Saturday, 3pm. Before Alexa’s Party.

Loud music and noise permeate through Reyna and Rica’s new apartment as the bad girls bounce to the mellow breakbeats of the Nujabes track- Aruarian Dance.

The song plays at full volume as the music competes with the blast of a handheld blow dryer.

VREEEEEEEEEEEEN!

Rica: Ow, Mom! The blow dryer’s too hot!

Reyna: Rica, if you want me to curl your hair it has to be dry!

Rica: Ow!

Reyna looks over at the new clothes Rica laid out on her bed from shopping earlier that day.

Reyna: Is that what you’re wearing? The red jordans with the bamboo earrings?

Rica: Ya! Kawaii! Remember I told you, Alexa’s birthday party is a throwback party to honor Skate Key’s re-opening since it closed in the late 90’s. Isn’t this the fashion of 1990?

Reyna: Honey, I was two years old, I wouldn’t know.

Rica: Oh, why I thought you were older?

Reyna: Because people your age think 17 year olds are senior citizens, you brat! (hair pull)

Rica: Owww!

Rica wanted the wavy hair of her idol, the smoking hot Melanie Iglesias. Not a problem for the haute Reyna Rai because Reyna could do some hair!

Reyna took her time and gave Rica a relaxed wavy curl. And Reyna did a great job considering how straight Rica’s hair is.

Rica: Ya, it looks awesome! (posing in mirror, tossing the bangs out of her eyes).

Reyna: Of course! Now hurry up! We have to pick up the chicken at the Viet spot..

Rica: What chicken? Oh, the chicken you were supposed to cook? Your secret recipe?

Reyna: The secret is where I got it from, now hurry up! hmph!

Skate Key

The evil fashionistas made it to Skate Key just before the doors opened. They were late as Reyna was supposed to come help set up. A line had formed outside and Rica said hello to the fellow classmates she knew and accepted compliments on her sneakers, earrings and hair. All of it making her glow.

Skate Key was designed like a club, windowless with heavy giant doors. Reyna cut through the line to get to the front and knocked, “Bam, Bam!” Alexa’s father happened to be at the door and opened it, and saw Reyna. Reyna saw him too.

Alexa's father, Assistant District Attorney Richard Vega, was way more handsome than his internet photo, and tall too.

Reyna: Hi, Richard, right? I’m Lisa, ♪ Rica’s mother (glowing).

Richard: Oh right, my fellow chaperone, nice to meet you! Come on in we’re about to open the doors!

Rica: So, we’re Lisa today are we?

Reyna: Little girl, I’m gonna pinch you hard!

Rica: Hey, I’m tryna stick to your story. Now, are you using Reyes as your last name or are you divorced from my father in this delusion you’re setting up for, owww! Why’d you pinch me?

Reyna: Here’s the story you anime brat. I’ve been divorced from your father for three years but I happened to keep my married name.

Rica: What name? Reyes?

Reyna: Yes!

Rica: Why bother? Won’t a man not trust a woman who keeps a married name?

Reyna: You crazy, it’s part of my trap, it makes it seem like I have past baggage, and single father’s relate to that, especially handsome divorcees like him, look at my teeth, do I have anything in them?

Rica: Uh!

Richard: I’m so sorry, Lisa, did you bring the chicken? I am still setting up this food area here, I confess I was late too!

Reyna: ♫ Not a problem, Richard. Come on ♫ we’ll set it up in no time. Rica ♫ honey, why don’t you go find your friends!

Richard: Rica? Right, Alexa talks about you all the time, she’s in the back still set...

Alexa: Rica! My little bodyguard!

Alexa appears from nowhere and attacks Rica with hugs and kisses. Alexa is super cute wearing throwback black stonewashed jeans, white belly shirt and big hoop earrings.

Alexa: See how cute we are together, we’re like sisters!

Rica: Eeep!

Reyna: Hello, are you the birthday girl, Alexa?

Alexa: Oh My God! You’re Rica’s mom? You’re soooo beautiful!

Reyna: Oh (giggle) you pretty thing ♫ thank you, and I’ve heard a lot ♪ about you!

Alexa: Mrs. Reyes, nothing you heard is true, Rica’s really mean to me, mua, mua and I don’t know why!

Rica: Aaaah, maybe if you stop kissing me!

Reyna: Rica! I will not tolerate you being rude to this sweet young lady!

Rica: Is that right, Lisa? heh heh. (Pinch) Owwww! That hurt

Richard: Uh, heh heh, Alexa why don’t you guys go finish up, we’re opening in one minute.

Reyna: Yeah, get lost you brat!

Rica: Alright, good luck remembering your back story there, uh, Mrs. Reyes, heh heh!

Reyna: It’s mom to you, you little, mumble mumble...Oh, Richard ♪ I think if we move ♪ this chafing dish ♫ we can have more room here on the display table (giggle).

