost in the same breath, she turned back to her brother and started flipping out again. It was like she was angry, disappointed, and worried all at the same time¡ªI couldn¡¯t quite tell.


    ¡°What is wrong with you¡­why put yourself in danger by making deals con el cartel?¡±


    ¡°We needed their help for the shelter!¡±


    ¡°There were other ways, Ernesto. Out of all of them, why this one¡­?¡±


    She seemed to be in a really bad way after learning all this, and all I could do was watch.


    ¡°Hermanita escuches, you have to go¡­Don¡¯t let anyone know you came to see me, and if someone turns up at the shelter looking for me, diga nada!¡±


    That sounded worrying, so naturally, I had to say something.


    ¡°Wait, hang on, hang on¡­can¡¯t I do something to help¡­?¡±


    ¡°My affairs are not your concern, chica.¡±


    ¡°Ernesto¡­calm down, she¡¯s just trying to help¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need to involve any more people in my problems¡­!¡±


    I could hear a crack in his voice, and I couldn¡¯t even begin to imagine what was going through his mind. I understand now, but back then, all I could see were his eyes¡ªthey looked so... distraught, I think that¡¯s the word. And even now that I¡¯m old enough to understand what he meant a bit more clearly, it doesn¡¯t hurt any less.


    ¡°Please¡­¡± he begged.


    ¡°Mija¡­could you give me and my brother a moment?¡± the old lady requested.


    I nodded and left the room. After a little while, she came out to talk to me, a worried look on her face. It seemed like her brother was in a lot of anguish.


    I really wanted to help him, but it seemed like he wouldn¡¯t budge on what he was thinking. Still, after everything that happened yesterday, I had some questions.


    ¡°Well, how is he¡­?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s going to be fine¡­ he just has a lot on his mind. But again, thank you for yesterday.¡±


    ¡°Well, I guess this is my way of paying it forward¡­?¡±


    ¡°Not exactly¡­ but the sentiment is there,¡± she said with a smile.


    ¡°Are ya¡¯ll sure there ain¡¯t nothing I can do? If¡¯n ya¡¯ll are really having some trouble with them mobster fellas, I wanna help! It¡¯s why I¡¯m here! I was the one who stepped in there for em, and I think that if¨C ¡±


    ¡°Mija, gracias. But this is not your problem anymore.¡±


    ¡°Enough, hermanita.¡±


    There was a brief silence as his sister turned back toward him. For a moment, the only sounds were the steady beeping of the heart monitor and faint chatter from the other rooms.


    ¡°Ernesto,¡± she said, her voice a little shaky as she faced him again.


    ¡°I may not want her involved in my affairs, but I cannot stop her even if I wanted to. Besides, she deserves a warning at the very least.¡±


    ¡°A warning¡­?¡± I asked, looking over at him. He motioned for me to come closer with a wave of his hand.


    ¡°Ernesto, you cannot let this child get involved any more than she already has!¡± his sister exclaimed.


    ¡°Hermanita, you and I both know how ruthless the Cima can be. To not tell her the truth es suicida!¡± he replied firmly.


    I got up and followed him into the room, glancing between the two as they argued.


    The old lady let out a sigh. ¡°I need to be going. I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re going to do, mija¡­ but regardless of what my brother tells you, please be careful.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯tchu worry, ma¡¯am¡­ain¡¯t nothing a little sunlight can¡¯t fix,¡± I said with a smile as she made her way down the hallway. Somehow, something about how I said it made her smile, too.


    As I stepped into the room, Mr. Ernesto asked me to shut the door.


    ¡°So, where do I begin¡­?¡±


    For a good couple of minutes, Mr. Ernesto spilled the beans on everything¡ªwho these people were and what they were all about.


    ¡°They call themselves the Cima Cartel¡­ or ¡®La Cima¡¯ for short. They mainly deal in drug trade but have been expanding into loan sharking and racketeering after learning from the American Mafia.¡±


    American Mafia? Now, that was interesting. Guess birds of a dirty feather flock together. I didn¡¯t know much about them aside from some old movies Daddy used to watch¡ªhe always warned me about them.


