Dedicated theinkslingerr
"Make them thinner than that, sweetheart." Stef told Jude who was cutting cucumbers, helping her cook dinner. As usual, the kitchen was pretty much hectic.
Everyone was getting ready for Mariana's Quinceañera this weekend. Lexi was sitting at the other counter with Mariana making goodie bags, while I was sitting beside Jude, drawing the sink and windows across from me.
Drawing has really been helping lately, slowly but surely I've been getting more rest.
"I'm just making sure you have Mariana's playlist." Lena walked into the kitchen on the phone. "Nothing too provocative or with any explicit lyrics."
I smirked, catching Mariana and Lexi rolling their eyes at each other.
"What's for dinner?" Jesus came into the kitchen, grabbing a bag of chips that were beside me.
"Not chips, my friend." Stef grabbed the bag out of his hands.
Jesus looked at my drawing. "You're good."
"Thanks." I smiled.
Stef took a peek. "He's right. You are good, better than good. Where did you learn to draw like that?"
I shrugged. "I've just always been good, call it a gift, I guess."
"That's cool, honey." She rubbed my back.
I smiled and Tayla walked in with Brandon, Callie coming in a moment later.
"Hey, can Talya stay for dinner? " Brandon asked, as Callie stood beside me and Tayla leaned on the counter in front of us.
"Ooh, Lexi, too?" Pleaded Mariana.
"Sure." Said Lena who was now off the phone.
"Hey Callie, how was your day?" Stef asked her.
"Uh, it was good." Callie shrugged.
"Uh, so Callie, you know my friend Kelsey?" Mariana asked out of the blue.
"Oh, the one who lied and said I sold her drugs?" Callie retorted.
"Yeah, well she's in rehab."
"I'm sorry to hear that." Callie apologized.
"So, do you want to take her place in my court?"
Callie and I looked at each other, surprised by her question. "You could be in it to, Camila." Hearing my name, I looked at Mariana with my eyes widened.
"I think that is a great idea, Mariana." Stef, cheesed. "Um, what do you think, girls?"
I looked at Callie, shrugging. We looked back at Mariana. "Uh, sure, I guess."
We could tell her Moms were making her ask, so even if we didn't want to, we couldn't just object in front of their faces.
"Great." Lena smiled. "We'll just have to hurry and get your guys gown fitted before Saturday."
"We have to wear a gown?" We asked in unison.
"Well, you don't have to do anything." Said Mariana, matter-of-factly.
"And we get to do a waltz." Jesus says, not excited at all. Mariana smiled, excited. "It's gonna be fun."
"Like eating glass." Jesus rolled his eyes.
"Hey, shut it." Stef told him.
"So, who does Callie get to dance with?" Tayla asked.
"Brandon." Mariana answered. I noticed Tayla's face fall. Brandon noticed too because he kissed her on the forehead. "Yeah, I mean, but you're my date."
"Well, duh." Tayla tried to play it off.
"Who is Camila dancing with?" Jude asked.
"Yeah, about that. I was going to let you choose who you wanted to dance with. You know that guy, you hang out with?"
"Zeke?" I raised my eyebrows.
"Zeke?" Almost everyone in the room, repeated. All eyes were on me and I frowned. "What?"
"Who's this Zeke guy?" Callie asked.
"No one, he's just a friend." I stated.
"You sure about that?" Jude asked me, his eyebrows raised like everyone else's. I roll my eyes, closing my journal. "Yes, I'm sure." I get out of my seat, looking at Mariana as I make my way to leave.
"I'll ask him."
<><><><><><>
I laid beside Callie, staring at the ceiling as she did her homework. The both of us were listening to Lexi and Mariana talk about the party.
"Should I have Mariachi?" Mariana asked. "That's traditional."
"So is having a Catholic mass and you're not doing that." Retored Lexi.
Mariana nodded. "Yeah, true. What about the shoe ceremony?"
I looked just in time to see Jesus standing out in the hallway, looking at Lexi. I looked at Lexi who smiled at him, totally ignoring Mariana.
"Uh-uh. No." She said paying no attention whatsoever.
"A doll thing?" Mariana questioned, as Jesus walked away.
"My mom's going to be here any minute." Said Lexi. "I'm going to go use the ladies' room."
I kept in my scoff, smirking.
She was not going to the bathroom. Am I the only one noticing this?
"The ladies' room?" Mariana questioned, confused but Lexi was already out of the room.
"Hey, so I know your moms made you ask us to be in your party." Said Callie, grabbing my attention. "So, we can tell them we don't want to do it."
Mariana shrugged. "I don't know. Whatever. If you don't want to."
"No, it's not that we don't want to." I interjected. "It's if you don't want us to."
Mariana just shrugged. "I don't mind. You know, you don't have to."
