Nothing But A Memory

Chapter 1- A p a r t

I cut him off the excitement getting the best of me "Didn't Milagro tell you?" He furrowed his eyebrows together confused, I guess she didn't say. "I don't want a relationship either, we could be friends with benefits!" I smile brightly only for it quickly to fade when I remember all the reasons why it wouldn't work.

"Actually, maybe it's best if we just stay friends..." Melancholy fills my chest as I see a bit of disappointment filling his brown eyes.

"Well, I should get to class, um want my number so we can talk some more?" I nod feeling a little better. I was a minute or two late to class and everybody had already gone inside but my teacher doesn't care.

We exchange numbers and I see him walk off and turn a corner. I walk into class with everybody talking amongst themselves as our teacher talks with his drama kids. I've always sat in the back to avoid getting picked on and I can say now that it's worked.

"Okay, we're gonna read Night. Whatever we can't finish here, you read at home..." With that, everybody quiets down and pulls out their copy of the book.

We spent the whole class following along as our teacher read aloud the Holocaust memoir.

Our teacher dismisses us at 2:20 pm and we all herd out of the class, spilling into the hallway. I head down the main stairway to the front of the school where all the buses were lined up, picking up students.

I leaned against a pole, zoning out as I watched all the buses zoom past or park to pick up students. I thought back to getting David's number and at lunch when they asked me who my crush was.

Before I knew it my bus pulled up and I got on, sitting a seat behind the escape window. My bus is relatively empty, there are few kids so everyone gets to have their own seat and still seats remain unoccupied. It's pretty quiet, the only people who really talk are the bus driver and 2 freshmen who always try to keep their voice down. It makes it way much easier to zone out.

As we drove past convenience stores and apartments it started to become a blur, my eyes started fluttering shut and without realizing, I dozed off. It wasn't until we went a little fast over a speed bump that I jolted awake, realizing I was the next and last stop, and so I pulled out my keys.

As I walk through my front door, my cat runs up meowing loudly rubbing herself against my leg and I scratch her little head.

I head straight to my room, dropping my black Jansport bookbag by my bedpost. I slip off my uniform and change into a pair of grey leggings and a Crossfit judge shirt, from not that long ago.

I turn on my little fan, that's more for white noise than to cool me down. I fall back onto my bed covering myself with a little red airport blanket, letting sleep overtake me.

My body naturally wakes up a little alarmed to know the time and to know if I missed Crossfit, although it rarely happens. It was 6:45 pm and I saw no light from under my door as usual. I got dressed and opened my bedroom door to find that my mom's purse wasn't on the table like always around this time.

Before I could start to worry she walks through the door frantically, like always. "Vamos, dale! Tu papá ya llevó el carro para llenar las gomas."

translation -> (C'mon, let's go! Your dad took the car to fill up the tires.)

I reached Crossfit and instantly felt happy seeing Gaby, my gym partner and now best friend.

"Bro do I have a story for you.." I rile her up and she claps her hands together excited with a big smile. We walk over to the fake patch of grass and I fill her in on my day.

"7:15! Come over here!" Danny yells and a little group forms around him to listen for instruction.

"Today is a partner WOD!" *Workout Of the Day* He speaks loud enough for all of us to hear and Gaby and I high five, earning a look of annoyance from Danny making us laugh. It really is fun to mess around with your coaches.

"We're starting with back squats and then I'll explain the workout..." He says and we all dismantle walking over to the corner where the bars are held up with a vertical bar hook. I stand by the rigs to hold a spot for us.

"So 185 pounds?" I ask her knowing damn well she can barely do 160, but I love messing with her.

"Yeah, right..." She rolls her eyes but we both walk over to where the 45-pound plates are held and each grab one.

"How about you do as much as you can and I do 185?" I ask as I slide on the plate

"Yeah, go ahead..."

We grab the rest of the weights we need and I squat first then she goes, for every 3 minutes and there are 12 minutes.

We finish our sets and put away most of our weight. "Okay, everybody! the workout is 21 over the bar burpees and 15 snatches heavy, then 15 burpees and 10 snatches, and 10 burpees and 3 snatches. After every set of snatches, you add more weight."

He demonstrates the workout and we all dismantle again to set up our bars. Gaby and I usually share everything so there's nothing new.

"Let's just do a 35-pound bar with 20 pounds on the sides." I decide and she nods walking away to grab the weights and so do I.

"You guys have 20 minutes to finish and you start in 3..2..1 go!"

I start off our set quickly dropping to the ground and jump over the bar, doing every rep before going into the snatches. I can already feel the sweat drip down my face and into my eye burning my vision.

Then Gaby goes and does the same, a bit slower but I don't blame her, I've been doing Crossfit longer than her. About a year or so.

Before I know it the timer goes off and Gaby and I both fall to the ground exhausted, both of our chests rising and falling quickly.

We put away the weights and bar, before going to the fake grass to stretch. Danny plops down before me and demonstrates the stretches for us to do. Once we finish with our 5 little quick stretches I pull Danny aside for a question or two.

"Do you think it'd be a good idea if I fasted, or like intermediate fasted?" I ask with uncertainty.

"I mean, try intermediate fasting first but it's not the worst thing in the world. Just make sure you eat all your protein and carbs and you should be fine."

He walks away before I could say anything else and goes on to coach the next class of 8:15 pm.

I decide to stay a little longer to stretch when Gaby left. I lost track of time and it ended up being 45 minutes. I check my phone to see no missed calls or messages from mom, which only raises my suspicions.

I stand by the door worried if anything happened to mom. It was already 9:30 pm and she's usually here before I even finish the class.

I decide to do some abs to waste time but it won't be long until they ask me to leave to close and I have no way of getting home. I could always walk, I don't live too far I'm just worried something will happen to me.

I did a little ab circuit of planks, GHD situps, and Russian twists. I tried calling my mom repeatedly but it went straight to voicemail.

"Hey, where's your mom?" Danny asks me. I'm the only person left, everybody has gone home by now.

"I don't know she isn't answering the phone..." I can feel the ball rising in my throat and worry consumes me.

"Want me to take you home?" He offers and I nod standing up.

The drive is silent and a little awkward but thankfully it doesn't last long. We pull up to my condominium and I thank him for the ride.

"Hey, let me know if anything did happen to your mom okay?" I nod and walk away from his car to my house.

I knock and a few minutes later my dad opens the door with an unusually worried look on his face.

"Donde estabas? Deportaron a tu mama..." My dad reveals making my heart drop.

translation -> (Where were you? your mom got deported...)

"Que? Porque?" I can't help but ask, I can't help but want answers.

translation -> (What? Why?)

"Me llamaron hace una hora, ordene una pizza para la comida." he speaks casually but you can see the shock in his face.

translation -> (They called me an hour ago, I ordered a pizza for dinner.)

I grab a pizza slice chewing slowly, not really hungry but I know I have to eat. I take a long hot shower, letting the hot tears flow freely as I wonder how I'm supposed to take care of the house and do everything without my mom beside me.

I slip into comfy pajamas and make myself a tea to help me fall asleep even though I know I won't be sleeping much tonight...