As I made my way back home, the coast seemed clear, so I ran inside quickly to the washing machine. I tossed in my shirt to make sure I could get those stains out. “Phew…” Mission accomplished.

I was so tired from running around all day that I almost crashed right onto the couch. But just as I was nodding off, a loud BRRRRRING from the phone jolted me wide awake. It gave me such a start that I nearly jumped out of my skin. If I hadn’t been so tired, I might’ve been annoyed.

But who could that have been? I shuffled around on the couch, turned my head toward the phone, and raised my eyebrows at it.

Daddy always told me never to answer the phone unless it was his voice on the other side of the answering machine. And lo and behold...

“Hey, sweetpea… it’s Pa. No need to pick up the phone since Imma make this quick. Imma be a little late getting home today. I figured I mighta been but needed to get confirmation afore given ya a call.”

It wasn’t too unusual for Daddy to come home late, but it didn’t happen often. Daddy was a mechanic, and he usually had a set schedule since there was always someone to cover for him. If he was late, though, I figured it probably meant someone had called in sick.

“We ain’t got nothing to eat in the fridge, so I want ya to go into my room and look in my closet. On the right of it, you’ll see a jar that says ‘emergencies only.’ Take the twenty dollars outta there and order yourself a pizza. I ain’t sure when Imma be back, but save a slice for your pa and make sure you’re in bed afore 9, ya hear?”

The phone clicked, and that was that. Most kids would’ve loved having the house to themselves—staying up late, hogging the TV, watching things they weren’t supposed to, and blasting music as loud as they wanted. But honestly, it felt kind of lonely without him there to eat with me.

Usually, we’d sit together, and he’d tell me about his day and the customers he met at the shop. I never really understood much of it, but he always seemed happy just to have someone to listen. Afterward, I’d help him with the dishes, we’d say our prayers, and head to bed. I never liked it when he came home late, but sometimes, that’s just how things were.

“Guess it’s just me and you tonight, Momma,” I said, glancing over at the shrine we kept for her above the fireplace. Even if Pa couldn’t be here, I always knew she was keeping me company. I wondered what she must’ve been thinking, looking down from up on high. I hoped she’d found her peace on the other side.

Later, after drying my clothes, I settled in and ordered myself a nice pizza, taking a few slices into my room. While I sat there, I reflected on the day’s events. I couldn’t get the old man off my mind. I kept replaying the fight over and over in my head, thinking about his injuries. It had me seeing more red than the tomato sauce on that pizza.

But there just wasn’t nothing I could do… It was a funny feeling, having these powers and still knowing that even though I could help people, some things just couldn’t be changed. I guess all I could do was my best, yeah? Maybe the most important thing was using ’em my way to make a difference—and not letting nobody tell me how to do it.

Anyway, I eventually finished off my pizza, left a couple slices in the box, and shoved it in the fridge for Pa. It was dark out, so I didn’t have much else to do when it came to practice. I headed to my room and started watching reruns of old cartoons until I finally passed out in bed.

I was sound asleep for a good few hours when I heard the sound of a car pulling into the driveway. “Huh…?” I mumbled as I wiped the slobber from my lips and sat up in bed.

“Daddy!” I bounced up and ran to the door, pulling it open eagerly as I waited for him to come inside. The engine of his car shut off, and the familiar hum of his pickup faded into the night.

He stepped out of the truck, looking a little surprised to see me, probably because it was well past 9—closer to 10 or 10:30.

“Sunny…?” he said, glancing in my direction. “Oh, I’m sorry, did I wake you? Guess I must’ve had my brights on.”

“Nah, it’s okay!” I ran over to him and threw my arms around him. He hugged me back, squeezing me tight.

“You save me a slice?” he asked with a smile.

I nodded enthusiastically. “Sure did!”

He leaned down, kissed me on the forehead, and gave my hair a playful ruffle.

“Well, you go on inside. I’ll be just a minute.”