Richard: Great Idea, and your chicken smells wonderful!

Reyna: But of course! ♫

As Alexa and Rica walk toward the skate rental area the DJ starts the music. Being a classic party, he of course, puts on a Biggie Smalls song. The girls exchange their sneakers for skates as Rica marvels at the large size of the roller rink floor.

The doors soon open and hordes of cool kids and their once cool parents file into the roller rink. Rica and Alexa are swarmed with hosting duties saying hello to everyone, when someone taps Rica on her shoulder. “Hey, kiddo!” It was that boy Caleb. Rica, the perpetual yandere, hugged him and beat him!

Caleb: Ouch~

Rica: Where were you, I didn’t see you when I came in? How come you don’t have your skates?

Caleb: Slow down baby-girl, the party just started. I was in the back putting helium in like a million balloons. You know Alexa’s crazy, right?

Rica: Haa! I told you,now go get your skates, I’ll wait.

Caleb: You don’t have to wait for me, look Alexa and all of them are all on the rink!

Rica: No..I’ll wait…

Caleb: Hunh? Hmm, Rica?

Rica: Yesh?

Caleb: Have you ever roller skated before?

Rica: (blush)..mm..no, is that not cool?

Caleb: Ha ha!

Rica: What’s so funny?

Caleb rolled her toward him, she lost balance after two inches. He caught her and held her captive and kissed her forehead. Resistance was futile for Rica, she couldn’t escape, if she did she would fall on the floor.

Caleb: I swear, you can be the cutest thing~

Rica: Are you making fun of me?

Caleb: Yup, but since you can’t do nothin about it.

Rica: I don’t need you!

Caleb: Ok, roll away! (he pushes her away and she rolls 3 feet)

Rica: Yaaa! What are you doing? Don’t let me go!

She hustles back and hugs him for support.

Caleb: Well, hello again!

Rica: Hmph!

The whole rink and space of Skate Key filled with laughter, music, and kids who could really skate showing off, along with some of the cool parents who still had it. The crowd did freestyle tricks, skated backwards, had dances, all that good stuff.

Rica made Caleb skate in the slow lane with her but it was all good since they had company. Rica discovered Alexa and Tiara were not much better skaters than she was. However none of the girls had trouble finding cute boys to crutch on in the slow lane.

Caleb: Babe, you can skate with Alexa and Tiara.

Rica: Why, am I holding you back?

Caleb: Yes, you are!

Rica: Fine!

Caleb: Aww, don't be like that.

Rica: ..mmm..ok...but don’t leave me too long, Alexa might molest me on the rink!

Caleb: Ha ha, just remember what we practiced, don’t stiffen your knees, there you go, you got it!

Rica: That’s cause you’re still here!

Alexa: Rica?

Now was Caleb’s chance, when Rica turned around to look at Alexa, Caleb escaped on to the roller rink, and disappeared!

Rica: Oooh, you boy!

Alexa: Rica, hold on to me!

Rica: No, you’re just as bad as me, Alexa slow down you're gonna crash into me!

Alexa: I don’t know how stop AAAH!

Rica: AAAH!

Crash! Both girls hit the floor. Tiara slowly rolls by, and teases them.

Tiara: Ha! You guys suck!

Alexa: You ain’t no better!

Tiara: I’m not on the ground!

As the lively girls are helped up by all the love of the roller rink, a mysterious and damn fine skater rolls past Alexa, spins 360, and stops in front of Rica.

Rica: Oh! uh..hee, hello!

Cute Will Sanchez: Looks like someone needs a lesson.

Rica: Oh, um, you don’t have to (falls back on her butt). Oh boy!

Cute Will Sanchez: Here (offers hand and pulls her up and puts his arm around her waist).

Rica: Oh!

Cute Will Sanchez: It’s ok, you have the basic form down, you just need more confidence, come on.

Cute Will Sanchez could not only skate but he could teach too. After one lap Rica was able to move as fast as the rest of the skaters. Will even brought her into the middle, away from the amateurs and the crashers.

Alexa wanted to give Rica a hard time about Will but she had her own skating problems. Plus as the birthday girl she was constantly called away to say hello to someone’s mom or business associate.

Her father, of course, used this party as a platform to invite his growing network of movers and shakers. As Reyna (or Lisa) would find out, Mr. Richard Vega, did have political ambition.

Rica enjoyed skating with Will, he was cool and she figured out something else about him. Will, it turns out, was not one of the cutest boys in the school. No, no. Will was thee cutest boy in school. And worse, Will was easy going, athletic, had good grades and he smelled good!

Rica: Sniff? Nerolo Portofino?

Cute Will Sanchez: Wow! Yes, by Tom Ford. You really know your cologne. Does your father wear it?

Rica: No..I ..I really like that scent, it’s good taste!