"No, we know we don't have to." Callie said.
Mariana just shrugged again "Ok, well, it's up to you."
Callie and I looked at each other before nodding. "Ok. Well, then yeah." I said. "But we don't know how to waltz."
"Well, neither do I." Mariana replied. "A friend of our moms is teaching us."
"Cool." My Sister and I said in unison.
With that, all Mariana said was. "Cool."
<><><><><><>
"Ooo, a Quinceañera." Said Zoey, taking the top off of her water. "That sounds fun." She looked at Owen who was eating a bag of potato chips beside her. "You want to go?"
He shrugged. "Parties aren't my thing."
Zoey rolled her eyes. "Leaving the house isn't your thing. You're so anti-social."
I smirked, biting my apple as I watched the two. They were like day and night, complete opposites.
"We'll be there." Zoey confirmed, receiving an eye roll from her boyfriend.
I asked Mariana if I could invite Zoey and Owen too. Since there my new friends, I thought it would be cool if they came.
"Be where?" Zeke asked arriving at the table, his lunch tray in hand. He sat beside me as I spoke. "Mariana's Quinceañera. She made Callie and I apart of her court but I don't have anyone to dance with."
I raised my eyebrows at him, and his lips curved into a smile. "And you're going to ask me because you have a crush on me." He flashed his pearly whites and I rolled my eyes.
"Uh, no, I'm asking because Owen is taken and you're my only option."
"Burn." Zoey and Owen said in unison, as Zeke held his hand over his heart, pretending to be hurt.
I laughed. "So, you in?"
He nodded. "Yeah, I'm in."
<><><><><><>
Why was she staring so hard? I could literally smell the jealousy off of her from all the way across the room. I was trying to be nice but she was pushing my buttons.
She was going to cause trouble and I knew it. Especially after taking it upon herself to take Callie's journal.
I have a few things to say to her about that too.
"Camila!" I hear someone call my name loudly. I broke my gaze from the redhead, Tayla and looked to see Zeke was standing in front of me.
I looked around realizing we were in dance practice with Mariana, Jesus, Lexi, Brandon and Callie with Tayla stalking my sister and Brandon in the corner.
"Everything okay?" The dance instructor asked.
I nodded. "Yeah, sorry, continue." She went on about the importance of the waltz and I avoided my sisters worried gaze.
"Stalk much?" Zeke whispered. I rolled my eyes, not replying. "You have a problem with Tayla?"
"Yeah, because she has a problem with my sister."
"Care to elaborate?" He questioned. I shook my head. "Not really."
"Alright, Brandon, Callie, Zeke and Camilla. To the front please." The instructor told us.
We did we were told, Callie and I standing in front of our partners. "Don't be shy." She looked at the boys. "Place your right hand on your partner's waist and slightly around to the small of her back." I avoided eye contact with Zeke, filling his hands slide to the small of my back.
"Extend the left hand. Palm raised." Zeke held his hand up as told and the next set of directions were for Callie and I.
"Girls, rest your hand gently in theirs. Other hand, up on their shoulder like so." I obeyed, staring at my hands in the process so I wouldn't have to look at Zeke.
"A little closer."
Suddenly, Zeke pulled me close so our bodies were touching. I looked into his brown eyes, tensing up instantly. "I won't bite." He mouthed, a sincere smile spreading across his face.
I felt myself calm down, giving a small nod.
"Good, hold that position." The instructor went on. "In partner dancing, connection is key. So, Brandon, Zeke, girls, look into each others eyes."
She moved on to set Mariana, Lexi and their partners up while I found myself lost in Zeke's eyes. He grinned at me, and chuckled. "What?"
He shook is head. "Nothing. Nothing at all."
<><><><><><>
I bite on my fingernail, tapping my pencil on the coffee table, my mind completely else where. I was suppose to be doing my homework but I couldn't stop thinking about dance rehearsal.
Zeke and those brown eyes. He was so sweet and sincere and I almost just want to push him away. It's like I know where this is going, I don't think I want it, I think I'm just too afraid to have it.
I felt someone nudge me and looked to see it was Jude. He was looking at me with concern along with Callie. "You okay?" He asked.
"Yeah, I'm fine. Just thinking." Just as I began to do my homework again we heard Stef yell: "Everyone? Gram's here!"
Callie, Jude and I looked at each other for a moment before getting up. Together we walked into the foyer to see this beautiful, older, dark skin woman hugging the twins. She turned around, noticing us and her lips curved into a friendly smile.
She walked over, looking between Callie and I. "Don't tell me." She stated. "You must be Camila." She surprisingly got that right as she shook my hand first. "You must Callie and you must be Jude."
"Yes, ma'am." Jude shook her hand politely.
