11:04pm
Trigger warning: abusive parents
This isn't the OneShot I was talking about on the conversation board with the therapy and shit - I just needed to write something else because I liked this idea and I needed a break from writing the same story
Au
—
There was a knock on Maria's and Mateo's door that afternoon as the young siblings were making dinner. Confused, Maria looked at her younger brother to see if he knew who it was, but the boy with a head full of honey brown hair shrugged and held his sisters hand as she jumped down from the stepping-stool and walked down the wooden floorboards to the front door.
She unlocked and opened it.
"Is this the Caldwell's residence?" A man questioned. The two children had to tilt their head back far to meet his gaze. They both eyed him curiously - they hadn't ever seen this man before. He was wearing glasses, dark clothes, and a tie. Was he a salesmen? The siblings parents told them to stay away from these people, and not let them inside.
"Yes. Why?" Maria responded, curling an arm around Mateo's shoulders and pulling him behind her. He grabbed the stands of her hair softly. Playing with it eased him.
"That is none of your concern" the tie-man responded, and peered inside the house. "Have a nice evening" with that, he was down the path and gone. Maria glanced at Mateo who shrugged. They closed the door and quickly returned to the meal they were preparing for their parents like they asked them to. Once finishing, they did the usual routine of making themselves sandwiches, placing the plates in the oven to keep the food warm, and scurrying off to their room before they would return. The children's parents didn't like to see them after long days of work.
In the morning, Maria woke up first, made her bed, changed, and woke up Mateo. It was a struggle to get him out of the protective warmth, but Maria always did. She helped him change, and the two brushed their teeth in the shared bathroom. "Maria?" Mateo murmured from his bed, sitting on the end with his school bag on his back. Maria finished putting her long brown hair into a pony tail, glancing at her brother through the cracked mirror.
"Yes, Mateo?" She responded, putting everything away in a box under her bed. "Will things get better?" Maria paused, slowly arising from the floor, skirt fluttering around her legs as she walked to her brother with poise. "Everything will be fine" she smiled, brushing her hands across his shoulders and straightening his hair out. "Now" she turned and picked up her bag, checking herself in the mirror once more. "Let's go, shall we?" Mateo nodded happily and the two held hands as they walked to school.
"Meet me here, like always, and remember" the two smiled, "run away from strangers" they spoke at the same time, giggling afterwards. "Have a good day, Mateo" she watched him run off to the building and to his friends, looking as bright as ever. She rose from the ground and turned to walk to her school but she bumped into someone, forcing her to stop.
"Oh, I'm so sorry, sir-"
"It's alright, Kiddo! Completely my fault!" The man responded happily, bending down slightly to get a closer look at Maria who did the same. He was wearing glasses, bright clothes, and a cardigan on his shoulders. Maria smiled. He looked friendly. But then she frowned; stranger danger. "I must be going" she bowed her head before she left, hurrying off to school to not be stopped by anyone else.
During lunch, Mateo left his lesson and ran through the corridor to get to the cafeteria. He was starving! While running, he turned down a corridor children weren't technically allowed to go down, but if you made it to the end without getting caught, you were fine - plus, it was a great shortcut.
Running wasn't the hard part; the hard part was not trying to fall. Mateo couldn't tie his shoelaces, so when they came undone during the day, he couldn't fix them. Which was why after standing on the lace with his other foot, he was suddenly plummeting to the ground. Yelping, he tensed, ready for the impact but instead arms swooped down under him and saved him from crashing right into the marble floor.
"My, my, small prince!" Whoever the man was scolded with a smile, "you really shouldn't run in a hallway like that" Mateo, who was currently in the arms of the stranger, stared at him with a slacked jaw. He looked like a Prince! Like the ones from Maria's stories! Wearing a white suit accented with gold and red. "Sorry, sir" Mateo whispered, scrunching up his nose when the stranger tapped it.
"It's not a problem, I love being the hero" the stranger ruffled his hair and waltzed away down the hallway. When Mateo looked down at his shoes, he gasped.
The shoe laces were tied again.
Over the course of last lesson, Maria had escaped to the bathroom. After one of the annoying boys spilt a bunch of ink down her favourite skirt. She tried to wipe it away with towels, but only made it worse. Slamming her hand down on the sink in frustration, she glared at the white porcelain, as if that would help. Finally, she calmed down enough to lift her head, but when she did, she noticed a note stuck to the mirror before her.
She leaned closer, reading the words that were sprawled across it in purple pen.
Stop spreading it
- V
She cocked her head, then glanced down at her skirt, then back to the note, but it was gone. Blinking, she stared at herself for a good few minutes, wondering if she had actually gone insane. Maybe she was subconsciously telling herself to stop being such an idiot. Drying the wet splotch under the hand dryer, she returned to lesson and successfully moved seat to the other side of the room, sitting on the front bench all by herself. Just how she preferred.
"What happened!?" Mateo cried when he spotted her sister, seeing the ink stain. "Never you mind" Maria smiled, brushing his hair from his forehead. "How was your day?" Mateo forget about the stain almost instantly in favour of talking about his day, skipping beside his sister who held his hand tightly, rubbing her thumb across the knuckles as they walked.
"And that's why Chad has a detention tomorrow!" Mateo concluded while watching his sister unlock the front door to their house. "Well, he deserves it" Maria smiled, closing the door behind them. "Clean yourself up, then we can get started on dinner" Mateo nodded and rushed up the staircase. Maria stayed behind and scooped up the mail, leaving them on the hallway table. Next, she checked herself in the mirror before entering the living room. Humming a faint tune, she scooped up a few empty beer bottles, and emptied the ash tray.
