Cross Fade

chapter 1// amber yellow

CROSS FADE

chapter 1: amber yellow

[amber yellow: the color of the honey you tasted on the soft lips of the first person you ever kissed.]

7:30 p.m.

CELESTINA SUAREZ reeked of exhaustion, hunger and chaos.

Her body ached for a long, hot shower and nothing more than a hot tea and her mother's dulce de leche. She couldn't understand why it wasn't okay to eat the candy you received for Halloween at that same moment. Trick-or-treating with her siblings also earned her a minimum of candy, because adults considered Celeste as an adult, at only seventeen. Too tall to be a child, too soft to be an adult, Celeste sat in the uncomfortable in-between, questioning herself every second.

The rush of being seen as an adult was unmatched, despite the endless responsibilities coming along with it. Feelings of power, having as much control of life as fate allows, were heavy, but a weight that Celeste was excited to bear. However, when it came to candy or trick-or-treating, she wanted to be seen as a kid. The amount of times she'd wanted to go back in time and be a five-year old again were countless; she would escape school work and life pressure.

"Dora," sighed Celeste, tugging on her four year old sister's red M&M costume, "stop whining, please."

"But Mario got more dulces than me," she sniffled and pointed to her male twin. Her curls had escaped her braids and flew everywhere. On the bright side, her lioness costume never looked better. "Leste, tell him to share."

Mario Suarez considered himself a gentleman. After all, being kind got him with the ladies in kindergarten. Yet being around girls qualified him as one, his reputation with his friends was already tainted enough. He could have shared the Twix and Kitkats he got with his sister, but-no. He scratched his head of curls and looked away from Eleadora.

"Here," said Celeste, emptying her light bag into Dora's, "happy?"

The girl beamed, hummed happily and stuck her tongue out to Mario. He had to restrain himself from grabbing her bag and throwing it on the ground, but Celeste would get mad at him. It wasn't something he could afford.

As Celeste went to another door, eyes on her siblings, she felt someone poke her shoulder. One of her best friends Sarah was standing there, with a fairy crown over her hijab. It was a lovely sight, perhaps the best Celeste had seen all night.

"Sarah, I'm going to die," she groaned. "I want to go home and watch Friends and sleep."

Sarah ignored her, took Dora's hand and relieved half of Celeste's responsibilities. She had a small conversation with Dora while walking to the next house, questioned her about how tired Celeste was. She fixed her dollar store fairy wings and adjusted her large long-sleeved pink shirt.

"How did your dad let you come?" asked Celeste, twirling the curly strands of her afro. The fresh cut got rid of the accumulation of heat damage, but left her with a lovely halo of hair around her hair. All the time. It was long enough to be put in a bun, but too short for there to be any other hairstyles.

Sarah shrugged, "I told him my cousins will be here, but we all know that's bullshit. If I told him it was you, I'd probably get grounded. You know how he doesn't-"

"Like me. Yes, you've told me a hundred times," replied Celeste, "I still don't get it. At least I'm fully clothed in a costume, not a slutty nurse. If anything, I'm a great influence on you."

"Cel, do you not remember the amount of times we've sneaked into movie theaters? Oh, and that one time we got caught?"

"It was your idea!" said Celeste, flabbergasted.