Bianca was really happy to go back home and see her grandma again. This time, the girl didn't forget to bring some toilet paper stashed in her suitcase, gaining a look of approval from the older woman, who also gave her other ideas like taking soap and other toiletries next time. Unfortunately, with food it couldn't be done the same, but she'd take what she could.
"Chances are out there, waiting to be taken" Mrs. Loraine, Bianca's grandmother, had wisely taught her.
Those couple of weeks were spent by both women cleaning the house (which had accumulated dust everywhere since Bianca's last visit), visiting Loraine's friends, and making plans with them to go to barbecues and pool parties. Her grandma had told Bianca she could go and make her own plans, but she was fine with being her companion.
Right then, they were at one of Loraine's friend's barbecue, sitting in some plastic chairs at the backyard. A couple of men in their forties were grilling meat and potatoes while women were serving the meals and taking them to the elder people, including her grandma.
"Bianca, usted quiere algo más? (Bianca, do you want something else?)" Mrs. Julieta asked her "Carne asada, cerdo? (Roast beef, pork?)"
"More carne, por favor (more beef, please)".
"Ya te lo traigo (I'll give it to you right away)".
The little town was mostly populated by Hispanic-descendants, but Bianca and Loraine had already gotten used to their culture a while ago. Both also had learned how to speak basic Spanish to survive and not become social pariahs; especially the younger woman, who's former classmates and teachers avoided speaking English as much as possible.
Mrs. Julieta gave her a plate with food as Bianca thanked her, starting to eat silently. Loraine was already eating and talking lively with her friends, all of them being older than forty.
"Tu nieta se ve que es una buena niña, muy decente (your granddaughter seems to be a good girl, very decent)".
"Yes, she is. She always accompanies this old woman sin quejarse (without complains)" Loraine replied.
"Aún así debe estar aburrida entre tantas viejas (even so, she has to be bored among so many old ladies)".
"'¿¡Viejas'!? ¡Ustedes serán las viejas! ('Old ladies'!? You're the old one's!)".
They all laughed while Bianca listened, understanding most of their conversation. One of the women commented how she hasn't aged a day after turning thirty-five, the other ones replying with their routines to keep their beauty and youth intact. Then they went back to talking about Bianca.
"¿Cómo es posible que dejen a un lado a esta niña? ¿Dios, para qué tengo nietos entonces? (How's that possible they left this girl out? God, why do I have grandchildren for?)
"Dile a uno de ellos que la inviten a unirseles (Tell one of them to invite her to join them)".
Oh, no. Bianca thought.
Then one of the ladies called for her grandson, a boy who seemed close to Bianca's age. He was a true beauty (at least for Bianca's standards): tanned skin, unruly dark-brown hair, lean body and a boyish face. The girl had almost forgot handsome men still existed, maybe because she spent the last five months around a bunch of bland, white boys.
Her God-forsaken school in Switzerland was dominated by white people, making up more than 90% of the population. Which means her eyes have been deprived of enjoyment for such a long time, and now that she was seeing this Hispanic boy, she was getting more excited than usual.
At least she was trying to be subtle about it, so don't blame her.
"¿Si, abuela? (yes, grandmother?)" The boy asked the old woman.
He was panting, and a little sweaty. Bianca didn't mind for some reason, not finding it gross.
"¿No ves que la niña está sola? (Don't you see this girl is all alone?)" The old woman scolded him, pointing at Bianca "Sé un caballero y acompáñala (be a gentleman and make her company)".
Then she shortly recognized him, her eyes opening wide for a second. He's Jose Manuel, a boy she used to look from afar at her former school: he was a school year older than Bianca, so they didn't share any classes together nor talked ever (especially as the girl isolated herself from everyone), but he caught her attention almost right away.
Always running, jumping and climbing everywhere like a chimpanzee, how strangely charming. She smiled dumbly thinking about it.
"Uh... hi. I'm Jose Manuel".
Oh, God! He had approached her while she was smiling like a fool! So embarrassing.
"I-I'm Bianca" She replied, pretending she just didn't ridicule herself in front of him.
"I think I've seen you before? Maybe at school?"
He noticed her!? Ugh! She must have looked awful, sitting alone like a loser and looking at everything gloomily. If she had known he'd see her, she would've made an effort to seem more cheerful at least.
"Maybe? I... changed of school last year though".
All thanks to Mr. Zachary: I hope he slips and breaks his ass, Bianca thought spitefully.
"Wanna play fútbol (soccer)?"
No. Nopity, nope. Jose Manuel quickly noticed her reluctance, and promptly added they could just watch T.V or do anything else she wanted to. But Bianca didn't want to disappoint him in their first real conversation.
"If... if you have the patience to teach me, then sure" The girl promptly said, not wanting to discourage him.
"Are you sure?" He asked, disbelieving "Estoy bien con hacer otra cosa (I'm fine doing anything else)".
What a darling.
"Yeah, I'm sure".
He stood there a couple of seconds indecisive, but then he made up his mind and smiled at her. He guided her to his room, lent her some of his younger brother's clothes seeing that Bianca's dress wasn't too appropriate to play soccer, and they both went to a near vacant lot where other kids and teenagers were already playing.
