Song: One More Night
Artist: Maroon 5
*~*~*~*~*
Alejandro walked to his car after the school day was over. His last class ended at 7:30 pm on Mondays. He walked to his car behind the Science building. The sky was a display of white clouds and golden hues as the sun started to set. Alejandro got in his black mustang. The inside was dressed in dark leather, and the windows were as tinted as the best pair of sunglasses. He turned on the ignition key and started the AC.
Just as he was about to relax, his phone buzzed. He deeply exhaled and picked up: "Hola."
"Hola, Alejandro. Are you still coming to dinner? It's nearly 8:00!" Alejandro's father spoke on the other end.
"Oh, sí, yes!" He rubbed his forehead. "Yes, I am coming."
"¡Bueno, apúrate!" (Well, hurry up!) "Dinner is nearly ready, and the table is already set!"
"I told you, I'm on my way." Alejandro started driving. "I'll be there in fifteen minutes."
"¡Rápido!" He told him sharply.
"Papá, I'm coming. Adíos." Alejandro calmly hung up. He took and deep breath and released all of his tension. "You are not going to let José get to you tonight," he told himself.
Alejandro rang the doorbell when he arrived at his parents' home. It was a big mansion with a spacious front yard. Red roses and pink carnations were planted in the courtyard near the door. When Alejandro was little, he'd stare at the ladybugs crawling all over the petals.
His mother, Mariana, opened the door. She smiled, causing her rosy cheeks to puff out. "!Hola, mi niño!" She chirped. She held out her arms to embrace her son. Alejandro gave her a small grin and hugged her. "I have not seen you since we went to the Bahamas with your Uncle Julio!"
"I know, and I've been busy," replied Alejandro.
"We cannot wait to hear about your first day of teaching!" Mariana said excitedly.
Alejandro looked over his mother's shoulder. "Who all is here?"
"Your father, Carlos, and José and Cassandra!"
Ugh. "That is wonderful!" He gave her a big, superficial grin. "I can't wait to see mi familia!" Alejandro followed Mariana inside. The smell of tamales lingered in the air. "Mmm, I haven't had a tamale in forever!" He said.
"I need to come over more often and cook you some, then," she replied with a knowing smile.
Alejandro cringed. "—Mamá, I am fine with coming over here. I don't think it's the best idea for you to come over to my place."
"Why not?" Mariana pushed in one of the dining room chairs. Alejandro assumed that José must've left it out.
"Porque you always come without notice. And I do not know if I'll be home when you do," Alejandro answered, holding onto the back of a chair.
"This next time I'll plan it," Mariana tittered.
"That's what you said last time."
"I know, but this time I will call you the day before!"
Alejandro sighed. The last time Mariana came over, he had a naked woman in his bed. Long story short, he had to fib to his mother about why he couldn't go out to see a movie with her. He didn't introduce the woman to his mom because she was one of many short-lived flings. Alejandro often blew girls off after a couple of hookups because he lost interest in them, although he never intended to keep them around in the first place.
"!Alejandro! Hola, mi hermano!" Carlos came in from the living room.
"Hola," Alejandro nodded. He and Carlos performed their secret handshake ritual, which Mariana laughed at. Carlos, at ten years old, taught Alejandro the handshake when he was just five, and it was one of the many ways they bonded.
"Papá, I have Cassandra sitting in your usual spot, if that is ok," José walked in with Pedro, their father.
"Sí, it's fine," Pedro said. "She is our guest for the night, so she is free to take anyone's seat."
When José saw Alejandro, his usual demeanor changed into a sneer. "Buenas tardes, Al. I think you actually have the best seat for my beautiful Cassandra."
"No, you said she was sitting in dad's chair, so she's sitting in dad's," Alejandro told him, trying his best to hide his frustration.
"I changed my mind."
"You cannot just do that."
The sound of the sink water came on from the restroom, and Cassandra stepped out. She grabbed José's hand. "Let's ask my beloved," José said. "Cass, where would you like to sit? This chair or that chair?" He gestured between Pedro's and Alejandro's.