    From how Mr. Ernesto talked, it sounded as if he knew their tactics well. Made me wonder¡ªwas this the first time he¡¯d worked with them, or was this just common knowledge to the locals out here? I¡¯d never heard a peep about them, but maybe I just wasn¡¯t listening.


    ¡°They don¡¯t take kindly to people meddling in their affairs. I won¡¯t go into detail, but that man you fought yesterday wasn¡¯t just roughing me up for the fun of it. He intended to kill me.¡±


    I raised my brow at that. ¡°Kill you? For what¡­!?¡± How could somebody take the life of another like that? I remember Momma once told me that when she was deployed, there were lives she had to take. Even if they weren¡¯t human, she said, all life was sacred, and she never did it without thought.


    She never wanted to, but she knew she had to. Hearing about this feller doing so for what seemed like no reason at all didn¡¯t sit right with me. Still doesn¡¯t. I don¡¯t like how it made me feel.


    ¡°That isn¡¯t important,¡± he said. ¡°What is is that since you attacked them, you¡¯re more than likely one of their next marks.¡±


    ¡°Me¡­?¡±


    ¡°Do you think they are going to give you a break because you are a child¡­?¡±


    ¡°Well, honestly, sir, I¡¯m not really thinking about anything. The only thing that matters at the moment is that you are okay¡­¡±


    ¡°To be so young and naive again¡­¡± he paused ¡°You are a good child. I¡¯m sure your parents are proud of you. But unfortunately, La Cima doesn¡¯t care who or what you are.¡±


    ¡°What d¡¯ya mean what I am¡­?¡±


    ¡°Hybrid''s like yourself are uncommon, but La Cima knows that. From the few times I¡¯ve seen them, I¡¯ve noticed they have some among their ranks.¡±


    ¡°Really¡­?¡±


    ¡°S¨ª¡­ and for that reason, I feel it¡¯s only fair to warn you that, due to your display, they are bound to send one after you as well.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re sure¡­?¡±


    ¡°Honestly¡­no. La Cima is unpredictable. Their manner of exacting revenge comes in many forms, and I, for one, am not in the know. But all I can say is, be careful¡­¡±


    ¡°Thank ya, Mr. Ernesto¡­ So¡­ you know when you¡¯re getting out of here¡­?¡±


    ¡°The beating I sustained was pretty bad, but I should be able to leave in the morning.¡±


    ¡°What time?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s too early for you to be here, but if you want to check on me, why not come by the shelter tomorrow? We could use those muscles of yours to help move some things in.¡±


    ¡°You bet! Anythang to help!¡±


    ¡°Here. I¡¯ll give you the address.¡± After that, he handed me the address, and I made my way out. It felt good to help him out, even if it wasn¡¯t the way I wanted. I still couldn¡¯t believe what he had gotten himself wrapped up in. I was gonna find a way to help him and teach these varmints a lesson¡­ Guess I just needed to figure out how.


    But since there wasn¡¯t anything I could do other than wait, maybe going on another little adventure around town might help clear my mind.


    It was still bright and sunny outside, and there were some spots I hadn¡¯t seen yet.


    So, I opened up my map, took a couple of steps onto the sidewalk, and then¡­


    BANG!


    I got knocked right to the ground, the front of my head smacking the pavement. What the heck just hit me!?


    ¡°Hey, are you alright?¡± said a soft little voice. When I looked up, I saw this pretty little bright blue-haired girl, who looked about my age, riding on some rollerblades with fancy-looking pads.


    ¡°Dude, you¡¯re bleeding!¡± she said. But I wasn¡¯t worried¡ªafter just a moment, I could feel my injury healing itself right up, just like always. I even let out a little giggle since it kind of tickled sometimes.


    ¡°Whoa¡­ are you¡­¡± she leaned down toward me and whispered, covering one side of her mouth with her hand and shifting her eyes every which way. ¡°A hybrid¡­?¡±


    I nodded. ¡°Mhmm, sure am!¡± With a chuckle, I stood up on my feet. ¡°I¡¯m Sunny, Sunny Duncan!¡± I said, extending my hand her way.