I nodded and headed back inside, pulling the box of pizza out of the fridge and setting it on the counter for him. After a moment, he came in, carrying his toolbox and a small plastic bag—probably his lunch leftovers.

He sure looked sluggish; it must’ve been a hard day. His boots and overalls were smeared with oil, and his eyes were red and puffy. Guess somebody must’ve had a busted engine.

“Aww, thank you, darlin. You ain’t have to take it out for me. You go on and get to bed. It’s late.”

“Okay…love you, paw paw.”

“I love you too, sweetpea.”

The next morning, I got myself up pretty early and headed straight out to the beach to soak up some rays and get some practice in. I kept thinking about how I handled that scrap the other day with Mr. Tough Guy on the roof. While it wasn’t bad, I knew I couldn’t keep doing things like that.

I needed more “technique” when it came to my... well, techniques. Something that wasn’t so reckless. Charging in headfirst all the time just wasn’t going to cut it.

So, I started working on something different—taking the same principles and applying them in new ways. I didn’t want to rely on my powers in a fight, especially since I made a promise to Pa. But after what happened the other day and how bad things could’ve gone, I knew I couldn’t afford to be careless.

“So if’n I can send a boost to the back of my leg to shoot myself forward… maybe if’n I get a better handle on it, I could maybe…”

I sat there for a good few minutes, going over ideas in my head about what I wanted to do and how I wanted to handle it. After a minute, it came to me.

“Yeah, let’s try it this way!”

A smirk spread across my face as I gave myself a running start. I funneled some energy beneath my legs and jumped straight up, twisting my body in the air like one of those flying kicks you see in the movies. Once I was fully off the ground, I let a burst of energy surge around me, propelling me forward. My arms swung back as my leg shot out in front, driving the motion.

Ka-schooom!

I shot through the air in a short burst, then quickly sent another burst to spin my body around just a touch before skidding into a landing. A bit of a messy one, anyway. I was standing upright for a good few seconds before I dropped back and plopped into the sand. Honestly, it was kinda funny.

“Whooooa,” I said, laughing for a minute.

“Hoo… okay… I thank I got an idea, but Imma need to work on that landin’… and maybe spruce it up a bit more. Feels a little sloppy.”

As I lay in the sand for a second, I looked up at the bright blue sky and the sunny day ahead of me. Instead of getting up, I just rested my hands behind my head.

“Now, this here is a way to live,” I said, grinning.

Or at least it was—until I heard the door creaking.

“Sunny-girl, what’re ya doing out there?!”

Hearing Pappy’s voice, I raised my head and looked over at him, cupping my hands around my mouth to holler back.

“Practicin!”

“Well, come on inside and help with breakfast!”

I hopped up out of the sand and made my way over to him—but not before brushing the sand off me and running ahead.

Once I got inside, I was greeted by the mouthwatering smell of some nice, juicy bacon. The griddle was sizzling, and I could hear the oil popping in the pan.

“Hoo-ee, smell that breakfast,” I said, licking my chops.

“Well, it ain’t done yet. C’mon now, you get the eggs.”

“Sir, yes sir!”

I gave my daddy a silly little salute and quickly grabbed the carton of eggs, cracking them into a bowl and whisking them up.

My stomach was already rumbling at the thought of how good it was all gonna taste when we were done. Normally, we’d cook dinner together, so it was nice to make up for it this morning.

“Trying out something new?” he asked, glancing at me out of the corner of his eye.

“Well, kinda just doing movement drills…figured it was a good way to make practicin control more interestin’ stead o doing the same thang all the time.”

As I handed him the bowl of whisked eggs, he poured them onto the hot skillet. The eggs hissed and crackled as they hit the pan, filling the kitchen with their savory aroma.

“Well look-at-chu being responsible…”

“It’s like you said…if’n I wanna protect others, I gotta take care o myself.”

“Good ta know yer listenin at least, but ya know I been thinkin…”

As he spoke, I grabbed some bread and popped it into the toaster, but my eyes never left his gaze while I worked. Just what was he thinkin’?

