. ⋆ ⭑✧*:･ﾟ

     Cora's fourteen birthday was not off to a smooth start.  She had already stubbed her toe twice that morning and lost her homework.  Not to mention, she wasn't on the best terms with her amigo, Andres.  It was the day right after they got into a fight, both parties saying things they didn't mean.

     Cora sighed as she walked out of her room after checking it for the millionth time for her missing paper, adjusting her white tank top.  Despite all her clothes either being handed down from her older sister or thrifted, Cora always seemed to make a banging outfit out of her clothes, and today was no exception.  Today she wore white flip flops to match her shirt and baby pink shorts that showed her tan legs off perfectly.  Her long brown hair was straightened to perfection, not a kink in sight.

     Walking back into her kitchen, she noticed the radio was playing rather loud.  Cora couldn't recognize the song, and she wasn't so sure her sister Lola or her boyfriend Adam did either.  The couple was dancing like a duo of idiots to the song, a little offbeat, but they didn't seem to care.  This occurred most mornings after Adam spent the night at their house.  Cora walked around them, silently gagging but still smiling, and grabbed the bowl of cereal she made before she realized her homework was missing.

     Cora took a seat at the small table that seated four at a time unless you squished in more chairs, and faced the couple dancing their hearts out in front of her.  Adam was twirling Lola around and then dipped her.  Lola's sing-song laugh was heard over the song, then she bent her head back even more so she could see her sister sitting at the table.

     "Buenos dias!" Lola greeted her sister, only to be greeted back with a small wave and a tightlipped smile from the younger girl.  The song had ended, so Adam walked over to turn the radio lower and Lola straightened out her shirt and ran a hand through her tangled chocolate hair.  Lola was beautiful, every guy at the high school always going to extreme measures to grab her attention.  Her hair was shorter than Cora's, but not by much, and she was only a little taller than her.  Lola however, was still five inches shorter than Adam.

     "Need a ride?" Lola asked, walking towards the table Cora stared down at her bowl from.  Cora kept repeatedly softly hitting the bowl with her spoon, happy when she heard the tiny clanking sound.  Cora looked up and nodded.

     "Hey kid, I got you something," Adam said, walking over to the table too.  Cora and Adam had gotten used to each other quickly since Adam and Lola's relationship started quickly.  It wasn't like there was pressure for them to get along, they just did.  And in some weird way, Adam was like a brother to Cora.  She secretly hoped someday he'd be her brother in law.

     "Please say it's my missing essay," Cora whined. 

     "What?" Lola asked.  Adam laughed quietly.  Lola threw him a dirty glare.  Adam stopped laughing.  "You have a missing essay?" Lola turned back to Cora. 

     "Well, I wouldn't call it that," Cora tried.

     "What would you call it?"

     "I only wrote two paragraphs and they both sucked so I'm going to rewrite it anyway.  It's not due yet, it's due Friday," Cora gave her sister a nervous toothy grin.

     Lola squinted her eyes at her little sister.  "It's April fourth.  I bought you a birthday present," Lola muttered, eyes still squinted.  Adam coughed.  Lola rolled her eyes and Cora smiled.  "We bought you a birthday present," Lola corrected herself.  "I did buy you a present thing but Adam said it sucked so we bought this one together, but you're still getting the first present because I paid for it."

     "Here," Adam slid over a palm-sized box to the birthday girl.  Cora looked back and forth between the older teens, both of them motioning for her to open it.  

     She set her cereal aside and gently tore off the tape holding the cardboard box in her hand together.  "Oh my God," she breathed.  Both Adam and Lola had worried looks on their face, not even thinking of the possibility that she could hate it.  "It's beautiful."

     It was a silver chain with a charm hanging at the end in the shape of a cross.  The cross had small diamond looking things embedded into it.  Cora knew what the cross meant, but she ignored it.  Adam and Lola sighed in relief.

     "Are those diamonds?" Cora asked when they sparkled at her, setting the box on the table.  She couldn't take her eyes off it, she'd never owned anything worth this much.  The only other expensive thing she owned was her Polaroid camera. 

     Lola laughed.  "No, they're some type of crystals.  Adam paid the majority," Lola nodded to the boy who sat on her left who'd now thrown his arm over her shoulder.

     "Thanks, guys," Cora smiled, putting on the necklace.

     "And now that you're getting older you have access to the sex kit.  If you're going to do it, I want you to be safe about it," Lola pointed to her sister, bringing up the one thing Cora hated talking about with her older sister.  Sure Cora had already done it, but it was one time and she was safe about it.  It was times like these she regretted telling Lola in the first place. 

     Cora winced.  "Way to ruin a sentimental moment!" she stood up as Lola and Adam laughed at her.  She placed her bowl in the sink where someone would wash it later.

     "Grab your bag, time to go!" Lola yelled, her and Adam getting up from the table and following Cora out the door and into Lola's car.  Cora watched the couple share a kiss before Adam hopped on his motorcycle and went off to work, and Lola slid into the driver's seat of her Impala.  Cora sighed but played it off as discomfort from the slightly torn seat, not like she was in love with her sister's love.