"It's lovely to meet you three." She said.
Callie and I smiled. "Thanks." We said in unison.
She put her arm around the three of us and turned us toward the dining room. "Everyone in this house calls me Gram. Guess what, I've got fabulous presents."
<><><><><><>
"Gotta be out the door in 15!" Stef yelled up the stairs.
I looked down at myself, touching the pink fabric of my dress. I felt so out of place, almost like I was someone else. I looked up into the mirror and found myself kind of liking how I looked. I felt like a princess. I waved the dress around, smiling a bit.
"Hey." I turned to see Callie in the bathroom doorway. She furrowed her eyebrows at me. "You're not actually liking this right?" She picked up the bottom of her dress, obviously uncomfortable. I shrugged. "So what if I am?"
She scrunched up her nose and I rolled my eyes. "Go wait for me downstairs would you?"
"Ooo, bossy." She joked before walking away.
I shook my head and began running my fingers through my curly hair. I was a bit nervous about tonight. All those people we were going to be dancing in front, made me weary. I remembered I was going to be dancing with Zeke and felt a little less nervous.
Now that I'm less nervous, I left the bathroom and made my way to the staircase. Just as I was about to start walking down, I stopped when I heard Tayla's voice. "It really is nice for Mariana to ask you to be in her court. Seeing as how, you know, this is a temporary situation."
"Well, you never know. I mean, they might decide to keep us." Said Callie.
"Maybe. I mean, unless."
"What?"
"They knew something. Like what happened with Liam."
I literally cringed at the sneakiness in her words. As soon as she said Liam's name, I walked down the stairs and her attention went straight to me. I glared at her angered by how much of a bitch she was.
"Hey, Tayla, you make it a habit of reading other people's journals?" I asked.
Though I wasn't going to hit her, Callie put her hand in front of me as soon I walked over to them. Tayla smirked, not intimidated at all. "Just people I don't trust. I'm going to go help Brandon."
She walked outside and it was taking everything in me to keep calm. Callie turned me around to face her. "You have to keep your calm, Mila."
I crossed my arms over my chest. "You know how I get when it comes to you and Jude. Besides, what she did was wrong. Why does she think you have anything to do with Brandon?"
Callie shrugged, shaking her head. "I don't know."
We heard footsteps and looked to see Jude coming down the stairs all dressed up in his tux.
"What's going on?" He asked. Callie and I shook our heads as I pulled him close. "Nothing, buddy. Nothing."
<><><><><><>
"You look, amazing." Zeke said for like the hundredth time since he arrived. We were waiting around in front of the venue so we could have our grand entrance.
I slid my corsage on my wrist, blushing for like the hundredth time. "Thank you, again." He flashed a smile at me, I gave one in return. He looked so handsome in his tuxedo.
"You nervous?" He asked. I nodded. "Just a little.
"Don't worry, I'll be right there if you fall on your face."
I slapped him on the chest playfully as we erupted in laughter.
"Everybody, couple up." Stef shouted. "The DJ's going to announce the court, and then Mariana and Jesus, you'll make your grand entrance. You all look wonderful, beautiful, and handsome."
She began to walk inside with Stef but waved Tayla over first. Talya gave Brandon a kiss before following Lena and Stef.
I looked over at Callie who was standing, awkwardly. I could tell she just really wanted to go, especially after the conversion with Talya. Brandon was about to walk over to her but she quickly went and locked arms with Sam, Lexi's partner.
"What are you doing?" Sam asked.
Callie glanced at me as she spoke. "Sam's too tall for Lexi, I think we should switch." Lexi shrugged. "Works for me."
With that, everyone begin to get in line, putting themselves in the right order. I felt someone put my arm around theirs, and looked back at Zeke.
"What was that about?" He asked. I sighed in annoyance, looking forward. "What do you think?"
They began to introduce people and I could feel my stomach turning into knots. I gnawed on my lip in anticipation.
"It's alright." I heard Zeke whisper in my ear. "I got you." I turned my head to look at him, getting lost in those brown eyes again.
"Next, let's Welcome, Zeke Austin and Camila Jacob!"
Zeke and I walked into the venue and it was almost like the red carpet. Everyone was clapping and taking pictures. I don't know whether to smile or hide. I could hear our names being called, and look to see Owen and Zoey literally screaming their asses of.
I mean, Owen was literally sitting in a chair, pumping his fist in the air. Zeke and I couldn't but laugh, as we waved at them. We stood with the rest of the couples and it was time for the DJ to announce the twins.
"And now, the moment we've all been waiting for, ladies and gentlemen, Mariana Foster and her brother Jesus Foster."
Mariana and Jesus came out and we all clapped for them. Mariana looked so pretty, I don't think I could ever pull off such a flashy dress.