“You’ve been a good girl these last few months, and I know bein cooped up here has been hard fer ya…so as a reward fer yer good behavior…”

“Yeah…?”

“I’m thinking that maybe it’s time to get you a cellphone fer your 13th birthday.”

“Ya mean it?” I said, practically banging on the table.

“Hey, easy now—don’t shake up the pan.”

“Sorry, Pa!”

“But yes…yer a big girl now. Gonna be a teenager now, and I thank you earned a little freedom.”

As soon as the toast popped out of the toaster, I waited for him to set down the eggs before giving him a big old hug.

“Aww, thank ya, Daddy!” I said with a grin. Heh, funny how things worked out. If I’d just waited a day, I’d have gotten the freedom to go out whenever I wanted. But if I hadn’t, Mr. Ernesto might’ve been front-page news.

“Anyhow, we can talk about that next week… fer now…” He set my plate in front of me, leaned down to kiss me on the forehead as I sat at the table, and then started for the door.

“I gotta get goin to work.”

It was always like this—Pa made sure I had something hot for breakfast every morning before heading off to work. Part of me felt a little upset, though, since we didn’t get to eat together last night. But the mechanic shop he worked at got pretty busy, so it was either him getting up early and leaving me with nothing or going in late to steal a little time with me.

“Might be late again, so don’t stay up. Ya got leftover pizza in the fridge, so survive on that, and I’ll cook ya up somethin’ when I get home tonight, okay? That way, ya can have somethin’ fresh for tomorrow evenin’.”

I nodded.

“Sure thing, Daddy!” I said. Guess he was expecting to be late for a good few days. With that, Pappy made his way out the door and headed off to work.

Once I finished my breakfast, it was time for me to get ready, too. I really didn’t like lying to him like this, but maybe once I got my cellphone, I could clue him in on everything.

For now, though, I had to get going. The train was arriving soon, and I needed to visit Mr. Ernesto. I really hoped he was doing okay after everything that had happened the other day.

After finishing my meal, I grabbed my little bag, threw on my jacket, and caught the first train to the city. Thanks to marking up my map, I found the hospital quickly and made my way to the front counter.

“’Scuse me, miss.” The older lady turned in her chair, looking a bit surprised to see me.

“Ah, good morning!”

“I’m here to see Mr. Ernesto Reyes…” She nodded, almost as if she had been expecting that answer.

“Right this way.”

After leading me down the hallway, she took me into Mr. Ernesto’s hospital room. He was looking better than the day before, but I don’t think I’d realized just how badly he’d been beaten. Not only was his arm taped up, but he also had bandages on the side of his ribs. It must’ve been worse than I thought.

“Mr. Reyes, you have another visitor,” she said, gesturing toward me with a smile.

“You… do I know you?” he asked, sounding a bit confused. Seeing as he’d been out cold for most of the day after I brought him in, I figured he might not recognize me—he’d never seen me before, after all.

“This young woman brought you here after you broke your arm the other day,” she explained.

He looked at me in disbelief.

“Impossible, she’s just a little girl.”

That’s what he thought.

“Heh, I’m a bit more than that…” I said with a grin. After a moment, I took my hand and grabbed hold of my wrist, focusing some of my sunlight until a shiny little orb glowed right in my palm.

He and the nurse stared in disbelief as a small burst of heat flooded the room. “See…” I said, glancing at the two of them with a smile as the shockwave from the heat made my clothes ruffle. The nurse quickly stepped back.

“I— I think I’ll just leave you to it, then,” she said, looking a bit flustered as she power-walked out of the room. I figured hospital folk might’ve seen people like us all the time, but I guess that doesn’t make it any less scary.

After she left, I pulled up a chair and sat across from Mr. Ernesto.

As I got myself settled, he fixed his gaze on me. He looked a bit surprised to see me.

“You came all the way here just to see if I was alright…?”

“Ya-huh…! I got worried after I saw how bad you done got beat around so I wanted to check on ya.” I shot him a big, toothy grin.

