Originals/Ep4

4 - Empty Xanax

Down six, second set. Nothing to fret about just yet—this match can still go either way.

She looks nervously at the bleachers, finds the seats still consisting of the same people—if they don’t show up soon, the game’ll either be over or they’ll run out of seats. It’s just a varsity game, and Stilleman High students, like any other high school, aren’t generally enthusiastic about their athletic competitions.

But come on Eloisa, Leon… going to this game isn’t too much to ask. She had just expressed to them a week ago that they’ve got one of the best records right now, and are in the running for the tourneys… hell, Cindy might even get a scholarship out of this—that’s her, towering over all of them, right in the middle.

The whistle returns her attention back to the game; she bends down a tad, adjusts her footing. Go straight into the middle. Just keep the ball afloat for her teammates…

Opponent serves—she follows through with her plans, darting for the middle of the net and lightly bouncing the ball up with her forearms. She’s done for the round. She makes room for her teammates to duke it out, constantly moving in the back court and spectating. Thank God for that weak-ass serve—she gets to see another one.

The whistle rings—Stilleman High point. Fuck yes.

“WOO! GO MIMI!” No way. That’s gotta be Eloisa’s voice. “FUCK COLUMBUS HIGH! FUCK THEM UP MIMS—” Just as she goes to check the bleachers, she notices Eloisa already approached by a few supervisors and being asked to sit down. She laughs—along with two or three others in her court side—and almost misses the whistle.

Columbus’ server starts out in a similar fashion, but goes for a sharper ground spike—but Mimi’s practice pays off and deflects the ball upward enough for her teammates to start going at it again.

“Damn, you guys slayed it again…” Stilleman High victory, two sets to one. A team victory celebration and shower later, Mimi and Eloisa are walking out of the stadium, onto the parking lot.

Today just can’t keep getting better for her. She was sure she aced that test. She played a successful match, and now there won’t be practice until next Monday. Luna, the coolest fucking person she knows, didn’t miss this game. And it’s a Friday too.

The only other thing that could top this is if Leon’s got some good news for them tonight—

“Sorry I’m late—shit…” Speak of the devil. “Luna texted ahead.” Explains the smug expression she has right now. “Congrats Mims!” Leon has appeared before them out of the blue, giving both Mimi and Eloisa a hug.

“What the—now you fucking show up!” Mimi sarcastically gives both Eloisa and Leon a testy look. “If it wasn’t for me they wouldn’t have sco—” She cuts her words short when she sees a couple of her teammates passing by, one of them giving Leon a glance. “Good game guys—” She leans sideways closer to Leon and whispers, “I fucking killed their service.”

Leon, who acknowledges the stare-down with one of his own, chuckles and returns his attention to Mimi not long after. “Good shit.”

“So…” She exchanges looks between the two. “Got anything for us tonight?...”

“Ah—” Leon’s expression changes like he forgot something, scratching his head while at it. “I—I gotta help out at the farmer’s market—for-for tomorrow. I…” He takes his phone out and shrugs. “I haven’t gotten any texts yet. But—hey I’m sure uh…” He pauses to ponder a name. “… fuck, I guess Ben will want to hang out later?... I don’t know…”

Mimi turns away from Leon’s weak-ass shit and looks to Eloisa. “That leaves you Luna…”

“Uh…” Awkwardly, she glares at Leon. “I—I got nothing, actually… I was hoping for Leon to—”

Figures. As long as she doesn’t get to go home until really late will this day be perfect. It’s looking like she has to stay there and figure something out to pass the time. She sighs, nods acceptingly. “Fuck it. If—one of us has something going on later, just call. Yeah?” Leon and Eloisa nod, then resume walking to the parking lot.

“You can hang out at my house,” Eloisa offers. “Once they leave that is. Could be another slumber party.”

“We had three ‘slumber parties’ this week…”

“Yo—I can maybe ask Sammy or Bill if they got something going on.”

“Aren’t they like—in college?”

“So…?”

