Sophmoronic: Chapter Three

Lu“So, how was your first day back?” asked her mother.

Lucita turned down the radio’s volume, lowering Linkin Park’s bass. “It was ok. Everyone asked about my phone.”

Her mother turned on the turn signal, got into the lane, and approached the expressway. “Did you tell them?”

“No. I don’t wanna talk about it with them.”

“Okay, mijita.” Lucita, hoping this was the end of the conversation, turned the volume up in the car. Leaning back into her seat, she stared at the fragmented scenery of buildings in the middle of construction. There’s always the same. Florida was always under construction. No matter where she went, it was always the same. Palm trees that blue palm tree so few asphalt a broken landscape.

On the highway, she passed a mural, a billboard, blue skies, palm trees, and smiling faces. What a farce, a dream for those who didn’t live in Florida because those who did live in South Florida knew it was nothing but dead grass, broken buildings, and trashy streets.

“What do you want for dinner?”

”What are my options?” Her mother smiled, preparing for their little game.

“Well, I pass a Checker’s, a Wendy’s, and a Burger King.” Luci smiled at her mother and sat up, turning down the volume of the car.

“Well, what are you in the mood for?”

***

Luci scarfed down the spicy chicken sandwich from Checker’s, her usual. It was pretty much the only thing she really liked on the menu that didn’t give her stomach ache.

“Mija, calm down.”

“Uhuh,” she mumbled, mouth full, as she grabbed her backpack from the back seat. “The cats won’t let me eat this once I get in the house.”

“That’s—ok that’s true.” Her mother made her way from the curb to the three-story apartment complex. The small, narrow stairs made of some faux cobblestone gave the illusion of a lovely, welcoming place. In some ways, it was. It was her refuge in some ways, even though it sometimes felt like a gilded cage.

On the third floor, waiting for her mom to catch up to her outside apartment #361, she looked down at the pool and saw Jason playing with stray kittens.

“Isn’t that Jason?”

“Yeah.”

“Do you wanna hang out with him for a little bit tonight? Or are you going to pull a Dawson’s Creek and sneak out and meet him later?”

“Oh dude, you did not just compare me to that talentless Katie Holmes.”

Her mother feigned innocence, her lips quacking up in a smile. “I did nothing of the sort.”

“That show is older than me.”

“So? Teen dramas will never vanish, mijita.”

“I say bah to that.”

She watched her mother turn the key and take her purse, using it to push back the cats while Lucita followed closely behind.

“Jason, look!” Lucita turned her head at the last minute and saw a girl wrap her arms around his neck. Who the hell was that, because it definitely wasn’t Liz.

“I think I’m gonna go message Cyrus.” She got tired of her mother scrunching up her nose.

“Do you have to?” She could hear her cringing.

“I mean, I don’t have to, but he is my friend, and I’d like to. I mean, he’s starting a whole new school. Just for a little bit, please?”

Her mother relented, letting her go with a wave of her hand. Luci smiled at her before heading down the hall and past the open bathroom, carefully avoiding her reflection.

Closing the door, she dropped her bag next to what used to be her mother’s bed and changed into her blue tank top and sweats, also known as her jamjams. She pulled her hair back while her computer booted up and dialed in because, of course, she still had dial-up.

Lucita didn’t understand it, Cyrus didn’t understand it, and no one understood why her mother didn’t want to get anything high speed. She said it was because of cost, but at this point, having a landline, cable TV, and dial-up pretty much amounted to the same amount of money. But she wasn’t in the mood to navigate her mother’s mindset.

At the end of the day, she really wanted her cell phone.

Settling her hair in a tight clip, she perched herself on her chair and opened the messenger app, happy to see that Cyrus was online.

Hey you, she typed, her hands dancing along the keyboard. Her nails are bitten down, a grievance her grandmother repeatedly pointed out. It took a while for Cyrus to type back with his usual tease for her.

Cy:

Hey stalker. 😋

Lu:

Not cool, dude.

😘

Cy:

You know I’m only teasing.

Anyway, how was your day?

Lu:

Okay. It could have been better, but whatever.

How’s the new school?

Cy:

Well, I met a girl.

Lucita’s skin crawled. Why, why was he telling her this? Why did he think she wanted to know these things. Why was he such an idiot thinking they were just friends? But that’s all they were right now; they were just friends, and what good would it do her to act like a jealous ex? So, instead, Lucita took a deep breath and asked about her. She regretted it instantly.

Cy:

Tiffany.

Lu:

Cyrus (she typed maniacally)

Tiffany.

You’re sure it’s not my Tiffany, right?

The Tiffany who tried to ruin my life, the Tiffany who was just an uber mega super bitch, Right?

Cy:

Relax.

She said she’d never even heard of South Broward.

It felt wrong. Tiffany, the evil witch, was thankfully gone, but what’s also added is a different school. Even if the girl claimed to not be her, Lucita wouldn’t believe it. Coincidences this big made her skin crawl.

Lu:

So what are you gonna do then?

Cy:

Well

I kind of want to ask her out

Lu:

You just met her.

Luci hit send without even thinking. Ugh, why did she do that? After last year, Lucita thought things had changed between them. Especially after the summer when they had tried, but failed, to lose their virginities to one another. Something should have changed; they should have changed. Now, it seemed like everything had returned to how it was before.

Cy:

Luci…

She could practically hear the sigh through the internet.

I know things changed between us

But we’re not even in the same place.