Spraying air freshener across the room, she followed up the staircase and found Mateo tugging off his shoes, school bag at the end of his bed. "Seriously, Mateo, what have I told you" she scolded lightly, picking up the bag and placing it beside hers neatly. "Sorry, Maria" he murmured, tucking his shoes under the bed. "Wait here while I change" Mateo nodded and Maria disappeared to the bathroom. She tugged off her skirt and placed it on the sink, filling it with hot water and leaving it there to soak.
She changed into a pair of leggings, a grey top, and a wool jumper. All the while Mateo covered his eyes with his hands, knowing it was rude to watch while she changed. "Coming, Mateo?" The boy uncovered his eyes and grinned, bouncing over to his sister the two walked down the staircase and into the kitchen. "I think chips and fish tonight, don't you?" Maria suggested while pulling the food from the freezer. "Yeah! And salad!" He grinned, Maria agreed and allowed him to chop up the veg, seeing as he has become so good with it.
While they were cooking, the door bell rang again, like yesterday. Maria sighed and left the food unattended while she checked who it was. Mateo quickly hurried behind.
When she opened the door this time, Mateo gasped and pointed at the man who stood there. "It's him!" Mateo whispered, "the one who saved me from falling" Maria drew her eyebrows together, shielding her brother protectively while eying the stranger suspiciously. "I am sorry, but we are quite busy"
"Oh" the stranger waved his hand around dismissively, "how can such young children like you be busy? It does smell wonderful, though, and I thought your parents weren't home?" Without being able to stop him, the stranger walked straight in. Maria glared. "Sir, you must leave, right now"
"I'm Roman" he responded, ignoring her order. "Mateo, Maria, this place is..." his eyes drifted, face explaining it all. "It can do with improvement" he shrugged and moved to the kitchen. "How does he know our names?" Mateo whispered. "Don't worry, just, go to your room-"
"No need!" Another man called, they looked over, this time Maria was surprised. This was the same man she bumped into this morning. Then, her eyes narrowed into slits. "I said. Get out. You have no right barging in like this!"
"And your parents have no right leaving you alone, yet here you are" yet another stranger piped up. This being tie-man from yesterday. "Yes, but they will be here soon, and if you do not leave-"
"Don't worry, kid, we've dealt with worse" oh, who would have guessed it! Another stranger! Yet this one was one neither child had seen before. He wore dark clothing accented with purple, and this rather cool looking jacket. "Please, just leave!" Maria was bordering desperation at this point, knowing exactly what happened if the two let strangers into their home.
"Why won't they leave?" Mateo whimpered, holding onto Maria's long hair tightly. She turned and knelt down in front of him. "They will, trust me, we'll be fine, I'll make sure of it" Mateo nodded and followed close to Maria who walked with her head held high into the kitchen where the four strangers had disappeared to. When they peeked in through the doorway, they were surprised to see Roman and the one with a cardigan standing by the oven, keeping the food from burning. The other two were by the counter, cool-jacket guy sitting on it, while tie-guy stood there, watching over the others.
"Why, this smells delightful!" Roman declared, "Maria, you have a gift!"
"I do not" she quipped sharply, "it's called practice"
"At such a young age? On your own? It doesn't seem very safe, Kiddo. I'm Patton, by the way!" Cardigan-Guy grinned, then moved towards the salad. "No!" Mateo yelped, rushing over and grabbing the bowl, cradling it to his chest. "I...I made it, it's mine" he weakly argued, hiding himself behind Maria who glared at Patton. "Oops, sorry, Mat" Patton smiled comfortingly and knelt down not too far away from him, "why don't we put the bowl back on the table, huh? I promise I won't touch it" Mateo glanced at Maria who licked her lips and slowly nodded.
Hesitantly, Mateo crossed the room and pushed the bowl back up onto the table, scrambling onto the chair and pulling everything towards him. Then, he went back to work, using the knife almost expertly as he chopped up the remaining vegetables and threw them inside the bowl. "Huh, maybe you could learn from him, Princey" Roman scowled at his friend who sat on the counter with a smug smirk.
"I am perfectly capable of creating a salad, Virgil!" He responded, placing the fish onto four different plates. Maria looked at what he did and gasped, rushing over and standing up on her stool to look over the counter. "What are you doing!?" She hissed, taking away the spatula from his grasp. "This is for our parents! All of it! You idiot!"
"Then what are you to eat?"
Maria tensed, growling lowly. "Never you mind. Will you all please just leave? Our parents will be home any minute and-"
When the two heard the sound of a car pulling up the driveway, the hair on the back of their neck rose. Maria pushed Roman and Patton away and placed the chips equally onto two plates, moving the fish back to the plates, too, and setting them on the table. While she did that, Mateo binned the remains of the salad not used, put the bowl between the plates, and laid out the cutlery. "They're gone" Mateo commented while Maria made the last few finishing touches.
"Good riddance" she replied, grabbed Mateo's hand, and tugged him up the staircase. They just closed the door when the front door slammed open and shut, loud, angry voices filling up the house. Maria finally relaxed and tugged Mateo over to their desk. "Get on with your homework" she encouraged gently, sitting on her own bed to do hers.
The two didn't think about the strangers for a few days until they both saw them again. With the money left out on the counter, they walked down to the store to do the weakly grocery shopping. Mateo had been ordered to get the milk, and he would, if they weren't so high up. Balancing on the shelf wasn't too hard, but when he gripped the milk, it was suddenly more heavier now raised into the air, and he almost fell back, but someone caught him.
