Dawn { a javier peña fanfiction }

Chapter Eight - Ultraviolence

"He hit me and it felt like a kiss."

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Fall 1979

Mia jumped out of her brother's truck, racing to keep up with him as he stomped toward the entrance of the community center, hands fisted in his pockets, spine as straight as a ruler.

"God Richie, wait up," she called out, feet thudding onto the pavement as she increased her pace to a jog to catch up with her much taller brother.

"Keep up," he muttered, jaw twitching and grinding as he smacked his gum that he had not let her have a piece of when she asked him in the car.

Jerk.

She finally reached his side, huffing to catch her breath as they entered the cool banquet hall— already filled with people mingling and dancing, celebrating the start of the harvest as they did every year since she could remember. Her palms were sweaty and hot, slipping over the little pink spiral notebook that she carried with her everywhere.

Her eyes darted around the room, finding a cluster of her friends from school sitting at one of the tables in the corner. She didn't run over to them though, much to her brother's chagrin, because he was heading directly for the person she most wanted to see.

Javier— who was standing near the makeshift bar, his back pressed against the wall, observing the crowd with that perceptive twinkle in his soft, brown eyes.

Her heart thudded loud and rapid in her chest, her tummy somersaulting as those perceptive eyes flickered over to the pair of them. He pushed himself from the wall as they approached, greeting her brother with a low "hey" and one of those weird handshake hug things all the boys did instead of just doing one or the other like a normal person.

"Hi Mia," Javier said softly, flashing her a smile that made her cheeks burn.

"Hi Javi," she squeaked, body crowding in on herself as she blinked up at him.

He was the most handsome boy she'd ever seen, though her brother did say that he and Javier were "men" now, which she'd told him was stupid, because if he was really a "man" then why was he still living at mama's house.

Either way, even if Javier was a "man" now, he was still the most handsome boy she'd ever seen. None of the annoying, weird boys at her school could ever compare.

Richie rolled his eyes at her before turning his attention back to Javi. "Any luck?" he asked.

Javier shook his head, eyes darting over to the makeshift bar, "Nope, but dude's got to go to the bathroom at some point."

"So what, we're just going to stand here and wait until he does?"

Javier shrugged, "you got a better idea?"

Mia had no idea what they were talking about, but she was content to simply stand near Javier while they bickered about whatever it was.

"I don't think the store on Floral checks."

"I'm not walking all the way over there," Javier shook his head, placing his hands on his hips.

Richie huffed, seeming to remember at that moment that Mia was still standing next to them.

"Get lost, don't you have friends you can go bother?"

She narrowed her eyes at him, about to rebuttal before Javier's voice rumbled through the room.