Evie's POV
"Please Evie??" Donny is whining again. "You promised that me and Tony would hang out again. Plus he said he wants me to be friends with his little sister. Pleaseeeee?"
"It's not gonna be fun." I pack my laptop and charger. "We're just gonna be studying."
"That's okay. Me and Emily can play together."
"I don't even know if Emily is gonna be there Donovan." I roll my eyes and get ready to leave. "Why do you even wanna go so bad?"
Donny hangs his head down. "I don't really have that many friends and I like meeting new people. And I like Tony."
"Fine." I pick up my stuff. "Go put some shoes on and meet me down stairs in 5. If you’re not done I’m leaving without you.”
“Yessssss! Okay!” Donny runs off and is back in two minutes with his shoes, a jacket and a brown bag. He looks up at me and smiles. “I’m ready Evie.”
"So what's in the bag?" I ask as we round the corner towards Tony's. He actually doesn't live that far. It's a five minute walk.
"I got snacks for my and Emily." Donny stops walking and sets the bag on the sidewalk. "See look." He starts pulling stuff out of the bag. "Oreos, juice, fruit rollups—,"
"Okay Donny." I throw his stuff back in the bag. "You can show me the rest when we get to Tony's okay?"
Donny smiles and picks up the bag. "Okay."
"And this is his apartment." I knock loudly on the front door and a little girl opens it.
"Hi," she says, shyly.
"Is your brother home?" I ask.
"Tony!" She shrieks backs. "Es para tú."
"Gracias mi amor." Tony comes up behind Emily and tickles her. She screams and takes off running.
"Hey little man." Tony waves at Donny and Donny runs full forces at Tony. Tony flinches but hangs on to Donny. "How you been D?"
"Great!" Donny smiles. "And I have a loose tooth!" He wiggles his tooth with his free hand.
"Nice little man. In a couple days you'll look like Emily. Like a pirate."
Donny laughs then holds up the bag. "I brought snacks!"
"Awesome. Go put them on the counter okay D?" Tony says.
"Okay." Donny walks into the house and it's just me and Tony standing in the cool evening air.
"Hey," I finally say. I think about hugging him but I'm not sure if I know him well enough to do that.
"Hola," Tony responds. "Thanks for coming."
"Of course."
Tony motions for me to enter into the apartment and I do. When we get inside the living room, Emily is playing with her doll house and Donny is sitting on the couch staring.
"Did you meet Donny?" Tony asks Emily.
"No," Emily mumbles.
"Can you say hi to him Emily?"
"Hi Donny." She doesn't look up from her doll house.
"I'm sorry Emily." Tony walks over to her and bends down. "Last time I checked, we treat guests with respect. So please go say hi and show Donny around."
Emily pouts and goes to Donny on the couch. "Hi," she says. "Follow me." Donny grabs his bag of snacks of the counter then the two of them wander down the hallway.
"Do you want anything to drink?" Tony walks to the fridge and pulls out Coke and Dr. Pepper.
"Sure. I'll take the Dr. Pepper." He sets in on the table and brings a chair around so we're sitting shoulder to shoulder.
"How are you doing mamacita?" Tony asks flirtatiously. Now that he's this close, I realize how diallated his pupils are. His breath smells like alcohol too.
"Are you drunk?" I retort.
Tony smiles stupidly. "Not really. I mean. I was but the buzz is wearing off."
"And what happened to you saying you were gonna change for me?"
"Negrita. You're sitting here in my kitchen. I didn't have to change and you still want me."
I glare at him. "I guess I should just go then huh?" I start to stand up and Tony yanks me back down.
"I'm just playing with you Evie. It's cause the mugging. The beer helps me get rid of the pain. When I heal, I'll stop."
I roll my eyes. "That's what pain killers are for Tony." I decide not to push the issue and instead pullout my laptop.
"Ayeee. Where'd you get that from??"
I smile. "My mom got a promotion at work."
"That's a big promotion. You must be the only girl on East Side with an Apple computer mamas."
"Yeah. Maybe." I power it up. "I actually brought it because I found this website that's supposed to help with Dyslexia. It's called Simple Learning."
I open the bookmark then angle the computer towards Tony. "There's different levels. They start you off with the basics. Number and letters and ways in which you can tell the difference if you aren't sure. Then you go to small words and build up as you get more confident. There's games too and whatnot. What do you think?"
Tony looks mesmerized by the screen. "I guess I can check it out." He clicks around and I stand up. "Yeah. Just play around with it. I'm gonna go see what Donny and Emily are up to and then we can start on your Lit homework.
