Walking down the streets with Saya and Maria, ready to pick up some wine to spice up the party, we talk about the school. It's just the three of us, so they don't need to pretend, Maria isn't under Chico's pressure and Saya doesn't have to look so tough all the time.
The two girls looked beautiful. Maria was wearing a red dress showing some cleavage, her hair and red lips complimenting her as always, it was easy for her to be beautiful. Saya was wearing a short black dress, nothing too formal, really comfortable and Saya-like. Her lipstick and eyeshadow complimenting her, but her hair was as always down, and straight. Mine was loose, falling down naturally. I had a braid on the side, like most of the time when special occasions came up, it was some Nordic traditional style my mother insisted in teaching me.
Saya and Maria had joked for ten minutes about the whole Marcus thing, the Mexican girl was sad she didn't get to witness it but amused we had kissed the same boy. "Real proof of friendship" as she calls it.
"They can think what they want. I know they all call me a bitch, Hela knows they call her a sociopathic bitch, it doesn't matter."
"You are a bitch. Be proud of that." Maria says trying to gain empowerment from the insult women tend to receive when they are too strong or independent for a man's taste.
"People who proudly self-apply labels like "asshole" or "bitch" as if it's a sign of their own strength are looking for an excuse to lean into their unpleasant nature."
"Now I feel called out." I say grabbing her arm and linking it with mine. "I am a sociopathic bitch."
"Well, they all think I'm crazy."
"They're gonna think what they want." Saya dismisses it.
"Nothing we can do about it." I finish smiling at her.
"I don't care what they say. I just wish it wasn't true."
"You're not crazy." We both say at the same time turning around to look at her.
"I just want to be normal."
"Why would you want something so silly? Normal is working all your life to end up in a mediocre job, raising mediocre kids wishing you could do something more with your mediocre life before it's over." I say, and Saya nods in agreement. "You can do better than that, Maria."
"But what's more normal than bragging about how normal you are?" she says, and we chuckle at it. "Maybe we shit on what we can't have. Me, in my heart, I would love to own a house like this... Filled with books, niños running around, music in the air."
"Enjoy that bullshit." Saya cuts her making me shake my head, that girl did not have a sense of touch in her body. "I'm gonna party forever and rule the world. Ain't that right, Hela?"
"Well I have responsibilities and a business to take over, but dying of alcohol poisoning sounds like a noble death, Saya." I say chuckling. "But we would like to come and visit."
"Auntie Saya, party queen of the world. Auntie Hela, ruler of the world. Sounds good for me." Maria replies, linking our arms together and starting to walk back to the store. "Maybe could bring Uncle Marcus every two weekends?" she teases making Saya break out in laughter
"Fuck you, Salazar."
"Anytime, amor mío."
After getting the wine and probably injure the owner of the shop badly, we run back to the school. Laughing and messing around with the wine, we enter the gym, where everyone is dancing and talking with their friends. Maria brings us to the center of the dance floor, and we start to dance to the music.
Maria twists and laughs as Saya and I try to keep up with her, one thing the beauty was is unstoppable when it comes to dancing and music overall. We laugh and dance together until I sport Viktor and Petra. Excusing myself, I walk to the couple.
"Vik, don't you look handsome. Mind if I steal your date for two seconds?" I tell him but I grab the girl's hand to letting him reply. "спасибо!"
"You look nice." Petra compliments me.
"Thank you, you look nice too. I see you ignore my advice, huh? Be careful, okay? You know better than to trust them. Viktor, they all are up to something."
"Is it that weird that maybe Viktor could like me?" Petra snaps at me making me sight.
"No, Viktor should be stupid to not like you, but that's my point. He's stupid and a jerk and a legacy, P."
"You are a legacy too, Hela." She says turning and looking at Viktor who smiles at her sweetly.
"Do whatever, but don't be surprised then." I say turning back to look for the two girls.
When I go back to them, Saya looks at me but I shake my head, if she didn't want to believe it wasn't my problem anymore. The raven haired girl grabs my hand and twists me around, making the ends of my skirt go up, like Maria's. We laugh and dance, taking breaks to crack some jokes and talk about the plans for the rest of the wine.
But nothing good ever lasts, as Chico's voice cuts our fun, calling his girlfriend's name. Saya and I look at each other, before meeting Maria who looks dumped out. Passing next to the guy, she enters the crowd, leaving us to deal with him.
"You couldn't give her one night away." Saya spats at him who keeps dancing in front of us.
"I just came to get my bailar on."
"You're a real piece of shit. You know, all she needs is..."
"You're gonna tell me what my girl needs, huh?" he asks her, threatening.
"Well you obviously don't have a fucking clue. Might as well read a book about how to fucking treat a girl for a change, wait, do you even know how to read?" I tell him stepping closer challengingly.
"She give you that story about wanting a normal life? The house with the books and little niños running around, eh? She's been telling that one for years. I taught her that." He states looking up and down at us. "She's working you so I can keep tabs on your crew. And for you, she just pities you, Hela."
Saya turn around and leaves, before I follow her, I look back at Chico. "If you were only half the man you think you are, you'd realize that what you call "love" will be the reason Maria fucking kills herself."
Getting out of the gym, I spot Petra and Viktor who walk out the door. I shake my head, and walk to Saya I grab the bottle in her hand taking a big gulp of the strawberry alcohol.
"Do you think it'll be bad if I put a knife on his head?"
"You may get in trouble." She replays waiting for the other girl.
"It'd be worthy, though."
"So fucking worthy." She laughs with me. Suddenly we see Maria arrive, making us stop laughing.
"What did he say?"
"Pretty much like you said."
"So... what do we do now?" she asks unsure looking between us.
"Let's go hit Golden Gate Park."
"Oh Gods that's the worst best idea I've ever heard." I step off the wall, grabbing their hands and starting to walk.
"I'm gonna need the rest of that strawberry wine." The Latina girl laughs making us giggle and nod.
We stayed at the park for some time; it was our spot, only us being us. We talked about everything and nothing. At some point, the conversation went from clothes and boys to existential nihilism and the meaning of life. We could get pretty philosophical when drunk.
"Would you change it? Your fate I mean." Saya asks looking at the sky, we were laying on the grass, barefoot and staring at the sky.
"Yes." Maria asks in a heartbeat. "You?"
"Maybe? I don't know, depends on the day. What about you, Hela?"
"No. I wouldn't." I whisper not taking my gaze from the stars. "I like it, I like me. I don't know who I'd be without this, and it's pretty scary to think about it. Us without this? Where would we be?"
"Doing what my father wanted me to do, at a posh school, probably." Saya says in a bored tone, I can feel her roll her eyes at the thought of it.
"Dead. Wouldn't change much." Maria whispers, remembering her family's death.
"My point exactly, our lives would have been horrible, boring or non-existent. I was literally conceived, so there would be an heir to all of this. I don't think there would be a "me" without it. Can't picture it anyway." I mutter, and we stay in silence, our stares in the sky before Saya starts to crack a laugh, making us all giggle.
"Sorry, shit just got so real."
"Yeah and you ruined the moment, hermana."
"Sorry!" the Asian girl excuses herself laughing again, making us all giggle uncontrollably "I'm going to miss days like these."
"Yeah me too, peace doesn't last long, does it?"
"No." I whisper agreeing with the girls, my mind moving back to the letter Father sent me, Mother betraying us and running away and the inevitable end to it. "Peace doesn't last shit long."
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спасибо! : thanks! (if it's wrong, sorry i used google translator, feel free to correct me)