All Under the Place

chapter 2

...

I'll be the first to admit leaving my house at two o'clock in the morning was an impulsive move. If I had taken the time to tell her, maybe Mami would have supported said move. She probably would have commented on how irresponsible it is to leave something this extensive for hours before its deadline, but after the lecture, she might've even offered to pay for the groceries Evelyn needed. Worst case scenario, I got a large ass smack across the face, and the permission to spend the night out could have still been on the table. I, however, will never know.

I will never know all the ways this night could have gone differently because I never told Mami my spontaneous plan of leaving the house in the middle of the night. Now, standing next to Evelyn in the checkout line of the Mini-Mart, the incessant buzzing coming from my pajama pants has my anxiety skyrocketing. With barely a full second between vibrations, I can't tell whether it's multiple texts or a series of calls awaiting me. There's a high chance it's both.

Trying to ignore the nerves building in my head, I focus on Evelyn's voice in time to hear her whisper-shout: "Why the hell does the total keep rising, Kara?! She's not even done scanning and we're past 300 dollars. Maybe we should just store-buy the cookies and shit. Them damn kids can't tell the difference, " she grumbles, patting her pockets in a subconscious display of anticipation. We bought a quantity of ten for almost every ingredient, there's no way she thought this would be a cheap mission.

I shake my head subtly. "It'd barely make a difference. We're making hundreds of these things — it was always going to be expensive." I glance at Evelyn and note how nervous she looks. I know she's given a fixed allowance from her parents to help with the girls, and this food spree will probably put a good dent in those funds. It only expected for her to worry.

I playfully elbow her and nod at the screen displaying the growing cost. "Pay day is in two days. I'll cover half." Before she can interject, I quickly add, "Try to pay me back and watch how badly I'll fuck up your life."

"You're crazy." She lets out an exaggerated breath combined with, what sounds like, a small laugh. "But I appreciate you. So much. Thank you, Kara." I give her a smile and turn back to the register. A few seconds later, I hear Evelyn's phone ring. Mine, noticeably, has stopped buzzing.

Fingers, toes, and eyes are crossed while I wait for Evelyn to pass the phone over to me. There's not much I can do besides take whatever my mother dishes at me in the next few seconds, but I can hope and pray she's too tired to deal with me properly.

Evelyn answers and listens to the person on the line. She glances at me from the corner of her eye, then goes back to listening intently. A few seconds pass before she says, "Oh you're calling for Kara," she releases a breathless laugh. "I was so confused for a second... yeah she's right here, hold on." Evelyn passes the phone to me. Her eyes scream relief as I move to take over.

I'm operating on autopilot as I address Mami. I mumble a small greeting under my breath and wait patiently for the storm that's waiting to brew over my head.

"Kara, where the hell are you?! Mami's down the hall praying on her knees pidiéndole a Dios que le dé fuerza," In any other situation, imagining my mother on her knees, praying for strength to deal with me, would give me a laugh worth remembering. But now isn't the time. On the line, Leianna barks out an obnoxious laugh that only younger sisters of 174 seconds can conjure. "You messed up so bad. Nobody's going to be able to tell we're twins when she's done with you." Another malicious laugh follows.

Evelyn's pulling out her wallet to pay the cashier as I feel a hostile churning in my stomach. Mami praying is the biggest sign screaming at me not to bother coming home. She's admitted to me several times that the only God she knows is herself, so I don't know who or what that woman is praying to, but they won't be helping either of us.