He nodded slowly, his eyes drifting over to his arm. “Gracias, chica.” His voice was kind of stony as if he was speaking from a place of regret or something. Poor fella.

“What’s wrong, mister? I took care o that feller for ya, so he ain’t gonna bother ya!” I figured that’d be enough to perk him up but I wasn’t sure.

“If only I had your optimism…”

“Watcha mean…?”

Before he could answer, the door creaked open, and the nurse came back in. I couldn’t help but notice that his eyes stayed on me the whole time. He seemed a bit annoyed.

“Mr. Ernesto, you have another visitor,” she announced.

Hearing her voice, I turned to see who it was—and wouldn’t you believe it, there was that nice old lady from the day before. She stood next to the nurse, her eyes locked on Mr. Ernesto, not even noticing me. I’d figured I might see her again, but certainly not like this.

“Ernesto…te duele algo? Como te sientes?”

She wrapped her arms around him, her expression softening with concern as she looked him over. I didn’t want to interrupt, but I sure wasn’t expecting to see her here.

Was she his wife or something? Nah, couldn’t be—that wasn’t how Daddy acted whenever Momma was sick in bed. There was something different about it.

After giving him a hug, she finally noticed me out of the corner of her eye.

“Ah, it’s you…!?” the older lady said.

“You know her?” Mr. Ernesto asked, his brow furrowed as he looked from the older lady to me and back again.

He seemed just as shocked as we were that we were both even here.

“Yeah, she done bought me a new shirt yesterday…” I said, patting it down with a smile. “Good ta see ya!”

“But why are you here, mija?”

I pointed to Mr. Ernesto. “I was just making sure he was okay…?”

“Por dios…is that why your shirt was covered in blood…?”

She looked like a lightbulb went off in her head as she put the pieces together, then turned back toward him.

This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

“Porque no lo digo, que te pusiste una chica en peligro!? Es Malo!”

She was getting mad at him for putting me in danger. But if I’m being honest, it was my choice to get involved, so he didn’t deserve the blame for that.

“Actually, ma’am, I did it myself…it was my choice…I if’n ya’ll want I can fill ya’ll in on everythang…”

The two of them stopped arguing and looked at me.

“Okay, chica. Explain…”

And that’s exactly what I did—I told Mr. Ernesto everything that happened after he lost consciousness and filled in the lady, who I later found out was actually his younger sister, about what took place that day.

“I see… so that’s how you did it,” Mr. Ernesto said, rubbing his chin.

“Thank you for helping him… mija,” she said, smiling at me. But almost in the same breath, she turned back to her brother and started flipping out again. It was like she was angry, disappointed, and worried all at the same time—I couldn’t quite tell.

“What is wrong with you…why put yourself in danger by making deals con el cartel?”

“We needed their help for the shelter!”

“There were other ways, Ernesto. Out of all of them, why this one…?”

She seemed to be in a really bad way after learning all this, and all I could do was watch.

“Hermanita escuches, you have to go…Don’t let anyone know you came to see me, and if someone turns up at the shelter looking for me, diga nada!”

That sounded worrying, so naturally, I had to say something.

“Wait, hang on, hang on…can’t I do something to help…?”

“My affairs are not your concern, chica.”

“Ernesto…calm down, she’s just trying to help…”

“I don’t need to involve any more people in my problems…!”

I could hear a crack in his voice, and I couldn’t even begin to imagine what was going through his mind. I understand now, but back then, all I could see were his eyes—they looked so... distraught, I think that’s the word. And even now that I’m old enough to understand what he meant a bit more clearly, it doesn’t hurt any less.

“Please…” he begged.

“Mija…could you give me and my brother a moment?” the old lady requested.

I nodded and left the room. After a little while, she came out to talk to me, a worried look on her face. It seemed like her brother was in a lot of anguish.

I really wanted to help him, but it seemed like he wouldn’t budge on what he was thinking. Still, after everything that happened yesterday, I had some questions.

“Well, how is he…?”

