When I got back to my room, Florencio was on his phone, talking lowly. He was speaking in English, but I was too upset to try and eavesdrop.

He quickly ended his phone call.

Before I came in here, I wiped my eyes in the bathroom and splashed cold water on my face. I still looked like I cried though.

Florencio stare told me he knew. He approached me slowly, like a cat. Then he hugged me. I grabbed on to him tightly, pressing my face into his shoulder. I wasn't crying anymore.

I didn't understand my mom. She wasn't always like this. We were best friends. Everywhere she went, I'd go. That's what people told me anyways. My grandma on my moms side would tell me stories of us. After my dad died when I was almost two, things shifted. My grandma came and lived with us when my mom couldn't even get out of bed. I think her distant attitude got worse when my grandma moved to Florida when I was six. But I don't remember most of that. Her behavior had always been normal to me. I wasn't sure why I was so affected by it this time.

Remembering where I was and who I was with, I pulled away. "I'm sorry," I apologized, not looking at Florencio.

When I gathered enough courage to look at him, his lips were pressed together. He didn't nod nor did he say anything. I wasn't sure what he was feeling and it made me feel uneasy. He grabbed my hand and kissed it softly. Then he pushed past me and started to walk to the front door.

"Wait!" I called after him. He turned around. "Where are going? I want to come." I didn't want to be alone. I thought about calling Gina, but she always had something undeniable true to say about my mom, and I didn't want to think about her. If I got with Gina, thats all I would talk about.

Florencio looked me up and down. "You're upset," he stated. "Parker, just stay home. Please."

I didn't want to be here. I wanted to be with you. "I'm fine." I threw in, "Don't tell me what to do."

Seeing he wasn't going to get anywhere with me he said, "Hurry up then. I have somewhere to be."

–

Back in Florencio's car, he drove us to a familiar looking house. I realized it as the house I met Natalie at. Would she be here? I hoped not.

Florencio parked and got out. I followed him into the big house. The furniture was clean and white, so was the floor, the walls. I felt underdressed in my jeans and flats.

"Sit on the couch," Florencio instructed, leading me to a seat. "Stay here and don't talk to anyone." I sat where he told me to. I stared up at him innocently. His hand came up and his fingers lingered on my cheek. He then gritted his teeth and walked away. I watched as he went up the grand staircase.

I sat for a while alone. I didn't get up, not because he told me to, but because I was scared and didn't want to run into some I shouldn't have. My breathing started to pick up and I started to wonder why I came here again.

I was brought out of my bored daze when I heard screaming. I jumped, startled. I heard a door slam and few people cursing, before I saw a familiar blonde girl make her way down the stairs. I watched a Natalie hastily lit a cigarette, took a puff, then threw it on the ground. She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. She stopped at the bottom of the stairs when she saw me.

She took a deep shaky breath. "Florencio is still using you?" She asked me harshly. I ignored her question and stared at her outfit. An orange crew neck shirt, painters jeans, and sandals. Her hair was straight and silky. Then I looked at her beautiful face. Not a trace of makeup was found. I wanted to wipe the concealer off my face for some reason. Her pale pink lips pulled into a snarl. "What are you looking at? Surprised to see me in clothes? Fuck you." She turned on her heels and walked to the back of the house. For some crazy reason, I followed her.

She pushed open these grand glass doors and outside into a beautiful garden. The grass was just cut and made me sneeze.

She turned around to look at me. "Cover your mouth. Don't be fucking nasty." Her voice was hoarse.

I was intimidated by her attitude, her whole persona really. "Maybe look around more often and you'd see I did," I told her, forcing an edge to my voice.

She laughed and walked further into the garden to sit on a white bench that faced the elegant fountain. Her laugh was rough and loud. It didn't match her exterior at all. I sat next to her. I don't know why I was following her. Maybe because I was bored. Natalie took off her sandals and dug her toes into the grass.

She seemed to have calmed down now. I heard her count to ten quietly. "I was serious," she said. "Is Florencio still using you? Because if he is, whats so special about you?" She was so blunt and I longed to be like that.

"Theres nothing special about me. I don't know why he still bothers me." I was being truthful but she narrowed her eyes in suspicion anyway.

"Mmh. I think it's because you've guys had sex," she whispered in my ear. "Tell me I'm wrong." When I didn't say anything, she continued, "You're not as innocent as I thought you were."

With a burning face I finally said, "I'm a virgin."

She huffed. "Yeah, I know."

I was confused. "Then why are claiming we had sex?" Natalie was going in circles.

She ignored me. "What do you think of me?" Her voice was desperate. She moved too fast for me to keep up.

"Excuse me?" I said this unintentionally quiet.

"Do you think I'm a whore? I've only slept with five guys in my whole twenty-four years of life." She looked at me. "I need to know."

My eyebrows scrunched up. I wasn't used to her openness. I didn't grow up with people who taught me how to be like that. I wondered if Natalie grew up like me, if she was pried open, or if she just didn't care.

I licked my dry lips. "I think you're beautiful," I confessed. "And smart. And could kill me." I was being serious. I believed that if Natalie wanted something, she'd get it. I realized I was jealous.

She bit her lip and looked down. "I think thats why he likes you. You tell him what he wants to hear."

What the hell. "Why do you feel the need to defend yourself to me?" I asked angrily. "You don't even know me." Her face was blank. "You could sleep with every guy in this state and I still wouldn't think you're a whore."

She matched up my anger. "Oh, you're full of shit." Natalie was strong and ready to fight. I wasn't. We weren't alike in anyway and I didn't know how to talk to her. I was sweating and Natalie stared at my forehead, making me self conscious.

"Parker!" I heard someone call. I looked away from Natalie and saw Florencio walk towards us.

Natalie stood up quick and met him. I felt panicked for some reason.

Florencio was staring at me. Not at Natalie. He looked tired.

Natalie smiled. Her teeth were prefect. "Hi," she said to Florencio. Her voice was sweet. "Does your Parker know what you're doing here?" She looked at me. "I don't know if you knew, but he sells drugs." When I didn't give her a reaction, her face fell.

His eyes dragged away from mine. "Natalie, we're leaving." His voice was stern. Florencio then grabbed my hand and pulled me into the house quickly. We were almost to the front door.

"Tell your mom I said hello," Natalie said loudly. That made Florencio stop walking. Just for a second though. Then he practically shoved me into his car.

My head was aching from all the unanswered questions I had. Tell your mom I said hello. I was sure Florencio's parents were dead, right? He said they were white. But he's not. Did he talk to his biological mother?

Whats so special about you? I didn't know Natalie and Florencio's history. I also didn't know why Florencio kept me around. If I gave into sex, would he leave me for good? I was concerned, but I found also, I didn't want to walk away.

My headache throbbed the whole way home.

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