[The following story, characters, and events are a work of fiction. All characters portrayed in this work - both directly and indirectly in both sexual and non-sexual contexts - are of the ages eighteen and above.]
-S.A-
The sound of the radio blasting out hits from the Top 40 charts drowned out the weird clacking noise from the engine that I first noticed two weeks ago...
Driving down broken roads and dingy paths past empty fields of dirt and hay, old worn-down homes dotting about every mile or so on my drive. The low fuel light blinking unceasingly in the corner of my dashboard, I kept my eyes focused on the road ahead, as if ignoring it would make it go away. Though it was largely quiet and barren this far out in the boonies, there were known to be rabbits and stray dogs crossing these roads.
Tractors too. But those were more obvious to spot.
When I first told my dormmates that I was merely heading home for Spring Break instead of Puerto Vallarta like they all were, they attempted their best to cheer me up. After all, who could complain about having to go home to sunny Southern California?
Well, they had forgot that California was a big place. And I had the unfortunate pleasure of not living anywhere near Los Angeles, San Diego, or any of the other bustling metropolises or attractions that most people think of when they think of SoCal.
Turning up the radio even louder to further drown out the increasing racket of what I was sure was going to be a four-thousand-dollar problem, my eyes found themselves increasingly drawn to the dark storm clouds gathering at the horizon. Slowly moving their way across the valleys and plains, bringing showers and lightning along with it.
Knowing that there was no way I would be able to traverse muddy paths in my old jalopy, I put some pressure on the gas and ventured further down bumpy roads.
I really couldn't complain about being back home. As much as warm beaches and hot bods appealed to me, there was nothing that could beat Mom's albondigas on a rainy day. Plus, ever since my aunt had gotten really sick, she and Dad have been spending increasingly more time down in Mexico to help take care of her.
It would be good to spend some time with them in-person for a change, rather than over a phone or webcam.
Parking my car on the far side of the road, I prayed to God that I wouldn't explode as I took the key out of the ignition. The clacking of the engine finally dissipating as I grabbed my bag of spare clothes and toiletries and stepped out of the car. Crossing the street and walking onto the property, trudging over dead grass as sprinkles of rain dripped on my head and onto the cracked pavement.
The smell of fresh ground beef, garlic, and cumin guiding my path towards the front door. My mouth watered at the smells alone, my stomach growling in agreement.
But as I was about to step onto the front porch, a flash of color caught the corner of my eye.
Deviating off the pathway towards the front porch of the house, the most extravagant red lured me towards the driveway where a gorgeous Ford Mustang sat, "Holy shit!" The words slipped out of my mouth effortlessly as I circled around the muscle car.
Without a single visible blemish or flaw, as though it drove off the front page of a magazine onto our driveway. My stunned reaction broadcast straight back to me in its polished reflections as I gazed upon its sporty rims and the gorgeous leather interior. I was scared to even breathe too close to the luxurious ride, for fear that merely getting my breath on it would drastically lower its resale value.
"Hey, Marcos!" My heart jumped at the sound of my name being called from inside the house, "Don't be touching my stuff!"
The sound of the screen door crashing open as I caught a glimpse of Joaquin walking around the corner with a big smile across his face, "Sup' bro?" He greeted me, wrapping me in a hug.
My bones felt crushed in his vise grip, the air escaping my lungs as he squeezed his massive arms around me. I could finally breathe again as he loosened his grip and took a step back.
Now I wasn't sure what I was more shocked about--the thirty-thousand-dollar car sitting in our driveway. Or that the pudgy acne-ridden twenty-one-year-old I had left behind was now absolutely jacked!
"Holy shit!" The words slipped out of my mouth again for the second time, but it was an appropriate reaction, "Joaquin! What happened to you!"
His only response was a hearty laugh as I compared his bulging biceps with mine. While I was no slouch--my weekends comprising of running and biking, and I was certainly no stranger to the gym--his massive guns made me look scrawny in comparison!
How did this gamer geek transform into a muscled Adonis?
His face clean and clear from acne, his jawline chiseled and no longer obscured under a double chin. Dressed in a tight-fitting tanktop to showcase his broad chest and bowling ball-sized shoulders. While I still had the height advantage over him, I wasn't so sure I could beat his ass like I used to do so easily when we were little kids.
"Wait," The realization settled in as I exchanged glances between Joaquin and the magnificent car, "This isn't...No way...Is this...?"
"Hell yeah, dude!" Joaquin laughed, as though he didn't believe it himself, "Working on Tio Humberto's farm all this time did some good for me! That work will put some hair on that chest, boy!"
His clenched fist firmly socking my arm, putting all his weight behind the hefty punch. I bit my tongue as to not showcase my reaction to the dull pain erupting from the whack, as though I were just hit by a freight train.
