Sia Martinez and the Moonlit Beginning of Everything

by Raquel Vasquez Gilliland

  And then Mom repeats it. “He’s not his father, Sia.”

  I snort, but I also kind of have goose bumps on my arms, the sort that come when you hear something your whole body knows is true. “You sound just like Abuela.”

  “You’re wearing her rings,” she murmurs, touching the turquoise on my fingers.

  Shit. “Oh, about that, Mom. I forgot, with everything, to tell you—”

  “I know she’s dead. She told me, in a dream. When it happened.”

  I relax back into the cushions. “She kept saying you were still alive. Even a few days ago, she kept coming around to tell me.”

  “You believe her yet?” Mom’s chuckling, but I can’t crack a smile.

  “Sometimes,” I whisper.

  119

  “I NEED TO GET SOMETHING on them. The government,” Mom says after lunch, softly, like she’s just thinking aloud. “I need to catch them admitting it. Aloud. In the act.”

  “You should go into hiding while you formulate your plan,” Noah says. “Like that Max from The X-Files, who lived in his trailer, you know?”

  “Noah,” I say. “Calm down with The X-Files.”

  “No, I need to find something, like, tomorrow,” Mom says. “They know where we are.”

  “What?” I say, jumping up to look out the window. There’s no X-Files-esque black van or anything like that. “How do you know they know? I thought you shot the satellite down.”

  Dad looks alarmed, too. “Amor. There’s no way—”

  “They’ve been following you, Luis. They followed you here.”

  “Well, we should do something,” I say. “Go. On the run.”

  “In a van,” Noah supplies, drumming on the kitchen table.

  “No,” Mom says, shaking her head slowly. “I need to confront them. One of them in particular. If we could get her to talk… and document the conversation… That might be exactly what we need.”

  120

  EARLY AFTERNOON, ROSE BURSTS IN. She’s wearing a teal dress and her hair is in gorgeous, long twists. Are those new? I don’t remember them from last night. But then again, last night is just a bullet-shot blur.

  “Sia,” she shrieks, and we hug for a century.

  “I missed you,” I say. “So much shit has happened.”

  “God, you’re telling me. First you actually kick McAssHat’s ugly butt. Then your mom strolls up in a freakin’ unidentified flying object? I thought I had a story when Meena’s doctor flirted with Mom…” Rose lowers her voice. “And Mom actually flirted back!”

  My eyebrows drop. “What? Your mom? As in Maura Damas—”

  “Yes, the Maura Damas. And oh my God, Sia, she giggled. Mom. Giggled. It was awful but also kind of cute.” Rose leans over my shoulder. “Hey, Lena! Mr. Martinez! Noah!”

  “Rose!” Mom and Dad say, while Noah gives an awkward wave.

  “We’re ordering pizza,” I say, stepping aside so she can hug Mom on the couch. “Can you stay?”

  “Of course,” she says. “Dad got an emergency call to fix the organ at St. Matthew’s. I’ve got hours, baby.”

  121

  “DON’T WE NEED A PLAN, Magdalena? for when they come?” Dad’s already got a pen and pencil out to take notes.

  “Why don’t you guys attend the church service?” Rose says, grabbing another slice of pepperoni. “No one’s going to attack you with Jesus on the cross watching.”

  “They don’t really want to attack. They…” She sighs. “They want me alive. Me and Sia.”

  “Me?!” I say at the same time Noah and Dad say my name. “What do they want to do with me?”

  “We share the same blood,” Mom says. “They want to know if they can replicate the experiment.”

  All of a sudden, I can hear the crickets singing outside. They sound like they’re the size of nebulas. I push my pizza aside.

  “We’re not letting them take her,” Noah says.

  I roll my eyes at Noah’s superhero act and turn to Mom. “What happened to all those people? The ones that failed the experiment.”

  “They passed away.”

  “I know, I know, but how?”

  Mom shakes her head. “I can’t bear to say it. Fue horrible.”

  “We’re not letting them take her,” Noah says, this time more loudly. He stands. “We’ve got to get away. Go on the run. Hide.”

