Electric Tacos (Wattys 2023)

FIVE

"Hector, where's your hermano? I have a bone to pick with him." Pops asked as he flicked through the magazine he was attempting to read.

"Which one?" Fur Ass asked.

"Enrique."

"I'll go and find him."

Pops nodded. "Bring him down here to me."

Fur Ass walked down the hallway and into their bedroom. Ricky was sitting by the desk at the window, immersed in reading through the script. Fur Ass tapped him on the shoulder.

"What?!" Ricky exclaimed. "I'm tryna focus."

"Pops need to see you downstairs."

"About what?"

Fur Ass shrugged. "Something to do with a magazine,"

Ricky grunted. "Aight, I'll go see him."

Ricky got up from the desk and walked to see Pops, who was scowling at him.

"What?" Ricky asked.

Pops held up the magazine with random letters, pages, and models cut out. "What the hell is this?"

"Oh, that? It was for an art project."

"Why didn't you ask me if I was finished with this?"

Ricky shrugged. "You were busy and I couldn't find you?"

Pops set the book down. "You tell me from now on if you need to cut things up, alright?"

"Aight." Ricky nodded. "By the way, they're doing runs of El extraño Retorno de Diana Salazar this weekend. It said that in the TV guide section."

Pops rolled his eyes. "That doesn't make it right, use your brain."

"Aight." Ricky smiled. "I'm sorry."

"Buy me a new copy, pronto," Pops said. "Out of your own money. Go now."

"But I need to study."

Pops hissed. "Go."

Ricky checked his pockets. He had five dollars' change inside it. "How much is it?"

"Seventy-five cents."

"Aight, that's expensive," Ricky said as he walked out of the apartment, and into the street.

He bumped into Mateo on the way to the store.

"How are you getting on with the play?" Mateo asked.

"Good." Ricky nodded. "Taking a break and getting some snacks. And a TV guide."

Mateo raised his eyebrows as they walked inside. "Why?"

"Pops is making me buy him a new one."

"What did you do?"

"Cut up his magazine for our art project."

"The words one?"

Ricky nodded. "I got some decent images and cool letters and he got annoyed at me."

Mateo scoffed. "I stole some of Marisol's old magazines, and she hasn't noticed or cared yet. I made a dreamscape backdrop. How about you?"

Ricky shrugged. "I didn't pick a theme. I just went with the flow, and I ended up with a cool SoCal-inspired image. Fur Ass hasn't seen it yet, but he'll think it's cool."

Mateo grabbed several packets of chips, some chocolate, and freshly baked churros with a pot of chocolate sauce. "Can I see it?"

"Aight, tomorrow in class when I bring it in," Ricky said as he picked up a new TV guide, some chips, meat sticks, a packet of cigarettes, and a bottle of cola. He went over to pay for his goods. Chapo was there, and he approved of everything through the till. "Gracias."