Becca (11)

-Chapter Eleven-

"Enough with the pictures!" I groaned massaging my cheeks with my fingers. Lupe took no notice as she clicked the camera a few more times. "Hey, I wasn't even ready." My voice sounded whinier than usual.

"It is always nice to get a natural photograph. Besides, Allie wasn't ready either."

"Mami!" Alejandro said giving an irritable look at his mother.

"Stop your griping, Allie." I teased but my cousin didn't look amused. In fact, he looked angrier than before. "Are we done yet?" My attention turned back to my aunt Lupe but she said nothing. Another flashed occurred before she smiled.

"Now we are. I just wanted to get some photos of you two! Oh, how much you both have grown!"

"Ugh." Alejandro and I moaned in unison. Lupe laughed but left us both standing on the deck. "I hate getting my picture taken." I rolled my eyes at his comment.

"Yeah, I know, I do believe you muttered that a few minutes ago."

"I felt like muttering it again."

I flashed a gleam of the teeth before excusing myself off of the deck. Lupe was back in the kitchen, cleaning up her mess from breakfast this morning.

"Amor, when do you plan on telling me why you are here instead of there?" Her back was still facing me but I could see the smile as she spoke.

"I just... thought it would... be nice to see you... and I find this place better than his."

"Lying gets you nowhere."

I sighed. "I didn't like the woman he married."

"Aww... amada..." Lupe shook her head and turned around to give me a stern look. "I have a hard time believing this Liza was the evil stepmother."

"She wasn't but I just didn't like her."

"This has nothing to do with the silly thought that she stole your mother away, right?" Her question made me blush and look away from those wise dark eyes.

"You know I am not the most mature person in the world." I said sheepishly and she arched a large black brow and marched over to me. At first I thought she was going to hug me but she surprised me by whacking her hand against my check.

It was not a mean slap, but one as if to knock some sense into me. At the moment, a good slap full of logic was probably the best thing.

"I am going to make you-"

"No!" I interrupted. "Please don't send me back!"

Lupe suddenly burst out into laughter. Each chuckle shook her hearty body. "Send you back? That is out of the question... I want you here too much to send you back to the states!"

I couldn't help but giggle too. "Well, then what were you going to say?"

"I just wanted you to write them, especially Liza, a letter of apology." I shrugged and began venturing over to the computer. Her strong hand gripped my shoulder and I stopped instantly.

"No, I mean a real letter, not an email, but a handwritten one. It shows that you took the time to write something to them."

"Fine." I said through a groan. "But I will do it later."

"Procrastination should not be an option." Lupe mumbled as she walked across the hardwood floor and into the family room.

I glared at the back of her head, wishing that I could be extremely angry with her, but I knew that I could never be angry with Lupe. In fact, I don't think anyone could. She is just so nice and kind and is known for showing affection.

"I am starving." Alejandro grumbled while dragging sandy feet into the kitchen.

"How in the world could you be starving? Have you been weeks without food?"

"It feels like it."

"Your dad won't be happy to know that you brought sand into the house... again." I scorned with my nose turned up at the sight of his powdered feet.

He wriggled his toes and admired the sand. "Papi won't be too mad... besides I will probably just blame it on you." I waited for him to laugh but I soon realized that he was dead serious.

"So that is how you've been getting out of trouble for the past few weeks. I was beginning to wonder if you were genuinely good now that you are older."

"Wait," he suddenly turned to stare at me with his mouth agate. "You mean he hasn't even talked to you about the stuff I blamed you on?"

"No, he hasn't."

"Oh, so I get in all this trouble and get all the lectures, but if he thinks you did it then..." Alejandro trailed off; his aggravation had gotten the better of him.

"That may be because I knew she was innocent, Allie." Uncle Tico's voice stated and we both jumped from the fact that we hadn't been alone. "I just wanted to see how long it would take you before you opened your big mouth." His grayed mustache quivered with each word.

I didn't even bother to suppress my laughter. Alejandro gave me a dark glare before turning back sheepishly to his father. "So since I admitted I did all of those things I am off the hook?"

"Not even close. Come, Allie, let's take a walk." Tico wrapped his arm around Alejandro's shoulder and led him off the premises. My laughing had soon turned extremely obnoxious but I couldn't help it. He had looked like a little boy caught in a cookie jar; all that he was missing was that silly little grin.

Lupe walked into the room during my uncontrollable giggles, only to set down a pen and a piece of paper. She made no movement towards me but she did to the exit. "You will write that letter now." She ordered and surprise made my chuckles stop.

Lupe having a hard expression instead of a soft one was just too strange. She looked different, too different. She looked like my mother. Cat was the stern and strict one, Lupe was supposed to be the funny and happy one. I was in too much shock to protest. I grabbed the pen and paper and tried to think of something nice to write. Should I start out with "dear" or something less formal like "hi"?

The pen was glued to my hand for hours and I hadn't even written one word. A large hand jostled my shoulder. I leapt in surprise and I hear a familiar and an unfamiliar laugh.

"See, Sonny, I told you she was alive." Alejandro said through another laugh.

I stepped out of the chair to lock my hazel eyes on his midnight ones, "like I would be dead." To the left of him I saw someone shoving their hand over there mouth as if to hold back laughter. His shoulders shook involuntary and I turned my glare over to him. "And who are you, stranger?"

"That is Sonny, my dear prima."

"Does he speak English?"

"Well, considering the fact that he just moved here from the states at the beginning of the year... yes I would have to say he does."

"So why doesn't he answer for himself?"

"Because he was humored by your expression." Alejandro said and before I knew it he was also shaking with laughter.

I stomped out of the room with the pen and paper in hand. It was very hard not to crumple up the piece of paper and break the pen in half. My face really couldn't have been that funny, right? I went to the closest mirror to examine my complexion.

It looked fine. A little flushed from my outburst but nothing out of the ordinary. Those boys were roaring with laughter over nothing. In fact, I could still hear their obnoxious chuckles; it carried through the house like an echo.

I slumped down on the nearest chair and went back to staring at the blank parchment. What the hell was I supposed to write? "Glad I am away from all of you"? Or would they prefer "I was forced to write you all a nice letter"?

A groan escaped my lips as I rested my head back and glared irritably at the ceiling.

(Author's Note: I know that it isn't really that exciting at the moment but all I can say that it is far from the end. Glad you took the time to read the eleventh chapter and always tell me what you think.)

(Also I apologize for the tabs. I would've taken the time to tab it all after I pasted it from Word but I have to be somewhere.)