Deep In // Klance AU

Chapter 10: Lance

"¡Mijo, estás siendo perezoso! ¡Levántate! Necesito ayuda en la cocina," my mother's voice shrieked loudly enough so that I could hear from upstairs in my bedroom, "¿Dónde están tus hermanos?"

"Ay, quiero dormir. Estoy muy cansado, mamá," I laid flat on my bed, facing the outdated shark pattern sheets that I had slept on all my life. I dug my head into my pillow to drown out the noise of my hectic home. I tugged on the edges of my light blue pillow case, scrunching it up and trying to have it meet my ears. Eventually, I gave up on the possibility of getting sleep and flipped onto my back, "Lo siento. No sé dónde están."

No matter how much I tried, I could not get comfortable. My home was too loud for me to nap, even if I was exhausted. Outside was even roaring with rain. It would only settle down after dinner. I could smell it from the top floor.

The fumes of garlic knots made my mouth water with anticipation. Other delicious food was being prepared. The aroma made me feel warm all over. I could taste the lightness of the dough, there was never too much butter or too much garlic. I cared very little for what else was being made by my mother, all I cared for was her garlic knots.

She called my siblings and I down to assist in preparing dinner; no one was coming. And even though I did love helping our mother around the kitchen, I was burnt out from my day at school. My sisters and brothers, on the other hand, despised cooking. She'd scream and scold that they hadn't done anything properly. Since I was the youngest of five, I wouldn't hear her anger as much as they did. I was mamá's boy.

If any of my siblings had been in their own rooms, they'd be in the kitchen by now scrubbing pans or setting the oven. They hid out in my bedroom for the purpose of safety. It was the last place she ever checked.

Veronica giggled madly, "Mamá va a matarte, sabes que odia a los mentirosos."

I yawned, "Voy a vivir."

Marco and Luis both exchanged looks of doubt, but it shortly morphed into hysteric laughter. They both whispered to each other in faint Spanish that I couldn't make out other than little bits and pieces. They both knew I was our mother's favorite. Consentido.

I'd be lying if I wasn't the least bit flattered with the tittle. I worked hard and my mother knew that. I could get away with the little things whereas our mother watched Veronica, Rachel, Luis, and Marco like a hawk. Sure she didn't appreciate the nights I'd show up after curfew, but she trusted me. I was surprised with how much I could get away with.

When dinner was finally made and the table was set, our mother wasn't the happiest to discover that I hid my siblings in my room. We all rushed to sit down in our assigned chairs with sorry guilt. Our mother simply shook her head with an eye roll.

Our lack of help went over her head when we began to say grace. I peaked my eyes open during prayer to snicker at Veronica. She had thrown her garlic knot on my plate as payment. I mouthed, "Gracias, perdedora." Veronica was on cleanup duty.

I snarfed down garlic knots until I was sick and physically couldn't chew. My mother yelled at me while Marco and Luis, of course, threw around snarky comments in incoherent Spanish. Veronica, Rachel, and my father just giggled in unison, expecting this sort of thing to happen.

I excused myself early from their laughter, hoping that some shut eye would reverse the damage that I had done to my stomach. I needed the rest too.

The rain's pitter-patter on the windows of my bedroom decreased in momentum. The subtle noise of thunder rolling was soothing for once and not a warning to get off of the beach. It encouraged me to slip into my covers. I did so with the same relief as I had felt after every day of guard practice.