Hallows: Eulalie

Let's Just Talk For Now

Sublime- Santeria

Dante:

This is painful to watch. Hellbourne Academy has been treating this tiny little Queen like garbage and she's been allowing it. From the girls outside the school to the f*****g asshole who grabbed her as if she belonged to him. What really f*****g gets me is that she let him. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him into her like she had missed him with all of her being. Then those words. This is your house. The rest of us just live in it.

He didn't have to say another word. It wasn't that long ago that I had said something similar about Aubrey. She glances back at me once and then disappeared through the wooden door. Ignoring her little playthings, I look around until I see a trophy case with recent awards in it. I move closer to it and laugh, not believing what I'm seeing.

Ashley Villanueva in a cheerleading uniform, standing on the shoulders of two girls. Her arms in the air, a pair of pompoms in her hands. I've never f****d with a cheerleader before. They seem like a lot of work and I never would have guessed that this girl would wave pompoms around, much less place first place in Cheerleading Nationals.

"Weird, huh?" her little f**k toy stands next to me.

"Yeah, never would have guessed,"

"There was a school shooting a couple of years ago. Some asshole killed a bunch of students and teachers. Shot up the piano and we didn't have money to fix it. Joined the cheerleading squad for the thirty-k reward. Went back for seconds for another thirty-k. The money was used to cover up the bullet holes all over the walls and a new piano,"

"Cool," I shrug turning away.

"She's good over there, right?" he asks.

"What do you think?" I smirk.

"I think your people better be careful. Queen snaps real ugly when she feels cornered. She doesn't do flight. Nicest person you'll ever meet until she isn't. Don't give her a reason not to be," he warns. This could have been useful information before this morning.

"Let's go," Ashley comes out of the office with a folder in her hand.

"It was good seeing you again, baby," this asshole grabs her again and kisses the top of her head. She smiles at him.

"I got a number," she holds up a piece of paper. "Don't give it to Alice. I cannot afford the amount of attention she needs."

"I didn't like sharing you with her when you were here, I sure as f**k ain't sharing what little I get now," he smiles at her. She pinches him. "What?"

"You have a f*****g girlfriend?" she sneers at him.

"You got a problem with that?"

"Who is she?" she demands. He pockets the number and pulls away from her.

"I'll see you later, Queen," he shrugs. The two guys standing back wave at her and follow after him.

"Asshole," she shakes her head.

A couple of more girls and teachers greet her as we make our way out of the school. I wasn't expecting this. I mean, I figured a cute, scrappy girl like her had friends here, but she was welcomed like-well the Queen they all think her to be. I'd f*****g hate the Academy if I had to take any s**t from anyone. No wonder she snapped like she did today. I reach into the back seat to grab one of Tony's blunts.

"I won't say a word," I say as I light it up.

"Thanks," she grunts and rolls the window down.

"To the others," I continue. "But I feel like we gotta talk about this."

"Why?" she glares at me. "It's not like it matters anymore,"

"It matters, Ashley,"

"Why? It's not going to change anything. That's not who I want to be anymore," she tries to dismiss me.

"Why are you just bowing your head when you can be running the f*****g school?" I shoot back.

"It's not the same,"

"It's a f*****g school,"

"A school I should never have even step foot in," she shouts. "If I do just half the s**t I did here at the Academy, I'm out. I don't have parents with a s**t ton of f*****g money. It's over for me. I don't expect you to understand. You're the f*****g Prince of Hellbourne. I don't even understand how I'm sitting in this fancy f*****g car next to you. That's how far away we are from each other, man. I know my f*****g place, Blackstone, and taking over the school isn't it for me. That's a completely different life,"

"I'm sorry," I sigh. "You're right. I guess I don't understand," she looks over at me and then laughs. "What?"

"You did not just f*****g apologize to me and say I'm right," she shakes her head. "Holy s**t, is there a heart in there?" she points at my chest. "I thought it was all brooding and darkness, emo boy,"

"f**k off," I roll my eyes.

"I'm sorry I yelled at you. It's been a long f*****g morning," she looks out the window.

"Agreed,"

"How about I take you out for some pizza? To thank you for the ride and bribe you to keep this to yourself," she shrugs.

"It better be some bomb-ass pizza," I agree.

"Turn left up here. You look like you're into video games. Do you like them?"

"No, what makes you say that?" I shake my head.

"You're a rich white boy. Don't you guys all sit around playing video games and jacking off?" she shrugs.

"Not this white boy," I laugh. "What kind of white boys have you been around?"