. ⋆ ⭑✧*:･ﾟ

     Walking down the hall to her locker, Cora kept her eyes open for the boy she had to apologize to.  She frowned slightly when she couldn't find him, but still opened up her locker and scattered through her notebooks like it was any other day.  And to be fair, it was.

     She was almost startled by a cough behind her.  It was a man, she could tell, and they were awkwardly clearing their throat.  "Hola Cora," he slid next to her and leaned against his own locker.  Cora hummed.  Andres was the only friend she ever had, and due to them spending all of junior high together, they seemed to speak a whole other language on their own.  "I'm sorry I said you were stupid to accept the Santos' and I'm sorry I said Lola wasn't living up to her full potential," Andres said, his whole body facing Cora. 

     Cora wasn't completely mad about what he said.  Lola did deserve a better atmosphere where she could thrive and live up to her full potential, but then again, so did everyone in inner Los Angeles.  Cora looked Andres in the eyes.

     "I'm sorry I said Violeta wasn't going to be a good mother," Cora said sorrowfully.  "That was really insensitive of me."

     Andres only shrugged.  "For what it's worth, I didn't think she'd be either, and I still don't know if she will be, but she seems to be ready, and you know I love my sister with all my heart," Andres held a fist against his shirt where his heart was.

     "Same here," Cora nodded.  "I don't have anything if I don't have Lola," she said before going back to switching around books and stuff in her locker.  Andres noticed her sad look.

     "She's dragging me to her ultrasound today," Andres made a disgusted face, most likely trying to make Cora feel better.

     Cora chuckled.  "Today's the day you find out the gender?" Cora asked while finally settling on a notebook, closing her locker door.

     "Yeah, today's the day," Andres swung his fist in mock excitement, but Cora knew he was dying to know whether he was going to be an uncle to a boy or girl.  Cora scoffed at the boy, then someone walked into her.

     "Ow!" she whined. They hadn't really hurt her, but it did annoy her when people bumped into her like she was nothing.  "Watch where you're going!"

     "I am so sorry," he apologized, his right hand reached out in case she was mad. He had his left arm around another guy, much smaller than the first guy.  Cora looked him up and down like a tiger eying its prey - a bad habit.

     "You're fine, querido," she changed her mood, batting her eyelashes with a coy smile.  "You're Cesar, right? I didn't know you liked to hit it from the back," she smiled innocently.  He chuckled awkwardly and blushed, looking down at his feet.  The other guy he was with was speechless as he stood with his jaw dropped at the sight, only making Cora's confidence rise.  Andres stood off to Cora's right fiddling with his watch, completely used to Cora's flirting routine.

     "And you're Cora? Isn't today your birthday?" Cesar nodded to her.  Cora's eyebrows furrowed slightly.  "Feliz cumpleanos."

     "And how would you know that?" she asked.

     "Cora, I've gone to school with you since second grade.  Teachers make us sing happy birthday to you every year.  Freeridge is a rather small place," Cesar took his arm off his friend, who was still standing there in shock.  Cora smiled sweetly.

     "Oh, so you think of me," she lifted her head slowly.

     "I don't know how I couldn't," he answered truthfully.  "Have you gotten any good birthday gifts yet?" he asked, hand holding onto his backpack strap.  His friend did the same, trying to act cool.

     "Not yet," she said slowly, biting her lower lip.

     Cesar nodded cooly.  "See you around, Cora."

     "I'm counting on it," she clicked her tongue as he walked away.  She turned back to Andres.  "His body finally grew to catch up with his head.  I love it.  After all these years, how did I not know Cesar was this good at flirting?"

     "Oh I'm so glad," Andres sarcastically said.  He chuckled.  "Anyways, I kind of got you something," he swung around his one-strap backpack so the back was in the front of his body.  He unzipped it and pulled out a small white gift bag.  "Sorry if you don't like it, the film was my idea, Violeta said girls like that other stuff," he zipped his bag up and readjusted it on his figure.  Cora smiled at the little bag, holding her hand out as he set it down on her small hand.

    In the bag was two sets of Polaroid film, something the Hernandez's used to pay Cora in often for helping Mrs Hernandez around her house.  There was also the 'girl stuff'; a pair of socks, a nail file and two colours of nail polish.

     "Thank you, Andres," Cora placed the bag in her locker.  She turned and hugged her friend.  "Let's promise to never fight again.  I love you too much hermano."

     Andres nodded.  "Agreed, Corazon."

⋆ ⋅ ☆

[ DEDICATED TO estreIIas!!
i remember a time when i
admired your work from afar,
now we talk every day and this
show has brought us together!
thank you for being my friend
and helping me with this idea,
i dedicate this to you! te amo, mwah! ]

TRANSLATIONS
buenos dias — good morning
hola — hello
querido — darling
feliz cumpleanos — happy birthday

PUBLISHED april 4, 2018
EDITED april 4, 2019