“He’s going to be fine… he just has a lot on his mind. But again, thank you for yesterday.”

“Well, I guess this is my way of paying it forward…?”

“Not exactly… but the sentiment is there,” she said with a smile.

“Are ya’ll sure there ain’t nothing I can do? If’n ya’ll are really having some trouble with them mobster fellas, I wanna help! It’s why I’m here! I was the one who stepped in there for em, and I think that if– ”

“Mija, gracias. But this is not your problem anymore.”

“Enough, hermanita.”

There was a brief silence as his sister turned back toward him. For a moment, the only sounds were the steady beeping of the heart monitor and faint chatter from the other rooms.

“Ernesto,” she said, her voice a little shaky as she faced him again.

“I may not want her involved in my affairs, but I cannot stop her even if I wanted to. Besides, she deserves a warning at the very least.”

“A warning…?” I asked, looking over at him. He motioned for me to come closer with a wave of his hand.

“Ernesto, you cannot let this child get involved any more than she already has!” his sister exclaimed.

“Hermanita, you and I both know how ruthless the Cima can be. To not tell her the truth es suicida!” he replied firmly.

I got up and followed him into the room, glancing between the two as they argued.

The old lady let out a sigh. “I need to be going. I don’t know what you’re going to do, mija… but regardless of what my brother tells you, please be careful.”

“Don’tchu worry, ma’am…ain’t nothing a little sunlight can’t fix,” I said with a smile as she made her way down the hallway. Somehow, something about how I said it made her smile, too.

As I stepped into the room, Mr. Ernesto asked me to shut the door.

“So, where do I begin…?”

For a good couple of minutes, Mr. Ernesto spilled the beans on everything—who these people were and what they were all about.

“They call themselves the Cima Cartel… or ‘La Cima’ for short. They mainly deal in drug trade but have been expanding into loan sharking and racketeering after learning from the American Mafia.”

American Mafia? Now, that was interesting. Guess birds of a dirty feather flock together. I didn’t know much about them aside from some old movies Daddy used to watch—he always warned me about them.

From how Mr. Ernesto talked, it sounded as if he knew their tactics well. Made me wonder—was this the first time he’d worked with them, or was this just common knowledge to the locals out here? I’d never heard a peep about them, but maybe I just wasn’t listening.

“They don’t take kindly to people meddling in their affairs. I won’t go into detail, but that man you fought yesterday wasn’t just roughing me up for the fun of it. He intended to kill me.”

I raised my brow at that. “Kill you? For what…!?” How could somebody take the life of another like that? I remember Momma once told me that when she was deployed, there were lives she had to take. Even if they weren’t human, she said, all life was sacred, and she never did it without thought.

She never wanted to, but she knew she had to. Hearing about this feller doing so for what seemed like no reason at all didn’t sit right with me. Still doesn’t. I don’t like how it made me feel.

“That isn’t important,” he said. “What is is that since you attacked them, you’re more than likely one of their next marks.”

“Me…?”

“Do you think they are going to give you a break because you are a child…?”

“Well, honestly, sir, I’m not really thinking about anything. The only thing that matters at the moment is that you are okay…”

“To be so young and naive again…” he paused “You are a good child. I’m sure your parents are proud of you. But unfortunately, La Cima doesn’t care who or what you are.”

“What d’ya mean what I am…?”

“Hybrid's like yourself are uncommon, but La Cima knows that. From the few times I’ve seen them, I’ve noticed they have some among their ranks.”

“Really…?”

“Sí… and for that reason, I feel it’s only fair to warn you that, due to your display, they are bound to send one after you as well.”

“You’re sure…?”

“Honestly…no. La Cima is unpredictable. Their manner of exacting revenge comes in many forms, and I, for one, am not in the know. But all I can say is, be careful…”

“Thank ya, Mr. Ernesto… So… you know when you’re getting out of here…?”

“The beating I sustained was pretty bad, but I should be able to leave in the morning.”

“What time?”