"Hmm," Cassandra thought. "I like the one further away from the window. I have already gotten tan enough for the Summer."
"Then it's settled," José smirked at Alejandro, who rolled his eyes. The sun can't even tan you through a window, especially when it's setting, Alejandro thought as he begrudgingly took the spare seat across from José. The rest of the family took their seats after Mariana passed out her freshly made tamales.
"How is Valentina, Carlos?" Pedro asked, referring to his four-year-old daughter.
"She is as playful as ever! Just started her first day of preschool!" Carlos answered pridefully. "I know she will make tons of friends."
"That's great!" Pedro beamed. "And I know she will be the smartest kid in her grade." He turned his attention to José and Cassandra.
"We are doing amazing," José answered before his father could even ask. "Cassandra and I just bought our very own penthouse in California, and we are planning on moving out in the next two years."
Mariana gasped and clasped her hands together. "Oh, dios mío! That's so exciting!"
"I am so proud of you, son! I knew that CEO job would pay off!" Said Pedro. Alejandro played with his napkin, desperately trying not to rip it to shreds. Of course! José has a higher-paying job than me in the end!
"Also," José glanced at Alejandro from the corner of his eye, "We are both planning on getting married next year."
Mariana placed a dramatic hand on her chest. "This is too much for mi corazón to handle! My second son is getting married!" She scooted closer to the couple. "Cassandra, I can help you with all things makeup and hair!"
"I would love that, Señora!" Cassandra grinned. "After all, it's even more special when two of your children get married rather than just one. It means that your family's legacy is continuing!"
"I know! I can not wait until Alejandro finds his esposa!"
José snickered. " I don't know if Al will get married, mamá. He is too busy having one-night stands with a new woman every week."
"Shut up, José," Alejandro growled, his face turning red with fury and embarrassment.
"José, that's enough," Mariana scolded. "It is not nice to make fun of your brother."
"That's why he doesn't want you to come over. He always has a woman in bed with him!" José said.
Mariana sighed. "Alejandro, please tell me that this is not true. We've raised you better than this."
"Mamá, it is all lies!" Alejandro hissed. "You know that I value women like I value exfoliation!"
José laughed. "You've been exposed, Al. No wonder you can't get a girlfriend."
Alejandro couldn't control his temper any longer. He sat up straight as he prepared to spill a secret he'd known for quite a while. "Mamá, José has been having an affair for the past three months."
José froze. He and Alejandro had made a deal: if Alejandro didn't tell anyone about his affair, José wouldn't tell anyone about his escapades with women. Another reason that Alejandro never told Cassandra was that she would've never believed him since she, too, hated him just as much as José did. "I—should not have kept it hidden for this long," Alejandro hung his head in shame. "But I've had enough of José pretending he is an angel."
"Lies!" José stood up for the table. "All lies! Mamá, Papá, do not believe a word that comes from his mouth! He is just bitter that I have a girlfriend!"
Mariana and Pedro looked at each other with wide eyes. Cassandra had her mouth covered with both hands. "José—please tell me Alejandro is lying!"
"Like I just stated, he is!" José grabbed Cassandra's hands from her face. "My dearest, do you really think I would cheat on you?"
"I heard him telling this other woman that he was so unhappy with Cassandra!" Alejandro continued. "That she doesn't give him what he wants in bed!"
José glared at his younger brother. "Just wait until I get you back for this, AL."
"Everybody stop!" Pedro snapped. "José and Alejandro, your mother and I have both raised you to be gentlemen, and it seems like neither of you is fitting that role right now, whether what you're spitting at each other is true or not! We do not fight at the dinner table, and we certainly do not bring each other down! You two can solve these issues away from this house. Until you men can get along, neither of you will speak a word to each other. ¿Estoy claro?" (Am I clear?)
"Yes, papá." Both Alejandro and José said.
"Bueno. Now that we have that settled, let's talk about your career, Alejandro."
Alejandro fought back the temptation to check if José was silently mocking him. "My first day of teaching was great. I hope I can pave the pathway to success for my students."
