CHAPTER ONE
Detective Arturo Santiago had died a little over a week ago. It was during a sting operation taking a turn for the worse. Him and his partner were so close to catching the one of the biggest Italian cartels in New York. Fortunately, their mission was a success as they had wiped out the entire operation. But only at the expense of his life.
During their chase through Brooklyn, Detective Santiago took a bullet to the chest and abdomen. His wounds resulted to immense internal bleeding which made him lose so much blood. The paramedics came but he was pronounced dead on arrival.
How very timely that the rainy and gloomy weather matched the occasion. Regardless, many people showed up to his funeral. Other officers, colleagues, and friends around their barrio in Washington Heights. Everyone had made their speeches, Arturo's present Captain in the precinct even his former Sergeant and long time friend, Captain Cortez.
And then there Detective MariCarmen Garcia or otherwise known as Carmen, his wife and mother to their daughters, who could no longer control her sobs as she spoke about all the things they had done together on the force. She had met Arturo, or she'd like to call him Artie, back in the academy. He had been dating his now deceased wife back then. They'd been friends ever since.
Along the way Arturo and his deceased wife got married but always struggled to have children. Until one day they had a baby girl, whom they named Victoria. Unfortunately, Victoria's mother had died not long after she was born. At the same time, Carmen had given birth to a baby girl, whom she named Nina, a year later with a man she would never see again.
Along the early years of the two girls growing up, Artie and Carmen were brought back together at transfer to their new precinct under Sergeant Cortez. The three of them grew close as Artie and Carmen had pushed Cortez to take the Lieutenant's exams until he had become Captain himself.
It wasn't long until Artie and Carmen had started dating themselves, their own daughters had pushed them together as they became best friends. Eventually they got married and Victoria and Nina felt like they had been sisters ever since. But here they were now, huddled together around their mother who wouldn't stop crying.
Victoria Santiago and her step sister Nina Garcia watched as their father's casket was slowly lowered six feet into the ground. Victoria was doing her best to hold everything in as she tried being strong for the woman who raised her. It had hit her different knowing her father, her own blood and the man who raised her since the beginning was gone.
Nina was going through her own sense of pain as well. Arturo was the only man she could ever call a father since she never knew about her real father. Unlike the man who had been absent all her life, Arturo was there to raise her. He was there for all of her achievements and it pained her knowing that she did everything she could in school for the sake of her parents and her sister.
She was graduating in a few months and was a candidate for valedictorian or salutatorian at best. She'd been accepted to her dream school on a full scholarship. She owes it to her family to getting to where she wanted to be and it pained her knowing Arturo wouldn't be able to see all of that.
The three of them took a moment before proceeding back to their place for some sort of reception. Nina kept looking over to her sister to make sure she was alright because every now and then she would go into some sort of daze.
"You need to eat something," Nina gently nudged her sister. She pushed the small plate of food towards her sister only for Victoria to push it back to Nina
"Everything just makes me feel like throwing up," Victoria mumbled staring down at the food on the buffet table. She began to nibble on her nails, one of her worst habits honestly.
"These probably taste better than your finger nails," Nina tried joking to which her sister stopped her little habit. "Come on, V. You gotta have something," she encouraged further.
Her sister remained quiet before going back to her daze. "How about this, I can get us a few snacks and we'll eat upstairs in my room. Mom's busy with the guests and you're not too particular with crowds like this. What do you say?"
Victoria looked at her little sister after her suggestion. After which she nodded in agreement which resulted to Nina giving her a small smile. And they did just that, they took a little bit of everything on the buffet table before making their way up to Nina's room. Just after settling in, Nina had to go back down to get them something to drink.
After stealing a wine bottle and two glasses she made her way back up stairs. That was before she ran into one of the guests.
"¡Ay! Lo siento, mija. I wasn't looking where I was going," the lady gasped just as the tried to regained balance.
"Está bien," Nina shrugged off with a smile as she tried adjusting the bottle and glasses in her hands.
"You must be Nina. Congratulations!" The lady said too overjoyed to which Nina took some offense to.
"Excuse me?" she asked in a hard tone.
"I heard about your scholarship to MIT. Congratulations, ¡mija! Not everyone is so fortunate to get out of here, you know?" the lady grinned at her. Nina looked at the woman. Growing up in her barrio in Washington Heights meant everyone knew everyone. But she has never seen this woman in her entire life.