“It’s too early for you to be here, but if you want to check on me, why not come by the shelter tomorrow? We could use those muscles of yours to help move some things in.”

“You bet! Anythang to help!”

“Here. I’ll give you the address.” After that, he handed me the address, and I made my way out. It felt good to help him out, even if it wasn’t the way I wanted. I still couldn’t believe what he had gotten himself wrapped up in. I was gonna find a way to help him and teach these varmints a lesson… Guess I just needed to figure out how.

But since there wasn’t anything I could do other than wait, maybe going on another little adventure around town might help clear my mind.

It was still bright and sunny outside, and there were some spots I hadn’t seen yet.

So, I opened up my map, took a couple of steps onto the sidewalk, and then…

BANG!

I got knocked right to the ground, the front of my head smacking the pavement. What the heck just hit me!?

“Hey, are you alright?” said a soft little voice. When I looked up, I saw this pretty little bright blue-haired girl, who looked about my age, riding on some rollerblades with fancy-looking pads.

“Dude, you’re bleeding!” she said. But I wasn’t worried—after just a moment, I could feel my injury healing itself right up, just like always. I even let out a little giggle since it kind of tickled sometimes.

“Whoa… are you…” she leaned down toward me and whispered, covering one side of her mouth with her hand and shifting her eyes every which way. “A hybrid…?”

I nodded. “Mhmm, sure am!” With a chuckle, I stood up on my feet. “I’m Sunny, Sunny Duncan!” I said, extending my hand her way.

“Soy Luz!” she said, shaking my hand. “Sorry about bumping into you… dude.”

“Oh, it’s all fine, just need to grab my… my MAP!” As I looked around, I realized that my map had been torn in two when she knocked me down. “Aww, man…”

“That is totally my bad, man…let me getcha a new one. There’s a gas station not far away that should have some atlases for sale.”

As I looked down at the remains of my map, I glanced over at her. “Really?”

“Yeah, c’mon… it’s the least I can do for busting you open!” And just like that, we were off—this time with a partner.

Luz seemed cool. Something about the way she spoke was fun. I’d never really met anyone like her before. While we were walking, she kept using her rollerblades to pull off all sorts of fancy tricks!

“¿So…A dónde vas?”

“Well…I ain’t too sure. I got a lotta stuff on my mind, but I guess I’d say Hechizo…”

“You were going to Hechizo? I love it out there, man! I catch his shows on TV all the time!”

“Yeah! Hechizo is amazing! He’s magic. I like magic!” I say that a lot more now than I did back then.

“Well, c’mon. I’ll race ya to the gas station. Shows gonna start real soon!”

“Yer on!”

After that, we headed to the gas station and picked up a new map. Before we left, I marked it up with my little pen, noting all the places I hadn’t had the chance to visit yet.

We made our way across the city. I kind of felt like flying, but I didn’t want to leave Luz out here on her own, and I definitely didn’t want to accidentally hurt her, either.

After a short walk to the train station and another quick ride to the far side of the city, we finally made it to Hechizo! The building was big and red, made of brick, and looked like one of those old movie theaters with a marquee and a big ol’ top hat sitting on top of the sign.

“Alright…! Now, all we gotta do is just…” I froze up because, out of the corner of my eye, I saw those familiar shirts again.

Looked like Hechizo was my classmates’ next stop on their little trip. And I still didn’t think I was ready to face Cindy again—at least, not yet.

“Sunny…what’s wrong…?” Luz asked.

“I’unno. Maybe we oughta not go. I-I’m feeling kinda hungry all of a sudden.” Just thinking about it got me all sweaty.

Luz seemed a bit confused by my sudden change of heart, but I didn’t really want to say too much. Probably better that way, anyhow.

“You sure…?”

“Yeah. I can always go some other day.”

Luz put her hands on her hips, looking concerned but still happy to go along. Honestly, I was glad she didn’t keep asking.

“So, where are we eating…?”

“Ever heard of a place called Shipwreck?”

“Heard of it? Heh, I go there all the time…”

She gestured for me to come closer like she wanted to whisper something.

