𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟑𝟔

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𝓔𝓽𝓱𝓪𝓷

     Mᴀʏ. Oɴᴇ ᴍᴏɴᴛʜ ʟᴇғᴛ ʙᴇғᴏʀᴇ ɢʀᴀᴅᴜᴀᴛɪᴏɴ, ᴀɴᴅ I ᴀᴍ ғᴇᴇʟɪɴɢ ᴘʀᴇᴛᴛʏ ᴄᴏɴғɪᴅᴇɴᴛ ᴀʙᴏᴜᴛ ɪᴛ. Pretty confident that I will pass.
     The exams were only starting to make sense now, but the levels of anxiety only got worse on my side. Isabel seemed to be stressing out, too.
     The next trial was in about a few weeks, and even though I tried to assure her nothing bad would happen this time, she would break down in tears at the thought of seeing them again in front of a judge.
     Still, I was worried about her. She was definitely not ready for this at all.
     Nobody was.
     But everyone had their arms wrapped tight around her, even mom did.
     "Kids! Come down stairs!" Mom screamed from downstairs before me and Isabel looked at each other in confusion
     It was early in the morning, and we were just waking up, sitting on the bed while Isabel was adjusting her shirt and running a hand through her hair while I slipped on some sweatpants and a white T-shirt.
     Fast enough, we both went downstairs and saw my mom in the kitchen, a few stuff sitting on the counters.
     Eggs. Flour. Milk. Flour. Chocolate.
     Was she about to make us bake something? Come on, it was literally 9AM.
     "Isabel, mind helping me while Ethan cleans everything?" I frowned, but Isabel chuckled and nodded in response, glancing at me before looking back at her.
     "Of course. What can I help with?" She asked, holding her hair up in a ponytail and tying it with an elastic band she had around her wrist.
     I rolled my eyes and went over to the living room, turning on the TV and playing music before I got on with cleaning, while Isabel and mom baked whatever they were baking.
     While I was sweeping the mop on the floor, I had to glance over to them, and the bright smile on both faces as they threw flour at each other and laughed at jokes they told each other.
     Nobody had been this close with mom before but me, and I knew Isa had my mom's heart on the palm of her hand, and it made mine beat fast. Because I knew that once my mom liked a person so much that she considered them as another kid, that she was going to try to keep her here with us for a long time. Good for me, since it was what I wanted.
     Everything was good in life now. And I wanted to keep it that way.
     I kept cleaning, mopping, and organizing everything that I thought needed to be done. It felt good to be in a clean ambient, especially when there was loud ass music playing in the background and nobody claimed about my tastes. Mostly reggaeton, but you know.
     "Ethan, I think when you grow older you should make Isabel open a bakery, these pancakes are delicious!" My mom said through the loud volume of the music, making me look back at her as she chewed on her food, Isabel doing the same.
     "I would make her, but she wants to be a therapist instead." I smiled, seeing everyone chuckle as I got closer.
     "Doesn't mean I can't open a part-time bakery. You know, that opens when I don't work." Isabel shrugged, taking another bite of her pancake before leaning her elbows on the counter, bending slightly over it.
     "That's what it is, hmm?" I asked, stealing a chocolate chip pancake and taking a bite, eyeing her while I tasted it.
     Eventually, we all moved to the table and sat down, having breakfast all together as we talked about whatever came to mind, laughing and eating, our mouths full of food and words.
     Until..."Isabel, I want you to have something that is really special for me," Mom took her hand in hers, giving her a soft smile before she kept going, "I was going to give it to Ethan once he moved out and got a house, a wife, and you know? But I've seen it. I know you and Ethan are staying together for a long time. And I know most high school sweethearts don't last, look at me. I was on the verge of being one but the bastard left. But I feel it when I look at both of you when you're so close it makes me smile so hard my cheeks hurt. And what I want to give you is a family heirloom that has been in my family for a long time, and since Ethan doesn't have any sister's, then you're my only choice."
     Isabel's eyes widened, "Are you sure? I mean, family heirloom is really important, and I don't even am part of your family. I'm his girlfriend."
     "I'm sure, sweetheart. Once you guys move out, I want you to take the vase with you. And once you have a daughter, I want you to give it to her. And for her to do the same with her daughter, and so on." Tears sprung to Isa's eyes before she wiped them away and mom brought her into a hug, wrapping her arms tight around her.
     "I'm jealous." I joked as I crossed my arms, a small smile on my face as I watched them.
     "Come here, mijo." Mom laughed as she held out her arm and I got up from my seat, heading over to them and wrapping my arms around both of them, making sure I didn't squeeze them too tight or something.
     And we stayed there for a long time, relishing each others tight embrace as Isabel's tears stopped, and everything just slowed down for a second.
     It had been so long since the last time I ever hugged anyone like this, I don't even think I ever did before. I was so focused in destroying myself instead that I didn't even ask for the support of anyone, which was what I needed the most at that moment.
     Yet I had it in front of me the whole time, and I could have gotten it when I wanted it anyway.
     Once breakfast was finished and stuff, mom headed to work and me and Isabel decided to go for a ride with her three friends and Maria, everyone fitting into my car.