“So they’re like in their twenties or something!” Leon and Mimi look at Eloisa weirdly. “We might get into something even more illegal than just drinking!” Leon and Mimi laugh.

“Yeah, yeah—they might be doing some adult shit that’ll bore us the fuck out…” They arrive first at Leon’s car—a pick-up truck. “Hit us up for something, alright?” Leon nods at Mimi and enters his car.

“What time can I show up?...” Eloisa’s car was probably two or three parking spots down—and Mimi’s, much farther.

“My parents are leaving at like—five. Go like—one hour after.” Mimi understandably nods.

“You know your parents still creep me the fuck out…”

What the fuck else is she going to come home to? She knows nobody’s going to be there. Just her.

Mimi, entering from the garage, throws her clothes bag aside and her keys on the dining table. She glances at the fridge’s contents, finds it to be empty yet again. She sighs, looks at the letter rack hanging next to it. Yep. Mom left money for groceries.

Mimi plants herself on the couch. TV? Nah. Video games? She has a few left to finish… nah. Practice serving? She has practice next week already. Read a book…

She rubs her face with both her hands, lies down, and tries to doze off.

“It would just be nice for once if… you come with us from time to time.”

“You know, like the old days? You used to love Les Mis when you were a chiquita…”

“Si mama, but—”

“Do you remember Richie? He is always looking for you. He still likes to go with his parents, you know…”

“Eloisa has friends, Martha. By the way—how is—how is Aranza?”

“Mimi?” ''Shoot. She might have to call her if this doesn’t go well…'' “She’s—she’s fine—”

“Kind girl. Why don’t you let them hang out, like usual?”

“I just miss my little girl, Domi…” Eloisa smirks, tries to look away. No way for her to go with them now. She hasn’t even showered yet…

For the past five and a half minutes, all she wants is for them to leave. So she can have the house to herself again. She and Mimi. Dad’s got the right idea.

“Let her grow up, Martha.” Eloisa snickers at this, and they don’t even notice. Talk to her like she’s twelve even while she’s standing there. “Are you sure you don’t want to go with us, Eloisa?”

She nods intently and folds her arms while at it. “Claro que si.”

The house isn’t much to look at. Small, two-car garage, peeling paint on the wood panels… but it’s home. It always has been.

Leon never did like looking at it, though; always reminds him of the work on it all by himself. He seems to be the only one capable of doing it…

“Lucy? Ma?” Once he enters, he sees the back of his father’s head, inanimate. From where he stood he could see a few bottles scattered on the coffee table in front of him. He doesn’t bother to look as he walks past him, into Lucy’s bedroom. “Mama…” A quick glance at each room yields nothing, so he decides to head for the garage. Before he exits, a rugged, baggy-eyed man lets himself in.

“Shit—” the man cries, “Scared the fuck out of me Leon.”

Luis. Must’ve been in the garage. “What are you doing here?” Leon asks, and he notices him hiding his hand behind his jacket.

“You uh—you lookin’ for ma and them? Th-they went out. Tía Rosa picked them up.” Leon just nods, his older brother’s poor image holding the rest of his words.

“I uh—” He glances both at him, and his lifeless father on the couch, his snores loudly intruding in the conversation. “I’ll see you guys around.” It’s weird how he’d much rather be at the farmer’s market right now…

“Yeah, yeah,” Luis calls back.

''Stupid. Don’t fucking do it''.

Bree said it was “the shit”. “Makes you forget about everything for a while”.

Mimi stares at the medicine cabinet of her bathroom, while she leans against the shower. She starts shaking her leg nervously. ''She still has the PS3 remake of Ico to finish… just fucking do that until one of them calls. Fuck. Come on.''

Mimi grabs her phone from the sink, then curls up on her bed. She covers herself with sheets and pillows. All she could use right now is a call, even a text—and she won’t have to do the same mundane shit she always does.

Only seven o’ clock. “What the fuck…” she mumbles to herself. Can’t even wait ‘til nine.

She pockets her phone and stares at the ceiling for a moment.