    ¡°Soy Luz!¡± she said, shaking my hand. ¡°Sorry about bumping into you¡­ dude.¡±


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s all fine, just need to grab my¡­ my MAP!¡± As I looked around, I realized that my map had been torn in two when she knocked me down. ¡°Aww, man¡­¡±


    ¡°That is totally my bad, man¡­let me getcha a new one. There¡¯s a gas station not far away that should have some atlases for sale.¡±


    As I looked down at the remains of my map, I glanced over at her. ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, c¡¯mon¡­ it¡¯s the least I can do for busting you open!¡± And just like that, we were off¡ªthis time with a partner.


    Luz seemed cool. Something about the way she spoke was fun. I¡¯d never really met anyone like her before. While we were walking, she kept using her rollerblades to pull off all sorts of fancy tricks!


    ¡°?So¡­A d¨®nde vas?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­I ain¡¯t too sure. I got a lotta stuff on my mind, but I guess I¡¯d say Hechizo¡­¡±


    ¡°You were going to Hechizo? I love it out there, man! I catch his shows on TV all the time!¡±


    ¡°Yeah! Hechizo is amazing! He¡¯s magic. I like magic!¡± I say that a lot more now than I did back then.


    ¡°Well, c¡¯mon. I¡¯ll race ya to the gas station. Shows gonna start real soon!¡±


    ¡°Yer on!¡±


    After that, we headed to the gas station and picked up a new map. Before we left, I marked it up with my little pen, noting all the places I hadn¡¯t had the chance to visit yet.


    We made our way across the city. I kind of felt like flying, but I didn¡¯t want to leave Luz out here on her own, and I definitely didn¡¯t want to accidentally hurt her, either.


    After a short walk to the train station and another quick ride to the far side of the city, we finally made it to Hechizo! The building was big and red, made of brick, and looked like one of those old movie theaters with a marquee and a big ol¡¯ top hat sitting on top of the sign.


    ¡°Alright¡­! Now, all we gotta do is just¡­¡± I froze up because, out of the corner of my eye, I saw those familiar shirts again.


    Looked like Hechizo was my classmates¡¯ next stop on their little trip. And I still didn¡¯t think I was ready to face Cindy again¡ªat least, not yet.


    ¡°Sunny¡­what¡¯s wrong¡­?¡± Luz asked.


    ¡°I¡¯unno. Maybe we oughta not go. I-I¡¯m feeling kinda hungry all of a sudden.¡± Just thinking about it got me all sweaty.


    Luz seemed a bit confused by my sudden change of heart, but I didn¡¯t really want to say too much. Probably better that way, anyhow.


    ¡°You sure¡­?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I can always go some other day.¡±


    Luz put her hands on her hips, looking concerned but still happy to go along. Honestly, I was glad she didn¡¯t keep asking.


    ¡°So, where are we eating¡­?¡±


    ¡°Ever heard of a place called Shipwreck?¡±


    ¡°Heard of it? Heh, I go there all the time¡­¡±


    She gestured for me to come closer like she wanted to whisper something.


    ¡°A friend of mine knows the owner, so sometimes he lets us go ahead of everybody else.¡±


    ¡°Wowie¡­¡±


    ¡°C¡¯mon, lunch rush is right about now. It¡¯ll be another train ride, but I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll manage!¡±


    By this point, I¡¯m guessing their train conductor was getting sick of seeing our faces. I felt bad for wasting Luz¡¯s time, but she was a good sport about it.


    After a while, she and I finally made it out to Shipwreck. As usual, the line was ridiculously long¡ªprobably even longer than the last time I was here.


    ¡°You sure we can get in here, Luz¡­?¡±


    As we stood in line for a couple of minutes, we turned the corner, and one of the staff seemed to notice us. He was a stocky guy wearing a little bow tie, a white dress shirt, and dark shoes. He turned and looked in my direction, and for a second, I thought he was talking to me. But then¡­


    ¡°Luuz!¡± he called out, looking right past me. ¡°What¡¯re you doing waiting in line? C¡¯mon, let¡¯s get you seated.¡±


    Luz glanced back at me with this sort of half-smile, half-smirk, like she was up to something.