Oh god, she thought, he was, once again, letting her down easy. Taking a deep breath, she settled her hands on the keyboard.

Lu:

I’m just shocked, you know, since her name is Tiffany

You sure?

Yeah, dude.

Cy:

…

I miss you, Luci.

Her heart skipped a beat.

Lu:

I miss you too.

Cy:

I gotta go. Bye.

Lucita said goodbye as well, quickly signing off. Leaning back in her seat, she thought about it. She had no idea where Tiffany was, but she could not help but imagine this girl as the evil witch she once had the displeasure of meeting. However, the memory of punching in their face always made her smile.

***

Tapping. The sound echoed through her dream before it woke her, forcing her eyes to flutter open. The clock next to her bedside said 4:06 am. Who the heck was tapping, tapping, tapping at her chamber door. Or window, rather. Lucida fumbled for her glasses, groggily putting them on.

“Jason?” She whispered his name, looking towards the roof and seeing the top of his head. He waved carefully, removing this screen from her window and lowering the ladder Rebecca and Sylvia had put there the last year. She hoped they weren’t up there with him.

Lucita couldn’t face them after ignoring them for over a month. It wasn’t like she had a choice, but she didn’t want to talk about the way or how, especially after everything.

But Jason already, well, he already knew everything.

Also, she wanted to know who the heck that girl she was with earlier.

She opened the window and climbed out carefully, hitting her head on the window frame.

“Careful,” laughed Jason, pulling it away from the ledge.

Luci glared at him playfully as she made her way up, avoiding the drop that would, at the very least, paralyze her should she fall.

He helped her out the last remaining steps, pulling her up the rest of the way. Against his chest, she found her footing. Lucita would have never thought that the same guy who used to hate her would turn into one of her best friends.

“How are you doing?”

“Could be better,” she shrugged, hugging her knees close to her chest.

“I’m sorry about Blake too.”

Lucita rolled her eyes. “Don’t apologize for him.”

“Someone has to.” There was a moment of silence, filled by the chirping of cicadas. The sound always made her skin crawl.

“Jason, do you know what school Tiffany was sent to?”

He stared at her confused. Yeah, this wasn’t the direction she thought this conversation was going to take either. “No. Why?”

“No reason, just curious.” She picked at the neon green nail polish chipping off her toenails. “Who is that girl you were with earlier?”

“Oh, Amelia?”

“Is that her name?”

Jason laughed. “I used to babysit her, kinda. She’s a year younger than us and just started as a freshman. She used to live here. Her parents moved away a couple of years ago, but they divorced over the summer, so now her mom has moved them back into the neighborhood. She’s a bit of a skate punk.”

“Like you.”

“Yep.” Another moment of silence.

“Is something going on between Becca and Blake?”

“Why?”

She eyed him, noting how he picked at the dirt under his nails, avoiding her gaze. “So yes?”

“No.”

“Are you lying?”

“Can’t say.” She stared at him, letting another moment of silence fill the air.

“How are you and Liz?”

This time, Jason winced, cringing. “She’s kinda pissed off with me. I was late to meet her for a date.”

“Do you want me to talk to her?”

“No, she’ll chill out by the morning.”

“You sure?”

“Yeah.” He smiled down at her, taking her in his arms. “I’m sorry about your dad and your family.”

“He’s a pig, and they’re all assholes.”

“Do you want to vent?”

Lucita was tired of venting. Other than Cyrus, Jason had been the only person she had told about her newly discovered half-brother, a little 8-year-old who knew way more curse words than he should have. She was still angry that her family had kept everything from her and her mother. The fact that her father got married, the fact that he had a family. Or the fact that he had looked for her after and her family had decided not to give him any information of their whereabouts.

The whole thing made her so angry.

Then there was the money shit.

And then, her outburst, which had not gone well. At all.

“I’m tired of venting.” Luci shut her eyes, fighting back the tears.

“Your family, they shouldn’t have said what they said.”

“They always do. I’ve never been perfect. Too skinny, too much hair, bad eyesight, nails too long or too short, arms too hairy, smile unpretty. You name it, they mock it.”

“Your arms aren’t hairy. They are normal.”

Lucita scoffed, pulling at her arm hair, looking at it, thinking about all the times her aunt called her ‘Monkey Girl.’ Or the times her uncle would lock her in the basement when they went to get toys. Or the times she was told her smile was prettier without teeth.

“Tell them that.”

“I’m telling you.” Lucita wrapped her arms around him. He smelled like cucumber. Being this close to him wasn’t right, but she liked it. She liked the hug and the comfort.

“Want me to spend the night?”

“You probably shouldn’t.”

“But what do you want? Liz doesn’t mind.”

“She knows?”

“Yeah. She’s worried about you. We both are.”

“I’m not gonna kill myself.”

“No, but you tried.” And there it was. She pulled away, tugging her tank top down to cover her midriff. To hide the cuts her mother thought were from their cats. She had taken up her bad habit again, and for some reason, she just couldn’t stop. Something about it took the edge off. Something about doing it made her feel better.

“Lucita?”

“Ok, but you have to be gone by 5:00 am.”

“I know.”

Luci went down first, crawling back into the room through the window, helping him in. If anyone was Katie Holmes, Jason was.

It wasn’t right to nuzzle those close to him to have his arms around her waist, his chin on her head. She shouldn’t be able to hear his heartbeat, but there it was. This was the new norm. His heartbeat quickly put her to sleep even before the hour was up.