"Looks like I'm your hero again"
Roman.
Mateo turned his head back and smiled sheepishly up at him. "Sorry, I needed the milk"
"There are many other ways for you to obtain the milk. For instance, asking for help" tie-guy spoke up, handing the milk carton to Mateo who took it from him gingerly. "Jeez, Lo, you make it sound easy" Virgil drawled, rolling his eyes Logan ignored him.
"You okay, Kiddo?" Mateo looked up at Patton and nodded. "Sorry" He murmured, twisting his fingers against the carton. "I didn't mean to shout yesterday"
Patton ruffled his hair affectionately. "No need to apologise! It's okay"
"Mateo, stop talking to them, come on" Maria called to her brother. Instantly, Mateo hurried over to her, putting the milk into the shopping cart she could barely push. "Need any help?" Roman waltzed over, smirking. Maria scoffed in distaste. "I don't need your help. Leave me and my brother alone" Mateo stuck his tongue out at Roman who gasped and held a hand over his heart. Virgil snorted, "please do it again, it might lower his massive fucking ego" Mateo giggled and poked his tongue out again at the regal who let out a wail and collapsed to the floor.
Maria shook her head, "unbelievable" she murmured, how could one man be so immature?
"I have been defeated!" Roman yelled from the ground, throwing one arm up in the air, only for it to land against his forehead. Mateo giggled and hurried over, putting one foot on Roman's chest to show he was the one who 'defeated him'. Patton cooed from beside Logan who pinched the bridge of his nose, and recited to Roman the many germs that were currently underneath him.
"Mateo, come on" Maria called, arms crossed. Mateo did with some reluctance.
"Why do you hate us so?" Roman pouted, thanking Patton who helped him up. "Stranger danger" she deadpanned, placing some pasta into the cart.
"We don't have to be strangers! We all know each others' names!" Patton commented, gliding around on the floor until he was standing before the cart. "We could use the help, Maria" Mateo whispered, bottom lip poking out. "Don't start pouting, not you, too" she sighed, glancing at Roman and Patton who purposely pouted. She crossed her arms. Fine.
"If you can collect every single item on this list in under five minutes and reach the paying area in that time, you can help us, Mateo, come on" Maria left the list and turned on her heel, holding Mateo's hand. The boy glanced over his shoulder, watching Roman throw Virgil into the cart and sprint off down the empty isle. Logan and Patton ran behind him.
"I like them" Mateo whispered to Maria who sighed. "If they get us into trouble, you won't like them any longer" Mateo didn't respond. She was right.
They waited by the magazine stand close to the tills, Maria checking her watch every once in awhile. Mateo was bobbing on his feet anxiously, really wanting the four to do it in the time. It would be quite impressive! Usually it takes them both an hour to do all this!
"One minute" Maria murmured, holding onto Mateo's hand tightly. The boy was about to give up on all hope when suddenly, down the isle in front of them, they saw people parting as someone yelled for them to move. Low and behold, Roman was sprinting with the cart, his friends yelling at him from behind to slow down. "Three" Maria whispered, pulling Mateo away from the isle, "two" she carried on, curling an arm around his shoulders. "One" and when she said this, Roman skidded the cart to the side, it nearly tipping over at the sudden break. From the looks of things, everything they needed was inside.
Mateo jumped on his feet, clapping. "You did it!" He cheered, watching Maria snatch away the list and tick off the items once finding them in the cart. Finally, with reluctance, she spoke. "You did" she admitted, Logan, Virgil and Patton finally arriving. Virgil seemed to be exhausted while the others were flushed but otherwise okay. "But" she reached over the side and pulled out a packet of sweets, throwing them at Roman's chest. "We buy what's on the list and nothing more" with that, she pushed the cart next to the conveyer belt and began to put all the items on it.
Patton hurried over and began to help. Maria was about to protest, but then remembered the deal, and sighed. She should have made it three minutes. Although, with his help it didn't take nearly as long, and the cashier didn't give her weird looks like she had received in the past. "Seventy eight dollars and sixty seven cents" the cashier told Patton who waited beside Maria. She rolled her eyes and handed the money over. The cashier paused, shrugged, and handed over the change. She counted it, froze, counted again, and again. Then, she looked into the bags and saw the packet of sweets. Curses.
Keeping her mouth shut until they weren't in a public setting, she held Mateo's hand and walked by the cart, expecting one of the adults to push it. Low and behold, they did, this time it was Logan's turn. Once outside, Maria turned to the adults, glaring sharply. "Do you realise what you have done?" The four glanced at each other curiously.
"Buying that packet of sweets has made our change low" Mateo gasped, knowing what that meant. "Do you ever think of the consequences to your actions?" She shook her head and walked around the side of the building, grabbing the red cart she and Mateo owned. Placing the bags in it, she pushed the trolley harshly at the men who all frowned with sympathy.
"Excuse my French; But fuck off" Maria turned sharply, held Mateo's hand and dragged the cart behind her as the two walked home.
"Well" Roman clapped his hands together, "that couldn't have gone better!"
"Quite" Logan agreed, adjusting his glasses. "If our goal was to make the children hate us"
Roman rolled his eyes, "but they let us help!"
"But you putting those sweets into the mix lost the small trust we were forming" Virgil retaliated. Roman hummed, grinning at his companion. "Oh, sweet emo nightmare, this is what we always do" Virgil grumbled, for he couldn't really argue there. Patton stepped in, fiddling with his sleeves. "They've never seemed this annoyed before.." he drifted worriedly.
