(Isabela Moner - Young Shayla)
TW: PTSD
Italics mean flashback for this chapter
When we arrived to Mexico everything went smoothly with the warm welcomes and the car ride to my grandma's house.
My grandma has always been the sweetest lady ever, like a saint. I could never imagine how I would be if I didn't have her influence and memories of things to live by.
We arrived to my grandma's house first, "Shayla! Como estas mi vida? te ves hermosa!" (How are you my life? you look beautiful!)
"Gracias Abuelita!" (Thanks granny) she looked at Buck and greeted him, giving him a welcome hug, I already taught him the basics of spanish so he wouldn't need me to translate everything for him.
My eyes roamed around the living room with yellow walls like I remember, the same brown table, new flowers and.. oh my god.
My face went from happily nostalgic to pale as a ghost and my heart sank, I tried to hold my guts at the sight of what I saw.
The picture from my Quinceañera.
"SHAYLA!"
"THIS IS YOUR FAULT!"
"WE HAVE TO GET OUT HURRY!"
The flashbacks start replaying in my mind, it feels as if it were happening again. A sense of danger and panic arose.
"Shayla? Honey whats wrong?" I hear Bucks voice then my grandma's, "Mija que tienes?" (My daughter what's wrong?)
I breathed out "nececito aire." (I need air), I opened the door and got out as quick as possible, before I know it im running right back to the nearby beach.
I let myself fall into the sand and let myself fall back, breathing heavily in and out, staring into the cloudy sky, trying to retrace my mental steps and bring myself back into reality.
(The next part will be told in 3rd person view)
"Shayla!"
"Shayla!"
2007
"Shayla!"
15 year old Shayla turned around and looked at her cousin, Naomi, "Your dress looks beautiful!" Naomi says walking towards her dress on the Mankin.
Shayla grinned "It's beautiful isn't it?" It was a beautiful lavender puffy dress with flowers and off the shoulder short sleeves, made by Shayla's grandma, Belinda.
"Are you nervous about tonight?" Naomi asks, Shayla shook her head, "I'm sure everything's gonna be fine. If anything I'm excited to celebrate with you and the rest of my friends and family." Shayla says hugging her cousin and they both look into the mirror.
"Te quiero prima." Naomi says (I love you cousin), "Iguual Prima" (same here cousin
"Shayla! Lyza and Rosie just came back from the store! Girls help Shayla get ready!!" Shayla's mom yells, "Si Mami!" (Yes mom!)
***
Buck got to the beach where Shayla was and saw her, "There you are! What happened Shayla you're grandma and I are worried about you!" He got where she was and sat down behind her
Shayla let out a deep breath, "Uhm.. there's something about me I never told you." She starts, Buck is confused "What are you talking about what triggered you? Did your grandma say something?"
She stayed silent for a moment, "My Quince."
He furrowed his eyebrows "your quince? What about it? You look beautiful in that picture I saw it."
"Maybe I looked beautiful in the picture that's not the problem here." Shayla sat up and still facing away from Buck, "It's what happened that day...I wrecked everything."
***
The venue for Shayla's Quinceañera was an indoor but had an outdoor balcony, with torches.
Shayla stepped out to the balcony and found her aunt Sol. Sol was the mom of Shayla's cousin, Naomi.
Shayla comes out "Tia? Do you need help with that?" Her aunt gave her an unsure look, "I don't think you can do this Shay. Just go get ready I'll figure it out."
"Come on Tia just let me try! Mom needs your help with the food."
Sol took a second to consider it until she let her niece do the job, "Just make sure it's tied enough so it doesn't fall, I trust you."
"Don't worry, I will."
Shayla walks over to the torch and puts it back up, trying to tie it as tight as she can, double knot. Then when she felt satisfied enough, she goes back to continue get her dress on.
***
"Por favor dale un fuerte aplauso a la Quinceañera, Shayla Florencia Perez!" (Please give a strong applause to the Quinceañera, Shayla Florencia Perez!)
Shayla walked out feeling happy and confident as ever, as it were to be one of the nights of her life
She went on to do her dance and valz, everything came out perfect with the dances and more.
Then came the time everyone was eating, dancing, and enjoying the party.
Meanwhile..
Naomi was outside on the balcony looking for her bracelet, no one was aware she had even gone out. When she finally found it, she heard a loud noise startle her, she gasped at the sight.
The torch had fallen
The fire was spreading around the balcony, Naomi quickly ran to the door and banged on it to be let back in
"HELP! THERE'S A FIRE OUT HERE!"
"LET ME IN!"
People on the other side heard Naomi's yells and quickly ran to open the door and called authorities
But it was too late, Naomi reacted fast, but the flames were faster
The fires burned fast breaking it and the whole balcony came falling down in flames.
Fire departments rushed to the scene and everyone quickly got out.
"What happened?!?" Shayla yelled
"Everybody out!! Hurry!!"
***
Shayla stood outside watching firemen work and keep everyone safe from going back inside, putting out the flames.
Then she saw the paramedics take someone to the ambulance, she just knew it was Naomi
Her heart sank to the ground and tears welled up in her eyes, she wanted to go with her until her aunt Sol stepped in front of her.
"SHAYLA!"
She gasped frightened and took a step back, "Tia.."
"I trusted you Shayla and tell me. How'd this happen on your watch??" Sol yelled presenting the scene with her hand, "this is all your fault."
Shayla felt a her stomach drop and her body felt numb, as if she were excpeting to wake up from a sick nightmare.
"No it's not"
"Yes it is."
