You, Me & You

The house is a pale brick rancher with an attached two car garage. The walkway from the garage leads to the stairs and the wide porch that is usually occupied by their mother. She liked to sit outside and have tea or making jewelry or both. The house was considerably nice and they’d gotten it at a good price because it’d needed some fixing up. Her father had reasoned that it’d allow he and Dakota to spend some time together. Dakota hadn’t been all that thrilled but it had kept him out of boarding school and it’d strengthened his relationship with their father.
Willow pushed the door open to an open concept floor plan. The hallway didn’t hide much. She could see clean through the house to the living room on the left, the dining room behind that and the kitchen behind that. The small hallway continued through the house. The first room was where work like homework, research, studying or office got done. It was separated from the rest of the house by two glass double doors. A little further after that room was the master bedroom that belonged to their parents, a bathroom that was officially all hers, the bedroom that belonged to her little brother, Andrew, and one more bedroom after that.
She was in the bedroom at the very end of the hallway because her father believed that any intruder would never be able to get past him and her brothers. She’d be safe and sound in the back. That is, of course, if they didn’t skip over the obvious route and used the backdoor. Whenever she’d bring that up he’d say she was thinking too hard and laugh. The only thing beyond her room was the backdoor and the door that led down to the basement.
She hung her small jacket on the coat hook by the door and went to her room. A black daybed sat just out of the way of the door with a purple flowered quilt thrown vicariously about it. A window on the left wall of her room shined down on her array of musical equipment. Two gray desks were conjoined in the intersecting corner. A piano keyboard sat on the desk on the back wall with a fabric pin-up board and clock hanging over it. On the desk directly under the window sat a DJ deck along with a laptop, some vinyl, CDs, and a few books. A guitar sat adjacent to the right of the keyboard. She had one plant in her room and it was dying. She didn’t like the sun when she was working on music which means the plant never got any sun.
Her father had put two long shelves up over her bed. On the first shelf were pictures of her family. The second shelf held pictures of Kelly, Nick and her friends. Now that she looked a little harder, she could see that there was a picture of her, Dakota and Santiago when they were younger. He wasn’t so young anymore. He had muscles and his facial structure was concrete. He even had facial that lined his jawbone telling a girl just where she should put her lips before always coming back to his lips. His hair was shaved on the sides with a just enough up top for him to style or not style. His eyes were brown and always narrowed but only just so.
Kelly’s words from earlier echoed in her head. She didn’t want to break up and she didn’t want to cheat. She decided that Santiago would be nice to look at but not nice to touch. Well, he probably would be nice to touch but she wouldn’t. He wasn’t hers and she didn’t want him. Having him around may be a little uncomfortable but not unbearable.
“I will not, shall not, develop any form of relationship with Santiago Delgado.”
She stood there for a moment as if something would happen then sat down at her laptop, put the headphones that hung on the wall over her ears and immersed herself in music. Her insecurities could not antagonize her there.

“I hear Jerusalem bells are ringing. Roman Calvary choirs are singing. Be my mirror, my sword and shield; my missionaries and a foreign field..”
Willow was in a good mood. Music had gotten her mind off of Santiago as it often did for any subject. She’d left her bedroom to go to the bathroom. She had her headphones on and didn’t notice the door was closed.
When she opened the door, Santiago stood there in a steamy bathroom with his towel wrapped around his waist. He was in the mirror pushing his hair around.
He smiled when he saw her, “Wireless Beats,” he said pointing to her headphones. “Nice.”
She slammed the door shut.
“Dad!”
“In the office,” he sang.
He sat in the computer chair with blue plaid pajama bottoms and a white t-shirt. His long six foot five form slouched in the chair. His hair was cut similar to Dakota’s curly cut except he had a gray streak on the left side that made him feel debonair, as he’d put it. He was a very graceful man. Dakota had gotten his color but she’d gotten his looks. Mr. Rubio considered himself to be a comedian and was always smiling.