Jose Manuel quickly introduced Bianca to his friends, including his younger brother, and seriously warned them to be 'soft' on her during the game as she was inexperienced and a girl.
"Las niñas no juegan fútbol (Girls don't play soccer)" one of the boys said "estaría mejor que fuera con las otras niñas... tu hermana quizás (It'd be better if she tagged along with the other girls... like your sister maybe)".
The rest of the boys turned towards Bianca, who was growing uncomfortable at the obvious rejection and regretting ever agreeing to come. Jose Manuel thought his friend was sort of right, but he had already asked the girl to play with them so I'd be too awkward and rude to back down now.
"Bianca, qué piensas (what do you think about it)?" Jose Manuel asked her. He didn't want to pressure her into doing something she didn't want to.
"I... I'm not too strong. Is this game violent?"
The boys looked even more reluctant to let her play, and Jose sighed until an idea came to his mind at her question.
"It shouldn't be: not if you don't play against Ramiro, Juan Pablo and... and Esteban".
The three boys mentioned looked at Jose Manuel with bewilderment, while the rest looked at each other confusedly. The first one was the tallest of the boys, and a bit burly, so Bianca wouldn't stand a chance against him body to body; the second one was known for acting rough a bit excessively during games; and the third one... simply was an assh*le, not only to his rivals but to his teammates also.
"¿Tienes algún problema conmigo o qué (You have a problem with me or what)?" Esteban spat, advancing towards Jose Manuel defiantly "¿Asustado de que hiera a tu noviecita o qué (scared of me hurting your little girlfriend or what)?"
While Bianca was panicking internally for causing trouble (and being called Jose Manuel's 'little girlfriend'), the other boys looked at Esteban boringly and Jose Manuel just smirked at him. They were already used to his bullsh*t.
"Yes, I'm worried" Jose Manuel replied nonchalantly.
A few of the guys made 'ooohhh' noises mocking Jose Manuel, while the others grinned. Meanwhile, Bianca was too busy trying to calm her over-excited heart, ignoring the boy's explanation of why those three mentioned couldn't play if she was. How can a sweaty, immature, young boy could be so cool?
After some peer pressure, Esteban and the others agreed (quite reluctantly) to step aside and let the girl play. Jose Manuel explained her the basic rules of soccer, to which Bianca only nodded enthusiastically despite not having understood half of the things he said; she didn't ask for any clarification in fear of looking stupid.
The game was kind of fun... for the boys. For a while Bianca pretended to play, subtly running as far away from the ball as she could so no one would pass it to her; but Jose Manuel had to kick it towards her, so the girl didn't have any option but run away with the ball as she shrieked in horror. A bunch of boys chased after her as the rest laughed out loud.
She finally got rid of the damn ball by passing it to another boy from her team, and went back to staying away from it. Someone then kicked the ball too hard, making it fly over some house's fence and fall on a backyard.
"I'll go for it" Jose Manuel said.
He ran towards said house, climbing skillfully over the fence and falling on the opposite side instead of just asking for the ball to the house's owner like a normal person. But still, Bianca thought this spontaneous behavior of his was strangely hot so she didn't question it. Jose Manuel came back with the ball, panting slightly after running and they continued the game.
The game finished, and Bianca didn't play again but stood there to watch. In the end she thanked Jose Manuel internally for not making her compete against Esteban, Juan Pablo and Ramiro, as they were quite brutish. Not long after, the boy stopped playing and asked Bianca if she wanted to refresh on the kitchen and drink some water, to which she earnestly said 'yes'.
"You played well for a beginner" He flattered her while serving a glass of water.
"Yeah... I'm not doing it again".
"Me lo imaginé (I thought so)".
Then both reunited with the older crowd, Jose Manuel getting scolded as soon as his grandmother realized he made Bianca play 'a manly sport' but she calmly defended him. The boy never forced the girl to do anything: besides, he made sure no one mistreated her, avoided overexerting her, lent her more comfortable clothes, and always asked for her opinion.
He was very kind.
The remaining time on the barbecue they spent it watching a kid's show with Jose Manuel's younger sisters, Maria Antonia and Valeria. He didn't have any problem in playing along with the little girls, and they obviously adored their older brother. The show being watched was The Powerpuff Girls, which was about a trio of sisters with superpowers that defended their city from different kind of enemies.
"¡Elijo a Bombón (I choose to be Blossom)!" Valeria proclaimed.
"¿¡Que!? No, yo soy Bombón (What? No, I'm Blossom)!" Maria Antonia retorted.
"Burbuja y Bellota también son geniales (Buttercup and Bubbles are also cool) ..." Jose Manuel interjected.
"Mentira, Bellota parece hombre y Burbuja es bien tonta (Lie, Buttercup is like a man and Bubbles is very dumb)".
Truth was, of the three sisters Bianca also preferred Blossom; but she identified herself more with Bubbles, both being stupid and having a squirrel friend (kind of). The argument ended with neither of them being Blossom, as Jose Manuel 'supposedly' already gave this tittle to one of their cousins.
"She's more fit to be Blossom" He argued.
Both sisters pouted at him but didn't say a thing. This unknown cousin must have been so great for Maria Antonia and Valeria not opposing, Bianca thought.