"NO IT'S NOT"
Sol pushed Shayla to the ground making her fall back, "GET AWAY FROM HER!" Shayla's other aunt, Klarissa yelled and her father taking Sol away.
"This is all your fault! She's dead because of you!"
Shay got up and did the next best thing, run.
She ran faster than she knew her legs could even take her down to the beach nearby her house, she didn't wanna stop.
She arrived to the sand and let herself fall to her knees, ripped her sleeve off her dress, and cried.
Burying her face in her hands for what felt like eternity was the only moment that felt like reality that night.
***
Shayla was starting to hyperventilate, Buck saw this, "Shay-"
"It was all my fault." Her voice was breaking, "All of it was. Naomi's dead because of me."
Shayla got up and began pacing around the sand, Buck tried to keep up with her, "Shayla."
"I should've just asked someone for help- I should've made sure she was inside."
"Shayla stop."
"I-I could've done something I could've stopped it from happening but I failed, it should've just been me-"
"SHAYLA STOP!" Buck yelled pulling her by the shoulders, she had tears running down her face, eyes looking down. Buck sighed, "Look. It wasn't your fault I don't care who thinks it is, anything else could've happened to Naomi. There's nothing you could've or should've done, because life will always find a way to turn out the way it's meant to." Buck calmly explained to Shayla as she did her best to get ahold of her breathing.
She didn't say anything but went into Buck's arms as he held her tight, and cried.
"I guess you're right, I took it as a sign from life to bring me where I am today." Shayla says softly pulling away, preparing to tell the rest of the story.
***
"Prima!" (Cousin!)
"Shay!"
Shayla was sitting on the beach reading a magazine sipping fresh mango juice when she heard her sister and cousin Rosie calling from behind. They come next to her,
"Great news Shay, the company that owns the venue lost the court case, we're gonna be okay!" Lyza said
"Yea and Tia Sol was taken to a mental hospital, everyone knows it's not your fault.." Rosie said.
Shayla took the straw away from her mouth and said, "wow. Isn't that just great news." Using a monotone voice
Lyza and Rosie exchanged sad looks, "Shayla, no one's mad at you anymore-"
She quickly arose from her spot, "Okay? I'm supposed to feel better because Tía's in a mental hospital? Becuase we won the lawsuit? Cause no one really blames me? I know they do and it doesn't change a thing!"
Lyza spoke "Sis, there was legal proof shown in court, it wasn't your fault-"
"I don't care how much evidence in the world says it wasn't my fault. Naomi's dead and I failed to save her! No amount of money or apologies can bring her back." Shayla responded sharply
Rosie and Lyza both looked at her, with hurt looks on their faces. It hurt to see this ray of sunshine loose sight of who she deserves to be other than a grey sky.
"Shayla!" Their mother called, their heads turning, "Ven, tenemos que hablar." (Come, we need to talk)
***
The family of Shayla, her parents, Rosie, Lyza, and Klarissa were all seated in the living room.
Her mother, Grace, began to speak "Mija, we've all had a lot of talking and thinking to do.. we think it's best that when Rosie and Klarissa return to the United States.."
"That you come with us." Klarissa finishes, Shayla's eyes widened, "Why?"
They sigh, "we've seen how hard Naomi's death has been on you on top of everything else that happened at your quince. We just want you to find yourself and start a new path in your life." Her father, Alejandro explained.
Shayla scrunched her lips and breathed out, "I can't leave you guys." She protested, "you're not leaving us, we'll always be right behind you. It's not forever, you can always come back to mexico to visit and you'll always be welcomed home." Grace said
Shayla took it into thought, maybe they were right. All she wanted at this point was to wake up from this nightmare, but going back to the United States would be the next best thing, although she and Klarissa were never that close, she new she would have Rosie and Lyza was moving there in the following year for college.
***
As Shayla said goodbye to her family, she got on the plane to America, talking to Rosie and not as much with Klarissa.
They lived in an apartment in new york, where her aunt Klarissa worked as a firefighter. Shayla felt different when she saw her aunt's brave work along with the other firefighters.
It also reminded her of the firefighters who arrived quick enough the night of the Quinceañera, to save anyone else from dying. The paramedics who did everything they could to save Naomi, it meant the world to her how much they cared, she could see how dedicated they were about getting people to safety no matter if it were the last thing they'd ever do.
Eventually, Shayla asked her aunt if she could help her enroll in firefighting class, and of course Klarissa agreed. They're bond grew stronger as Klarissa mentored Shayla, gradually molding her from a helpless girl, to a strong firewoman.
When she was brought to the firehouse with her aunt, she and the rest of the team, "Welcome Perez." Her aunt told her
Shayla gave her aunt a grin before going down the firepole, and when she came down, she was a new woman.
"I've been offered the spot in LA." Shayla told her aunt, Klarissas eyes widened, "What? Really??" She was excited
"Yes!"
They hugged in exictement, Shayla was planning on moving to LA after finishing her work to become a paramedic as well as a firefighter, and of course, Rosie and Klarissa were 100% supportive of her getting back on her feet, beginning her new journey.
***
It took a while for Shayla to calm down, Buck had to go back to the house to talk to Shayla's grandma about the picture, that being she didn't realize how much it hurt her.
Grandma was understanding and put the picture away, and asked Buck if he could bring Shayla home so they could eat together and catch up.
Buck brought Shayla back to the house reassuring her the whole way there, that everything would be okay. That her grandma wasn't upset, but understood the problem.
They ate together as a family along with Shayla's parents and had a wonderful family bonding time together. In this moment Shayla felt as her eyes were opened wider.