“What is it my pet?” he inquired when she burst in.
“Dad, don’t. What’s Santiago using my bathroom?”
“Oh, yes. I have to get a few things from the hardware store tomorrow and fix the one downstairs. Until then, they’ll be sharing yours.”
“It was bad enough sharing it with one filthy car boy. Now two?”
“Just one more morning, babe.”
She let out an exaggerated sigh then howled, “Mom!”
He smiled and shook his head as she slumped away.
“In the kitchen.”
Willow stopped short in the living room.
“What is it sweet cakes?”
Her mother was a darker shade than her father maybe by one shade. She’d gotten her mother’s color and Dakota had gotten her looks. Her mother was more graceful than her father. She was a slender woman, long but not too tall. Her eyes were the same color as the rest of theirs but much warmer. Her hair fell just past her shoulders. Her eyebrows were perfectly arched; her nose elegant, her lips pink. It was easy to see what had attracted her father to her mother.
“What’re you—Are you cooking?”
“No. I’m bathing.”
Willow rolled her eyes.
“Speaking of bathing: Santiago was in my shower.”
“So?”
“So?! So why was he?”
“The boys’ bathroom isn’t working. Did you talk to your father?”
“You know I did.”
“Then his decision is final. He’s going to handle it all tomorrow. They’ll probably use your bathroom tomorrow and that’s all. It’ll be all yours afterward.”
Willow flopped down on a stool across from her mother. Her mother squeezed her cheeks in one hand and kissed her.
“Does having Santiago here make you uncomfortable? He doesn’t have to stay here.”
“No, no. Santiago’s fine. It think I’m just on edge because Nick and I got into it today.”
“Is he pressuring you?”
Willow didn’t answer.
“Sex won’t make him stop, ya know?”
“I know.”
“We trust you.”
“I know.”
“And your father may joke but you dating makes him very nervous.”
Willow smiled, “I know, Mom. Nick pressuring me won’t make me do it. I promise.”
She kissed Willow one more time.
“Why are you cooking?”
“Because this will be Santi’s first home cooked meal in a long time. He deserves good food; with love.”
“So why isn’t Dad cooking?”
“…You have your father’s sense of humor. Now get out. I am truly hurt.”
Willow chuckled and left her mother to it.

Later, after, dinner, Santiago found himself standing in front of Willow’s bedroom door. He could hear her humming and vaguely singing on the other side. He didn’t expect her to just walk into the bathroom. She would have heard him had she not had headphones on. It’d made him nervous that she’d told her parents but her dad, who he also called Dad, had spoken to him about it and said it was fine. No harm done. He’d cautioned Santiago to be more careful.
He still wanted to apologize to her. He took a breath and knocked. He waited but there was no answer. He knocked again with no answer. He slowly opened the door and found her dancing with her headphones on again. She jumped in the air and fell to her knees playing an air guitar then switching over to drums. He smiled but felt like he was infringing on a private moment. He went into the kitchen and got a paper towel. He went back to her room, stuck his arm in and waved the paper towel in surrender.
The door flew open and she stared at him. She wore blue pajama bottoms and a white halter. There was a plain tattoo of a heart on the front of her left shoulder. Her top was up a bit revealing another tattoo; this one of a strange looking rabbit on the far right side of her stomach just above her waist line.
“Yes?”
His eyes came back to hers.
“What’re you listening to?”
She looked him up and down, taking him in; perhaps remembering.
“Man in the Mirror.”
He nodded appreciatively.
“What do you want, Santiago?”
“I just wanted to apologize for the bathroom thing.”
“I shouldn’t have had my headphones on.”
“It’s your house, though. You’re used to being able to move about with headphones on, without having to be careful.”
“True. But I need to be aware of you, that you’re here now.”
He smiled awkwardly, “Do you want me here, Willow?”
“My parents talked to me about you coming.”
“That’s not an answer.”
