Carlie needed my help with a school project. Daddy was supposed to do that; he loves to help us with school stuff.
But first, I gotta take care of myself, like Daddy says. In my bathroom, I opened my black pouch and grabbed the glucose meter, then the needle and poked my forefinger. Ok, it was normal; good. Now I could have breakfast.
I was worried about the fact that I had a cocktail this weekend. Portia asked me a million times if I could really have one. And yes, I could, but alcohol isn't something I can do very often, I gotta be responsible.
I refuse to wear a stupid bracelet with a name tag, like I'm some sort of branded animal. Can't take it in. I refuse. I would do anything for my dads except that.
When Tom and Greg Gordon decided to expand their family, they were thrilled to get their hands on a baby. Little did they know, that things wouldn't be so easy. The adoption agency found it hard to help a gay couple. But, alas, there was a little girl with no parents. A little pink chubby diabetic baby. Greg and Tom couldn't care less about the disease. All they wanted was to have children. All they wanted was to take care of a child, and love him/her.
Carlie came later. After adopting a baby with a lifetime disease, Greg and Tom decided to add another member to our family; and little Carlie came along. I was only five when she became my sister. She was a little cute round bold baby with big greenish eyes. Always reliable to their reputation, their new daughter also had a lifelong disease. Carlie has Crohn's Disease, and Greg - or Daddy for us - is always nervous about when will she have another crisis. For now, she's stable. And so am I.
"I have no idea what a ribosome is, baby."
I smiled as I saw Jackie - or Auntie Jack - taking a seat in our round table at the kitchen. The three angled window let the Autumn light of the morning shine in the glass table.
"Auntie Jack, a ribosome is what reads the RNA so it can become your DNA" Carlie was explaining her, sitting next to her in the white chairs.
"Science in the morning is bad for your bowel." I teased her, and Dad - Tom - laughed "Just let people eat first, Carlie."
"Oatmeal again?" Carlie groaned when Daddy laid the bowl in front of her.
"If you eat it all, I promise to let you wear lipstick today" Daddy said.
"Greg..." Dad whispered to his husband, shooting him a warning look over the table.
"It's just lipstick. And it can only be light pink or peach" Daddy said, his green eyes on a smiling Carlie.
Jackie is a smoking blue eyed woman. She looks exactly like Jennifer Anniston! She has that tanned Californian blonde look. Tall and thin, with a great smile. She's none other than Daddy's ex-wife.
Yeah, Greg was married to a woman once. They were high school sweethearts, and went through college together. It seemed only natural for them to get married. But Greg was actually living a lie, and one day he decided to talk to his wife whom, with no doubt, he loved. They parted ways, and Jackie went through a heavy depression.
All went well when Greg and Tom adopted me. She says that we're like her nieces and she's the cool aunt, whatever legal issues there would be. I see her has an aunt whom I can go to. She's so funny and cool, I don't even know why she's still single.
"So I'll take you girls to school today" Jackie said "And we can have some girl shopping spree after school. What do you say?"
"Jackie, the girls have extracurricular activities" Dad said, his blue eyes focused on his toast with homey.
"So it will be a nighttime shopping spree" She said, her small nose going up in a moody gesture.
"Do I have to remind you that they're my daughters?" Tom said, focusing his eyes on her.
"I really love when you're mean, Tommy." She said, her smile was provocative "Your husband is hot. Can't believe you outdid me." She told Greg, who chocked on his coffee "Fine. Keep them. I'll just kidnap them one of these days."
"You do that, and I sew your ass so bad, even your next hundred reincarnations will be paying the price" Tom said, and I laughed as Jackie passed her tongue through her teeth.
"You do that. I'll just write that on my column and gain the people's support" The towns' paper journalist said, and I saw my Dad smile to his mug.
After a quick check-up before leaving the house, Carlie and I took Jackie's ride to school. I love when Jackie comes to have breakfast with us. She's always amusing, and you can see she's a real loving soul. She does love Greg, but in a different way, now. He's her best friend, and we're her nieces. She loves Tom as well. The good looking successful lawyer with whom she bickers every time she comes around is, in fact, a very fun distraction for her.
"I talked to your dads already, but they're still discussing the subject, so I can't officially tell you this" She said, as soon as she parked her red convertible in front of my school; all the boys stared at the gorgeous blonde in it.
"Like that would stop you" I smiled, and she peeked through her round sunglasses.
"It's our little secret. I was thinking you girls could come with me to Boca, for a week. It would be fun, right? Beach, sun, fun! Just us girls."
"You know they won't let us." I told her, my hands smoothing my black tight pants "They'll freak-out wondering if Carlie could have another crisis, or that I could get into a coma. You know them, Aunt Jack, they would rather chop both legs off to let us out of their sight."
"Maybe they'll think this is a good way to see if it's ok to let you be normal."
"They let me go out this weekend." I reminded her "They let us do normal things, but they have to be sure we'll be responsible."
"You only drank one cocktail, Whitney. And it was barely alcoholic" She said.
I always called Aunt Jack after I went out. She wanted to know every detail. If there were cute boys, and if so, was I a good girl and let them drool?
"I know, but I freak-out just like them."
