dame amor ↝ steve murphy [✔]

fifty one. i don't care

Flora walked through the hallways in search of her brother. She kept bumping into people, quickly apologizing then going back to her search. She even asked Mateo's friends, who he hardly ever talked about. They didn't have an answer so Flora went to one of Mateo's favorite places in the school, the library.

As she opened the door, the librarian, Ms. Dean, stood up from her seat. "Miss Murphy, your book is overdue."

"I'll bring it tomorrow, I promise!" Flora said in a whisper as she walked rapidly to the table Mateo usually sat in. It was one of the few tables that seemed hidden, the main reason Mateo liked that spot so much. But for some reason, the boy wasn't in his spot. "Damn it." Flora cursed.

"You passed me." She heard her brother say from behind a bookcase. She walked backwardd until she saw Mateo sitting on the floor with his headphones dangling from his ears and a graphic novel in his hands.

"Hey, why'd you move?" Flora questioned the boy. She approached him and decided to sit across from him.

"Don't know," he shrugged his shoulders. "Why are you here? I didn't know you knew the school had a library."

Flora scoffed. "Very funny, I actually have an overdue book," she said. "I just wanted to see if you were okay and I say stupid stuff all the time and I came to apologize."

Mateo put down his graphic novel. "Did mom make you? I'm not mad, Flo, I promise."

"She didn't and dad didn't either. I'm sorry."

Mateo laughed it off. "Flora, I don't care. I mean I accept your apology, but I don't really care about who talks about my dad. Sometimes I just ignore them or I tell them I don't know who my dad is."

"Why don't you just say my dad is your dad and maybe they'll stop asking?" Flora asked.

"It's complicated. Your parents are together, mine hate each other and mom probably wants to forget she even met my dad." Mateo said. Flora felt like Mateo was finally opening up, she just didn't know if he was mad or not. They never really had a conversation about their parents so this was different to her. They usually argued.

"Have you ever met him?" Flora wished she had stayed quiet.

"Once. Mom says I met him in jail. I don't remember at all. Only this guy with a mustache that gave me something. He gave me a pendant with fox. He said his wife made it for him." Mateo explained.

"You don't have to answer this, but do you ever want to neet him again?"

Mateo thought about it. Maybe if he did visit Miguel, he would feel different. He would actually care for his dad, forget about all the bad things in the world and only focus on his dad. That sounded nice, but he knew his mom wouldn't allow him to visit his dad. It would be impossible.

"Strangely, yes. He for sure has gray hairs, beard, wouldn't be surprised if he has tattoos." Mateo joked.

"Sounds like Uncle Pacho. Did he ever meet your dad?"

"I don't know. I hope not."