Fuck it all. She leaps from her bed, rushes to the kitchen, grabs the envelope full of money, then her keys and shoes.

The preparation for tomorrow’s hours has at least been eventful. Leon half-pays attention to Anthony, right now their “parking coordinator”, while a phone was clasped on his ear.

“Naw, fuck Leon—Raine, you’ll help Marco with the parking, alright?” Leon seals his phone call up with two more yes’s, then finally hangs up. “Sorry Tony but—I was just talkin’ to Bill—” Everyone, even Anthony himself, turn intently to him. “You—guys are invited i—if you want—” Everyone expresses their gratitude with a few cheers—even though some of them weren’t old enough. Just joining in on the fun.

“Dope shit—okay, anyway…” Anthony couldn’t resist. “… wait what time we gotta be there?”

Leon shrugs. “Whenever we finish up.” Anthony ponders it for a second, even scans the whole lot to look the part. “Yeah, fuck it—let’s get some beers, boys and girls—” They seal the final words up with some more cheers, a few of them giving Leon five.

He splits from the crowd momentarily and starts sifting through is contact list for Mimi’s number.

A quarter to seven. In about less than thirty, she can call up Mimi…

Eloisa has decided to pass the time watching Field of Dreams, unable to find any other decent programming. It wouldn’t matter if Mimi arrives a little bit earlier…

She takes her phone and prepares to dial, when she hears Leon’s specified text tone (she picked a Coldplay song for him). She opens up the text.

''“Bill and Maddy kegger! Fark yiss”'' [CODE TEXT]

Shiiiiit yes. Finally. She speed-dials Mimi and puts the phone on her ear.

''Chips. Root beer. Tylenol PM. Cough syrup. More Tylenol PM. Microwaveable taquitos. Floss.''

“Feeling a little sick?” the cashier retorts. She didn’t even cover herself enough to look like she had a fever. “For my mom,” she replies. The cashier goes on about her business and scans the last of her items.

She feels her pocket vibrate, sees it to be Eloisa calling. About damn time. “‘Sup?”

''“Yo—Leon found something tonight. You remember Maddy?”''

Mimi murmurs a ‘fuck yeah’. “Yeah, yeah—we had a class sophomore year together.” She hands the cashier her card.

“You gonna pick me up or?...”

She watches the cashier finish up, handing her the receipt. “I got you.”

How could he forget about Bill and Maddy? They graduated two years ago—just when they were in 10th grade. Just like their reputation, their house was in the “cool” part of town.

As to where exactly, Mimi doesn’t know. She’s just visited this place enough to label it as such. Was it west…? Southwest…

“Shit, man. The turn-out…” Billy still has the same buzzcut as before, but it seems he’s moved on to more dignified clothing.

“My bad,” Leon replies. The two were watching people continuously arrive to their single-floor bungalow—there seems to be a steady stream going right now. “What can you do, being Friday night’s savior?...”

Billy just chuckles. “I’d’ve gotten more beer if there was this m—”

“No, man. Beer is no problem. Told a few peeps to bring some on the way here.”

“Word?” Billy holds up his hand, prompting Leon to dab it.

“Thank Leon,” Eloisa expresses to Mimi as they make their way to their modest home. “For without him, we are without ‘life’.” Mimi laughs beside her. “Friday night. Only a matter of time.”

“Hell if—t-there was nothing happening I could’ve offered up my place—” Mimi turns to her, surprised. “No shit?”

“Naaah… Les Mis doesn’t last that long, unfortunately.”

A mansion party would be ridiculous—but Eloisa doesn’t want to admit it’s a mansion. “One of these days we gotta have a party over there…” They see one of the people of the hour, Maddy, walking out of the exit, Leon in tow. She looked to be squinting at them—especially since Leon’s brought attention to them.

“Hey Maddy,” Mimi greets semi-timidly. Post high-school life has been exceedingly kind to Maddy; she was prettier than she remembers.

