Chapter 43
Saturday morning, the house chores were already halfway done thanks to my mom, but I still had to bust my ass. So I woke up early, threw my hair up in a messy ponytail, and went out to sweep the yard before Mariana even got out of bed. The ground was covered in dry leaves, I swept it all up slow, trying not to make noise. Piled it into a heap, shoved it in a bag, and hauled it to the alley behind the house, leaning it there to wait for Tuesday when the trash truck came by.
When I finished, my body was all sweaty and my stomach growling like crazy. I headed inside and straight to the kitchen. The table was set, everyone already sitting there, just waiting on my stepdad who’d just come back from the bakery with hot bread. The smell filled the whole house, that fresh-baked dough scent that just wraps around you like a hug. I took a deep breath, feeling my gut twist.
I was starving.
“Jujube, you want an egg with a runny yolk, sweetie?”
asked my mom, stirring the pots on the stove.
“Yeah, Mom… just one.”
“Auntie, make two, ‘cause Jujube needs all that protein!”
Mariana butted in, being all sassy.
My mom turned to us with that watchful eye she had. Seriously, like radar. I was always amazed how she sniffed out anything off, like she was picking up vibes in the air.
“No, Mom, just one. And shut your mouth, okay?”
I shot back, giving Mariana a light kick under the table.
My stepdad was acting normal, chill, like nothing had ever gone down between us. Like we’d never swapped those dirty pics. The problem was, now I was noticing him different… it was hard not to let my eyes drift to the bulge in his shorts, something that never caught my attention before.
“Mom, can you spot me some cash so I can go out this weekend with the guy?”
I tried, sounding all innocent.
“Sweetie, only when the month’s over… I’m broke. Put it on the card.”
“Ohhh! SPIN CYCLE CAR WASH IS GONNA BE FAMOUS!!!”
Mariana yelled, bringing up the motel joke.
My stepdad cracked up without a clue. To him and my mom, it probably just sounded like another dumb teen joke not worth asking about. But he still added:
“Julia, you could help me out at my place with some stuff and I’ll give you money. I’ll pay you for cleaning.”
My mom looked pleased, almost proud of the idea. I’d gone over there a few times to help her, his place was small, tidy, just needed some furniture moving and that kind of deep clean only a woman knows how to do. Guys are pigs and lazy, he was just a little less pig and a little less lazy.
“Can it be Monday?”
I asked.
“Sure. I’ll be at work and you can take your time.”
“But I need the money for Sunday now!”
“You haven’t even worked and you already want paid, Jujube?”
my mom teased, laughing at me.
My stepdad laughed too, shaking his head:
“Of course I’ll give it to you, girl. It’s not even for the work… I know you’d do it for free if I asked.”
“Hahaha! But she wouldn’t though!”
Mariana jumped in, all cocky.
“Uncle, you’re way off.”
“Here’s the money.”
He pulled out two big bills and set them on the table, like sealing a deal.
“I’ll pay you upfront, so you put it on your schedule and don’t forget to come.”
Without thinking twice, I slid the money over to me and stuffed it in my bra, laughing to myself, thrilled. It was way more than I’d even thought to ask for. In my stupidity, I didn’t think about the consequences right then. I just thought about the nice weight of the bills against my skin, like a prize.
We sat at the table chatting forever. The talk turned to the guy being broke: everything he had went to his car, and on top of that, no insurance. My mom took the chance to lecture me, of course: said I shouldn’t spend my money on his car and that putting gas in was his job.
“I know that type of kid… next thing you know, my card’s full of car parts.”
“Mom, when have I ever put anything on your card that wasn’t for me?”
I fired back right away.
She threw out some snappy reply I didn’t even catch where it came from. I just sat there kinda zoned out, staring.
“I just want money ‘cause we’re going out and I don’t wanna be broke, asking a guy for stuff.”
“That’s right, Jujube,”
my stepdad chimed in, backing me up.
“A woman has to be independent.”
“Look at the feminist!”
Mariana pointed at him, busting out laughing and making fun.
Breakfast turned into kitchen cleanup and I put Mariana’s yapping to work. Only when she grabbed the broom did she remember to say she had cramps. I rolled my eyes, but didn’t let up: kitchen, then living room, and both bathrooms.
When it seemed like everything was done, I ran upstairs to my room to pack my backpack. Threw in some books and notebooks just for show. My mom thought I was going to tutoring, but really I was gonna get waxed. Of course I’d pocket the tutoring money, I’m not dumb.
I rummaged through my closet hunting for a decent pair of panties. I was hairy, so nothing too skimpy. But my panties were all old. Sucks being poor, I thought, holding up a ragged scrap that looked more like a rag.
Mariana showed up in the doorway, watching me.
“Cuz, come here… this motel thing… if he insists on taking me, what are you gonna do?”
“Mariana, I know you’re not really gonna wanna go… but I don’t even wanna think about him saying that. I’m gonna start getting jealous.”
“It’s just that we kinda put that idea in his head too, right?”
“Yeah… we just keep fucking up, holy shit.”
“Jujube, better let that die and make sure it doesn’t happen again. This sharing boyfriends thing ain’t gonna work. Though… yours is hot, you know? I’d totally go for him. Worth cutting you off.”
“Oh yeah, you slut!?”
I said, pretending to be mad.
She laughed, ran over, and hugged me, covering my face in kisses.
“Kidding, cuz. I love you!”
She froze when she saw me go quiet, remembering something all of a sudden.
“Oh shit… I didn’t even confirm with Diana that I’m going. Does she think I’m not?”
“But you said you had to confirm something?”
Mariana asked, frowning.
“No… but don’t I need to?”
“If you didn’t say anything about confirming, you don’t need to, duh! And it’s risky — you confirm and she might cancel.”
Mariana said it with that sneaky look, and mine right after was even worse.
“Yeah, right? Damn, Mariana… I’m so fucking horny for her you wouldn’t believe. She’s everything I wanna be someday.”
“Take me there one day…”
“Fuck! You wanna suffocate me with her too? Get real, shit!”
Mariana ran to shut the bedroom door. And when she did, the bomb dropped:
“Shit, I get so fucking horny when I’m on my period, dude…”
“And what’s that got to do with me?”
I shot back.
“I’m not going down on you while you’re bleeding, no way… shower first, girl, shower.”
The next ten minutes were her trying to corner me in the room. When Mariana wanted something, she came on strong, wrestling me down, almost forcing it. But I wasn’t in the mood. My head was on Diana, and I wanted to save it for her.
It was in the middle of that power play that my phone buzzed and saved me… or not.
It was a message from my stepdad:
“Sweetie, on Monday let me know if you need me home for the cleaning, I’ll try to get to work late or leave early.”
I read it and my whole body went cold. I got nervous, dizzy. The silence hung heavy in the room, until Mariana said:
“Cuz, he set this up to fuck you. And now?”
And now? Now we’re screwed.