"Do not worry, Patton" Logan reassured, "we always get there in the end"
Maria and Mateo finished putting the food away when the front door opened. They shared glances, Maria quickly putting away the bags and holding her brother's hand. They watched as the doorway to the kitchen filled with a tall, slightly overweight man with balding, black hair and a scowl on his face. "Change" he growled, thrusting his hand towards Maria who dug around in her pockets, handing over the change. She gripped Mateo's hand tightly, even tighter when their dad's eyes hardened after he counted the money.
"All of it"
Maria composed herself, "that is all of it. We couldn't get white bread, so we got brown instead. Which costs more" not entirely a lie; she didn't know whether or not the white bread had actually ran out, but the four buffoons grabbed the wrong bread. "Such a fucking liar" another voice spoke up from the doorway. It was there mother. She had her hair tucked into a bun, body tall and very thin. "She stole your money, ungrateful brat" Maria tensed, wanting to glare and scream at the woman, but she couldn't, for that would make the whole situation worse.
"Give me the money, now" Maria didn't know what to do, she didn't have any other money to give! Their father got madder with every passing second, eventually he rose his arm, and Maria closed her eyes, body shielding Mateo who was about to cry. Before she could be hit, a sudden loud knocking interrupted them all. Their father straightened up, growling. "Who the fuck could that be" he muttered, stalking down the hallway to see who it was.
Maria held Mateo close as they passed by their mother who tripped them up. The door opened fully, and when the children looked up, their eyes widened. It was Logan. "I do hope you didn't trip them up. That would be quite uncalled for" he spoke to their mother, referring to Maria and Mateo who arose from the floor.
"Of course she didn't! They fell" their father defended, glaring at the man who adjusted his glasses and shrugged. "Both of them? At the same time? By accident? Alright. Whatever you say" Maria and Mateo were shocked, no one has ever spoken to their father like that. Their mother muttered something under her breath and disappeared into the kitchen, slamming the door shut behind her.
"Children, do you, by chance, have any homework to get on with?" Logan suggested, still standing in the doorway. Maria knew what he was doing, he wanted them to hide away in their bedroom. Without another word, she nodded and hurried up the stairs with Mateo on her tail. Logan watched them go before turning to the father who looked perplexed but also angry. "Sir, if I could have a moment of your time-"
"I'm busy" he cut him off, voice gruff. "Of course you are" Logan dug around in his pockets, handing some change to the man who took it, confused. "Thank you for your time" with that, he turned and left down the pathway. The father closed the door and counted the change his children gave him again, realising now all of it was there. Growling, he stuffed it all into his pocket and flopped down on the couch, opening up a bottle of beer while flicking on the television.
"He-he nearly hit you" Mateo whispered to Maria who wiped away Mateo's tears with a tissue. "Never you mind about that" Maria replied back, "some people simply cannot control themselves in moments of anger"
"But he's done it before; when he wasn't mad..."
Maria sighed. Mateo was starting to understand more and more. Too quickly for a boy of his age. Maria cupped his face, and kissed his forehead "he touched you" Mateo whispered, and Maria nearly broke then and there. "We don't bring up the past unless for good reason, Mateo. I thought I taught you better" Maria scolded, but nothing ever too harsh. He gets enough from their parents. Handing him his toys, Mateo sat on the ground and entertained himself while Maria walked into the bathroom, almost screaming in fright when she spotted Virgil holding the skirt in his hands.
"Shit-!" He exclaimed, almost dropping it. "Shit, sorry, shit" he fumbled, handing the skirt to Maria who ripped it from his grasp. "I-uh-..the stain.." he drifted awkwardly. "What about it?" Maria responded, trying to find it, but she couldn't spot it anywhere. "I got rid of it" Virgil explained himself, watching cautiously as Maria slowly lifted her gaze. "I don't want to know how you got here" Maria murmured, holding the skirt close to her chest. "But you must leave" Virgil nodded, and walked straight by Maria and into their bedroom.
She thought they would be gone, but when she entered the room and spotted Roman and Patton playing with her younger brother, and Logan and Virgil standing nearby, she almost lost it. They're all like an annoying tick. What would it take to get rid of them!? Folding her skirt neatly, she tucked it into the draw while listening to his brothers giggles. "I'll save you, Patton!" Roman declared, using the doll with a missing leg and wildly cut hair to climb the tower to reach Patton's doll that was poking it's body out through the window. The head had been missing for quite some time. She wanted to be mad at them, she really did, but she hasn't seen her brother happy like this for so long, and it would distract him from his thoughts at least for a bit.
Grabbing her school bag, she found her homework, sat on her bed and got to work. "Need any help?" Logan asked, suddenly standing beside her. She flinched, glaring at the man who held up his hands apologetically. "I'm fine" she murmured, but when Logan gestured to the spot beside her, she sighed, shuffled over, and allowed him to sit.
"Fractions" Logan noted. "Yes" Maria murmured, answering a question. As she progressed, the harder it became, until she came across a question she was stuck on. She didn't want to ask Logan for help, but it was becoming rather obvious she couldn't do it, for she was just staring at the paper, forcing her brain to come up with something. "Here" Logan adjusted the sheet so he could write on it, Maria didn't question where he got his pen from. On the back, he wrote down the question and underneath notes on how to answer it. "Follow these steps" Logan encouraged, and Maria did so, following as Logan guided her through it. When they found the answer, she smiled slightly.