"O-oh... uhm... gracias...tía?" Nina gulped in embarrassment from her sudden snap "I'm sorry, do I know you?"
"Oh, I'm Stacey, an old friend of your mom. Speaking of which, have you seen her?" The lady asked smiling.
"I think she's somewhere in the back paying the caterer," Nina pointed to some part of the house before turning back to the lady who seemed to be staring at her. But Nina didn't pay attention to that
"Thank you, mija. Condolencias para usted y su familia," the lady offered the teenager a smile before walking over to where Nina pointed. Nina watched her walk away in slight confusion a she attempted to proceed back up to her room.
"The legal drinking age in New York is 21 years old, Nina. Last time I checked you haven't even graduated yet," Nina had bumped into Captain Cortez.
"Where you off to, suenito? Your friends have been looking for you and your sister. Congratulations on the scholarship by the way," he added.
The girl went stiff hearing that nickname. Everyone began calling her that when they all heard about the scholarship. It all began with Arturo then her friends started catching on to it as well. Our Nina, the barrio's best, was finally making it out of Washington Heights, Arturo said when he found out.
"There's about fifty adults in the room, Captain. I'm pretty sure I'm drinking responsibly enough," Nina replied. "V and I just wanna be alone for a moment. If you see them we'll be in my room. And thank you," she forced a small and awkward smile on her lips. She quickly slips past him.
She was slowly starting to understand why Victoria didn't feel like being around all these people. Everyone would say their condolences but then congratulate her for her achievement. Nina hated the follow up. She'd just lost her dad, now wasn't the time to somewhat gloat on that level of success. It was fucked up and inappropriate.
Walking in, she saw Victoria laying flat on her bed staring at the ceiling along with their group of friends seated on the floor. "You better have alcohol with you," Victoria said faintly as she lifted her head.
"Do you think a bottle of red be enough?" Nina said as she raised the bottle and glasses. "But I think I'm a little short on the glasses. When did you guys get up here?" she asked walking over to them.
"We saw you coming down, we were gonna talk to you until some lady interrupted you," Leah answered as she stood up and sat down next to Victoria on the bed. "What took you so long?" she asked helping Nina with the alcohol.
Nina took a spot next to her boyfriend on the floor. "Cortez caught me with the bottle," she answered chuckling softly at what happened. Her boyfriend, Tony Rosario, gently places his arm around Nina. She finds herself leaning into his touch and warmth.
"How are you feeling?" Tony asked her softly brushing a strand of hair from her face and tucking it behind her ear.
"I think V and I can agree that we've had better days," Nina frowned a little as she fiddled with her fingers. "But it helps that you're here, that all of you are here," she added looking at Tony and the rest of her friends. Forget about being alone.
Suddenly they hear the popping of a cork and they all turn to their tallest friend opening up the bottle of red Nina had brought up. "¿Qué? Are we drinking or not?" Johann asked as his eyes wandered over the expressions of his friends faces.
"The bottle was for Nina and V, pendejo," Joel commented looking at his friend up and down. Johann raises his arms in defense as he puts the bottle down. "Plus there's only two glasses," Joel added quietly.
"It's fine you guys, it's not like Nina and I could finish the bottle alone. Might as well just get rid of evidence," Victoria sighed loudly as she continued looking at the ceiling. Leah places a hand on her knee for comfort.
"Y'all wanna go up to the rooftop? Beats sulking around in a stuffy room. You guys could use some fresh air," Johann offered earning a glare from Nina.
"Excuse you! I clean my room, árbol," Nina argued and now it was Johann's turn to glare at her. "Yea but learn to open a freaking window, nene," Johann argued back and Nina just scowled at him.
"And you really think that drinking on the rooftop while V and Nina feel like shit is a good idea?" Tony brought up as Johann just shrugged. "Nothing we've never done before," Leah added softly as she shrugged too.
"Rooftop and alcohol doesn't seem too bad right now," Victoria admits as she continues to stare at the ceiling. It wasn't long until everyone seemed to be so keen on the idea of going up to the rooftop and finishing up a bottle of red wine.
"I'll go get more cups and food," Nina sighed as she stood up and Tony did too saying that he was willing to come with.