“A friend of mine knows the owner, so sometimes he lets us go ahead of everybody else.”

“Wowie…”

“C’mon, lunch rush is right about now. It’ll be another train ride, but I’m sure we’ll manage!”

By this point, I’m guessing their train conductor was getting sick of seeing our faces. I felt bad for wasting Luz’s time, but she was a good sport about it.

After a while, she and I finally made it out to Shipwreck. As usual, the line was ridiculously long—probably even longer than the last time I was here.

“You sure we can get in here, Luz…?”

As we stood in line for a couple of minutes, we turned the corner, and one of the staff seemed to notice us. He was a stocky guy wearing a little bow tie, a white dress shirt, and dark shoes. He turned and looked in my direction, and for a second, I thought he was talking to me. But then…

“Luuz!” he called out, looking right past me. “What’re you doing waiting in line? C’mon, let’s get you seated.”

Luz glanced back at me with this sort of half-smile, half-smirk, like she was up to something.

“Hey, not just me. I brought a friend,” she said, pointing back toward me. The waiter gave a polite bow as if to say, come along.

“Let’s go, Sunny.”

I glanced back and noticed some of the guys in line tearing us apart with their stares. I felt kinda bad.

“Are you sure we should be skipping ahead of all these people?” I whispered to Luz, hunching over a little.

“You really wanna stand in line just to get told no when you get to the front…?”

She had a point, but even now, thinking back on it, I still feel bad. I just hope at least some of them ended up getting in.

As much as I didn’t like skipping the line, I’d never seen the inside of this place before—only in magazines—and shoo-ee, it was something else. A massive cruise liner outfitted with all kinds of places inside, one of them being a restaurant!

All sorts of folks were in there—some dressed in what looked like their Sunday best, while others were in casual clothes like me and Luz. They led us to a cozy spot in the center, near a nice man playing in a small band. Pretty plants surrounded the area in front of the stage, and there were two decks where people could eat—one up top and another down below.

“Hoo-ee, this place is fancy!” I said, looking around and taking it all in—the sights, the sounds, and the delicious scent of seafood wafting through the air as waitresses carried entrees to their guests.

“And you wanted to wait outside…so what’ll you have?”

“Well, I dunno…I ain’t never been here a’fore…I’ll have whatever you recommend.”

“Excellente! Try the Bandeja Paisa. It’s the national dish of Colombia and ugh…que rico…!”

With a ringing endorsement like that, it had to be good. I glanced at the little picture on the menu, and man, did it look delicious.

“Order whatever you like, dude. I’ll foot the bill!”

“You sure? I can at least pay ya back a little. I ain’t got much, but…”

“No, I promise you it’s fine…! Eat, eat!”

After a minute, the waiter came over, and the two of us placed our orders. I got myself a cola and went with her recommendation—and wouldn’t you know it, she ordered the same thing.

She sure was nice. I guess it was my lucky day to have met someone like her.

“Hey, since our food’s gonna take a minute, do you mind if I run to the bathroom real quick?” she said, wriggling a little in her seat.

“Yeah, no problem, do yer thang!”

After a quick minute, she disappeared but came back in no time at all.

“Okay, sorry about that… So, tell me something, Sunny—what’s a gringa like yourself doing out here? You on vacation or…?”

“Actually, I live out in Eagleview. My folks were soldiers on the military base out there.”

“Oh, so you’re from the US! What’s it like out there? I’ve never been—always wanted to go!”

“Actually, heh, I ain’t never been. Lived here my whole life. I was born on that old base, as a matter of fact.”

“No way…what was it like living on base…?”

“Well, it was actually pretty something. Where I lived, ya’d never know it was a base since it all looked like the suburbs, but sometimes, we’d hear the sounds of helicopters and planes from the base. But every 4th o July, we got the best fireworks and even a little air show.”

“Awwww…like with the jets and stuff!”

“Mhmm…! It was extra special for me since my Momma was a pilot!”

