Mundahlia (The Mundahlian Era, #1)

by RJ Gonzales

  13

  In the morning, I awoke to the feeling of someone poking my cheek with their finger and a song playing from my alarm radio. I opened my eyes and found Sarah leaning over. Her fake glasses slid slowly down the bridge of her nose. She wasn’t wearing them yesterday, where did they come from? Was the first thought that popped into my head.

  “Is there any particular reason why you’re poking me in the face?” I said, rubbing the crusts from the corners of my eyes and shutting off the radio.

  “Nope,” Sarah resumed. Poke, poke, poke.

  I sighed and shooed her hand away. “Quit it!”

  “Okay, sheesh!” She sat on the floor and put her hands on her lap. “So, I think I want to go out with Max.” She looked into the air as if searching for an answer.

  I scoffed, “Why not? You were practically dry humping yesterday.”

  “I’m serious.”

  “Gatcho. Sarah you just met him and your already kissing, ease into the relationship slowly before it comes crashing down. Where are they anyway?” I scanned the room. Only Sarah and I remained. The sheets on her air bed were now a messy pile, as if they’d tossed and turned all night. I looked over my shoulder. The side of my bed that Jett had slept on was neatly made up, as if he were never there at all. The scent of him on my clothes told otherwise.

  “Oh really?” Sarah scoffed. “You’re one to talk. Don’t think I didn’t see you and Jett spooning this morning, Ms. ‘Ease into the relationship slowly.’ Look at you! You’re even smelling him on you,” She mocked. “And, they left about an hour ago.”

  I let go of the collar of my pajama shirt. “That’s different,” I protested, finally hopping out of bed to stretch. “I was trying to stay warm because I had to lower the temperature so someone wouldn’t sweat their ass off.” I sat back down on the bed, “And even so, I’ve known Jett longer than a day.”

  “Whatever. You’ve only known him for a week,” Sarah teased. “You just wanted an excuse so you could grind against his-”

  “As if!” I blurted before she could finish the sentence.

  “I’m just kidding. Jay Kay! Jay Kay!”

  “Look, if you want to date Max then more power to you. Just don’t get carried away too fast. You are crazy to date a guy you’ve only known for a day.”

  “And if you want to date Jett, go for it! The guy obviously likes you. All Mr. Suave, swooping in to ask if he can have you to himself for a while. You never told me what you all went off to do.” She winked.

  “What are you trying to say?!”

  “Girl, don’t even tell me you don’t like him because it’ll be a lie!” She gave me a thumbs up. “He’s cool. Go for even more if you’d like,” she winked again. “That is—if you haven’t already.”

  “We’re not dating, Sarah. He’s just a friend. And so what if I like him or not, don’t worry about me, just worry about you.” I laughed at the thought. I was perfectly fine on my own. Me—date? Heck no! The last time I thought I was being flirted with, the guy just wanted some free food. Pssh. Boyfriend? Whatever. I couldn’t even say the word boyfriend out loud, let alone think it. The only relationship I’ve ever been in was with that guy Chuck, freshman year. He dumped me a week later when I wouldn’t put out.

  I felt as if I was being rushed into something I wasn’t fully comfortable with. “Don’t be silly, Sarah.” I turned and found her with a dumbfound smile spread widely across her face. “What?”

  Sarah muttered something indistinctly.

  “What?” I said again, this time demanding.

  Sarah’s smile disappeared. “Promise you won’t be mad?”

  “Why?”

  “You have to promise fir-”

  “I promise, now what is it!”

  “Well, before they left, I told Jett and Max to pick us up at six to go on a double date,” Sarah bit her lip. “Sorry. I was being spontaneous, you like?”

  “No!” I stammered. “I don’t like! Just cancel it then. Ooh! Tell him I got sick with a cold or something.” I tried to find excuses—tried.

  “But, I kind of want to go,” Sarah pouted. “Please? I promise you’ll have fun.”

  “No.”

  “Pretty please?”

  “No.”

  “Pretty please with a gumdrop on top?” Sarah’s eyes were wide. If it weren’t for her glasses, her eyes might of popped straight out of their sockets.