"Thank you" she murmured, writing the answer down. "Do not mention it. How I always enjoyed math" he murmured with a distant look in his eye. "I enjoy it when I understand. Solving long equations is actually pretty satisfying" Logan brightened up at this, "isn't it just?" And the two fell into a nerdy conversation about their favourite math problems, all the while Logan helping her finish the sheet.
Meanwhile, Mateo was sitting on Roman's lap, unable to stop grinning as the three men around him moved the dolls to create a story. "Keep away from him, Patton!" Roman's doll declared at Patton's doll, referring to Virgil's doll that was half naked and covered in green paint. "But why?" Patton complained, "he might not be the bad guy!"
"Yes, he is!" Roman insisted, "say something mean, Virgil" he whispered, making Mateo giggle and look up at Virgil expectedly. "Uh..." he drifted, fidgeting with the doll. "You're a one legged idiot" he insulted Roman's doll who gasped and threw their arms up in the air. "See! Bad guy!"
Patton laughed with Mateo who gripped onto Roman's arm excitedly. "Will you defeat him?" Mateo whispered, and Roman smirked. "Of course!" He then charged his doll towards Virgil's, efficiency knocking it to the ground. "Oh no" Virgil said in a monotone voice, "you have defeated me, whatever will I do" he carried on, and Mateo's giggles were getting out of control.
Suddenly, something hit against the floor. "Shut up!" They heard the rough voice of their father call. Maria and Mateo froze, the boy shuffling closer into Roman's chest, suddenly the game of dolls becoming no fun. Virgil glanced at Patton and Roman, silently asking them what to do. "You alright, Kiddo?" Patton murmured to Mateo who nodded and slowly stood up, shuffling across the room and crawling into Maria's lap. She pushed away her work and cradled him close.
"I think you should all leave" Maria murmured, closing her eyes and kissing the top of Mateo's head. When she opened them again, they were all gone.
Later in the day, Maria and Mateo were getting ready for their weekly visit to the park. The only time they had to do this was on Saturday, as now it was two pm, their parents wouldn't be back until six, so they had hours to kill without them knowing they ever left. Maria zipped up Mateo's jacket as the boy excitedly stood by the front door. "Ready?" Maria smiled and he nodded enthusiastically.
Locking the door after her, Mateo only started to walk when he was holding Maria's hand. They headed down the street together, using the traffic lights to cross the street safely. "I hope the swings are free!" Mateo said gleefully, last time unable to use them due to all the older kids crowding around them all day. "I hope so, too, but do not bring your hopes up, Mateo" he nodded, but still bounced in his step with happiness. Turning a corner, they were able to see the park through the tall chain link fence surrounding it.
"Oh.." Mateo drifted, disappointed. "The swings aren't free"
"Don't worry, they might be free later" Mateo brightened up at that and let go of Maria's hand once they stepped inside the park. He rushed over to the monkey bars and climbed up onto it, giggling as he crawled through a tunnel and slid down a slide. Maria sat on a bench and watched with a faint smile. The park wasn't that crowded today, so Mateo didn't really have to wait long to use different sections that the park has to offer.
"Maria!" Mateo suddenly called. She looked over to where he was pointing, the swings were free. She smiled and followed as he sprinted over, but just as he made it, older kids began walking over, and completely pushed him off of it, laughing as he fell flat on his ass, tears brimming his eyes. Maria flared with anger and marched over. "Don't ever touch my brother again" she snarled, but the kids just laughed and mocked her.
"Come on, Mateo" she murmured, the boy sniffled and glared, but that made them laugh harder.
"Oh, how I hate rude kids" Maria and Mateo looked behind them to see Roman and all his friends walking over. "Can you not wait your turn?"
"Back off, fucker" a boy yelled. Roman chuckled, "language, Kiddo!" Patton piped up, appearing by the side of Roman. "I think Mateo deserves an apology" Patton gestured to Mateo who smiled at them appreciatively. "We got here first"
"No, you did not" Logan stepped in, now standing next to Patton. "You pushed Mateo off the swing"
"Just fuck off!"
Virgil joined in on the end, rolling his eyes. "C'mon, you twats, get off"
The five older kids glared and began hurdling words of abuse. While they did, Patton bent down to Mateo's and Maria's height. "Kiddos, what we're about to do is not condoned, and should not be repeated, okay?" They nodded and watched in anticipation as Roman circled around the swing and grabbed the bottom of the seat, pulling it up so the boy fell on his face.
"What the fuck-!?" Virgil and Logan did the same to the other two, for there were only three swings, the remaining two who weren't on the swings began moving towards the adults, ready to do what they thought was fighting but Virgil stopped them before the could move any closer. "Lay a finger on them and you won't live to tell the tale" he muttered, eyes flickering to black. The two children yelled and ran, the remaining three followed after all the while screaming profanities and slurs.
A brief moment of silence passed. "They're free again!" Roman declared, scooping up Mateo and setting him down on the swing. He giggled and swung his legs back and forth, "Thank you, Roman!" He called, laughing joyously as Roman pulled it back and let him swing in the air. "Maria? Care to join?"
"Oh, no, thank you-"
"Pleeeaaaassee?" Mateo begged, pouting and everything. Maria sighed, tutted and got onto the swing next to him. "The things I do for you" she murmured straightening out her skirt. "Logan?" She called to the man who looked up from where the children ran to. "Push me, if you will, please" she added on the end, holding onto the chains and crossing her legs together.