First was her dance with Mike, which was really nice, then it was time for our dance. As Zeke and I are walking to stand in our positions, I see Brandon pull Callie to the dance floor.
I frowned in confusion at Callie and she shrugged just as confused and obviously taken aback.
"Are you always this on edge?" Zeke asked causing me to look at him. I furrowed my eyebrows.
"What?"
The music began and we started to dance like we rehearsed. "Every time we're together or I see you, you're worrying about something, mostly about your siblings."
We stepped far apart and then back together. "I can't help it. I always have to worry because something bad always happens." I twirled under his arm, into the arms of Brandon, switching partners.
We never broke eye contact until finally I twirled back into his arms. "How do you know something bad is going to happen?" He asked.
"Because, something bad always happens to me and my family. My life is full of nothing but heart break and abuse."
He didn't say anything for a moment, it was almost like he was taking in my words. "Well then." He finally smoke. "Maybe it's time for that to change."
He twirled me out of his arms, and I stopped once I was across from him, the routine ending with all the couple standing a few feet away from each other with Mariana up front. Everyone clapped, but I kept my gaze on those brown eyes, that beamed of hope. Hope that I had lost a long time ago.
<><><><><>
"Oh my god! You look so pretty." Zoey hugged me tightly.
"I look pretty? You look gorgeous." I compliment her strapless black dress.
"You and Zeke did amazing." Said Owen as he gave him a hug.
"Thanks guys." Zeke smiled.
The ringing of the mic interrupted our conversation, and like everybody else we looked to see the DJ in the middle of the dance floor with Mariana. "Can I have everyone's attention? Can everyone please find their seat?"
Everyone did as they were told, the four of us sat at a table together.
"And can I have Stef and Lena join us on the dance floor?"
Stef and Lena began to walk up to the dance floor. "Mariana, your moms have something they'd like to say to you."
Stef took the mic away from the DJ. "Ok, first of all, Jesus, will you please come join your sister?"
Jesus came up and joined the three. "Ok, first we want to thank all of our friends and family for coming to join us and celebrating this very, very special birthday today. Thank you." Everyone gave an applause before getting quiet again.
"Our babies are 15!" Stef gushed. "Could you believe this? To our beloved Jesus and Mariana, you have brought so much joy and love to your moms, and to your brother Brandon's life as well. He begged us and begged us for a brother or a sister, and got both in one fell swoop. Um, we love you so very much, and since a picture is worth a thousand words, I'm going to shut up and we're going to watch this. So, go over there."
They stepped to the side and a white screen began to slide down. The lights went dim and a video with pictures of the twins started to play. Since no one was paying attention, I wanted to take this time to talk to Zeke. I thought about what he said earlier to me when we were dancing.
I tapped him on the shoulder and he looked at me. "Can we get out here?"
"What?" He furrowed his eyebrows.
"I worry too much, you were right but I don't think I want to anymore. I'm over this party and I can't worry about my siblings if they aren't around. So...we gonna get out of here or what?"
He nodded. "Yeah, yeah. Let's get out of here. I know exactly where I'm taking you."
The light came back on and we looked to see the video over. We clapped along with everyone else. The DJ came back on the dance floor with Stef, Jesus, Mariana and Lena, taking the mic.
"Now, may I please have the rest of the family up here for a photo, please?'
Brandon walked up to join the picture and suddenly, Stef and Lena started waving Callie, Jude and I over. I got up surprised, Callie looking at me from across her and Jude's table.
"Come on, Callie, Camila and Jude." Said Stef. The three of us got up and joined everybody else. I stood beside Lena who put her arm around me.
"All right, Fosters. Everyone together now. Closer All right. Scooch in. Everyone scooch in." Said the photographer.
We all smiled and he began to count. "One, two, three."
<><><><><>
I panted in exhaustion, holding up my dress as I trudged behind Zeke up a mountain.
"I didn't realize lets get out of here meant, lets take a hike in a dress." I huffed.
"We're almost there." He assured me. "Trust me, it's worth it."
I was ready to quit but I was curious to where he was taking me, so I said nothing else. Ten minutes later, he reached the top first, leaving me a few feet behind.
"We're here." I heard him yell.
"So tell me is this worth..." I trailed off, when I reached the top, my gaze going right to the beautiful sight of the city.
I was speechless as I took in the sight, walking forward. "Its beautiful."
"I know." He stood beside me. "And so worth it."
I looked at him, nodding. "Totally worth it."
The view was beautiful, the atmosphere was peaceful, I could stay here forever. This is exactly what I needed.
"Thank you." I said to him. I looked down as he slid his hand into mind, smiling. "You're welcome."
I couldn't help to blush, keeping my hand in his hands as we stared at the view.