  I grimace. “Sit down, Captain America. Jesus.”

  “They can’t harm you if they can’t find you,” Dad says and Noah gives me a look of triumph as he gets back in the chair.

  “They can’t not find us, Luis. It’s the government. They’ve got satellites, cameras, drones. Guns, bombs—”

  “But if they can’t find you, Lena?” Dad, for the first time, sounds angry at Mom.

  “This is too big to run from. Luis. Look at me. We couldn’t even keep me away from ICE. How are we gonna hide from the whole military?”

  Rose looks as horrified as the rest of us, but she shakes her head and stands. “You know what? Let’s not think about this for a little while. Lena, you’re back. I mean, we thought you were gone. And I mean, gone, but you’re back.” She pulls out her phone and sets it to some dance radio. “We should celebrate. No, scratch that. We need to celebrate.”

  122

  CELIA CRUZ IS SINGING IN a wine glass via Rose’s phone. Mom and Dad are dancing la salsa, and it’s kind of embarrassing, but also, I missed this. Them, laughing, together. Mom’s hair is down in long waves, swirling around like Spanish moss when Dad turns her in his arms. Their skin the same exact shade of brown, always reminding me of smooth hazelwood.

  If you look closely, there’s only one thing off. My dad’s hand on hers is so tight, like he’s afraid to let go.

  123

  “SIA,” ROSE TELLS ME, GRABBING my arm. “Samara’s here.”

  “Really?” I say. “You told her about—”

  “Not about, you know, everything. But I told her I was at the safe house, and she just kinda showed up?”

  “Um.” I bite my lips and furrow my brow at the excited look on Rose’s face. “I didn’t realize you two were on the ‘come uninvited’ level of friendship.”

  “Sia.”

  I nod. “Alright. Invite her in. It’s a party, right?”

  “Yes, yes it is.” She smiles, her eyes lit up like lanterns.

  I smile back. “Just make sure she doesn’t tell.”

  “You know it!” She whips around.

  “Rose.” I stop her as she reaches for the door. “I really am sorry.” Tears are making my eyes sting. “I should’ve believed you from the beginning. Not him. I was a crappy friend.”

  Rose throws her arms around me. “I’m sorry, too, Sia. I should’ve talked to you when I felt hurt, instead of also being a crappy friend.” She wipes at her eyes. “You know, my mom told me about everything Noah’s done. Hitting Jeremy, taking care of your mom, making sure Omar has access to all the evidence so we can bring down the bad guys. He’s a good guy, Sia.”

  “He is.” And I surprise myself by agreeing so quickly, but then I brush the feeling away. “And Samara is amazing. I like her a lot.”

  Rose gives me the biggest grin. “She is amazing.”

  I grin right back. “So are you two official—”

  But Dad and Mom twirl near us and Rose puts her hand on my mouth. “Later.” She winks and goes to let Sam in.

  124

  ROSE HUGS SAMARA FOR A long time. And then Sam reaches for me. “Sorry for being such a bitch to you at the diner,” I say.

  “Don’t worry about it,” she responds, and then her eyes are back on Rose and now they’re dancing, too, alongside my parents. Sam’s got on this long, cerulean top, and her hair is in a mermaid braid. Her skin is darker than Rose’s, and warmer, too, like copper. Their clothes look like pieces of sea glass, glimmering smooth and soft.

  After a couple songs, I sneak onto the porch just in time to see Noah return with my Jeep. His hair’s wet and he’s got a fresh cha
nge of clothes on—a green-checkered button-down and khakis.

  “Hey,” he says.

  “Hey.”

  He has a seat next to me on the bench.

  “So no black vans followed you around?”

  He shook his head. “None at all. But what’s weird is they’ve closed all the streets that lead out of town. They’re doing searches of vehicles. It’s a nightmare for traffic, according to the radio.”

  “They’re probably looking for her,” I say, and he hums in agreement. I frown and decide to change the subject. “Your dad was out?”

  He nods. “Yeah, his schedule’s been pretty much the same for weeks now. Jeremy was home, though. But he never left his room. I think he had a girl over.”

