* All characters in this story are of legal age. *
Funny thing about the Arias family and my friend Ricky and his one other sibling, Hope Arias. People assume they are mixed, half Spanish or something of that sort. Their looks would bear this out in our stilted community, but the actual truth is humorous to a degree. Ricky's mother back in the day hooked up with this guy she'd met on a trip down south.
Reportedly, this guy was extremely attractive, built and racially ambiguous despite being vehemently militant. It was love at first sight for Lenore whose maiden name was Jackson. This unnamed guy eventually became the father of two beautiful children and coexisted unmarried in the household for a couple of decades when he wasn't in jail for one petty crime or another.
Lenore ever the dutiful common law wife, spent many a dollar and dime travelling back and forth taking Ricky and his older sister to see their father. His irreverence and insistence that she would bear a third child out of wedlock upon his release, prompted good Lenore to end things on the spot. She had enough of the pseudo revolutionary and pretty words that spread her legs and melted her core.
On her way out of said prison, Lenore met one Felipe Arias, himself just paroled for a petty crime. Although nothing like her basic husband, Felipe was a dutiful and caring stepfather to his step children remaining an enriching part of their early lives until he was finessed out of their shared home by a frustrated Lenore.
Ironically, he'd adopted the children as his own, but Lenore balked at his desire to have one of his own with her. She denied that request citing his other five children with two different women prior to their initial meeting and relationship. Things became so acrimonious and toxic in their home, the hardworking truck driver began spending more time on the road while their nurse mother actually moved into a two bedroom apartment meant for her and Ricky's older sister, Hope.
These days, their step father spends most of his time with his current thirty something girlfriend and yet, more inherited step-children. This means Ricky, mostly lives alone in the family home, a modest residential, two story duplex.
The ground floor is mostly unused with Ricky maintaining an apartment of sorts on its second floor.
Their parents make sure the place is stocked with groceries and a lot of parenting is done with periodic checks by their mother and step father when he's in town.
Since Hope left for college down state, Ricky has his run of the place, but has yet to do anything meaningful (I.E. hooking up with girls) with his good fortune.
We mostly crash, playing video games and watching movies. The basement floor of his home is equipped with a washer and dryer, which allowed me to wash my stained clothing. My phone started ringing while I was stuffing my shirt into the wash.
"Yeah, what's up man."
"Man, you gotta get up here and help me out; this asshole is killing everybody on my team." Ricky was online gaming and particularly fond of this Call of Duty type game with zombies.
"Not my speed man, you gotta handle that." Honestly, I got confused with those point of view games, preferring tamer fair in fighting games.
"Well shit, at least you could give me some moral support."
"Can do, just give me a minute." I hung up as the phone started ringing again almost immediately.
"Hey Ricky, I said I'd be right up!"
"Wrong again; geez did you move in with him after I-hurt you?" My shoulders instantly tightened up at the measured, calculated tone of Kimberly Biven's voice.
"No, and why're you calling?" My heart started thumping as I worked at keeping emotion to a minimum.
"Welfare check, I assume you're ready to capitulate after punishment?"
"Excuse me?"
"I giving you an out, righteously after you were "EXTRA" with me the night earlier. I understand you had an emotional breakdown, and that's why you hung up in my face. But Jaleel, I'm special and you were out of pocket."
"Geez, I was?" I made no attempt to hide the dripping sarcasm in my voice.
"Apologize...and all will be forgiven. Of course I'll have to withdraw my earlier offer from the table due to your juvenile outburst. Easing you off the grid would be problematic to my relationship with Jayson. I can't have that because I'm in love with him." I was already recording our conversation.
"I'm really happy for you two, honestly."
"Apologize to me Jaleel." Kimberly was indignant to a fault.
"I'm gonna have to take a raincheck on that; I'm sure you understand in all of your infinite wisdom." I was doing my best not to scream at the top of my lungs into my android. The recording continued as she undoubtedly processed my words from the other side of the line.
"If you don't do what I've said; the spankings will continue."
"Understood Kim; hey girlfriend, name one of the puppies after me when you two are blessed."
I couldn't take it anymore ending the call abruptly. Raw emotion washed over me, triggered by the callous lack of emotion and indifference to what she'd put me through. I was inside the rectangular laundry room noticing a towel which I quickly used to muffle the primal scream that erupted from my lungs.
