in bloom.

4 - where he got a bird

That same summer, Ines's new boyfriend invited Jaime and I to a week in Bali.

Well, if I've got to be honest, I wasn't really invited. The trip was supposed to be a way for this guy to bond with Jaime, but Jaime didn't want to be alone with his mom and some dude who thought a week in Bali was a normal thing. So I guess I was just told to come along more than being invited.

I don't know what possessed Ines to think a week somewhere was better than the small weekend she initially suggested. But honestly, the man wasn't even that bad. His name was Justin and he was a developer at some tech company. Apparently he met Ines while she was working as a secretary for a lawyer and they kind of hit it off. And even though I liked Ines, I liked the way she was with him even more. Her smile was brighter, I guess. I don't know. All I know is he really liked her and he made her very happy, money or not. White or not.

Jaime couldn't get over it, though, which was understandable. In our neighbourhood, Jaime and I were one of the very few different people there, and because of that we were treated a lot different too. I was much better off because my parents had a lot of money, but Jaime...well. He didn't have that.

So I guess it's not as fucked up that he hated Justin so much, and I figured that if I came along on that trip it would stop him from doing something totally stupid. But it also meant I had to be the one to hear Jaime's snide comments anytime Justin said a single word. "Look at that pendejo," Jaime often said. "Who the hell does he think he is? What, is he trying to be my new dad or something?"

I didn't want to tell him that might've been the case. Although Jaime talked a lot of shit about his real dad, who he never met, I knew some part of him still held on to the hope that his dad would magically reappear, rekindle things with him and his mom, and they'd end up being the happy family he always thought he deserved. And I think that's what made Jaime hate Justin the most—not only because he was white and rich, but also because he wasn't his dad.

By the time we reached Bali, Jaime was already in a pretty bad mood. He didn't want to go swimming with me and just sulked around in his shorts looking all sad and stuff. Justin tried joking with him about all the pretty girls but it just made Jaime even more sad. He didn't take much interest in women, to be honest. In fact, he didn't take much interest in anything sexy at all. But anyway, that's another story.

Justin had gotten Jaime and I our own rooms at the resort even though there was a vacant suite we all could've taken together. Justin blew it off and said he didn't want to get in our way. "Teen boys don't want to spend time with the grownups," he said with a wink. "I've been your age before. I know what's up."

That night, while we were getting ready for bed, Jaime said, "You know he doesn't care about giving us privacy or anything like that. He just wants to fuck her."

I nearly choked on my toothbrush, I swear. I looked at him, and for a quick second I really wanted to hit him for saying that. I don't know. I just didn't like the way he treated her sometimes.

I only got enough courage to ask him about his bad mood once the lights were out and we were in bed. Very quietly, probably even quieter than a whisper, I said, "Why do you you hate him so much?"

And even though I prayed he was already asleep, Jaime still asked, "Hate who?" even though he was much smarter than that.

"Justin. You've been pretty mean to him this entire day, and all he's done is try and help you. I mean, we're in goddamn Bali."

Jaime snorted. "Exactly. We're in goddamn Bali. Doesn't this seem too much to you?" He didn't wait for me to answer. "I don't like anyone who tries really hard to kiss my ass, Lee. And I especially don't like anyone who forces their way in my life all the time."