"I know you will do wonderful things, mi hijo," Mariana smiled.
"Gracias, mamá." Alejandro genuinely felt proud of himself. He had spent six years in college to get his master's degree in education. He always knew he wanted to teach psychology since he was fifteen years old. After all, most of his family was made up of master manipulators.
After dinner, Cassandra left. Alejandro looked smug when he saw her crying to José before walking to her car. José marched up to Alejandro. "We need to talk, Al," he whispered threateningly. "Meet me outside."
"I have nothing to say to you," he replied.
"Oh, I believe you do."
Alejandro followed him out to the porch under the yellow light, smirking. José shut the door behind them. "What would you like to say to me, hermano?" José asked.
"I have no idea what you are talking about."
José clenched his jaw and stepped closer to him. "I told you not to tell mamá or papá about my affair. It was only once. She was so gorgeous, I couldn't help myself. You know what that's like to feel out of control, don't you?"
"I am always in control," Alejandro snarled. "The women I sleep with think they have me wrapped around their finger, but they don't expect me to never text them back."
"Awe," José pouted. "Did you see the sad look on mamá's face? That wasn't what she hoped at all for her baby boy. She hoped you would get married like me and Carlos and continue our family legacy." José raised an eyebrow. "—Or, maybe you will continue it, but it won't be...accepted out of wedlock. Always use protection, Al." He patted him on the shoulder.
Alejandro glared daggers at him. "I always use protection. And I will never keep a child if I'm not married; mark my words!" He shook with anger.
"Oh, I will. And when the day comes when the woman you slept with tells you she is pregnant, I will laugh in your face and make sure the entire world knows," said José.
Alejandro laughed sarcastically. "How do you expect to do that?"
"I suppose you remember my old VideoBlock channel?"
"...You still have that?" Alejandro scrunched up his face.
"Yes. I had thousands of subscribers, and I'm sure most of them are still there!" José replied.
Alejandro looked off to the side and shook his head. "It's not like anyone's going to care about a random Internet stranger. But you do not have to worry about that because I will never impregnate a woman out of wedlock."
José ignored him, kicking a small pebble across the porch. "When she gets pregnant, mamá and papá will shun you. You will be begging for forgiveness."
"I don't think they would shun me," Alejandro rolled his eyes.
"You never know. They are very particular about sex before marriage."
"Well, they are not me," said Alejandro.
"True. I guess you'll get what you deserve, then," José shrugged.
"And you'll get what you deserve. Let me guess; Cassandra broke up with you?"
"No, actually. I was able to convince her that you were lying. You know she will believe me over you any day, ultimately," José said.
Alejandro lowered at him. "I may not like Cassandra, but I do feel sorry for her. —However, if she's willing to believe a cheater like you, I feel more pity than sympathy. My standards will never be that low."
"Cassandra has the highest standards. No one can do better than me."
"You are delusional, hermano."
José placed a hand on his shoulder. "It is you who is the delusional one. You spend emotionless nights with women because you can't let go of the past."
Alejandro's eyes went wide, and he felt a deep ache in his chest. "Do not ever say that to me again. You know how destroyed I was when—"
"Looks like I've hit your weak spot. Not so tough anymore, huh, Al?" José cruelly mocked.
Alejandro took deep breaths as fury rose within him. "I wish I never had you as a brother."
"I have wished that since the day you were born. What a hideous baby you were."
Alejandro spun around, thankful that he had his keys in his pocket. "Tell mamá and papá I said bye." He stormed off to his car. He heard Jose's harrowing laughter fade as he walked further from the house.
Alejandro slammed his car door and started the engine. He buried his head in his hands for a moment, just listening to the air conditioner. I wish José would keep his mouth shut. There was no need for him to remind me of that, Alejandro thought. He lifted his head back up. You are no longer weak, Alejandro. This is where you are now. And you will never be that weak again.
A/n- All the weird names in here (ex. VideoBlock) are a nod to other fictional works when they are avoiding copyright😂