Trappers: A Sister's Problem

Chapter 1

Maria POV

*

"Papi!" I called running through the halls. "Papi! Papi!"

"Maria," I stopped running and turned to the person talking to me. I smiled big when I saw who it was.

"Tio!" I ran into his arms happily. "Hola tio!"

He chuckled deeply. "Hola mi sobrina. Why are you running around through the halls?"

"Show papi my drawing. See!" I showed him the big house with all of us in it.

"Beautiful sobrina! When you become a famous painter don't forget your uncle okay?"

I giggled. "Yeah. Where's papi?"

"I'm here hija," papi came out of his work room with a big smile on his face. "You've got a present for me?"

"Yes," I giggled. "See!"

He gasped. "For me?! This work of art?! Thank you hija. I'll treasure it forever."

"You're lucky Julio," my tio said. "You've got the first art work of our infamous artist Maria Hernandez."

"I can't wait to get more in the future," papi smiled at me.

"I'll draw for you ever and ever," I grinned. "Promise!" I held my pinky out to him. Papi laughed along with my uncle.

Bing! Bing! Bing! My eyes popped open at the sound of my alarm going off. I stared up at the ceiling that is now my own. The ache in my heart told me it was nothing more than a memory. I lifted my hand and touched the side of my face. "Tears again," I mumbled. Yeah. It was a dream. And this bed, this ceiling is reality. The reality of a bad dream I wish would go away.

I rolled over and finally turned this annoying alarm clock off. Okay Maria just get up and get your day started. It's going to be hard. Just like yesterday and the days before. But you can do it. You're strong and you can handle it. After a few more minutes I finally got up slowly and carefully. Can't wake Santi up just yet. I went across the hall to make sure Sophia was up. Her bed was empty and I heard the shower going. Now for the next brat. I checked on Selena. She was all under the covers. "Get up Selena. First day of school."

"No," she whined holding on to the covers I was trying to take off of her. "Go school next year."

I couldn't help but chuckle. This girl is not a morning person in the slightest. "You've got five seconds to get out that bed and in the bathroom before I get the bucket." She was up fast and running to the other bathroom. Growing up the only thing that got her moving was threatening to dump ice cold water on her. She thought I was just kidding but after a few times she got the picture. I went to my room to get myself ready.

I took a quick shower and wiped my face off with a wash cloth. I looked at my reflection in the mirror. I had big brown eyes that actually looked black, full lips and a slim thick sort of body. Eyebrows just done and thick eyelashes. I'm eighteen years old and a bit tall for a female at five foot seven. I'm Puerto Rican senior in high school. I do this everyday because I've been told I look just like my father. I see the similarities. In a way, this is my way of seeing him again. It also gives me room to imagine what my mother would look like.

My story in a nutshell is a crazy ride. My mother died giving birth to me. From what I understood she always had a weak heart and birthing me took everything from her. It was just me and papi for a few years before he met a woman and got remarried. I hate her til this day. She's the mother of my half sisters, Sophia and Selena. But that woman never did take care of them like a mother should. I was the one that guided them. My papi died three years ago in a deal gone wrong. He was a very infamous drug lord that controlled more than ten states of territory. His reign ran supreme for many years until internal troubles started happening within his empire. He never disclosed any details to me so I didn't understand a lot of what happened.