"None, I've watched American Pie," she laughs. "White boys are the minority here in the Southside. They wash our windows and hold bullshit barbeques for their little piggy friends. The local crackhead, Wonky Willie, is white."

"f**k," I shake my head. "I don't know what to say,"

"Aww, are you embarrassed by your superior race, white devil?" she laughs.

"No, I'm not. I just think it's funny that you watched one movie and classify us all under the same category. That's like saying I watched American Me and now I know how all Mexicans are,"

"We are all like that," she rolls her eyes. "We just know how to hide it good, ese. Don't look at me, Lil Puppet," we both laugh. "Don't tell anyone I did that,"

"I'm embarrassed for you," I agree. "It's good to see that you're not a total b***h,"

"No, I am. I think I'm second-hand high," she chuckles.

"Smoke some," I offer her my blunt. She looks at it and shakes her head. "Come on, Ashley. You killed someone today. Just forget it. Try to relax a little. I'm not your enemy."

"No, you're much worse. At the very least, I knew what my enemy wanted from me," she takes it from me and hits it like she knows what she's doing. I shouldn't be as surprised as I am anymore. "You're the person who paid for me," the way she says it breaks my heart. "Then gave me to someone else as a f*****g gift. I think the chocolate-brown people call that slavery."

"The chocolate brown people?"

"It's not cool to call them the B word or the N word,"

"But calling me a white boy is acceptable?"

"b***h, calling you a white boy is nowhere near the same as calling someone a black or a spic. It's not the same. The worst whites have ever had it, was Hitler, and white people worship that son of a b***h like a god. So, f**k off. There is no way in hell me calling you a white boy hurts your feelings."

"Maybe not but I certainly don't like b***h," I scoff. She laughs.

"It's the weed, man," she hands the blunt back. "You should try grape wraps or cherry. Turn into this plaza."

"Why?" I ask.

"For pizza," she glares at me.

"No, I mean the wraps," I laugh.

"Oh, uh. They taste good. Makes the burn worth it,"

"This is hemp. Gives the burn extra burn,"

"White people," she shakes her head as I kill the engine.

"You're kind of racist when you're high. You hate me 'cause I'm white," I laugh. She looks back at me. Her glossy eyes are low.

"I don't hate you because you're white. I hate you because you're a piece of s**t. I don't know what the world owes you, Dante, but whatever it is, it's not an excuse for you to treat us the way you do. Even that guy, David. We're not objects. If you keep treating the people who care about you like they're expendable, you're going to live a very lonely life. What good is all your money and power gonna be then?"

"They wouldn't be here without it. You wouldn't be here without it," I shrug. "What good is it now?"

"Huh," she looks me over and nods.

"What?"

"I didn't think you understood what your place was. I feel a little bad for you now. Come on. Let me show you how we commoners eat. Best pizza in Hellbourne. It says a lot because it's crap," she smiles and opens the door for me. "Welcome to The Parlour. If you want a way into the Southside, this is where you want to be. That's Clara Fuentes. She runs the girls through here. You want into the Gentlemen's club and Jimenez's whores, right? Money talks. The going rate is six bucks an hour and protection. Top that and you can do whatever the f**k you want with them,"

"Mira nomas!" a girl shouts when we walk through the threshold. "Bow your heads motherfuckers, the Queen is home,"

Ashley laughs as a group of girls dressed very provocatively all swarm around us. They all loom over her asking her how she's been.

"Clara, you look great," she compliments.

"Two years sober," she holds up a little plastic ship.

"I'm so proud of you," Ashley hugs her.

"Seb, get this girl the Supreme and a large Dr. Pepper," the girl orders.

"Coming right up, Clara,"

"What are you doing on this side of town, Maestro?" she asks, but her eyes are on me.

"Business," she shrugs. "This is Dante Blackstone,"

The girl's smile fades a little.

"I expected more-" she walks around me. "Ooomph,"

"I had to dial the Oomph down. We were at the school," she explains.

"Oh, yeah. In that case, damn," she smirks. "He's real pretty,"

"Dante, this is a friend of mine. Clara. Try to be nice to her. She's a lot more snippy than I am," she says.

"Ash," someone calls her name. She laughs and joins the group of girls by the arcade games.

"She doesn't like you, pretty boy," Clara watches her interact with the other girls.

"I know. I'm not used to it," I agree. She grins. "Let's take a seat. I'd like to get to know you a little,"

"Mmm," she looks me over with a smile. "For the right price, you can do whatever the f**k you want with me,"

"Yeah?" I hold up my money clip. "Let's just talk for now. I really like the sound of your voice,"