WRITER'S POV

CRASH!

A loud sound echoed around the house, waking a tired Araceli. She jumped out of bed in alert with wide eyes, searching blindly for the old vase by her bed. As soon as her hands grabbed a hold of it, she tiptoed carefully out of her room to the living room where she was sure the noise came from. 

Her heart was beating fast with every step she took. She said a little prayer in her head like her mother always taught her whenever she became scared at night, when the rain fell. 

Her hands touched the switch to the living room and she took slow breaths, before switching it on and jumping out of where she'd been hiding with the vase lifted high in the air, ready to rain down carnage 

"Urghhh" the intruder groaned, grabbing his head at the unexpected light that temporarily blinded his eyes and caused his growing headache to worsen 

With a gasp, Araceli carefully dropped the vase on a table and ran over to the intruder 

"What the fuck, Ara!" The intruder hissed 

Araceli apologized, trying to help him up "I'm sorry Mateo. I didn't know it was you"

Mateo allowed her to carry most of his weight and led him to the only single three seater couch in the living room. 

"Where have you been? Out drinking again?" Araceli fired in annoyance. The care still evident in her eyes but anger was more prominent 

Mateo only grunted in reply, angering Araceli the more 

"What is your problem! Look around you, idiota. You really think we can afford you falling ill over liver disease? You'd die Mateo, you hear me? You.would. die" She said the three last words by repeatedly hitting his head with each word (idiot)

She ran her hands through her hair in frustration. She instantly felt bad for saying that to him but it was the plain truth. They had no money to take care of any hospital bill. Hell, they barely ate twice a day 

Araceli Beckham is a twenty two years old mixed-race orphan, striving to make ends meet. Her mother was from Mexico and her father from the United Kingdom. How both of them met and fell in love is a story Araceli couldn't for the life of her remember. Araceli is a positive bright girl that believed in having bad stories to create a successful one. She believed whatever struggle she was going through now would stop one day and she'd look back at all of it and laugh while motivating others to never give up. 

She was a final year student in a college not too far from the little apartment she managed to get for small money. She was proud of having worked her butt off to get that far in the school. Although she was having a bit of an issue paying for her last year, the school had given her extra time because she is one of the brightest in the school. She brought back too many awards and fame for the school through competitions they encountered with other big schools. 

Her school wasn't known as it was a small college that started two years back. Not the first choice of Araceli but she had to consider her non-existent riches. 

Her parents died when she was seventeen and her brother, Mateo was nineteen. It was tough for them but not so tough as they were never a rich family. The struggle and hustling had always been there but the workload just became a lot for her, especially since Mateo decided to take the wrong path in life since their death and became a pain in the ass for her. 

It was the same cycle every night. He'd come back drunk out of his mind and stumble to the single room they had, to wake her up for some food. He made little noises that made her aware he was back but none had ever been this disruptive and noisy. Maybe she should have guessed it was him but her brain wasn't ready to think of that at the moment. All she could think of, was to protect herself 

Araceli loved her brother a lot but everyday she felt their relationship straining. He wasn't ready to take life seriously and help her out. The little she made, he'd steal it and venture out for his useless drinking lifestyle. On more than one occasion, she'd sat him down to beg and cry to him how difficult he's making their life. He'd act like he was listening and when the night came, he'd repeat the same thing.

 She grew tired of trying to talk to him and finally decided to let him be. She now put her money in the bank, only leaving enough food for him, sometimes at the detriment of her own stomach. 

"I'm sorry" Mateo hiccuped, making Araceli roll her eyes. It was the same damn thing every other day. He'd apologize like he meant it and still go back to his old ways the next day 

"No, Mateo. I'm the one who's sorry for still hoping you'd change" Araceli shook her head in disappointment and walked back to her room. 

"No, Ara. I'm really sorry" Mateo weakly whispered 

Araceli froze in her step, raising a brow at the glaring regret in his tone but decided to ignore it. She couldn't be fooled by him.

