The young and sad

Perfect places

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 Present-day - Second week of summer, Monday.

"The drink you spill all over me. Lovers spit left on repeat. My mom and da-"

I yank my earphones out and roll my eyes as my mother lectures me about how to never get married young, never get pregnant and never go into an abusive relationship. I've heard the same talk every single time we move somewhere else. After the divorce, I went with my mother and my brother went with my father. We visit every summer. Every summer it feels like everything is finally ok again, us all in the same house. Just like old times. Even if it's just for a bit. But this time, mom and dad think its a good idea to go to a beach house. dont get me wrong i am extremely gratfeul, i just dont htink my parents will get along. Welcome to Los Angeles though. I put my headphones back in and put in a new song. I know I shouldn't think it looks pretty considering it's filled with pollution, grime, homeless people, and more but when you look at the cover of la, that hides its faults, it's beautiful. I suppose that's how it is with everything though. Everything looks beautiful when you hide its faults.

'Cigarette daydreams' start playing and I shut my eyes. I let myself wander in my mind for possibilities of my future.

-----

We finally come to a stop at a house. it's a nice house.  It's a two-story house with three bedrooms and two bathrooms." a steal!" in my mother's words. I look at my mother as she looks around. We look so much alike. Her black short hair flows perfectly around her rounded brown face and her bright smile outshines the sun. but her eyebags define her face, and her face shows stress. It's my first time actually having a house since the divorce. We've been moving from place to place in small apartments to be able to move to LA to be closer to our family and so we can finally settle in. I don't know why we chose Los Angeles but I don't mind it.  we are renting this house for the summer, then going to our actual house here in Los Angeles to live for my senior year. We open the door and I can't help but be excited. I've always loved new places. even if it was a hotel or apartment. Especially if it was a hotel though. I'm not sure why.  When I get inside I gasp. it's modern but small. the perfect home. of course it's empty but will fill it up in no time. we explore the house, gasping at every little piece of it. The gorgeous sliding clear door is in the living room and shows the oceans. A balcony rests on the outside, with stars reaching the beach. This Is the rich side. But 5 minutes away is the "hood". Where we used to live. We didn't live in LA, but the "hood", lets just say it was familiar.

My mom sends me to bike to the sushi place I saw when we were arriving. she said she was too tired to go and I understand. She's been driving nonstop. It's only about half a mile away. I'm more of a running kind of gal but I do it anyway. The sushi shop is colorful and home-like. I go up to the counter and order. I would order a drink but it would spill. I stand at the corner of the shop waiting for my food. I debate in my head if I should just fuck it and get a drink but I oppose it. I hear voices, very loud voices coming towards the shop and I lift my head.  The loud noises soon come into the shop, a group of teens, and one of them, a girl, tells the others to quiet down. they obey with some comments but calm down for the most part. There are 6 of them. All minorities, a big change from where i used to live. it feels comforting and I relax a bit. The one who shut the others up is probably Mexican, her features and the fact that she spoke Spanish to them helped me come to that conclusion. She looks athletic with long black hair and not a big nose but from what I can tell an indigenous nose. She wears a pair of leggings, and a bike shirt. shes sweating. Probably a native of Mexico or something. She's very pretty. Another who is a boy is also probably Mexican. I didn't hear him talk Spanish but he has the features even though he's fairly light skin. He looks fit and holds a basketball in his hand. He looks like a player. Both on the field and out. He wears shorts and a basic white tee. from what the others look like and the basketball he carries I think they were playing. there's a basketball court right near my house, maybe that one. I stare at him for a bit too long, seeing a resemblance. Another girl follows next to the girl, her features are soft. She has a button nose that I'm jealous of and medium-length brown hair. She is lean and tall and has freckles all over her face, but she still seems not white. she also wears athletic wear, her hair in a low bun. Another boy stands there. He wears a simple black tee, slicked-back hair, and some baggy jeans.  he looks handsome, not my type though, and wears a black wife beater tee. I hate the name but it comes naturally.   Another boy stands next to him. He has dark skin and curly hair. Very, Very, handsome. He's fairly muscular for a teen. He looks like one of those kinds on tv who play teens but are like 40. Finally, a girl comes jogging, holding two elote's in her hand and cash in the other. No doubt she just came back from catching the paletero. she has  She hands one to one of the boys. " here Frankie." she says to the boy with the slicked hair. " Thanks, love you," he says back. But they don't seem like they are dating. " Love you too bro." He smiles and takes a bite out of his elote. I can't help but stare and feel jealous of the friendship they have.  their features match and I realize they're siblings.

"Alma?!" shouts the lady at the register, searching for the owner of the bag in her hand. I look at the woman and feel eyes on me as I walk to get the bag. I thank the woman and pay her. She hands me a receipt and I'm about to walk out when someone taps me on the back. The boy with curly hair and good looks meets me when I turn around. I look at him in confusion and he stops looking at me and opens his mouth to talk.

" You dropped this," he says, looking at the key chain in his hand. My old keychain rests in his hand. Its two keys are rusty and a picture of me and him in a shopping cart sits in his hand. The keys are for my car and I've lost too many of them. I let out a short-lived gasp and take the key chain from his hand.

"Oh my god thank you, my mom would've killed me if I lost it," I answer truthfully. I would've killed myself, the picture on the keychain to valuable. I probably shouldn't joke like that considering my past. I laugh in my head.

"No problem." he chuckles. I'm about to turn away when he speaks again.

"Hey, you're new here right?" he asks.

I turn around." uh, yeah." I guess people here know everyone if he knows whos new.

"I'm having a party later. I know what it's like going to a new town and just so you know you kinda need friends to survive here." he chuckles. " I'm Ismael by the way."

He makes it sound so serious but my curiosity and my want for such good friends win.

" Sure, um where is it?"

"Oh yeah. Can I give you my number so I can give you the info?"

" For sure," I say. We exchange numbers and I say goodbye. I ride away feeling fairly happy. I have never made friends that fast before in all the times I've moved. it felt like something out of a movie. hell, I've never even made friends like that since 8th grade. I shouldn't get ahead of myself I think, he's not a friend and you didn't even speak to the rest. Don't get excited.  i remind myself.

----

"Hey, ma!" I call and go to her room.

" Hi my baby," she says drowsily.

We eat on the floor. And watch movies. My dog was on my lap even with my mom's protesting. I tell her about the party and she says I can go, with a little too much excitement in her voice. 

A/N Hey yallllll this is my first book so don't get too excited because Imma fuck up lmao but hope you enjoy it! Comment ur predictions and your thoughts bye! 

p.s don't expect me to write every day because I have a lot to do lmao.