My brow was painfully furrowed, eyes felt puffy from the emotional irritant. Kimberly Bivens didn't give a fuck about my feelings. Only her ego mattered at this point. I'd overstepped some social boundary in her twisted mind. I knew she was coming after me until I apologized.
"Jaleel get in here man; this bitch is killing my team!!" I went back upstairs to the second floor finding my bud frantically mashing buttons as an onscreen assassin plowed through his online associates like butter. I decided to keep the call from Kimberly to myself as I sat down watching the carnage.
Everything on the screen was a blur as I joined my friend popping up on screen for a few seconds before I was blasted into oblivion. This happened several times in succession while my friend screamed orders into his headset.
"Stretch, where you at girl; I need some backup!! Hey DJ, you gotta flank that bitch before she...FAWK MAN, she got you again!!" The online avatar of the unseen enemy continued making swiss cheese out of my friend's group.
"Ricky what the hell; did you piss somebody off?"
"Tracy-WATCH OUT HERE SHE COMES AGAIN!!" I watched his online partner get blown to smithereens before it came around again taking two more members on that pass.
"Damn man, who is that?"
"Shut up man-GET HER, THAT BITCH IS COMING AROUND AGAIN!!" It looked like the entire online team were offed followed seconds by one by one sign outs from the virtual battlefield. Ricky's team had more than enough of the repeated snuffing as he stood spiking his headset on the living room carpet.
"Man, who was that?" I wanted answers as I stared at the screen finding the character standing still, immobile without a target. Ricky ignored me stomping over to his front door opening it wide with a violent yank.
"ASSHOLE!!" He yelled down the stairwell leading to the first floor of his home. The avatar blinked out on the screen of his large flat screen television as if in response. Ricky slammed the door returning to the couch plopping down on the sofa flat on his back.
"Ricky, you okay?" He was pouting, looking to all the world like a humanoid care bear staring up at the ceiling.
I didn't think he was going to answer me anyway. My good friend Ricky Arias was what you'd call a male diva of sorts, spoiled, and coddled for a good portion of his life. I was already familiar with this tactic as I heard some footfalls coming quickly up the stairs. Whoever they belonged to, was bolting up to the second floor.
"Ricky, we're not alone?"
Before he could answer as if he would, the front door to his second floor apartment burst open with equal force that he used slamming it hitting the wall behind it. Luckily their wise step father saw fit to install a door stop there or there would've been a hole in the wall. I found myself looking at what I presumed to be Ricky's older sister.
"Hope?"
She was still five four in height but noticeably heavier having been thinner right before leaving for college two years earlier. We'd met at one of the family's functions, a backyard party at a relative's home. Hope Arias was probably best described as flighty, maybe touchy feely with a bohemian edge to her antics.
I recalled that she herself was an avid gamer facially resembling this actress named Jessica Parker Kennedy, a fan favorite because she was on The Flash and this show, Black Sails. Some of her peers lovingly joked that she reminded them of a living adult version of Jazmine DuBois from that Boondocks cartoon.
"Hola Jaleel!" She walked into the living room stopping short offering her hands wanting me to stand up to greet her. Hope had taken those Jazmine comparisons to heart sporting hair tightened into two large, bushy ponytails. She gave me a deep hug once I was standing.
"How long have you been home?"
"About six weeks; taking a break from class to reconfigure." Her attire bore out the lackadaisical reason for her return home. Hope was wearing this canary yellow, night dress over what looked like a blocky figure. It was jarring to find Sponge Bob's countenance staring back at me from the front of her attire.
"How's school, I mean how is it being away from home?" Hope held up a single finger silencing me as she stared at her still fuming brother on the sofa.
"Ricky, are you gonna let me into your group?"
"FUCK NO!!"
"You'd better let me be a member of your group or I'm gonna keep going all predator on your ass. Come on little brother; it's something we can do together, you know, bonding?" Hope Arias was cute as a button and apparently dangerous online.
"That was you?!!" I was surprised.
"Excuse you much Jaleel; the shock is uh, not empowering."
"What're you talking about?"
"Antiquated mores of what some call established gender roles that says I have to adhere to an oppressive narrative. You should realize that what holds me down, also limits your potential as well, Jaleel."
