Spectrum

60

Natalia's POV

"It was a last minute decision. Very...on a whim!" Nathanial smiles, looking to Mami and Papi for support.

"Very last minute. Dios mid! Are you insane?" Mami exclaims, slapping Nathanial on the arm in surprise.

"Probably. So, are you coming with us? I can probably find a flight. It'll probably be the one tomorrow, though." He adds with a shrug.

"Nathanial! We can't just pack up and leave! What about the restaurant?" She exclaims.

"Jose! El es un gerente!" He adds, reminding her that Jose is in fact one of the best managers that the restaurant has.

She waves her hands in that 'stop with the nonsense' kind of way. Which in a way, I totally understand.

"He's right, Mami. Jose could do it!" I say, knowing that Jose truly could handle anything that my parents throw his way. He's good about stuff like that. 

"Go get your father." She sighs, shaking her head and muttering under her breath.

"They're going." Nathanial whispers to me with a laugh.

"Are you guys going?" I ask with a hopeful expression.

"Let me speak to him first! Dios mio." She mutters under her breath.

"Oh yeah, they're going." I laugh. "I'm getting packed because our flights is like...soon. Like, we need to find out passports and leave now kind of soon." I add.

"I'm already packed. I'm just waiting for you." Nathanial replies.

"I feel like I'm just going to have to buy clothes while we're there." I mutter, praying that I left my makeup bag in my car. "I think my makeup is in the car." 

"We'll get more makeup, too! We'll just rebuy everything. Don't even worry about it." Nathanial laughs, shaking my shoulders in emphasis.

"You're so desperate to go to Mexico." I laugh.

"Yes. I am. I want to visit Abuelita. I want to see La Quemada! Come on, we haven't been there in years. Of course I'm excited. It'll be out first trip with just us in years. I'm excited." He laughs.

"I do love La Quemada." I mutter.

"Everyone loves La Quemada! It has crazy good energy. Now come on. Pack whatever you can and let's go to the airport." He urges.

"Si, si. Now let me be! You're distracting me." I laugh, brushing him away. "I'm going out to my car to see if I have enough makeup to do a full face." I say, walking towards the door.

With each step down the driveway, I feel a new kind of empowerment overcome me. This isn't running away from my problems. It's not like I'm never returning to LA. I'll be back in only a few days. But for right now, I'm leaving to remember where I came from. I need to remember who I am. I need to remember that Mexico is a true home. It'll always be a true home for me. 

I don't want to be away from LA, but I need a reminder that I can make a home anywhere that I go.

"Found it!" I exclaim to myself and grab my makeup bag with excitement. "Thank God." 

Truthfully, I just don't want to go back to the apartment to get the rest of my makeup and I don't want to go to my old apartment to get my clothes. Not yet, at least. 

The phone in my pocket buzzing once more stops my excitement. I answer it without a second though.

"Grayson, I really can't right now. Please, just-" I begin before getting cut off.

"Stop." Shane sharp tone says, cutting me off. "I have some things that I need to say." 

"Listen, I just can't right now. I've got-"

"Yeah, you have a plane to catch. Typical Natalia running away from her issues." He snaps.

"Excuse me?" I ask.

"Do you even know what kind of shit you have started here? Grayson won't shut the fuck up about you. Sofia hasn't stopped crying and won't unlock the bedroom door. So you know what? Fuck you, Natalia. I knew you wouldn't be able to handle Grayson. I fucking knew it! And as for Sofia..." 

"Shane, stop." I groan.

"No! You've had all of the time in the world to talk and now you're going to shut up and listen!" He snaps in reply.

"Fine." I sigh, waiting for him to finish whatever else he wants to say.

"Sofia was a real friend to you. She was better than a real friend! She's one of the best people in the entire world! For you to look at her and say the things that you said...I can't fucking believe you. We let you into our lives. Our personal lives! We let you in and you're just going to throw all of that trust away because of what? Because of your dumbass brother?" He asks with a laugh that is much less than humorous.

"You don't know him!" I snap in reply.

"No Natalia, that's where you're wrong! Maybe your wonderful brother never told you, but he graduated with both of us! Grayson and I went through hell during senior year because of that prick! Oh yeah, and he fucking lied about Grayson cheating on you. He lied about everything and you're too stubborn to fucking believe it!" He yells.

"Are you done?" I ask with a sigh, wanting nothing more than for this to be over.

"No, I'm not done. I-"

"Okay, well I'm done!" I yell, cutting him off. "I'm done with all of this, okay? Grayson and I clearly have things to work out. Yeah, sure. Maybe we have things that we need to talk about but that's none of your business! This isn't your relationship, Shane! Stay out of it!" I exclaim.

"You know, it kind of is! Grayson is my best friend. He's practically my brother! He is important to me. Sofia is my girlfriend. I love her and I have loved her for years. For you to tell me that I have no part in this after I told you time after time that I needed you to back out before it got too serious-"

"I don't want to hear this, Shane!" I exclaim.

"Why, so you can go ahead and run off to Mexico? I mean, seriously?" He asks.

"That's none of your business!" I yell.

"Don't you dare yell at me! Have you forgotten that I'm your boss? If I was in my right mind, I would have fired you the second you started going insane at the apartment earlier." He snaps.

"I am not insane!" I snarl. "You have no right to call me insane. And don't worry. You don't have to fire me because I quit!" 

"You quit? Really? And what exactly are you going to do?" He laughs.

"Guess I'll figure it out in Mexico." I quip in reply before hanging up the phone.

"Nat!" I hear being called from the front porch. "You good?" Nathan asks, quirking an eyebrow in my direction.

"I'm great." I nod. "I found my makeup. We'll just figure out the rest as we go. You have the passports?" I ask.

"Si, Hermana." He nods. "Vamanos!"