"Of course" and he did just that, standing beside Roman as they pushed the kids. Maria tried to hold it back, but even she let out a few giggles. "Virgil! Push meeee!" Patton wailed from the seat he was on. Virgil rolled his eyes and pushed him, too, making Mateo giggle at the sight.
"Thank you" Maria spoke sincerely to Logan once the two had parted away from the swings and sat on the bench. "I haven't seen him smile like that in awhile" Logan waved his hand around, "it is quite alright. We will all help you as much as we can"
Maria nodded. "And, I am sorry for being so rude to you before"
"We understand. You are protective over your brother, and if anything out of the ordinary breaks the schedule you both have created, it only leads to trouble from your parents. I can see why you would be against our presence" Maria nodded, playing with the fabric of her skirt.
"Why are you here?"
"To help you both"
Maria nodded and fell to silence, pressing her back against the bench and watching as Virgil pushed Roman off of the swing while Patton pushed a laughing Mateo. "They are like children" Maria commented, Logan snorted, "I couldn't agree with you more"
Later in the afternoon, Maria called to Mateo that they had to go. "Noooo!" He whined, pouting. "Can they come too? Please?"
Maria glanced at the four who smiled. "They can stay for dinner, but afterwards, they must leave" Mateo cheered and held onto Patton's hand as he danced around and tugged him towards the exit. "Wait for me!" Roman called, holding onto Mateo's free hand, the two swinging him in the air. Maria smiled and walked between Logan and Virgil. "Thank you for fixing my skirt" Maria glanced at Virgil who shrugged and stuffed his hands into his pockets.
"Eh, no problem...y'know, I noticed you had a sewing machine. I could teach you how to make a skirt, if you want, probably not but y'know-"
"I would love that" Maria cut him off with a gentle smile. Virgil relaxed and smiled back sheepishly. "Cool. Cool cool. I'll uh-tomorrow?" Maria nodded and turned back forward, listening to Logan and Virgil converse while she spied Roman and Patton carry Mateo high in the air, looking both ways before hurrying across the road.
Maria smiled; Mateo's laughter could be heard for miles. It was a beautiful sight.
Once they all arrived home they were all bursting in conversations. Maria didn't feel the urgent need to care for her brother, so in that moment, she felt like she could be herself without the nagging worry in the back of her mind. "Go wash up, Mateo!" Maria called to her brother before he could start helping with cooking dinner.
He whined, "Patton!"
"Yes, Kiddo?"
"Can you help?"
Patton beamed and scooped Mateo up, making him giggle. "Sure! Is that okay, Maria?" She glanced over her shoulder after washing her hands. She didn't even need to contemplate it. "Of course" the two cheered and rushed up the staircase, their conversation muffled but filled with joy.
"What are we cooking today, Master Chef?" Roman grinned at Maria who rolled her eyes and scoped out the fridge. "I think..." she began, opening the middle draw and pulling out chicken strips. "This will be fine" she handed the box to Roman and allowed him to read the instructions out loud as she scooped up the chips and placed them on the side.
"Maria, why don't you leave the cooking to us?" Logan suggested. She placed the baking tray on the side slowly, cocking an eyebrow. "Why on earth would I do that?" She replied, crossing her arms questioningly, a sly smile playing on her lips. "Just..in case, y'know, you had anything else to do? Or...to give you a break" Virgil answered from the counter, fumbling with his phone in his hands.
Before she could answer, Mateo rushed into the room wearing cleaner, warmer clothes. Patton came in behind him, smiling gently. Maria didn't say anything more, instead she walked over to Mateo and bent down slightly. "How would you feel about watching some television?" Mateo's eyes lit up and he let out a yell of happiness, sprinting into the living room. Maria chuckled and followed after, twirling around to mouth the words 'thank you' to the men standing in the kitchen.
"Okay, Kiddos" Patton gently pushed aside Roman and Logan. "I think this is my job" he turned on the oven, behind him Roman opening and closing his mouth like a shocked fish. Virgil covered his smile with his sleeve. "We are perfectly capable of doing this ourselves, Patton" Logan tried to argue, but the man hummed absentmindedly, waving them away. Roman huffed but still wanted to keep busy, so he and Logan began laying the table, falling into an argument on what should go where. Virgil moved to sit on the counter beside Patton.
"I can see why you won't let them cook" he murmured, Patton nodded and laughed, glancing at his kids - technically not his kids, but he likes to call them that, anyway. He is the eldest, after all - who were up in each other's faces, one holding a knife, the other holding a spoon.
In the room over, Maria had her arms wrapped around Mateo, holding him close as he giggled at Spongebob playing on the television. They hadn't watched it in what felt like years; the last time they did was when they were supposed to go to the park but it began to rain. Usually, they found something else to do in the rain, because Maria doesn't like Mateo being cooped up inside all day, but Mateo already had a cold, and it was raining quite heavily. So, while their parents were out, they watched the same tv show they were watching now. You could never go wrong with a good bit of Spongebob Squarepants.
Later on, Maria kissed Mateo's forehead before she stood up and trailed off into the kitchen to see how everyone was doing. It smelt nice, which was a good sign. Leaning in through the doorway, she spotted Patton pulling the chips out the oven while Roman seasoned the chicken that was already cooked on the plates. She was thankful there were only two plates. Logan was currently folding up the napkins in such an intricate way Maria wondered why anyone would ever bother to learn how to do that.
And, like usual, Virgil was sitting on the counter, doing butt all.