  “Ew,” I say, trying to imagine who would stoop so low. It’s not hard, though. As much as I would rather eat a raw cactus than admit it, Jeremy isn’t hideous, with his running back shape, gold hair, eyes the color of lapis. The ultimate proof that a book’s cover can hide a heart made of cockroaches. Plus, a lot of girls find the whole aggressive and racist thing attractive, I guess.

  “I think it might’ve been McKenna,” Noah says.

  “Really? That’s too bad.” And I mean it.

  We sit for a few minutes, swinging. The sun’s long set, but there’s still the shadow of turquoise on that side of the sky.

  I turn to Noah. I really should stop speaking to him, since okay, despite being a good guy, he’s an ass for what he did, but I can’t help it. I’m still a little freaked out about everything. And, though I’ll admit it to no one, I feel a bit lonely. Shaking my head, I take a breath. “You remember, yesterday, when you said you thought Mom was a robot or something?”

  “Yeah?”

  “You still feel that way?”

  He shrugs. “Nah. I mean, she seems legit to me. Why?”

  I shake my head. “I mean, I know it’s her. It’s definitely her. But she’s different, you know?”

  “She’s been through a lot, Sia. Even having her whole, like, genetic makeup rewired. It makes sense that she isn’t quite the same.”

  I nod slowly. “What do you think Mom meant when she said they cut her blood with alien blood?”

  Noah purses his lips. “I mean, I think she meant it literally. Even though she can’t say for sure, because it was just a rumor or something, right?”

  “Yeah.” I take a long breath. “It just seems so unbelievable.”

  “You mean, unbelievable like when yesterday, your mom showed up in a spaceship? With fucking superpowers?”

  I tilt my head and say, “Touché.” After a few seconds, I groan. “The crickets are so freaking loud out here.”

  Noah pauses. “Yeah, you’re right. I didn’t even notice.”

  I snort. “What’s wrong with your ears, man? Bugs are louder than the church choir.”

  “Oh, I don’t know.” He chuckles. “They’re just in the background. Soothing, you know? Like a babbling brook or something.”

  “You can’t compare that to a brook. No way.”

  “Well, I think it works.” I’m still shaking my head as he continues. “A long time ago, I read in one of my mom’s yoga magazines about this person who recorded cricket songs. And, for some reason, they decided to play them in slow motion. And you know what they sounded like, all stretched out like that?”

  I raise my eyebrows.

  “Chanting.”

  “Chanting?”

  “Like Gregorian chanting.”

  We listen for a few moments. All of a sudden, the crickets sound a little different. They sound like they’re telling tales.

  I begin to wonder if there’s a secret world hidden in everything, like words in the whine of mosquitoes or myths in the hums of bees or even ancient tales in the microscopic mumbles of water bears. Sounds we find ridiculously annoying, but on a level we can’t sense, they somehow hold the whole universe together.

  125

  “SIA?”

  My eyes are still closed, and I’m listening to the cricket chants. I open them and blink when I see that Noah has moved right next to me.

  “Are we—are we friends again?” His eyes look so dark right now. They look like the deepest brown inside the rings of a tiger’s eye stone.

  I think about what Rose said—that Noah’s a good guy. And how I agreed so quickly, like my body knew the truth of his worthiness when my mind refused.

  But I guess I don’t answer quick enough because he says, “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t push, I know. But I wanted to say I’m so sorry for saying you acted like a bitch. You were acting totally normal considering the, ah, circumstances. If I were you, I’m not sure I’d ever speak to me again.” He’s tapping his hands on the cedar of the bench. I wonder if he even realizes he’s doing it. “I really like you, Sia. You’re strong, and smart, and, you know, the prettiest—” And he puts a hand over his eyes. “God, I sound like such an asshole, don’t I?”

  Nothing is as it seems, is it? Not even a son of the sheriff. My mother’s words ring in my ears. No one is all good. No one is all bad.

  I grab Noah’s hand and he stops whatever train of thought was going to pour out next. And I put my leg over his, until I’m straddling him.