"We could just drink out of the bottle," Johann offered causing everyone to turn to him in disgust causing him to raise his hands in defense. And again Joel comes to his defense. "Again, nothing we've never done before!"
-
Months passed and Nina had finally graduated high school. She would be attending MIT by fall. For her summer, her family would be taking a permanent vacation to Los Angeles. Carmen was reassigned in a new precinct somewhere in the inner cities of Los Angeles. A week after Nina's graduation they would finally be moving.
Victoria had found a course in the arts in a community college just a 30 minute bus ride from where they would be staying. She was nearing the end of her gap year and getting out of the barrio seemed like something interesting to her.
The entire block was excited for the Garcia-Santiago family's move. They were gonna make it out and they couldn't be happier. The Rosario family was very close to them and it wasn't just because that their youngest son, Tony, and Nina dated for most of their high school life.
Some members of the block watched as Mr. Andres Rosario and Mrs. Lydia Rosario along with Tony helped in loading the boxes into the car. "This should be the last of it," Tony huffed after loading the last box. Leah, Johann, and Joel helped too and they all stood back watching Tony close the taxi's trunk.
"I told you not to come."
They looked over to Nina who was coming down the steps with her suitcase in hand and her sister locking up their home. Nina's expression fell at the sight of him. Hearing about the news of them moving and Nina going away for college, the two of them had to decided to break up right after their graduation. Long distance wasn't something that was meant for the two of them but they promised to stay good friends as always.
Regardless, she still loved him and he still loved her. It hurt her that they were parting ways like this and they had already said their goodbyes during graduation. It involved lots of crying, obviously, and even kissing. Seeing him again before she left made her chest feel tight and heavy.
"I'm gonna let you two talk," Carmen whispered to Tony as the rest of their group exchanged looks. Tony gave a small smile in return before stepping forward to Nina.
"I told you not to come," Nina repeated unable to look at her ex in the eye.
"I would regret it if I didn't," he sighed in reply. He watched as her eyes began to water and his heart broke. "Hey," he said before gently putting his hand on her cheek.
"Everything is going to be okay. You're going to be okay. We're going to be okay," he spoke with an assuring smile. Nina began to cry as Tony pulled her in for an embrace. "I'll be here whenever you need me. I promise you."
"I really hate you," she sobbed laughing a little as she buried her face into his chest. "But I'll miss you. Like what the hell, I already miss you. So so so much," she sniffed pulling away.
"Hey," Victoria walked up to them. "I hate to say it but we gotta go," she spoked gently towards her sister who quickly began to wipe her tears. "You take care of yourself, Tony," she laughed before hugging Tony.
"You too, V" he replied before hugging her in return.
"What are we to you guys?!? We want some of that too!" Leah yelled out to them. Nina and Victoria started laughing as more tears filled their eyes.
The six of them looked at each other before pulling into a group hug. This was going to be the last time they'd see each other and it scared all of them on how things were going to change between them. They were all going on their own paths but things between them weren't supposed to end this soon.
"We're gonna miss you guys so much," Nina sniffed as she wiped her eyes. "If y'all start getting dry on the group text, Imma have Leah beat all your asses," Victoria added causing everyone to wipe their tears as the laughed.
They were all a crying mess as they pulled apart and started hugging each other individually. Goodbyes had already been said prior and as they weren't supposed to show up. But here they were anyway. And it hurt just as much as it did the first time around.
"Mis queridas, let's go! We're gonna be late for check in!" Carmen called out to her daughters who were still in the middle of their sob fest. Nina and Victoria take a step back looking at them one last time before walking to the cabs.
"Nina," Tony said before grabbing her hand.
As she turned to face him, he gently places his lips on her's for a goodbye kiss. Nina found herself in a temporary moment of bliss with them being this close to one another. For a moment everything was as it should be.
A few moments later they pulled away, resting their foreheads against each other. "Friends aren't supposed to kiss, Tony," she spoke blushing.
"I know," he smirked before the two ended up smiling. "I'll see you soon, princesa."
---
First chapter, literally just getting started. But here's a very small glimpse of Nina's personal life and her, sad, family's background.
And full disclosure, I do not speak Spanish so unfortunately I do resort to Google Translate. AGH I KNOW IM SORRY. So bear with me with any inconsistencies.
Tell me what you guys think :))
VOTE AND COMMENT!!!