    ¡°Hey, not just me. I brought a friend,¡± she said, pointing back toward me. The waiter gave a polite bow as if to say, come along.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, Sunny.¡±


    I glanced back and noticed some of the guys in line tearing us apart with their stares. I felt kinda bad.


    ¡°Are you sure we should be skipping ahead of all these people?¡± I whispered to Luz, hunching over a little.


    ¡°You really wanna stand in line just to get told no when you get to the front¡­?¡±


    She had a point, but even now, thinking back on it, I still feel bad. I just hope at least some of them ended up getting in.


    As much as I didn¡¯t like skipping the line, I¡¯d never seen the inside of this place before¡ªonly in magazines¡ªand shoo-ee, it was something else. A massive cruise liner outfitted with all kinds of places inside, one of them being a restaurant!


    All sorts of folks were in there¡ªsome dressed in what looked like their Sunday best, while others were in casual clothes like me and Luz. They led us to a cozy spot in the center, near a nice man playing in a small band. Pretty plants surrounded the area in front of the stage, and there were two decks where people could eat¡ªone up top and another down below.


    ¡°Hoo-ee, this place is fancy!¡± I said, looking around and taking it all in¡ªthe sights, the sounds, and the delicious scent of seafood wafting through the air as waitresses carried entrees to their guests.


    ¡°And you wanted to wait outside¡­so what¡¯ll you have?¡±


    ¡°Well, I dunno¡­I ain¡¯t never been here a¡¯fore¡­I¡¯ll have whatever you recommend.¡±


    ¡°Excellente! Try the Bandeja Paisa. It¡¯s the national dish of Colombia and ugh¡­que rico¡­!¡±


    With a ringing endorsement like that, it had to be good. I glanced at the little picture on the menu, and man, did it look delicious.


    ¡°Order whatever you like, dude. I¡¯ll foot the bill!¡±


    ¡°You sure? I can at least pay ya back a little. I ain¡¯t got much, but¡­¡±


    ¡°No, I promise you it¡¯s fine¡­! Eat, eat!¡±


    After a minute, the waiter came over, and the two of us placed our orders. I got myself a cola and went with her recommendation¡ªand wouldn¡¯t you know it, she ordered the same thing.


    She sure was nice. I guess it was my lucky day to have met someone like her.


    ¡°Hey, since our food¡¯s gonna take a minute, do you mind if I run to the bathroom real quick?¡± she said, wriggling a little in her seat.


    ¡°Yeah, no problem, do yer thang!¡±


    After a quick minute, she disappeared but came back in no time at all.


    ¡°Okay, sorry about that¡­ So, tell me something, Sunny¡ªwhat¡¯s a gringa like yourself doing out here? You on vacation or¡­?¡±


    ¡°Actually, I live out in Eagleview. My folks were soldiers on the military base out there.¡±


    ¡°Oh, so you¡¯re from the US! What¡¯s it like out there? I¡¯ve never been¡ªalways wanted to go!¡±


    ¡°Actually, heh, I ain¡¯t never been. Lived here my whole life. I was born on that old base, as a matter of fact.¡±


    ¡°No way¡­what was it like living on base¡­?¡±


    ¡°Well, it was actually pretty something. Where I lived, ya¡¯d never know it was a base since it all looked like the suburbs, but sometimes, we¡¯d hear the sounds of helicopters and planes from the base. But every 4th o July, we got the best fireworks and even a little air show.¡±


    ¡°Awwww¡­like with the jets and stuff!¡±


    ¡°Mhmm¡­! It was extra special for me since my Momma was a pilot!¡±


    ¡°Whoa¡­ Did she serve in the war? Did she get to see any aliens?¡± Luz practically made a scene as she leaned over the table, getting right up in my face.


    ¡°Well¡­ I dunno.¡± After she asked that question, my heart got a little heavy. ¡°I never got to ask her¡­¡±


    There was a moment of silence, and she pulled back a little, probably sensing what that must¡¯ve meant from the shift in my voice.


