Rose Garden Dreams

Chapter One: The Letter and the Wizard

"What's up, Belen?" Selena said to her little sister and the nine year old instantly forgot her fear as she beamed up at her older sister...her favorite sister. Sofia wasn't nearly as nice or pleasant to her as Selena was.

"Guess what's going to be on TV in less than five minutes?" Belen inquired and Selena shrugged.

"I don't know." Belen just continued to grin at her.

"The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air! Duh!" Belen told Selena excitedly and Selena raised her eyebrows in surprise, a smile forming on her face.

"That's right. I forgot the Fresh Prince had re-runs on Saturdays." Selena said as she felt her excitement rise at the thought of seeing her favorite show. It might've sounded a bit lame and boring to get so excited over a simple TV show but there wasn't much else to do in Seguin, Texas which was where Selena lived. It was a small town, just outside of San Antonio, and aside from a small water park and a supposed haunted hotel, it was pretty much a boring town. Selena lived for the weekends that the family would take a trip into San Antonio because the city was where all the exciting stuff happened. Sadly enough, the weekend trips into San Antonio only happened about three or four times a year and never during the summer. Her father said it was too hot to go to the city during the summer.

"So are you coming or not?" Belen asked her again, breaking Selena out of her thoughts. Selena smiled at her before nodding enthusiastically.

"Of course." Selena said before carelessly tossing her sister's magazine to the side and getting up from her bed, immediately following her sister downstairs into the living room. Their house was a small one with barely any room for the entire family. Three bedrooms upstairs and a family room downstairs which their father had converted into another bedroom a long time ago. Selena's older brother Jorge, who was the eldest of the Almendarez siblings, had occupied the room for many years until he moved out a couple months ago. Jorge was about to start attending Texas A&M university which was hours away from home so Sofia was in the process of moving into his old bedroom. Truth be told Selena was glad because Sofia was a tough roommate to have. She was sure Belen would make a much better one. The two sisters walked downstairs only to notice their fifteen year old sister on the couch watching Saved by the Bell. Selena wanted to groan because she absolutely hated Saved by the Bell. The characters were just too annoying to her and she found the Fresh Prince to be way cooler and funnier. She knew the only reason her sister watched that show was because Sofia thought Mario Lopez was hot.

Yeah, right.

"Sofia, Selena and I are going to watch the Fresh Prince." Belen told their older sister who barely looked up from her nail polish. The eldest Almendarez sister was very concentrated as she carefully painted her nails a startling electric blue color.

"Well, I'm watching Saved by the Bell so you two are going to have to wait." Sofia told them and Belen pouted while Selena just remained silent. She wasn't exactly reserved by any means but she didn't particularly enjoy arguing with people. Confrontations were always something she dreaded.

"But you've been hogging the TV all day and it happens to be Selena's birthday so she gets to do whatever she wants." Belen told her as she pleaded with their stubborn older sister.

"Listen, you little brat, I'm the oldest in the house now so what I say goes." Sofia said in an annoyed tone and Selena fought the urge to roll her eyes. Sofia could be so obnoxious sometimes. Well...maybe not sometimes but rather all the time. Sofia was the reason Selena understood what people meant by the statement that you couldn't pick your family.

"If you don't let us watch the Fresh Prince then I'll tell Mami and Papi that you have a boyfriend." Belen told her smugly and Selena smirked in amusement at her clever sister. Sofia stared at Belen in shock. "They'll know all about how you've been making out with Juan Cortez behind the HEB." The fifteen year old girl huffed before glaring at her two annoying little sisters.