     Even though they could all fit perfectly if I kicked Devi out. She kept commenting on how my fucking car was lame and the seats could be more comfortable.
     Not my fault she has a teenager on her lap and that my car wasn't good enough for her. She could have just taken hers or something.
     My hand rested on Isabel's thigh as we drove all the way to the beach, Malibu. I knew the fresh air from there made her feel like home. And there was a new ice cream stand, too. Which I wanted to try, of course, because who doesn't like ice cream especially on a really sunny day?
     The person who doesn't, jail time. You don't belong here.
     We soon got there and headed to the ice cream stand, Isabel running over to it with excitement as she held her shoes in one hand, letting her feet feel the sand under her as she ran over to the small wooden stand.
     I quickly joined her—getting as far away from Devi as I could unless she wanted me to punch her in the face—and waited for the people in front of us to order before we finally did.
     "What do you want to order?" I asked her, holding her hand as I looked at her, and a smile crept up on the corner of her lips. I knew what she wanted by now.
     "We both know." I chuckled in return and ordered two ice cream sorbets for both of us, walking over to the edge of the sea and sat down, admiring the gentle waves of the water.
     "Ethan?"
     "Yes, cariño?"
     "I love you."
     "I love you more." My arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her tighter against me as she licked off the sorbet off of the small cup the woman had given her.
     She rested her head on my shoulder as we both looked at the water, admiring how it moved before the girls sat down beside her and Maria sat down between her legs, also facing the sea.
     "What did you order?" Isabel asked her, running her hands through the thick dark hair of her little sister.
     "Chocolate and strawberry, as per usual." The girl chuckled, tilting her head slightly backwards and closing her eyes as she sighed, letting her older sister run her hands through the tangled strands of her hair and taking off the knots after she set her cup of sorbet in my lap.
     "Have you been taking care of your hair?" Isabel asked her, dividing Maria's hair in three different sections before she started braiding her hair with excruciating care.
     "Mhm. Devi gave me these Indian shampoos. Works like magic." The little girl sighed again, holding herself steady while her hair was being braided.
     "What about combing it, you lazy ass. Your hair was full of knots." Isabel added, before taking off the elastic band off of her own hair and letting the curls fall down on her back, before using the band for her little sister's braided hair.
     "Like you just said, I'm too lazy to braid my hair. Plus, my hair is thick enough. So it's not even visible."
     "For others. But remember that I washed your hair more times that these ten fingers of mine can count, and I can perfectly see when you don't brush your hair, you little devil." Another chuckle, this time from both the sisters.
     "Wish I had a little sister, man." Devi fake sobbed, wiping away a non-existent tear.
     "Pathetic." I scoffed, rolling my eyes before she started talking again.
     "Says the guy that turned from punk to lovey dovey."
     "Says the girl that fell in love with a nerd."
     "Says the guy that fell in love out of nowhere."
     "Says the girl that wanted to fuck everyone in school." She gasped dramatically, before rolling her eyes and looking away, crossing her arms.
     "You're lucky I didn't fuck your girlfriend, yet."
     "What?" Isabel and Maria said in unison, both with their eyes widened.
     "Certainly wouldn't happen, Crazy Devi, considering that if you got even close to touching her ass I would make sure you never did again." I scoffed, looking over at her.
     "I'm lucky I only touched her inner thigh then." She chuckled, challenging me with her eyes.
     "Touching my girlfriend with the same hand you stroked Ben Gross's dick with is disgusting." Her jaw dropped as she slowly looked back over at me.
     "First of all, I didn't even touch him—"
     "Who asked?"
     She groaned and fell back into the sand, laying flat as everyone chuckled, the sun shining on all of us.
     "Isa, me and Trent got back together." Eleanor said, a wide smile on her face as Isabel looked back at her.
     "I'm happy for you, you know. He might be kinda dumb and shit, but he's cute. And you should really stay with him this time." She chuckled, dragging her bottom lip between her teeth before she looked back at the sea, admiring it and taking in the air.
     "Speaking about Trent. Ben came over at my house after the prom night accident." Images of me and Isabel filled my mind, but I just pinched the bridge of my nose with a chuckle and looked back at them.
     "We do not want to know what happened, Devi." Isabel chuckled nervously, looking over her shoulder and back down at her friend, who was laying down flat on the sand.
     "Speak for yourself, I want the details."
     "Speak for yourself, Eleanor. I do not want to know." Fabiola chuckled nervously too.
     For once Aneesa wasn't here. She had a soccer match, or whatever.
     "Calm y'all's tits down, nothing happened. I just remember him saying he felt like we should be together or some shit like that."
     "Oh, lord." Isabel sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose.
     Devi and her taste in men.

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