"Thank you, all" Maria spoke up when there was a pause in the conversation. Everyone looked over, Patton and Roman beaming in pride. "You're welcome, Kiddo!" Patton called, serving one plate onto the table. Roman held the other plate and walked over to Maria who eyed him curiously. "Magic trick?" He offered, and Maria nodded, excitement bubbling in her stomach.
Roman put the plate behind his back, "abracadabra!" He yelled, and suddenly, he pulled his arms in front of him to reveal two plates, both holding the exact same food. Maria gasped, glancing over to see the other plate was still on the table. "What...how.." she drifted, taking the plate softly. "There was only enough chicken for two...what did you do?" Roman smirked, giving the other plate to Logan to place on the table. "A magician never reveals his secrets" Roman tapped his nose, then gestured to the plate.
"Mateo's gift from me!"
Maria closed her eyes for a moment, she was not about to cry. "Thank you" she couldn't bring herself to speak louder than a whisper. "Mateo - Roman has a gift for you" Maria chimed when she entered the living room. Mateo gasped and sat up on his legs, peering over the back of the couch to see.
"Food!?" He jumped up happily, "a warm meal!" He cheered, following Maria closely as she placed it on the coffee table. Almost instantly, Mateo was sitting on the floor, using the cutlery to stuff the food into his mouth. "Chew, Mateo" Maria ordered in a fond voice. Mateo giggled, a tad embarrassed, but he followed her instruction and ate slower, all the while staring at the tv.
"And for you"
Maria turned, eyes widening in shock to see another plate in Roman's hands. "I don't know what to say" she murmured, taking it from him.
"You don't have to say anything at all" Patton smiled, "we're all here for you, and having a proper meal is quite important!"
"Um" she stumbled for words, putting the plate down and hurrying towards the doorway. "I won't be a moment" she explained, not glancing at them in fear they'd see the tears that were welling in her eyes. Hiding herself away in her room, she sat on her bed and pressed the palms of her hands to her eyes. Why was she crying? She felt like such a fool. Crying over something like this. It's just, she hasn't had kindness like this in so long, it was making her emotional.
Someone knocked on her door. "Yes, come in!" She allowed, wiping her eyes with her sleeve and composing herself. The door cracked open, revealing Logan and Virgil. "Are you alright? We hope we did not upset you" Logan spoke up, moving across the room to sit beside her. "Not at all" she waved off the idea, "I am...happy. I'm really.." she smiled at them both.
"Happy"
That evening, once Maria and Mateo finished eating, Patton and Virgil washed the dishes while the others went up stairs, knowing the parents would be back soon. Luckily, before the front door opened, Patton and Virgil appeared through the doorway, gently closing the door behind them.
"Mateo, have you finished all your homework?" She asked the boy who was currently bringing out his dolls. He paused momentarily. "Yeah.." he replied unbelievably, glancing at his sister who rose an eyebrow and looked through his schoolbag. He whined. "I don't know how!"
"I will help" Logan offered, looking over the work Maria handed to him. "You can defeat all your foes! Including homework!" Roman encouraged, placing Mateo on the desk chair. He sighed, pouted, and glared at his work. "Staring at it won't do anything, Mateo" Maria commented, taking her hair out from it's pony tail.
"Woah!" Patton breathed, hurrying over. "Your hair is so long!"
"Like a mermaid!" Roman gushed, then began singing 'Kiss The Girl' from 'The Little Mermaid'. Maria smiled at Roman faintly for a moment, turning back to Patton and pulling her hair forward. "I guess I haven't found the time to get it cut. Mateo likes to play with it, though. It helps calm him"
"I don't think he needs it anymore" Virgil gestured to him and Logan, his mouth open wide with awe as Logan explained how to answer the seemingly impossible question, when all it was was taking a bigger number away from a smaller one.
"I guess not" Maria played with the end of her hair. "I have always wanted shorter hair. A friend of mine used to have this bob cut with wavy strands. It looked beautiful. She's outgrown it, now, but I always imagined myself having it.."
"Why didn't you get it?" Patton asked curiously, cocking his head. "Like I said; haven't had the time, nor the money, now that I think about it"
Roman twirled around, when he faced them again, a pair of scissors were in his hand. "Roman, no" she declined before he could even suggest it. He gasped, "Roman, no" Virgil repeated when he was about to speak. "You can't cut hair to save someone's life" Virgil added on insultingly. He whined, crossing his arms like a child. "I can too!"
"Can not"
"Can too!"
"Can not"
"Can too!"
"Can you stop acting like a child?" Maria cut them off, eyeing them both. Roman huffed, handing the scissors to Virgil who grinned. "He's the better hairdresser" Roman murmured pathetically, slumping onto Mateo's bed. Patton sat beside him, wrapped an arm around his shoulders and whispered something that made him smile once more.
"Are you?" Maria asked cautiously. Virgil nodded, pointing at them all. "I cut all of their hair when we can't visit a salon" he shrugged, Maria looked closely at each of their haircuts. Even if they were similar, each had their own personal touches to it. For instance, Virgil had thin bangs that fell across his eyes, the ends dyed soft purple, Logan's hair was straight across his head, neat and precise, Patton's hair was curly, bouncy and childlike, while Roman's hair was wavy, 'floofy' and screamed 'Hollywood Heart-throb'.
"Okay" Maria finally carried, turning to Virgil. "I'll allow you to cut my hair" Virgil smiled and led her to the bathroom. She closed her eyes, not wanting to see the end result until it was finished. The feeling of her hair being chopped off was satisfying and a weight off her shoulders all at once. She could only imagine what the floor looked like, covered in her hair.