Not that long ago, I had an awful crisis. The doctor warned my dads that this could happen, and it would very likely be something completely out of the blue. I didn't get into a coma, barely. All my dads did was let me go to a birthday party, when I was thirteen - Carlie's age, actually. We were so excited with singing karaoke and playing the bottle game that I forgot to measure my glucose before going to bed. I didn't awake next morning, and the anniversary girl's mother was hysterical. I had to stay in the hospital for two days, for observation.
It's the most dangerous thing for type I diabetes patients, to go to bed not knowing their glucose level. After that, they forbade me to sleep over friends' houses. But since Portia's dad is a doctor, she's a happy exception.
"It will be ok." Jackie assured me, smiling with lots of love and fondness "You're with me, honey. I'm like your Robin, Batman."
A group of Hispanic guys passed in front of Jackie's car and they stared, throwing Spanish words as they smile like lions.
"Friends of yours?" She said, taking off her glasses.
"Hardly." I snorted, as one of them stared directly at me and tossed me a kiss with his cocky lips "Stupid punks."
"Wait, that's the Latino guy that hit on you Friday night?"
"That's the one."
"Wow. He's hot, Whit" Jackie said, smiling as Rai and his friends walked into the red brick building.
"He's a gang member, Aunt Jack." I told her, and she gasped "Yeah. Those three are in a gang. You know them, I think: Los Cuervos."
"You're kidding." She said, frowning "That's heavy crime, Whit. They're into drug dealing, car theft, prostitution and a whole lot more crap!"
"No kidding?" I mumbled, sliding off the car and waving at Darren, who smiled from the other side of the lawn "Well, gotta go. I got poms' practice this afternoon, so our shopping will have to wait."
"Sure thing, baby. Wow... that guy's hot! Honey, will you swap bodies with me like in that movie?"
"He's gay too" I laughed.
"What is wrong with me?! Do I have a radar? No, do I smell different?" She growled, her tires leaving a mark on the gray road as she hit the accelerator.
Darren walked with me into History, and I told him about Jackie's plans to Boca.
"Your dads won't let you." He assured me, as we opened our notebooks "You know that, right?"
"Yeah... I know. But it would be cool, though. Vacation with Jackie, are you kiddin' me? She's awesome." I sighed, and Darren made a face "Yeah, I know. What if something happens again, right?"
"Don't jinx it. Maybe your parents will let you and Carlie go. And if so, you'll be ok." Darren assured me, with a soft smile "By the way..." His voice dropped to a low whisperer "Love your sweater."
I had to close a hand over my mouth so my laugh wouldn't be heard by the rest of the class. Darren always knew how to make me laugh.
***
I had to do some research in the school's library for an English paperwork, due in a couple of days. Darren was in Spanish with Portia, and we would meet at lunch. I really like English, but I hated this paper. It was about a book we read, a love story. All I saw in those pages were three people in a messy love triangle that was doomed to fail big time. And, as I expected, it did.
I was looking for a book I needed, to help me with my critique on the book. I knew it had to be in the English row. Also in the English row, sitting casually against the shelves, with a book in his hands, was Rai Vega, the Cuervos gang member that hit on me in the club.
Yes, Jackie was right, he was hot. Really tall, built body, broad shoulders and washboard abs - I know this 'cause he's in my PE class -, dark eyes and black messy hair. He had the Cuervos symbol - a highly detailed crow - tattooed in his forearm, his back and in the back of his skull. That's how much of a psycho they are.
I scowled. Ok, so, I needed that book badly. But he was sitting there like he owned the place. I love Mr. Vega, but I hate his son. That guy is cocky to his core, but I'm stubborn, and I've decided long ago to never back up. I won't lose by forfeit.
When my high heeled gray boots came into his sight, he looked up casually, with a slow twist of his dark head.
"You're in the way" I said, in a non-pushy way, and kept looking for the book.
"Bet you I know what you're lookin' for" His raspy voice said, the Spanish accent distinct.
"Don't make bets. It's a disgusting habit" I said, not even looking at him.
"Your loss."
"I can't lose if I haven't accepted the bet" I said, frowning when I couldn't find the damn book.
"I'm tellin' you: I know what you're lookin' for" He said again.
"Oh really?" I snorted, giving him a sour look, and then see the little book he was waving in one of his thinly scarred hands "Oh..."
"Yeah. I have it" He said, opening it again and kept reading it.
Ok... So... I need it too. What now? I scowled again, and decided to try reasoning with him.
I cleared my throat and he looked up at me again. I guarantee his face was the exactly same of the Devil itself. With hollow cheeks, softly lined plump lips, square jaw and a bad boy look that could never be skilled.
"Look... I need that book, too. So... Are you gonna keep it for too long?" I asked, and he tilted one of his dark brows "It's not like you're taking notes, or anything. So you'll have to read it again. Me, on the other hand, came prepared."
I showed him my notebook and pencil. He's a gang member, for the love of God! It's not like he actually cared about grades. Or graduating, for that matter.
"I'm reading it, chica. Can't you see?"
"Like you're actually worried about any school subject. It's not like you're graduating."
@T"Like you're actually worried about any school subject. It's not like you're graduating."