𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐬

CHAPTER ONE// [SEASON TWO]

After our field trip to the planetarium, I walked into the Alvarez's apartment with Alex and Penelope.

"It's not that big of a deal", Alex said.

"Check your tone", Penelope said.

"What happened?", Elena asked.

"His class went on a field trip to the observatory, and he punched a kid from another school", Penelope replied.

"Papito! Is your hand okay?", Lydia asked.

"You know, I've had enough of you and your teen crap. I'm not raising a jerk", Penelope said.

"I'm not a jerk! The other kid's a jerk!", Alex said.

"Everyone's a jerk! It still doesn't make it okay to punch them!", Penelope said.

"Whatever, you don't understand", Alex said.

"Okay, make me understand. How is this okay? Did he punch you first?", Penelope asked.

"No, but he was saying stuff", Alex said.

"Okay, so what? He called you a name. What did he call you? Stupid, dummy, goober?", Penelope asked.

"What grade do you think I'm in?", Alex asked.

"Listen, if Papito punched someone, there's a good reason for it", Lydia said.

"Did he prevent you from seeing the Jupiter exhibit? Because that thing is amazing", Elena said.

"Was it about a woman? It's okay if it was about a woman", Lydia said.

"No Mami, it's not", Penelope said.

"He said 'Go back to Mexico!' ", Alex said.

I reached for his hand and held it.

"So, this was just some random kid?", Penelope asked.

"Yeah. Hugo and I were talking in Spanish and Sam was standing with us, and the kid walked by with his friends and heard us. He asked Sammie to go with them instead of hanging out with 'the Mexicans'. When she said no, he called Sam a whore and told Hugo and I to 'go back to Mexico' ", Alex said.

"Okay. This is not okay. I'm gonna call the school and straighten this out", Penelope said.

"There's nothing you can do. None of the teachers even saw him say it. Then after I hit him, Sister Barbara heard the commotion and pulled me aside and him and his friends took off," Alex said.

"Alex, we're gonna figure this out, but you can't just hit someone every time they call you a name", Penelope said.

"I don't! It was just this time!", Alex said.

"Wait. This has happened before?", she asked.

"Yes! It's horrible!", I said, furiously.

"What do they say?", Penelope asked.

"You know, beaner, wetback, gangbanger, pitbull", Alex said.

"Pitbull's the only one that's close to accurate", Lydia said.

"Does this happen at school?", Penelope asked.

"No. Just a couple of times when I'm out. Once, I was at a baseball game, the other team was leaving on their bus and they saw me and said 'Build the wall' ", Alex said.

"Oh my God!", I said.

"It's so stupid. Whatever. I don't want to talk about it anymore", Alex said, walking off.

I instantly followed him. I quietly opened his door to find him sitting on his bed with his head in his hands.

"Alex, this is my fault", I said.

He sighed as I sat beside him on the bed.

"No it's not. People shouldn't say stuff like that. I mean calling you a whore? You didn't do anything", he said.

"Unfortunately, I'm used to it. But he wouldn't have said that racist shit to you if I wasn't there. In fact, he probably wouldn't have noticed you guys if I weren't there", I said, smiling sadly, "Anyways, I know you didn't punch him because of what he said to you. You punched him because of what he said to me", I continued.

"Whatever. I had to, you would've done the same for me", he said.

"Yeah, I would've punched him for what he said to you, if you hadn't punched him first", I said.

And then, Alex hugged me tighter than he ever had before.