After what felt like hours, Virgil placed the scissors on the side, ran his hand through her hair a few times, and felt happy with how it turned out. "Finished" He murmured, anxious to what her response to it would be. Maria slowly cracked open her eyes and gasped, the hair was exactly how she wanted it - how was that possible!? He really was a great hairdresser!
Playing with the ends slightly, she was in awe at how soft it was. When she ran her fingers through it, she almost cried, never wanting to go back to long, heavy, easily knotted hair. It curled and framed her face perfectly, and it was just above her shoulders. Turning to Virgil, she couldn't stop herself before burying her face into his chest, arms around his middle in a tight hug.
Virgil tensed up for a moment, then smiled, relaxed, and held her back.
While Virgil cleaned up, Maria nervously stepped into the room. Mateo had finished his work, and was currently playing with his dolls, but was entirely distracted when he saw his sister. His jaw slacked, and all he could do was rush over and stare at it closely. "Woah..." he whispered, eyes sparkling. "You don't look like mom anymore" he whispered, and Maria felt her heart ache.
"You look pretty!" Mateo carried on, reaching up to play with the strands. "I like it" he grinned, "I love it!" He corrected himself, "I love you" he finally said, staring at her as he did. Maria bit her lip and hugged him tightly. "I love you, too" the four men glanced at each other with smiles. Their job was almost done.
The next day, Maria and Virgil went to the nearest fabric store while Roman, Logan and Patton took Mateo out for a walk in nature. Maria trusted them to keep him safe, besides, they would text Virgil frequently so the two knew they were all fine.
"What colour do you want?" Maria hummed, glancing at Virgil. "Purple" she began, picking up the fabric. "Red" she carried on, grabbing that, too. "Baby blue..." she drifted, "and dark blue"
Virgil knew why she chose those colours. He smiled. It might look very 'out there' and not entirely the best colour mixture, but Maria knew they wouldn't be here forever, and wanted something to remember them all by. Returning home after buying the fabrics - curtesy of Virgil - they brought out the sewing machine and got to work.
Meanwhile, Mateo has just finished petting the fifth dog on their walk. "Look at this, Mateo!" Patton called from deeper along the walk. Curious, Mateo skipped over, standing between them all as he looked through the gap they created through the hedge. They were atop a hill that led down to a large field covered with light green grass, swaying in the wind. Further along the field was a two story house that seemed to glow behind the setting sun.
"Race you down!" Roman declared, pushing through the shrubbery and running down. "No fair!" Mateo laughed, running after him, Roman purposely slowed down and Mateo ran straight past him, his laughter booming across the large expense of land, grass hitting against his ankles, arms swinging by his sides, the smile on his face unmovable. The wind whipped his hair back as his short legs ran as fast as they could, not stopping until they rushed up the porch of the house and stood in front of the door.
He panted heavily, flinching when the door opened to reveal a woman. She had strawberry blond hair tucked into a bun, wearing a red top, and denim jeans. "Hey there" she smiled, and Mateo ducked his head sheepishly. "Why're you here?" She asked, bending down slightly.
"Uh...I was racing my friends.." he turned to point them out, but they were gone, he couldn't see them anywhere. "Friends, huh?" The woman smiled, "I'm Agatha, what's your name?"
"Mateo" he froze, "wait, no, m-my sister said not to talk to strangers..I have to go"
"Wait, Mateo, wait" Agatha held his arm gently. "I won't hurt you. Why don't we call your parents? I can bring you home"
Mateo frowned, shuffling on the spot. "Can you call my sister instead?"
Agatha drew her eyebrows together, "Why?"
Again, Mateo awkwardly shuffled, shrugging. "I don't like my parents.."
"Why not?" Agatha urged in concern. "They..." he drifted, "they hurt us.."
"It looks beautiful" Maria smiled, twirling in the mirror, her multicoloured skirt fluttering in the air. "Nothing I would wear outside, of course" she giggled lightly. Virgil snorted, shrugging. "I can see why...but uh..thanks, it was sweet of you. The colours, I mean" Maria smiled and began putting away the sewing machine when the phone began to ring. "I'll get it" she called, walking down the stairs and picking it up.
"Hello?"
"Hello, is this Maria?"
She drew her eyebrows together in confusion. "Yes...who's this?"
"I have your brother here with me, Mateo?"
Maria's stomach twisted with worry and anxiety. "Why? Is he alright?"
"He's perfectly okay, may I drive him over?"
"Yes, yes of course"
She hung up and waited outside the house, nervously twisting the fabric of the skirt between her fingers. It didn't take long before a red car pulled up on the curb, and Mateo was clambering out the car, rushing up to Maria who held him close, carding a hand through his hair softly.
The woman who she spoke to on the phone got out, too, stopping a little bit before them. "Thank you" Maria nodded at the woman who smiled. "But you should go now. Before our parents return"
"I'm not letting you live with them anymore" Maria tensed.
"What?"
"Mateo told me about them" she smiled sadly, kneeling before the two. "You know, I went through the same thing as a kid, and all I could ever dream for was someone to help me. And, someone did, a few someone's, so that's what I want to do for you, too"
A little over a year later, Maria was sitting on a porch, hands resting on her skirt, sitting between her two friends who all laughed at Mateo and his friends who rolled around on the field, their dog barking and jumping over their bodies.
That night, Maria and Mateo left a note on their window sill. A thank you note to those four men.
The next morning, it was gone.
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10:23am