She rolled her eyes, “I don’t care either way but I don’t know you anymore. You’re the best friend of my older brother; a stranger who’s living in my house.”
He broke her gaze.
“But I’ll get over it. I just have to get used to you again.”
He nodded and his eyes fell on the rabbit tattoo again.
“What is that tat on your abdomen?”
She raised her top slightly. “My rabbit.”
“I know but where is it from? It looks familiar.”
“Vanessa Carlton’s Rabbits on the Run CD.”
“I’m sorry again. Goodnight.”
He turned toward the back and retreated to the basement. He’d been foolish to think she’d want to be friends.

Willow’s eyes openly slowly.
“What is that?” she moaned.
There was a tapping noise and her first guess was that Andrew was messing with her. That’s the kind of thing he did when he knew he didn’t have school the next day. She raised her hand to hit the wall but she heard the tapping again. She went to her window and saw Nick standing outside.
She went to the back door. That was one of the perks of being at the back. She opened the door and he stepped inside.
“What’re you doing?” she whispered.
“I’m sorry, Will. I shouldn’t have said those things to you. I was just worked up and didn’t know what I was saying.”
She couldn’t meet his eyes.
“Willow? You believe me don’t you?”
“It’s always something with you, Nick. You’re always sorry. You never remember your mistakes. You always repeat them.”
“I know and I’m sorry for that, too.”
“What do you want me to say?” groaned.
“Say you forgive me.”
He leaned over her smaller figure and kissed her sweetly on the lips. She felt herself forgiving him. They were sadly repetitious pair. He’d always get out of control and say something out of line, be sorry for it later and she’d forgive him.
She pushed him away and let out a breath.
“What’s wrong?”
“This is getting tiring. Us having to do this because of you almost every day lately because I won’t have sex with you is tiresome.”
“It’s not about sex.”
I look at him bewildered. “You’re kidding right?”
“It’s about you not trusting me. I’ll take good care of you.”
“I understand that but I’m not ready for you to take care of me. Do you understand that?”
He shakes his head. “Do you know how hard it is, Willow, to have girls throwing themselves at me and to say no? All for you.”
“If it’s so hard then why don’t you leave me?”
“Is that what you want?” he probed.
“Is that what you want?”
He grunts and shakes his head, not at the question.
“Jesus, Willow!”
She flinches.
“I think it’s time for you to go.”
She turns and Dakota’s standing there in the basement doorway.
“Dude, we’re almost done,” Nick said.
“No. You’re done now,” Dakota emphasized stepping out of the doorway and into Nick’s space.
Willow got in between them and pushed Dakota back a bit. “Calm down, Kota.”
“I’ll be calm once this douchebag is out of my house!”
“You’re gonna wake Mom and Dad. Nick, you need to go.”
Nick glared at Dakota then slid out. She turned and looked at her brother.
“What’s going on?” Andrew groaned, sticking his head out of his door.
“Go back to sleep!” they both said to him.
“I hate that guy.”
“Okay?”
“Why don’t you?”
“My relationship with Nick is none of your business.”
“It is when my baby is wasting her time on a waste of space.”
“Why do you even care?”
He looked at her, baffled.
“Why do I care? What kind of stupid question is that? Do I not act like I care I about you? Do I act like Nick because that’s what it looks like when someone doesn’t care about you. The fact that you even just asked me that question hurt. If you want to be with that trash, go ahead. But as your big brother, it is my job to destroy him when he destroys you.”
“Kota, I’m sorry.”
“Whatever.”
When he turned to leave, she pulled him back and hugged him.
“Let go,” he warned.
“No. Not until you forgive me.”
“Will, I’m not kidding.”
“Me either.”
She felt him sigh, his chest rising and falling against her ear.
“I forgive you,” he said.
She pulled away to see his smile.
“I love you, Kota Bear.”
He shook his head and smiled. “I love you, too, Willow Tree.”
He watched her go into her room then returned to his own.