“Mi… mi. Yeah…” Maddy glances at Leon for a second. “Oh! Chemistry!” She proceeds to give her a hug, while Mimi laughs. “And you’re…”

“Eloisa,” the lady next to Mimi replies. Maddy gives her a handshake. “Beer in the back—keep it responsible—and… enjoy!”

It’s official. Mimi’s Friday night has been saved. She owes Leon another fucking solid. Damned if that man doesn’t have quite a list of favors already…

Eloisa’s stuck to Mimi’s side the whole time, but she’s okay with it—all she’s been doing is receiving congratulations from her game that afternoon. Even Cindy and Yuna—two of her teammates—were present.

“Okay Mims, you’re a celeb… I get it,” Eloisa comments to her side. The two have found themselves sitting on the couch, trying to conquer the bottles in their hands. This is actually Mimi’s second; she’s just taking it easy for Eloisa, who’s fighting a tough bout on her own.

“Fuck ‘em,” she retorts, life in her words a little drained. Dammit, is she letting this beer win? “Half of them probably weren’t even there to watch…” Eloisa snickers, tries to take yet another sip but struggles. “No, no no no that’s not how you drink—” Mimi forces the bottle back on Eloisa’s mouth. “Chug it!”

“Wh-what the f—” Eloisa slaps Mimi’s hand away and looks at her with a sarcastically miffed expression. “What the fuck! Let me drink this in peace—”

“Fuck YES! Finally got you to cuss, Luna…”

The party looks to be in full swing; someone has finally brought in some music and a few people have found different spots to stand in, making room indoors.

“Yo, Mims…” Leon enters the scene, beer in hand, patting Mimi on her shin. “Make room fool…” He squeezes himself in on the couch, causing Mimi to push against Eloisa next to her. “Leon!” Eloisa cries.

“Hey, um…” Leon leans a tad closer to Mimi’s ear, while she pretends to listen intently. “What’s the name of the Latina walking w-with the tall white girl… in your—” Mimi starts to look at him with fake impatience, making it apparent in her brows. “In your team?”

“What the fuck bro?” Her forcibly increased volume causes a few other people to glare at them. Leon purses his lips in embarrassment. “Don Juan at fucking work, ladies and gents.” She spreads her look among the other nosy individuals then pats Leon on his thigh. “For your information Yuna has had a crush on you since ninth grade while she saw you with another girl—” Eloisa to her right starts to snicker obnoxiously.

“So, in con-fucking-clusion, you already broke her heart, two years ago.” She turns to Eloisa, shaking her head. “We’re done here, Leon.” All the while, Leon has looked at her incredulously.

“Naw I’m kidding. Fuck it—” Mimi stands up, pats Leon to urge him to do the same. “Let’s go.”

Leon pulls his brows up. “Seriously?” Mimi smirks, shakes her head. “I change my m—”

“Alright, alright—” He shoots right up and pushes Mimi to the proper direction—in this case, the backyard.

Back at it again. Mimi is Leon’s secret weapon when it comes to girls. Eloisa simply laughs. She attempts to sip her beer yet again when she notices the next person coming in through the door.

Wait a minute—is that…

She was lying. She only met Yuna in her current year of varsity volleyball and, ever since, she hasn’t been able to shut up about Leon. She was practically doing the two a favor, bringing them much closer after such a long time… she figured that’s ample time enough for Leon’s ex to be okay with it. Okay well, here’s hoping anyway…

Just as she finishes her matchmaking, she sees something else completely out of the blue. Eloisa must’ve found him. Mike fucking Pineda.

“Juvenile Mike,” Mimi calls, to the particularly skinny boy entering the backyard. His smile brightens as she approaches him.

“Brooo. Not to be rude but—I thought you were dead.” He simply chuckles at this statement. As if he’s heard it enough already. “Sorry, but…” He examines her eyes. “Have you had a lot to drink already?”

“Psh.” Mimi shakes her head. “So—what the hell, man? What brings you to a suburban party like this?” He looks around to observe the scene—unimpressed, for the most part. “Just dropping by. Thinking I’d see people I know, and now you’re here.”