"Here, lemme help you with that!" Joaquin graciously offered to carry my bag as he escorted me to the front door, "I missed you man! Things are boring around here without you around. Oscar is here, but...
ya' know how he can be sometimes
..."
"Yeah, dude. I missed you too." I reciprocated, still in disbelief that the muscled and tanned beast in front of me was actually my little brother.
Rubbing my achy arm as I stepped onto the front porch, Joaquin held the screen door open for me, "Wait until I tell you what I heard!" He laughed as I crossed the threshold inside the house, "You remember Mrs. Johansson? The English teacher with the huge rack? Oscar swears he totally found her OnlyFans and we need a third party to confirm if it's really her or not."
"I did not!" Oscar's whiny voice called out from the kitchen, "I-It was an accident!"
"How do you find someone's OnlyFans by accident?" Joaquin followed-up, "And then text me the link?"
The wooden floors creaking underneath my weight as I walked into the living room, the smell of freshly cooked albondigas serving as the red carpet for my visit. Walking past the tables and fireplace adorned with the candles of various saints, thick layers of dust coating school portraits and family pictures, I made my way into the kitchen where I saw Oscar in the middle of preparing dough.
His hands caked in flour and dough, using his wrists to push his glasses up his face, he simply leaned his lanky body into mine as I ruffled his hair, "How's it going, Senior boy?" I teased the freshly minted eighteen-year-old, "Excited about graduating in a few months?"
"Ask him if he's gotten any of that cheerleader poon yet!" Joaquin called out from my bedroom where he was placing my bag down, "Or that football player dick! Either or!"
I winced at the crass remark, telling Oscar to pay his older brother no mind as he responded, "Yeah, I'm looking forward to finally getting out of that place," He admitted, "Hey, at least I'll be the second in the family to go to college!"
"That's right, dude!" I patted his back, "Joaquin will be our limo driver one day!"
Oscar and I shared a laugh at the idea of making the middle brother grovel for quarters, but we were interrupted with the familiar cry of "Marcos!" as my mother entered the kitchen with her arms extended.
"Mama!" I greeted her, making up for our vast height difference by leaning over to hug her, "It's good to see you!"
"Ay, you must be hungry!" She asserted, she was right, "It's such a long drive down here! The albondigas will be ready in a little while. How are those tortillas coming along, Oscar?"
"Soon, Mama!" Oscar responded like the good son he was, using the rolling pin to thin out the dough.
With a firm smack on the butt to get me out of the kitchen, I checked in the backyard to greet my dad who was watching the beginning of the storm from under the cover of the patio. With a firm handshake and awkward half hug, our chat was brief but to the point as he filled me in on the happenings with the family and around town. They claim that men don't gossip, but Dad seemed to know all the inside scoop when it came to family drama between the uncles and aunts and cousins.
Back inside, Joaquin and I continued to talk about working with Tio Humberto and how it sculpted his new figure. Oscar pretending not to eavesdrop as he rolled out tortillas, but I could see the expressions on his face out of the corner of my eye as Joaquin bragged about all the newfound attention he got from women, "I'll show you what I did with the garage after dinner!" He offered, "I'll even give you some personal training while you're here, first thing in the morning! You'll be swimming in dick when I'm done with you!"
That was a tempting offer.
Soon dinner was ready as the family lined up with bowls in hand and filled to the brim with hearty soup. Each member at their place at the table, a quick prayer was in order before we could offically start eating. Led by my father, the "Amen!" served as the starting shot as every hand dived for the fat stack of tortillas in the center of the table.
The family dinner around the table that night was grand. Mom, Dad, Oscar, Joaquin, and I all shared the delicious meal of albondigas soup and freshly made tortillas, "Gracias to my lil' helper for making these delicious tortillas!" Mom cooed over Oscar to her left.
"De nada, Mama!" Was his response, leaning over to accept a big smooch on the cheek.
Joaquin and I exchanged a look. Resisting the urge to roll our eyes at one another.
Tales of yesteryear and stories of days far past us were shared as we laughed in revelry. I talked about the classes I was taking this semester and how the rest of the year was shaping up before I offically graduated from university, "First to graduate from high school and now the first to graduate from college!" My dad commended me, "We're proud of you, Marcos!"
"Oscar, get another bowlful!" My mother scolded her youngest son, "Or at least eat another tortilla or two! You're like a twig! Eat, mijo, eat!"
Oscar defiantly shook his head, his glasses nearly shooting off his face, "No thanks, Mama. I'm full!"
"But you're so skinny!" Mom insisted, "Just half a bowl, then!"
"Oscar eats, like, three crackers a day and calls it quits!" Joaquin roasted him from the other side of the table, I had to bite my tongue to keep from laughing.
"At least I'm not eating us out of house and home!" Oscar quickly shot back, "And clogging the toilet every time I use the bathroom! I think the horses at Tio Humberto's farm eat less than you!"
