More Than What Meets the Eye-Oscar Diaz-On My Block

40

"Thanks for coming," I said while hugging the guest as they left the house.

"Thanks for inviting us and happy birthday, Juliana," the guest replied.

I hugged and gave everyone the same treatment until each one of them left. This party showed me how much love my grandmother and I had.

Family, for most people, is the backbone. The defining factors. Whether they have stayed or did not know how to. Whether they are the hands that hold or the arms that had no choice but to let go. Whether they have always been the lungs that give breath and answered phone calls or a quiet, sought out the echo.

Family should be and is a much greater spectrum than solely the people we share DNA with.

We have to reevaluate our own internalized concepts and pause long enough to consider what it means to have people in our world that change not only how we think about our lives, but also the way that we live them.

These are the people. These are OUR people. The ones who have held us up, who have voiced their own beliefs and struggles so that we did not feel quite so alone. The people who understand our laughter and our silence. Those who have met us at the door when we couldn't stand another minute, who have checked in, who have known without knowing.

These guys were my family and I was grateful to have them. But I needed my grandmother to have a better life than this. My father and mother made sure that I wouldn't get sucked in but yet...

"Alright, biatch we need to get ready for the after-party!" Juliana cheered while our grandmother just laughed at us and walking towards here TV to watch her soap opera.

"Stay safe you two," Yaya yelled, "I'll keep you up to date about what happened Lena,"

"I think I was going to finish the La Reina del Sur with Yaya," I said slowly following my grandmother to the living room until Juliana grabbed my top and pulled up upstairs. I knew I wasn't getting out of this.

"Nice try," Juliana said as she pushed us into my room and closed the door, "You know your other family is throwing you a party."

"UGH!" I complained as I threw myself on my bed.

All of a sudden I heard Juliana gasp. I turned my head to the side and my eyes widen on what she found and groaned.

"Nooooo..."

"Found it!" Juliana yelled, "Where the hell did you get this from!"

"My modeling gigs," I mumbled.

"Well, you're wearing it!"

"But I don't-" I complained until she glared down at me and I immediately got silent.

"You're wearing this with this coat," Juliana commanded as she threw the outfit on top of me.

I groaned out of annoyance and turned my body away from looking at her. I couldn't believe she was forcing me to wear this elaborate diamond-encrusted two-piece samba costume with this cream-colored fur coat. I looked like a thot!

"Get a dress, Matteo is picking us up at 12th street," she said as she pulled out another one of my outfits for herself to wear and went to my bathroom.

I groaned and forced myself off my bed and quickly got dressed out of my day party clothes to my night 'thot' clothes. This didn't scream I am single out loud then Idk what did.

I walked towards the mirror to see this outfit and began fixing my hair. The outfit's glittering diamonds, pearls, and golden ropes dripped down my tiny yet slightly curvy frame. I soon pulled out some jewelry and accessorized the outfit with a layered chain choker, diamond bracelet, and massive hoop earrings. I covered the outfit with a cream-colored fur coat.