  “Isn’t it a cherry on top?”

  “Ugh! you can have whatever the hell you want on top, just say yes!” Sarah wrapped her arms around me and embraced me in a tight hug. “I’m begging you!”

  She wouldn’t let up so I tried another route. “Sarah, we don’t even have clothes to go on dates with. I even left my prom dress back home because I knew I wouldn’t go to the one here.”

  “Nice try, Rini. I brought my car, remember? Let’s go to the mall!” Damn! She hurried over to my drawer and threw a purple plaid button up, a white tank, and some black shorts to me.

  “But Sarah-”

  “No excuses! Now get ready while the day is still young, please.” Sarah snapped her fingers. “Andale. Hurry up!” She must really want to go on this date. And even though I tried to keep it from happening, I sort of wanted to go too. Just to see what would happen. It’s not that I didn’t like Jett, I’m just a little insecure when it comes to relationships. I may not let myself be bullied, but when it came to the idea of forming something even close to resembling love, it frightened me. What if my heart gets broken? What if I put all my emotions into it and in the end it wasn’t worth it? There was nothing that scared me more than the idea of being in a relationship, or falling too fast and getting hurt. And what hurts me the most, is that all my life it was the only thing I ever wanted. My own prince. To have that bond—that feeling of being complete. The only thing I would get on my knees and pray for, or wish upon all those shooting stars that seemed to try to speed by before I could spot them. I wanted to be the girl who got asked to a dance, or would get a special Valentine’s card from a secret admirer like the other girls. To have what they had so I could find and feel what love is. But, those wishes never came true, and those prayers were left unanswered, and on Valentine’s Day, the only card I got was a report card. It seemed like I was doomed to live a lonely life. But, was this really finally happening?

  There was a knock on my door, “I don’t hear the shower running!”

  ...

  The mall wasn’t as packed as I thought it’d be when we arrived after picking up some late breakfast M tacos from Sarah’s family café. It smelled of delicious warm cinnamon rolls and coffee from the food court on the second level. We walked, tacos in hand, around the mall in search of a dress. One thing not mentioned in the plans was Sarah’s pickiness.

  “What about this one?” I pointed to a mannequin donning a ruffled yellow top attached to a black skirt after hearing Sarah find faults with the others in other store windows we passed before.

  “Nah, too bleh!”

  “What about the turquoise sequined one over there?”

  “It’s too—I don’t know, find an excuse for me.” I thought it was cute.

  I discarded the taco wrapper in a trashcan by a series of vending machines and continued following Sarah, who hadn’t noticed my brief absence. “I see it!” I heard her exclaim. A group of people beside her stared in confusion. “Wait, where are you? Rini?” she turned in a circle, then stopped. “There you are! Come on!” Sarah sprinted off toward a large glass window that displayed a lifeless mannequin in a silky cream colored strapped dress with an elegant black bow for a belt under the breast area. “Oh my gosh! I have got to have this amazingness!” She pressed her face against the glass. “It is definitely a must!” I followed her into the store as she went off in search of the rack for which the same dress in various sizes hung. There was a loud burst of laughter at the back of the store. A well-pronounced cackle overpowered the others. I spotted her. Vera—alongside a group of fellow female employees. �
�Are you serious?” I pulled Sarah aside. “She works here? Really? Out of all the freaking stores in this mall, you had to choose this one!”

  “Hey, don’t blame me, blame the dress. Better yet, blame her, not the dress. This dress is my best friend right now.” Sarah paused from scouring the sizes on the rack and looked up at me. “No offense.”

  “Oh, shut up!”

  “Damn!”

  “What?”

  “They don’t have my size!” Sarah looked up and frowned. “It literally skips my size and goes from six to eight. Just my freaking luck!”

  “Well, maybe they’ll have something similar in another store,” I said, grabbing for her hand so we could duck out before the stick saw us. “Let’s go.”

  “Maybe they have some in the back.” Sarah picked up the dress from the front of the rack and held it out to me, “Can you please go ask?”

