Twinkle Twinkle Little Starship (a Starship Fanfiction)

Chapter 2

"Mamà. Jou can't be serious." Taz said in horror, gaping at the the frilly monstrosity her mother had laid out on her bed.

Her mother frowned at her slightly. "Tasmina, jour papà and I spent good money on dat dress. Jou are going to wear it, entender?"

Tasmina scowled at her mother. "Nùmero uno, he is not my papà. He is jour husband. Nùmero dos-" Tasmina raised her voice as her mother opened her mouth to interrupt. "Earth is in de middle of a war. Robots are attacking every day. What if I need to run?"

"Don't be ridicùlo." her mother said, obviously choosing to ignore Tasmina's first statement. "De Starship Rangers have everything under control. Today is jour birthday, mi hija! Jou are not allowed to worry about killer robots today!"

"Sì." Tasmina said grudgingly, glaring at the outfit laid out on the bed. "Just killer heels."

Her mother started fussing with the dress, straightening out all the creases and imperfections. Tasmina couldn't understand why her mother was making such a big deal out of her birthday. Sure, she was fifteen, and in her culture that made her a woman, but girls turned fifteen everyday all over the world. In Tasmina's opinion, her mother was completely overreacting to the fact that it was her Quinceañera.

Her mother opened her mouth to say something but before she could, a yell of "TAZ?" came from downstairs.

Her mother looked disgruntled, as she always did when someone called her daughter "Taz" instead of "Tasmina". Her expression of disgruntlement increased as Taz roared "SÌ?" at the top of her voice in answer.

"Tasmina! Dat is no way for a young lady to-" her mother hissed, but was cut off when Taz's bedroom door crashed open and her oldest stepbrother Rìco sauntered in, smiling happily.

He stopped dead when he saw the dress on the bed, and promptly began to howl with laughter. "Pedro! Ven aquì!" he roared over his shoulder, still laughing.

Taz's other stepbrother, Pedro, appeared at the door. Ríco and Pedro both looked extremely alike, with dark complexions (just like every other Mexican person in Mexico) and caramel coloured hair, slightly lighter than usual for a Hispanic person. The only extremely obvious difference between them was Rìco's "moustache", which were just little wispy hairs that had started forming on his upper lip. Rìco had turned eighteen two months ago, a fact that he was immensely proud of, and Pedro was turning seventeen in three months. Taz and Pedro had always got on with each other, standing up for each other whenever the other was going to get in trouble, but Ríco just got on Taz's nerves sometimes.

"¿Que?" Pedro asked, raising a dark eyebrow at the sight of his brother, who was still dissolved in laughter. Ríco just about managed to point at the dress on the bed. He was laughing so hard that he was no longer making any sound.

Pedro glanced at the bed, and his eyes widened when they laid sight on the dress. "Taz.. Are jou seriously going to wear dat?"

Taz glared at him. "Mamà is making me." she stated, crossing her arms over her chest and ignoring Ríco's snort of laughter.

Pedro turned to face his stepmother. "How is she supposed to walk?"

Taz's eyes grew huge as she turned to face her mother, not yet having considered this problem.

Her mother shot Pedro a venomous look before turning to face Taz. "Tasmina, you will be fine!" she said, smiling reassuringly.

"Until she puts dese on!" came Rìco's voice, and Taz turned to see him holding up a pair of strappy pink high heels.

Taz blanched, and her mother said "Get out" furiously, waving the two boys out and giving them each smacks upside the head.

"Mamà, I can't do dis." Taz said beginning to panic, watching as her mother closed the door behind her stepbrothers.