“Whoa… Did she serve in the war? Did she get to see any aliens?” Luz practically made a scene as she leaned over the table, getting right up in my face.

“Well… I dunno.” After she asked that question, my heart got a little heavy. “I never got to ask her…”

There was a moment of silence, and she pulled back a little, probably sensing what that must’ve meant from the shift in my voice.

“Oh, I’m sorry…”

“Nah, it’s fine. It ain’t yer fault…just still a little fresh is all. She’s been gone for nearly 2 years now.”

“I know that feeling… I lost both my parents after the war. It’s just me and my older sister now.”

Both parents…wow. I couldn’t imagine.

“But hey, if it wasn’t for people like your mom, maybe me and my sister wouldn’t be here either.”

That was such a sweet thing to say, even though it came from a place of such pain. I know I lost my Momma, but I guess some people had it even worse than me. Maybe I should count my blessings. Still, it felt good to know that folks thought of people like my mom and dad as heroes. It made me proud to be their kid.

“Thanks, Luz. That was mighty kind of ya. I bet your parents sure are proud of you, too.”

Luz looked a little distant, her chipper attitude fading for a moment.

“Yeah…”

There was a brief silence as if she was reflecting on something. But just as quickly, she snapped back to her usual self.

“Anyway…what’s your favorite magic trick?!”

“Hoo, hoo… I thought you’d never ask!”

For a while, she and I carried on, shooting the breeze about cards and magic, sports, TV—the things we liked, hated, and wanted to be when we grew up. It was the closest thing I’d had to a normal day in a good long while.

And for some reason, when I saw how Luz spoke, I got this feeling that, in some small way, she felt the same way, too.

Before long, our food arrived, and Luz rubbed her hands together the second it hit the table. I have to say, the food was so well-made that you could smell every seasoning as if it were wafting right off the dish.

The pinto beans were amazing. Combine that with the fried eggs, the chorizo, and the blood sausage—man, it was good! There was even something called chicharrón, which I’d never had before, and it was fantastic. This girl sure knew how to pick some good eats, and I enjoyed every second of it.

“What’d I tell you…good, eh?”

“Yeah, so where to now?” I asked as she left the money behind to pay for our food.

“Wanna hit the arcade?” she said, an eager look lighting up her face.

“You’re on!”

So, after settling the bill, we took one last train ride into the city and spent the next couple of hours playing games at the arcade. When all was said and done, it was time to head home.

I’m gonna be honest, though—after all the fun I had, I don’t think I wanted it to end. But all good things do.

We made our way to the train station, deep in the most fascinating conversation.

“Look, I’m just saying the red ranger is the best ranger.”

“Yer crazy. Everyone knows the Yella ranger is the best ranger.”

“OH, yeah, of course, you’d say that… it’s your favorite color!”

“Whatever…!”

When we finally reached the top of the steps, something about it felt final and saddened me. It’s not like today, where we have so many ways to keep in touch with people online. Back then, when someone left your life, that was pretty much it.

After months of feeling alone, I didn’t want Luz to go.

“Hey Sunny…”

“Yeah, Luz…”

“Can I get your phone number? That way, I can call you, and we can hang out again!”

“Y-yeah, sure!”

I took out my little pen and wrote it down on her arm, and then she did the same, scribbling it on my map.

“Don’t wash your hands now…!” I joked.

“Will do… I’ll call you, and we can meet up… say, tomorrow?”

“Yeah, promise!”

We hugged each other, and after I let her go, she headed down the stairs. For a while, it was just me. But even after she was gone, I couldn’t stop grinning. I had a friend again.

“Now departing for Eagleview Station…!”

As soon as the train arrived, I headed inside, but not before holding the door open for a lady who came running up the stairs just as we were about to take off.

All in all, it was a nice end to a great day. But despite all the fun I had, something lingered on my mind during the ride home. The good feelings started to fade, and some of my worries crept back in. Just what could those cartel fellers be plotting, and how was I going to keep myself safe from them? I guess I would just have to take it one day at a time.