  “Excuse me? Did you not see the girl who probably wants to kill me for no reason over there?”

  “Please? I’ll love you forever!” Doubt it. I thought I had gotten replaced by a dress, did I not?

  “Grr. Fine!” I snatched the dress by the hanger, hitting the metal bar on a knuckle. Ouch.

  “Besides,” Sarah tried to cheer me up, “Just smile and make small talk and I’m sure she’ll see you differently out in her workplace where she has to behave.”

  I walked angrily over to the counter and waited to get the attention of an employee. The small pack of girls continued to chat even though I was waiting a few feet in front of them. One of the girls even stared directly at me, then huffed and focused back on the conversation. I spotted a small silver bell next to the credit card slider. My patience was getting slimmer and slimmer. Oh you wouldn’t! I heard my conscience say. Oh yeah, watch me! The other said.

  Ding!

  “What the hell do you want?” Vera asked. Good, she remembers me. Her nose wrinkled up in disgust as if she were smelling something foul.

  “I need this dress in a size seven.” I laid it on the counter and pushed it toward her.

  Vera’s eyebrow cocked up. “Try that again, loser.”

  “I need this dress in a size seven…please?” The girls behind her smirked, pleased at her trying to assert her dominance.

  “Better. Who’s the dress for? You or that weirdo over there watching you from behind the rack?”

  “Her name is Sarah, and yes it’s for her.” I turned and found Sarah barely peeking over the racks like a stalker. Really, Sarah? Really?

  “Ha! Can she even afford to shop here?” She evidently didn’t know about her family’s successful business.

  “Vera, just stop it. I just need this dress in a size seven. The faster you get it, the faster we can leave you alone.” I was getting flustered with every passing second that I had to spend within her negative radius. How in the hell does someone get so foul and cold like her? To make her act so bitchy with everyone. Talking very derogatory as if, for some stupid reason, she were better than the rest of us. She serves no purpose on this earth. She is merely a waste of space.

  “Seriously, what do you see as a friend in her?” Vera continued, picking the dress up and playing with the fabric in her hands. “She has a horrendous sense of style and an even worse haircut. She just adds to that stereotypical nerd look.”

  “You mean like how you add to the stereotypical queen-bee wannabe? What is it with you Vera, huh? Do you get off on making other people miserable and calling them names?”

  “As a matter of fact, I do—fat ass.”

  I snapped. “Are you going to look for the damn dress in the back, or am I going to have to do it myself?” The cluster of girls were now looking at me as if I had said something foreign and they couldn’t comprehend.

  “If it’s not on the rack, then why the hell would we have it in the back!” Vera spat. “If you need clothes, you can try Frumpy and Ugly next to the food court, if you pass Hollister you’ve gone too far into the normal people section.” Her answer was curt, and her friends began to cackle like evil witches again.

  I clenched my fists. “Oh, is it right next to the store you shop at? What’s the name of it? Bitchy Slut Couture.” I snatched the dress from her hands and stormed back to Sarah who was still peeking over the racks. If it’s one thing I hate, it’s people like Vera. People who make fun of other people for fun, and now that she was talking about my best friend, it was a whole different story.

  “Why does Vera look like she wants to hop over the counter and drop kick you right now?” Sarah said. I ignored her and went to the dresses.

  “Forget it.” I scanned the rack again. “It’s nothing.”

  I pulled the size eight out and took it back to the counter to a different cashier that had suddenly appeared. It was a sigh of relief for me to not have to go back to the pack of hyenas that was Vera and her friends. Sarah followed. “Rini, that’s not my size!” She said, trying to pull it from my hands.

  I set the dress on the counter while the short cashier scanned the price and removed the security tag. “It will be when I tailor it,” I told Sarah. I’d learned a thing or two from mommy Gloria. She’d sew me and Celeste things all the time. Dresses, hats, sweaters, she even made us our own stuffed dolls when we were younger. I still have mine back home. The tiny plush toy dressed in a gorgeous colorful Mexican-style sun dress.