I walk into Emily's room to see her and Donny sitting on the ground dunking Oreos in peanut butter then milk.
"Watcha guys up to?" I ask wandering in.
Emily looks at me then looks down at the ground. She seems so—
"She's shy." Donny interrupts my thoughts. "Right Emily?"
Emily nods without looking up.
"Oh. Well. I guess I'll let you guys eat your food."
I walk out of the room and back to where Tony is sitting. I look over the computer screen as see that he's already working on level six.
"Geez Tony. And you said you were dyslexic."
Tony doesn't say anything but instead keeps clicking away. I finally tap him on the shoulder and he flinches.
"Ow. Evette that hurt."
I stick my tongue out at him. "We need to start on your lit homework but I'm kinda hungry. Do you have any food?"
"Oh yeah mamas. You shoulda asked earlier." Tony stands up and opens the fridge. "Turn on that pot."
I go to the stove and turn it on. The pot is stacked on another and looks like a steamer. Tony hands me two tamales. "Is Donny hungry too?"
"I don't know," I say as I open the top of the steamer to drop the tamales in. "Maybe I can steam him one just in case."
"Bueno." Tony hands me another tamale and I drop it in the steamer.
"How long will it take?"
"Give it five minutes." Tony goes back to my computer and types some more.
"Tony, we really need to start your homework."
"I can do it myself Evie. I think this program is actually helping." Tony smiles at me. "I used to not be able to tell the difference between Ps, Gs and the number nine. But all of level six was about that and I think I got it."
"Are you sure Tony?"
"Yup." He goes back to the computer.
I check on my tamales and when I see they're done, I grab two plates and forks for me and Donny. The tamales smell delicious and I unwrap Donny's. Steam comes out as I put in on the plate and walk towards Emily's room. When I open the door, they're playing chess on the floor.
"Do you want a tamale Donny?"
He eyes my plate and his eyes light up yes.
"Ohhh. Yes please."
"Can I have one too?" Emily asks.
"Oh. Sure." Thankfully I made myself two so I'll just give her one of mine. "I'll be right back."
I drop off Emily's tamale and return to see Tony already working on his homework.
"Geez. You didn't even need my help, did you?" I tease.
Tony laughs. "I needed your motivation, that's all."
I sit on the couch with my tamale and Tony joins me. I take a bite and the flavor make my mouth water. The shredded chicken is so well seasoned and the cornmeal is perfectly soft. It melts in my mouth and I have to close my eyes to enjoy the flavor.
"Oh my gosh Tony. This is incredible. Did you get them from that taqueria down the street?"
Tony smirks. "You could say that."
"What do you mean?"
"My mom makes them for that taqueria. She works there too." Tony puts his arm on the couch behind me and scoots closer. "You like them?"
"I love them.” I finish my tamale and sit back on the couch. Tony’s body is touching mine so I lean into him. He doesn’t smell like alcohol. Instead I smell a very light cologne. It smells sweet even.
Tony brings his face closer to me and I smile.
“Hola.” He says.
“Hola.” I say back.
He brings his lips closer to mine and I smile. “Are you gonna kiss me?” I ask.
“I just might mamas.”
I close my eyes and Tony’s lips hover over mine. Will this be our second or third k—
“She’s chasing me!” Donny comes running down the hallway laughing and screaming. I pull back from Tony with lightening speed and Emily comes chasing after Donny wearing a cookie monster hat.
“I’m the tickle monster!” Emily screams. Donny jumps up on the couch behind me and Tony bends down to scoop up Emily.
“I think that’s enough. It’s actually past your bedtime Emi.” Tony looks at Emily and she pouts.
“¿Por qué? Donny is still here and we didn’t finish our game.”
“Well Donny can come back.”
“I can?!?” Donny calls from behind my back.
“Yes, you can. But right now Emily needs to go to sleep. ¿Bueno?”
“Fine,” Emily spits back.
I stand up from the couch and Donny does too. “We should probably be going too.” Donny yawns.
“Okay Evie,” Tony says. “We’ll walk you out.”
When we’re at the door I give both Tony and Emily a quick hug. Donny and Emily hang on to each other for a good 30 seconds before I pull Donny’s hand.
"Come on. Mom’s waiting for us.”
Donny and I start walking and Emily calls out Donny’s name.
“You forgot your snacks!!!” She holds up the brown paper bag.
“You can keep them!!!” Donny yells back. “We have a lot more at home!!!”
“That was nice of you,” I tell Donny and he smiles.
“I know.”