Page 3 of Lourdes & the Mafia
“Alright, you bloodthirsty wench, save the murderous rage for the bedroom and stop lecturing me.” When she opens her mouth to contradict my wishes, I cut in, “Look, I’m not involved with anyone malicious like you and your lot. I’m in no grave danger, and I’ll be safe and not choose any creeps.” Before she can argue that point, I push on. “If it makes you feel better, I’ll choose a female roommate.”
“That doesn’t make me feel better. Even females can be dangerous.”
She would know. Miss blow-up-a-rival-MC’s-compound-leaving-no-survivors-behind.
I’ve never met anyone as dangerous as her.
I don’t think I ever will.
“Lourdes…”
I roll back to my computer and close the ad before shutting my computer down. “Fine,” I tell her begrudgingly. “I won’t choose anyone without Wire looking at them first.”
I can hear her breathe a sigh of relief.
But little does she know, I’m lying through my fucking teeth.
As soon as Naomi leaves on the back of Delfin’s bike, I power up my computer and look through the candidates once more.
It takes hours, but by the end I finally find the one. A female, just like I promised, with a very clean application. She doesn’t give off any weird vibes, and attached to the form is a picture.
She looks small and dainty, with golden-brown skin, a freckled face, and glasses perched up on a pointy nose. If there’s a word I could use to describe her, it’sinnocent.
She looks irreproachable. Cute. Non-threatening.
Decided, I shoot her an email about moving in, to which she replies right away. We write back and forth for a few hours, subtly getting to know one another until I make my decision. By the end of the week, I’ll have a new roommate.
It’s done.
And I don’t need Naomi’s or the Krakens’ help trying to get my life together. Just because they live their lives toeing next to danger doesn’t mean the rest of the world does too. It’s jaded their sense of judgment, and I really don’t need that pressure on my shoulders.
I’m not an idiot. I do know how to survive. I do know how to take care of myself. Even if they think I’m hopeless and stupid.
Iknow with certainty that nothing bad is ever going to happen to me.
Lourdes
Thedaymynewroommate arrives, I welcome her with a wide smile on my mouth. She’s basically everything I expected. As her small frame shuffles through the door, arms weighted down by several bulging bags, she shoots me a tentative smile. I find her to be unsuspecting and completely nonthreatening as she grumbles her way inside, talking more to herself than to me. She wears baggy, knitted clothes. I try not to judge, but child’s out here looking like a whole ass vieja in that ankle length skirt.
In this heat?
Coño. Está loca.
Her hair is cut short and dyed badly, the black roots showing while the tips are bleached blond. Her skin has a delicious golden hue to it, though, and her face is dotted with dozens of freckles. Big, round glasses perch at the end of her nose that she pushes up by bringing her shoulder up to her face.
“Welcome to your new home, Yessi!” I throw my arms wide and do a small circle around the living room.
Despite her librarian-like appearance, she seems nice enough. Quiet. But that’s okay. Naomi was quiet too, and I usually tended to do most of the talking. This is no exception either. What can I say? I’m a total chismosa. And I’m proud of it.
“Thanks for having me on such short notice,” she says demurely. Her voice is squeaky, soft-spoken like a mouse. I find it very endearing. Have you ever just met a person who seems so sweet and innocent that you wanna wrap them in a fuzzy blanket and cuddle them up? That’s what she is, and for a second I want to call Naomi and rub it in her face that I found someone without her help or her overprotective boyfriends and their pasola club meddling in my life.
I’m not completely stupid.
I’mnotcompletely worthless.
In fact, when she first stepped foot into the house, I tried to tap into my magic and I found nothing but crickets. My magic isn’t always accurate, and it doesn’t always work the way I expect it to, but ithashelped me throughout the years despite the pain it causes. This is just one of those helpful instances where it comes in handy. No awful premonition means everything is A-okay.
“Don’t worry about it.” I wave her off with a flick of my wrist. “Ineeded a roommate,youneeded a roommate. We’re a match made in heaven, ¿no crees?”
