The Spectator

Chapter 18: Weekend at Primo Julio's

     They left amidst a flurry of protests from Ella's parents. Thalia, looking eaten up with guilt, promised they wouldn't be back too late. Ella, now bedecked in the outfit Serena and Thalia had wrestled her into, just rolled her eyes, made a joke about how clingy they were and swept out of the house. Nate watched the alien exchange with fascination. He never spoke so freely with his parents, and even though the Vazquez interactions were tense sometimes, at the very least they were honest.

     Thalia fell into step next to him as they walked out of the house, looking pensive. 

     "So, she does the whole make-an-inappropriate-joke-to-fix-an-awkward-situation thing here at home, too, huh?" He commented to her. Ella was ahead of them with Serena and Dan, so there was no risk of her overhearing. Thalia cracked a smile.

     "Yeah it's her coping mechanism whenever Dad gets... how he gets," She shrugged. Nate frowned.

     "Stop me if I'm prying but... how does he get? He seemed fine," Nate asked, trying his own version of the patented Ella Vazquez 'listening face.'

     "Well he has a lot of practice acting normal when he's actually drunk off his ass," Thalia chuckled bitterly. "He's been behaving himself tonight, don't get me wrong. Especially since there are people around, but he's been drinking since this morning. Ella gets really annoyed about it."

     "...But you don't?" He asked hesitantly. Thalia looked at him, studying his face.

     "You're a lot like Ella, you know that?" She smiled. "Always with the questions... but I guess that makes sense. You're both journalists."

     Nate chuckled guiltily. "Sorry..."

     "Oh, don't worry about it. I grew up with that crazy bitch you work with, I'm totally used to it," Thalia reassured him with a roll of her eyes.

     They both looked at the person in question, walking ahead of them. She'd changed out of her casual jeans and tank top into... another dress. He figured God was not on his side today, because she'd chosen a satin slip the color of deep ocean that clung to her every curve. And Ella... Ella had curves for days, the graceful line of her spine sinuously displayed by the swathes of her dress. It was simple but unbearably sexy-- even if she was rocking it with flip flops right now, her heels in her purse.

     Shit. Thalia was looking at him staring at her sister. His eyes snapped back to her. She smirked at him.

     "What's she like in New York?" She asked quietly, surprising him.

     "Uh... I guess the same as she is here? Not quite so tipsy, but..." Nate smiled when Thalia laughed. "Do you miss her?"

     "You can never tell her I said this but... yeah, I do," Thalia smiled softly. "I'm glad you guys decided to swing by Julio's house with me."

     "Me, too," Nate agreed, "This is already among my top five New Years and we haven't even gotten to your cousin's house so..."

     Thalia laughed again. "Oh, just wait! What we just left is a family party... This is going to be a little different."

     They'd traversed the one block's distance while they were chatting and now Ella lead the way up Julio's front walkway. It was another ranch-style home just like all the others, but the music was somehow even louder over here. Ella opened the unlocked front door.

     "Oye primo! You want people to jack your shit, leaving the door open?" Ella called as she stepped inside. Julio, in the kitchen grabbing beers, turned around and narrowed his eyes at his "cousin."