Just before closing the room's door, she yelled out "Your food is in the pot" 

She waited for a reply and after hearing nothing from him, she sighed and closed the door, knowing he's probably fallen asleep 

They always shared the room with mateo sleeping on the blanket and Araceli taking the little bed, but since Mateo became uncontrollable with every day that went by, Araceli made the decision he slept on the couch in the living room in order to avoid staying with his drunken and dirty state every night. 

"I've got tests tomorrow. I need to sleep" she muttered to herself and climbed onto her bed. Immediately her head hit the pillows, she was out 

_________

"Again?" Leila groaned tiredly 

"It's how you keep having hope for him everyday" Araceli snorted, making Leila roll her eyes 

"It's how you don't" she retorted 

Araceli could only think about how Leila was wrong with that statement. Because there's always going to be a part of her that keeps hoping her brother would come to his right senses some day. He was literally her only family alive. She could never give up on him 

"So are you prepared for the tests today?" Leila asked as they entered the college gates 

"I always am" Araceli winked, making Leila huff 

"Cocky bitch"

"You love me" Araceli shrugged, making Leila chuckle 

___________

Everything went well and Araceli was in the brightest of moods, having aced her tests, as she walked with Leila to their weekly part time job. 

Both girls were best friends since the first day of college and they also shared some similarities in character and a poor background. So they did all they could do to live. They worked at a pastry shop after classes and during the weekends, they served at a diner. Most times they get same shifts, other times they don't 

"Buenas tardes Estelle" Araceli and Leila greeted as soon as they entered into the cafe

Estelle is a petite old woman who is the owner of the pastry shop. She was like a mother to both girls and employed them immediately she laid her eyes on them. She never regretted her decision as they were very helpful to her cafe. Their smiles and good services were why the cafe was always so full. People loved them and always told that to Estelle. 

Estelle smiled, opening her arms wide for them. The two girls rushed behind the counter to give her a hug.

"Buenas tardes darlings. How's your brother Ara and Leila, your father?" 

The girls answered together "Good" 

Estelle nodded, before giving her orders "Okay. Get to work. It's only a matter of time before this place gets packed"

They both nodded and went back to change.

____________

"Goodnight Ara" Leila blew a kiss at Araceli and the latter giggled, catching it in the air and placing it on her heart 

"Goodnight Chica" Ara waved at her 

Leila entered her apartment. Ara watched to make sure she was safely in, before walking to the back, where her own was located. They were neighbors in the same compound but Araceli's apartment was at the back and Leila's at the front. Both apartments were quite small and the compound was in a not so safe neighborhood but it was what they could afford.

Araceli yawned tiredly, as she tried to open the door with her keys but she was instead surprised when the door pushed open.

"Could it be that he's really changed and didn't go out to drink today?" She whispered to herself in disbelief. 

Little spark of happiness and hope bloomed in her chest and she walked in with a smile that vanished as soon as she stepped inside.

Her eyes followed all the strange faces in the room till it settled on her brother's face 

"Mateo" she called with wary lacing her tone "What's happening here? Who are these?" 

Mateo's eyes looked swollen from obviously being beaten. Two emotions were clear to Araceli as he looked at her. Fear and Sadness. "Ara, I love you. I didn't mean to"

"Take her!" One of the strange men in the living room ordered and that was all Ara needed to hear to run as fast as her legs could take her 

Her head was reeling with different thoughts of what her brother could have done to get himself and her in this mess. She wasn't stupid. She lived in the slums and knew what type of scene she just walked into and she would be damned before she let them catch her. 

She heard their heavy footsteps behind as she ran out of the compound. She made different turns, trying to confuse them. She flew over a fence and crouched down, watching as they stopped to look around at where she could have gone. 

A sigh of relief escaped her when their footsteps retreated. She stood up and decided to take another route to Estelle's house. Only an idiot would go back home, knowing they could go back and wait for her 

As soon as she turned her back to start walking out of there, she came face to face with a dark grinning figure 

"Now, where do you think you're going to?"

Her eyes widened in fear and before she could think of something, the masked figure covered her nose with a white cloth. Araceli tried hard not to breathe but after a moment , she couldn't hold it anymore 

Last thing she heard was the masked figure yelling, "I've got her. Let's move!"