Cute Will Sanchez: Thank you, I do try, meaning I read the magazines and stuff!

Rica: Ha ha, you're kidding, where do you read them, in the dugout?

Cute Will Sanchez: Ha, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t. Come see a game, you'll see me do more than that!

Rica: Ha, you know what this is bull! You must have a girlfriend?

Cute Will Sanchez: Where did that come from?

Rica: Dude, it’s obvious you're hitting on me even though you know I’m here with someone, and you're just too cute..um.. I mean..you must have a motive!

Cute Will Sanchez: Are you speaking for yourself?

Rica: Not at all, my motive is clear as day! You make my boy real jealous because you are..well, look at him over there.

When Will and Rica looked over they caught Caleb looking at them intensely before he turned and skated away, realizing he was caught.

Cute Will Sanchez: Ha, you got a real mean streak in you, girl. I see I won’t win you this way.

Rica: Win me? I’m not a prize.

Faster than even Rica could move, Will spun in front of her and lifted her chin with his finger. She got stuck in his gorgeous hazel green eyes, and he smirked.

Cute Will Sanchez: Whoever told you that (touches her face) doesn’t deserve you.

Rica:...uh!…(hard blush).

Will never gave Rica a second to speak or move. By keeping eye contact he kept her stunned, giving him time to stare deeply in her eyes before skating off into the crowd, all cool.

This threw Rica off. It wasn’t that she liked Will Sanchez per se. It’s that she liked the idea of Will Sanchez. Will Sanchez was gorgeous….that made Rica feel guilty, she wanted her boy now.

Rica looked around and did not see Caleb, but he was around. He snuck up behind her, grabbed her waist and skated backward in front of her.

Rica: Oh! You show off!

Caleb: I’d better be to keep your attention.

Rica: No, you don’t. Just be Caleb.

He held her hand.

Rica: Caleb...do you think I’m a ..prize?

Caleb: Like in a cereal box? uuuummm! (pinche) Ow! Heh, heh, Yes, but not the way you think.

Rica: Eh?

Caleb: Rica, you are not an arm candy trophy type of prize! No, not at all. What you are is a bad tempered Rifle Girl who swings from insecure to overconfidence in a single breath.

Rica: What?

Caleb: You’re ridiculously adorable, controlling and evil, and you have saved my life more than once. Now, with that said, I can’t think of any man on this planet who could, ONE ever be able to deal with you. And TWO…

Caleb pulls Rica close to him.

Rica: And Two?

Caleb: Heh, and number two. ...I can’t think of any man that could ever say no to you, Rica...So yes, you are a prize, in the way a loli in a box is a prize, full of love and lots of trouble. And not some trophy just to wear on your arm, in a damn roller skating rink.

Pinche!

Caleb: Ow! Why’d you pinche me?

Rica: Stupid Caleb, don’t let me go...and what the hell is a loli in a box?

Caleb: The best prize ever!

The good times kept rolling. More laughter, more dancing, more music when finally it was time to cut the cake! Alexa rolled to the middle of the rink with a big cake and 13 candles, brought out by her father Richard and Rica's mom, Lisa Reyes.

The whole Rink sang happy birthday and after Alexa blew out the 13 candles, her father pulled a chord and one hundred (not million) balloons that caleb filled floated out of a net and all over the roller rink.

When Rica looked over she saw Reyna, holding court with Alexa’s dad and a bunch of people like she was his damned wife. Rica had to go burst her bubble!

Rica: Ma! I’m on to you!

Reyna: Rica, do you see those over the hill heffas over there, who think they’re gonna roller skate with Richard? I don’t know what the hell is on their mind!

Rica looked over at all of the other single moms floating near Alexa’s father. Reyna will have none of it!

Rica: Eh? I didn’t know it was a competition?

Reyna: Baby, it's always a competition, but guess who’s gonna win? Richard ♫ this is my jam playing, let's skate!

Richard: Ok!

Rica laughed to herself as this is who Reyna was, hyper competitive and villainous! Rica looked around again and saw cute boy Will Sanchez being chased by at least three super cute girls who insisted he teach them how to skate. Rica smiled again, enjoying how Will half ignored those girls.

Rica: Hmph! I guess I won that competition.

Rica looked out again and saw Alexa,Tiara, Norman and everyone trying to form some sort of skating conga line with Alexa at the front.

Alexa: Rica! Come on!

Caleb spun from behind and pulled Rica through a gaggle of balloons everywhere to get to the Conga line.

Caleb: Come on you! We’re holding everyone up!

Rica, confident in her new found amateur skater skills, rolled to the line and skated with everyone and everyone skated with Rica.

And the whole roller rink laughed, ate, danced and skated until they couldn’t skate anymore. And anything that happened after that moment, is a story for another day.

.....

Thank you everyone, thank you so much for reading.