"Hector, where's your hermano? I have a bone to pick with him." Pops asked as he flicked through the magazine he was attempting to read.
"Which one?" Fur Ass asked.
"Enrique."
"I'll go and find him."
Pops nodded. "Bring him down here to me."
Fur Ass walked down the hallway and into their bedroom. Ricky was sitting by the desk at the window, immersed in reading through the script. Fur Ass tapped him on the shoulder.
"What?!" Ricky exclaimed. "I'm tryna focus."
"Pops need to see you downstairs."
"About what?"
Fur Ass shrugged. "Something to do with a magazine,"
Ricky grunted. "Aight, I'll go see him."
Ricky got up from the desk and walked to see Pops, who was scowling at him.
"What?" Ricky asked.
Pops held up the magazine with random letters, pages, and models cut out. "What the hell is this?"
"Oh, that? It was for an art project."
"Why didn't you ask me if I was finished with this?"
Ricky shrugged. "You were busy and I couldn't find you?"
Pops set the book down. "You tell me from now on if you need to cut things up, alright?"
"Aight." Ricky nodded. "By the way, they're doing runs of El extraño Retorno de Diana Salazar this weekend. It said that in the TV guide section."
Pops rolled his eyes. "That doesn't make it right, use your brain."
"Aight." Ricky smiled. "I'm sorry."
"Buy me a new copy, pronto," Pops said. "Out of your own money. Go now."
"But I need to study."
Pops hissed. "Go."
Ricky checked his pockets. He had five dollars' change inside it. "How much is it?"
"Seventy-five cents."
"Aight, that's expensive," Ricky said as he walked out of the apartment, and into the street.
He bumped into Mateo on the way to the store.
"How are you getting on with the play?" Mateo asked.
"Good." Ricky nodded. "Taking a break and getting some snacks. And a TV guide."
Mateo raised his eyebrows as they walked inside. "Why?"
"Pops is making me buy him a new one."
"What did you do?"
"Cut up his magazine for our art project."
"The words one?"
Ricky nodded. "I got some decent images and cool letters and he got annoyed at me."
Mateo scoffed. "I stole some of Marisol's old magazines, and she hasn't noticed or cared yet. I made a dreamscape backdrop. How about you?"
Ricky shrugged. "I didn't pick a theme. I just went with the flow, and I ended up with a cool SoCal-inspired image. Fur Ass hasn't seen it yet, but he'll think it's cool."
Mateo grabbed several packets of chips, some chocolate, and freshly baked churros with a pot of chocolate sauce. "Can I see it?"
"Aight, tomorrow in class when I bring it in," Ricky said as he picked up a new TV guide, some chips, meat sticks, a packet of cigarettes, and a bottle of cola. He went over to pay for his goods. Chapo was there, and he approved of everything through the till. "Gracias."
Chapo nodded. "Any time, Ricky."
Ricky stood outside with his bag and lit a cigarette as he stared into the horizon, past the playing fields and the apartment complex, and into the purple mountains framing the city.
He let out a sigh as he sat down on the sidewalk, waiting for Mateo to hurry up.
In the meantime, Tito had made his way to the store and was about to enter, but he saw Ricky and sat down beside him.
"Hey Couz," he said, "What's up?"
Ricky looked up and nodded before greeting him with a handshake. "Yeah, I'm good."
"How's the art project going? Fur Ass was telling me that you decided to take it up."
"Yeah, I finished my 'Words and Landscapes' project last night. Cut up Pops magazine, though and he got pissed so he sent me to get him a new one."
Tito scoffed. "He didn't slap you with the belt?"
Ricky shook his head. "I think he's realizing that I'm getting big now."
"He didn't give you la chancla either?"
"Nah. He just scolds me and makes me replace things. And he thinks the sun shines from Dory's asshole."
Tito laughed. "He's only five."
Ricky shook his head. "That lil' puto ruined my Scarface videotape, and my mixtape collection, and all he could say to Pops was 'I'm onwy fowr' and he said to him 'I know, Son'. He got off with it, no problem."
"Why didn't you tell me? I coulda replaced it for you, no charge."
"You coulda?"
Tito nodded. "Anything for my lil' cousin. You just call on me anytime you need something, and I'll be there for you. Órale."
Ricky nodded. "Thanks, primo."
"Any time," Tito said as Mateo walked out of the store. "Yo, Mateo."
Mateo froze on the spot as tingles crept up his spine and goosebumps on his skin. He felt a hot flush in his cheeks. "Hi, Tito."
"Come sit with us," Tito added, watching as Mateo sat down beside him, "how're the drawings going? Did you capture my good side?"
He began to sweat. His face started to feel numb, and his mouth began to dry up. He coughed and squeeze his hands before saying "Good".
Tito nodded and fixed his hat. "So, can I see them when you're done?"
Mateo nodded. "Definitely."
Tito smiled at him. "So how are you? Any girlfriends on the go?"
Mateo thought for a moment. "Nope."
"Aw, that's a shame. I'm sure there are a lot of chicas out there who'd love to hook up with you." Tito nodded. "Me and my heina have been on and off for six months. I dunno if she's gonna commit or not."
Please don't commit. Mateo thought to himself. "That's nice. How about Ricky?"
Ricky raised his eyebrow. "What about me?"
"Have you got any girls on the go?"
Ricky scoffed. "Hell no, I dumped Maria weeks ago, and Mimi ended up being a one-night stand. So did Beatriz. Catalina had nothing to offer after our dance, only a boring blowjob. I took a loan of Consuela for a weekend, and then I fought Johnny Loko over her."
Tito laughed. "Shit, my cousin's a Sancho and his balls have barely dropped."
Mateo smirked. "Yeah, you should be playing games in the arcade, handball, and doing your schoolwork."
"Speaking of, I suppose you're gonna quit handball now too?" Ricky rolled his eyes. "To protect your precious fingers."
Mateo rolled his eyes. Sweat was starting to drip down his forehead. "No. I'm taking a voluntary break from it. I need to focus."
Ricky caught him glancing at Tito. He smirked. "You're focusing too much on the wrong things."
"No, I'm not." Mateo glared back. "I'm gonna get good at drawing, and go to an Arts college and become an illustrator. Now, I'm practicing drawing things, and Tito is going to be a part of my portfolio."
Tito nodded. "No shame in that."
Mateo wiped his forehead. "Exactly."
Ricky laughed. "I think there's more to it than that."
Mateo shook his head. "Not everything has to be sexual, or about love."
Ricky shrugged. "I didn't say that."
"Well, you're insinuating it."
"No, I am not."
"Yes, you are."
Mateo sighed and got up. "I don't wanna fight with you, Ricky. It's stupid and immature and I'm gonna go back home and draw more. Peace."
Tito watched as Mateo stormed off. Mateo looked back from across the street, and looked at Tito once again, staring into his eyes. Tito looked back and smiled before turning around and looking back at Ricky, confused. "What the hell was that about?"
Ricky shrugged. "Don't ask me."
"Is he hormonal?"
"Probably."
Tito raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, but why did he bring up things being sexual, or about love? Does he have a crush on me or something?"
"He probably just admires you because he'll never be like you–he's always gonna be a nerdy Fur Ass clone–not that there's anything wrong with that. The kid just needs to accept that he's never gonna be the epitome of masculinity."
"Should I go and talk to him?"
Ricky shrugged. "Up to you. It's probably better to do it now before he gets killed, or something."
"Good call. Where's he at?"
"Santa Rosa Sur, 7753. The bungalow with the red truck outside it."
"Aight, gracias."