  “Thank you,” the cashier said with a smile, handing me the bag after I’d used my debit card to pay. I rarely carried money, a card just seemed simpler. She leaned in and said, “You’re my hero for telling her off.” I smiled and took the bag. “I’ll see you later,” the girl called. I thought it was odd how she said it, but when I turned to say something, she was already walking away—disturbed by another task in the back.

  Sarah and I passed Vera and her gang of cackling witches, and I heard her say, “Have a nice day.” Her tone all too sarcastic.

  “Wish I could say the same for you, bitch,” I replied.

  “I can’t believe you paid for my dress! Rini, I have to pay you back.”

  “No you don’t. Think of it as a Christmas present.” Sarah and I entered my cabin, the smell of old pizza from last night filled the whole structure.

  “It’s March,” Sarah stated. “And the dress was sixty dollars!”

  “An early Christmas present. Besides, you paid for our lunch. Don’t sweat it, I have plenty of money left from my summer camp job.”

  “Oh please, five dollar Chinese food is not paying you back!”

  “To me it is.” I had found a simple smokey-grey dress that had a black belt cinched around the waist at another store on clearance, after I had returned to the store the stick worked at to report her to the manager. Yeah, I reported her—and I will sleep fine tonight. Especially after I heard the words, “...one more slip up and you’re fired!” from the manager as I left the store, hearing Vera get scolded but not having the slightest clue that it was me that reported her.

  “I really need to work on your dress,” I told Sarah with my hand out for the bag she gripped tightly in her hands. “We only have about three-and-a-half hours until they pick us up.”

  “Coolness—I’ll be in the shower. I see that someone’s attitude toward the date tonight has changed.” She said, before shutting the door behind her.

  I retrieved the dress from the bag and tore off the price tag. I then undid the bow on the front and laid it aside. After the dress was turned inside out, I felt around for the seam. Using my scissors, I cut through the stitched lining and began trimming the extra fabric on both sides.

  ...

  “Wow. It fits great, Rini!” Sarah exclaimed about two hours later as she looked at herself in the mirror with her new perfectly fit dress. “Thanks a bunch! Where’d you learn to sew?”

  “My grandma, mommy Gloria.” I took the bow from the bed and tied it under Sarah’s bust. “And now for the final touch.”

  “Ah-mazing!” Sarah squealed. “Now, I just need my make up and hair and I am good to go.�
�

  “Oh,” I paused on my way to the drawer to get some new clothes. “—and before I hop into the shower, do not pull this string.” I pointed to a small thread sticking from the bottom of the fabric that if yanked on, cold cause a major wardrobe malfunction. “Just don’t, for whatever reason, pull that string.”

  “Uh, okay?”

  “Cool.” I pulled some underwear from the drawer.

  “Ooh, sexy! Men love that type.”

  “What type?”

  “The black lacy type.”

  “Whatever. It’s all I have left. All my other clothes are washing at Celeste’s.”

  “Mhm. Sure, buddy.”

  I closed the bathroom door behind me and turned the shower on so the water could be warm by the time I finished undressing. For a long moment, I stared into the mirror and took a deep breath. Maybe tonight won’t be that bad. I mean, it couldn’t hurt, right? All I knew is that no matter what, I’d remember whatever happened tonight no matter what happens. My first real date, I nearly fainted after saying it in my thoughts. It’s just a date. I reassured myself and sighed.

  I undressed and entered the shower for the second time today.

  Jett

  14

  “Chingao Ray, quit peeing on the damn seat!” Del yelled from the bathroom.

  “Well, Goddammit, look before you sit!” Ray shot back. He was in the kitchen, feasting on a bowl of macaroni and cheese that Mark had prepared before joining Martin in scouting the forest for Bane. They were going to have to do him in, like the others before who’d discovered our hiding spots each city we’d lived in before.

  I awoke from the couch and looked at my noisy watch, ringing on my hand and telling me the alarm I had set was done. “Crap!” I dashed into the hallway meeting Del in the bathroom. “Move, I need to take shower!” I told her. I was already peeling off my clothes. It was only a few minutes before the date—I had overslept.