Electric Tacos (Wattys 2023)

FOUR

"So you're working a double shift this weekend?" Chuck laughed. "That's stupid."

"Not as stupid as your face," Mateo said with a smirk.

Chuck balled up his fists. "At least mine's not ugly."

Ricky stopped Chuck from taking a swing at Mateo. "Come on, vete a la verga, Chuck. Leave him alone, he hasn't done anything wrong. Only state a fact."

Chuck glared at Ricky. "He called me ugly."

Ricky shrugged. "You are ugly, and a wannabe gangster, so he isn't wrong."

Chuck looked down at his watch with the fading leather strap, counting down the seconds himself. "When the hell is Fur Ass showing up? I'm bored. He said he was coming after class to go over this pinche play."

"He'll be here soon, he's probably waiting on Max or George to finish something off."

"He better hurry up," Chuck said. "Or else I'm gonna order another coffee."

"Yeah, that's really threatening." Ricky scoffed.

Mateo went over to the counter and ordered four coffees. A few minutes later, the waiter brought them down. "Thank you."

Chuck raised an eyebrow. "Why did you order four?"

Mateo smirked. "If we're waiting on Fur Ass, we're gonna be here for a while, so I got myself two coffees and you one each."

Ricky nodded. "Thanks, I need this after Mr. Aguilar's class. Why are they teaching us Spanish when we're more or less near the border?"

"You did it because you wanted an easy class, good grades, and some street cred."

"Aight yeah. He talks to me about Mexico a lot, and Jalisco, like he's trying to get down with the kids. He told me that he knows several good bars in Guadalajara. Like I care."

Mateo laughed. "So, basically he thinks he's cool because you were born there and know Spanish?"

"Yeah."

"That's weird." Mateo drank some of his coffee. "I'm so excited. I can't wait to play Hector in Deuces. Fur Ass told me that he's good at gambling, and usually beats Chuy."

Ricky glared. "This feels suspiciously like real life."

"George and Max helped to write it as well, so I dunno. It could be their experiences as well."

Ricky rolled his eyes and drank more coffee. "Whatever. Fur Ass is probably putting us up to it for a laugh."

"Leave him alone, he wants their vision to come to life, and apparently they're all trying hard to make sure it's successful."

Ricky nodded. "But he knows I can't act."

Mateo pulled out his highlighted script, with handwritten notes on it. Ricky scoffed. Mateo glared back at him. "At least I've opened my copy and checked it out. Yours is still in your bag collecting dust."

Ricky rolled his eyes as the door swung open and the bell rang. In walked Fur Ass in a pink shirt, khaki shorts, and weird boots, followed by Max in a vest top and khaki shorts. George went home to study some more and go over the scene notes.

Fur Ass came over to the table and sat beside Mateo. Max Sr set beside

They'd all went had gone to Electric Tacos, Mateo Sr.'s restaurant. He wanted to keep an eye on them, to make sure they were studying. Mateo had reluctantly agreed.

His twin sister, Marisol was watching them at a distance when she should have been serving the customers, but he didn't care. He was glad that it wasn't him there behind the counter.