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry¡­¡±


    ¡°Nah, it¡¯s fine. It ain¡¯t yer fault¡­just still a little fresh is all. She¡¯s been gone for nearly 2 years now.¡±


    ¡°I know that feeling¡­ I lost both my parents after the war. It¡¯s just me and my older sister now.¡±


    Both parents¡­wow. I couldn¡¯t imagine.


    ¡°But hey, if it wasn¡¯t for people like your mom, maybe me and my sister wouldn¡¯t be here either.¡±


    That was such a sweet thing to say, even though it came from a place of such pain. I know I lost my Momma, but I guess some people had it even worse than me. Maybe I should count my blessings. Still, it felt good to know that folks thought of people like my mom and dad as heroes. It made me proud to be their kid.


    ¡°Thanks, Luz. That was mighty kind of ya. I bet your parents sure are proud of you, too.¡±


    Luz looked a little distant, her chipper attitude fading for a moment.


    ¡°Yeah¡­¡±


    There was a brief silence as if she was reflecting on something. But just as quickly, she snapped back to her usual self.


    ¡°Anyway¡­what¡¯s your favorite magic trick?!¡±


    ¡°Hoo, hoo¡­ I thought you¡¯d never ask!¡±


    For a while, she and I carried on, shooting the breeze about cards and magic, sports, TV¡ªthe things we liked, hated, and wanted to be when we grew up. It was the closest thing I¡¯d had to a normal day in a good long while.


    And for some reason, when I saw how Luz spoke, I got this feeling that, in some small way, she felt the same way, too.


    Before long, our food arrived, and Luz rubbed her hands together the second it hit the table. I have to say, the food was so well-made that you could smell every seasoning as if it were wafting right off the dish.


    The pinto beans were amazing. Combine that with the fried eggs, the chorizo, and the blood sausage¡ªman, it was good! There was even something called chicharr¨®n, which I¡¯d never had before, and it was fantastic. This girl sure knew how to pick some good eats, and I enjoyed every second of it.


    ¡°What¡¯d I tell you¡­good, eh?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, so where to now?¡± I asked as she left the money behind to pay for our food.


    ¡°Wanna hit the arcade?¡± she said, an eager look lighting up her face.


    ¡°You¡¯re on!¡±


    So, after settling the bill, we took one last train ride into the city and spent the next couple of hours playing games at the arcade. When all was said and done, it was time to head home.


    I¡¯m gonna be honest, though¡ªafter all the fun I had, I don¡¯t think I wanted it to end. But all good things do.


    We made our way to the train station, deep in the most fascinating conversation.


    ¡°Look, I¡¯m just saying the red ranger is the best ranger.¡±


    ¡°Yer crazy. Everyone knows the Yella ranger is the best ranger.¡±


    ¡°OH, yeah, of course, you¡¯d say that¡­ it¡¯s your favorite color!¡±


    ¡°Whatever¡­!¡±


    When we finally reached the top of the steps, something about it felt final and saddened me. It¡¯s not like today, where we have so many ways to keep in touch with people online. Back then, when someone left your life, that was pretty much it.


    After months of feeling alone, I didn¡¯t want Luz to go.


    ¡°Hey Sunny¡­¡±


    ¡°Yeah, Luz¡­¡±


    ¡°Can I get your phone number? That way, I can call you, and we can hang out again!¡±


    ¡°Y-yeah, sure!¡±


    I took out my little pen and wrote it down on her arm, and then she did the same, scribbling it on my map.


    ¡°Don¡¯t wash your hands now¡­!¡± I joked.


    ¡°Will do¡­ I¡¯ll call you, and we can meet up¡­ say, tomorrow?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, promise!¡±


    We hugged each other, and after I let her go, she headed down the stairs. For a while, it was just me. But even after she was gone, I couldn¡¯t stop grinning. I had a friend again.


    ¡°Now departing for Eagleview Station¡­!¡±


    As soon as the train arrived, I headed inside, but not before holding the door open for a lady who came running up the stairs just as we were about to take off.


    All in all, it was a nice end to a great day. But despite all the fun I had, something lingered on my mind during the ride home. The good feelings started to fade, and some of my worries crept back in. Just what could those cartel fellers be plotting, and how was I going to keep myself safe from them? I guess I would just have to take it one day at a time.