  “Fuck,” he whispers. His eyes are so intense, I feel almost naked. And then I let myself do what I’ve been wanting to since yesterday. I press my lips against the bruises on his face, his jaw. They’re black and blotched like spilled ink.

  “Thank you for hitting Jeremy,” I whisper. “And for helping me and my mom.” And Noah swallows, his Adam’s apple bobbing, and he nods emphatically, and this time I kiss him on the lips.

  126

  THE FRONT DOOR OPENS WAY too soon. I jump off Noah and leap onto the porch like a prima ballerina. Rose and Sam step out. “My dad’s on his way home,” Rose says.

  “Yeah, and my mom wants me to pick her up something for dinner, so I have to head out, too,” Samara says.

  I lean over to give them hugs.

  “When do I get details?” I whisper to Rose, raising my eyebrows toward Samara. Her cheeks pinken.

  “Shut up,” she says, smacking my shoulder.

  I give her another hug. “Seriously, when do I get details, Rose?”

  She hits me again. “Later.”

  “See you tomorrow?”

  Rose nods. “I’ll stop by after church. You know, depending on them.” She places her hand on my shoulder. “Promise me you’ll be careful, Sia.”

  I nod. “Of course.”

  She and Sam hold hands as they walk to their cars. I feel so giddy for Rose, I clasp my hands together and smile like I’m not just like Saint Christopher right now, the weight of the whole universe on my back.

  127

  I’VE READ MAGIC STORIES MY whole life, and I’ll tell anyone, one of the creepiest creatures someone thought up is the leshii. The name’s supposed to mean “man of the forest,” but this isn’t like any man—or human for that matter—I’ve ever met.

  The leshii can take the form of anyone on Earth, but it’ll go for someone you love. Someone you’re missing, someone your heart is aching to see. Just to get close to you.

  And then? Then it steals you away, marries you if you’re a woman, maybe tickles you to death if you’re a guy.

  The stories say you can always tell if it’s the leshii if you look closely enough.

  The thing has no shadow.

  128

  INSIDE, I ASK MOM TO remind me of the key players in our plan.

  “So, the guys who came to see Dad, they’re, what? Voldemort? Regular old Death Eaters?”

  Mom wrinkles her nose. “Death Eaters, I guess.”

  “So, like, who’s Voldemort?” Noah asks.

  “The whole thing,” Mom replies. “The system, the people who thought it was a good idea to cut up immigrants for God knows what.”

  Dad’s leaning against the wall, cup of coffee in hand. “You sure you don’t want to leave, Lena?”

  “I can’t think
of anywhere we can hide, Luis. They’re fucking everywhere. I mean it.” She sighs. “We’ve been over this.”

  Noah clears his throat. “What if Sia and I go, though? Just to keep her safe.”

  “No way,” I say, shaking my head. “I’m not leaving.”

  “I wish you could take her somewhere,” Mom says, giving Noah a sad smile. “But, Sia. You need to stay near me. I’m—” She lifts up her arms, showing the scars from what they did to her. “What I can do now… I can keep her safe. All of us.”

  “You know how to kick ass, too?” Noah asks.

  Dad chuckles. “That’s how Lena and I met, you know. At a capoeira competition in Vegas.”

  “Did you guys fight?”

  Dad points to his nose, which leans ever so slightly to the left. “I used to be pretty, like her. Pero she messed me up big time.”

  “Oh, callate,” Mom says, wrapping her arms around his waist. He puts one around her shoulders and kisses her head.

  Behind them, I line their shadows with my eyes. Yes, there are two. And they’re whole.

  129

  “ALL THIS TIME, I KEEP hearing, ‘They’re coming, they’re coming,’ ” I say as everyone gets ready for bed. “And now, they know where we are. So why haven’t they come already?”

  Mom looks at me for a while. “They’re making plans, Sia. These people—” She coughs on the word. “They’re calculating. They’ve blocked off all the roads, hoping we’ll just drive up into their hands. That would be easier for them.” She sighs. “They’re giving us until tomorrow. When they come, it will be a little bit more on our terms. Our territory. And there will only be the couple of them, at least, at first. To talk.” She makes air quotations at talk.