“Ah.” She glances behind him, sees Leon and Yuna hitting it off well. “Leon, Luna, and I.”

“Dope. Well… not to be a bummer but—I know a better place than this. I got a club hook-up uptown.” Mimi’s friendliness withers, transitioning into a more disbelieving face. “Yeah?”

“Yup. Secret though.”

“I… I kinda know the people who invited us here. Would be rude to just…—”

“Oh—yeah, yeah, for sure. Yeah…”

She gives him an examining look. “How have you been, Mike?” Last time he heard from him, he dropped out.

He scratches the back of his head. “Been there… and back. Same shit, you know.” Mimi just nods. “I—got a girlfriend.”

“Yeah?”

“Yup. She’s at Columbus, though…”

“Heh. Columbs. Whooped them at volleyball today.”

“Shit, you’re still in varsity?” Mimi proudly nods. “Damn.” Kid’s a year younger than she is, and yet he seems like he’s already done more growing up. Too soon to ask about his school plans.

“Hey—so… I got people waiting for me at that club—”

“Yep. Get to it.” Mimi notices Eloisa watching them from the yard door, just as worried as she is. “… I’ll see you around, Mimi.”

“Take care of yourself, Mike.” She offers him a handshake, and he returns it—with a light touch. “Yeah…” Without further words, Mike enters back into the yard door, passing a farewell glance at Eloisa as well.

As she watches, she notices another familiar face looking at her inside.

It took about two more beers to put her back at a lighter mood, but that lingering presence was hard to shake...

Mimi and Eloisa have found themselves sitting on the patch of lawn in front of the house, even influencing a few others to stay outside with them. It’s that time of night where the cool breeze hits just the right note—not too chilly, and not too dry either.

“When was the last time you guys saw each other, then?” Mimi has been telling Eloisa whatever else she knows about Mike—how they were brief childhood friends, how they slowly drifted apart as high school commenced. She’d heard many theories of his whereabouts—since he liked to stir shit during freshman year.

“First sem of soph,” Mimi responds. She was sure he went to prison at some point—maybe for a minor charge—not really sure of the time frame of his sentence.

“Wow…” There was a reason why Eloisa didn’t know much about him. As time wore on Mike became harder to introduce, let alone talk about. It’s a topic she’s not very fond about…

“Hey. Have you—had enough to drink?” Eloisa, looking distantly away for a second, snaps out of it and pulls a brow up at her. She nods with a bit of pride and attempts to wrap Mimi in an embrace; but through their current position she only manages one arm around.

“Hey guys—” Maddy, from behind them, rushes to their spot and takes a seat next to Mimi. “You all good?” Mimi and Eloisa nod and maintain a smile.

“Mimi. Can’t believe we don’t hang out more often…” Now this lady right here… this is a role model she can endorse. Madison was her year’s valedictorian—who would’ve expected her to turn into a cool adult two years later? “How’s Stilleman High these days?...”

The three ladies look forward, to the unfolding scene of the suburbs at night. Crickets chirp in the background, lamp posts tint the streets in yellow.

“The same,” Mimi replies.

“What—grade are you in….” Maddy in particular was looking at Eloisa. “El—leeza?”

She sensibly chuckles. “Eloisa. And Junior, same as Mimi.” Maddy casually nods.

“You guys got any college plans already?”

Mimi shrugs, quiet. Eloisa says, “Med school.”

“Med school, huh? Dude…” She offers a fist bump to Eloisa and she returns it. “Don’t skip out on the scholarships. I’m pretty sure you can easily qualif—”

“Madison!” Maddy, along with the other two, look behind him upon hearing what sounds like Bill’s call.

“Ahhh, fucking fuck…” Maddy stands up, brushes the back of her thighs. “We’re gonna smoke a bowl later by the way—oh, and don’t invite a girl named ‘Reesey’!” She sprints back to the front door.

“Reesey?” Mimi looks at Eloisa.

“Never heard—” Eloisa assumes an ‘O’ face the next second and chuckles.

Mimi continues to look at Eloisa quizzically. “Hey—uh… I’m gonna go inside real quick. Gonna see if there’s any beer left…”

And soon enough, it is Eloisa who is left alone on the lawn. She contemplates if she should follow her inside, but it looked to be something Mimi needed to do alone… and she’s been trailing her all night.

She instead chooses to sit alone, albeit more properly, continuing to admire this neighborhood at night.

“Eloisa.” She turns back to the front door to see Leon walking out—his arms around a familiar-looking girl. Mimi’s teammate… what was her name?

Leon mutters a farewell. Eloisa listlessly waves. That should even he and Mimi up...

Damn. They’ve barely dented this case, and there’s three more to go.

Crowd looks to be thinning down a bit, too. Many are snoozing in the living room, others are taking it just as slow as Eloisa was earlier.

“Mimi. Seriously.”

And that leaves her and... blondie.

“Been acting like I’m invisible today—” Mimi scans the room around for anyone she might possibly know, and draws a blank. “Apologies,” she mutters back.

The blonde girl walks up to her side and surveys your eyes. “Did you—” Mimi glances at her eyes and looks back down to her drink in quick succession. “Maybe you’re just drunk…” She takes a swig that empties nearly half of the bottle, prompting the girl to do much of the same.

“Let’s talk outside. If—you want.” Mimi glances at the front door’s direction then turns the opposite way.

“I’m just lookin’ out for you here.” It didn’t take long, but the blonde girl with her has started smoking. Mimi, to the girl’s side, leans against the storage shed working on her fifth bottle. There was something so mature about a teenager smoking behind a yard light…

“I can still take them back if you want. This is all in my best interest.”

Mimi looks away just as she makes eye contact. “Nah. I’m cool.” She straightens up her posture, facing the picket fence in front of them this time.

“You got any plans this weekend?”

This weekend. Shit… “I—I don’t know yet. We’ll see…” Leon’s gonna be busy most likely and Eloisa isn’t looking too free, either.

“Shame.” The blonde girl drops her cigarette and stomps on it. She passes Mimi halfway, scans her up and down. “Look if—you wanna back out you can always—”

“I’m fine, Bree,” Mimi insists.

“Just wanted to give you my number…” She mutters, shrugs, walks away. “See ya ‘round, Mims.”

She watches her vanish out of sight. Who does she think she is? First at the game, then now here…

Maybe she really is just looking out for her. Out of her best interest…

Mimi slips her hand in her pocket and takes out a clear-blue prescription bottle. She holds it up to the light.

The different sizes and colors make it a treat to look at. “This is on me,” she told her.

Mimi sensed something different about the place when she returns from the backyard…

The lights are dimmed down, the music in the background has slowed its tempo down. There weren’t many people present anymore, either—and whoever left was gathered the room’s center coffee table.

“Mimi,” Maddy calls in a hush. Around her, Bill, Cindy, and a few others she don’t quite know are huddled around the table. At the very center is a small ashtray and a few ziplock bags scattered around it.

Maddy hands the smoking joint in her fingers to Bill, pointing at it while she looks at Mimi. She chuckles. “One sec.” She goes through the front door, finds Eloisa circling the lawn while she talks on her phone in Spanish.

“Pst,” Mimi calls and waves for her to come closer. Eloisa pulls up a brow and approaches, phone still in her ear.

Mimi patiently waits and watches the conversation unfold. “''Si. Si''—yes-mom, Mimi’s calling me real quick…” She puts the phone aside. Wordless, Mimi motions smoking to her while pointing behind her. Eloisa snickers a tad. “Mama, I’ll see you at home soon.” She hangs up, takes Mimi’s hand and walks inside with her.

“Do I look like I’m twelve Mims? ‘Cos I swear to God I still feel like—” Mimi hushes her down a bit and leads her to the center table, where much of the people are laughing and conversing. Maddy in particular notices her and urges her to enter the circle.

The other thing can wait. For now, she can’t miss Eloisa getting high.