diecinueve.

                                    

                                          
"Thank you. I appreciate your kind words very much." 
                          
Stiles watched as Violeta shook hands with yet another person. He felt awkward sitting beside her, his left leg bouncing up and down in the itchy black suit. Violeta was wearing a modest black dress that Tomei had supplied. A guy called Luis had come and taken charge of her hair and did a little make-up since she looked pale and half-dead. Stiles scowled at that but Violeta half-smiled. 
                          
Lola's birthday had been yesterday and Stiles had managed to drag Violeta there. He had bought the rollerblades which Lola had immediately frowned at him, saying they weren't ice-skates. As he tried to explain that it was the same thing she called him a stupido which he wasn't sure was correct. Then he mentioned they light up and play music and Lola got excited and was adamant to put them on. 
                          
With a laugh, Violeta had crouched down and helped open the box. Stiles joined and together they had managed to get the roller-blades onto the birthday girl who spent the rest of her birthday on skating around. It was odd and surreal; attending a party hosted by Rico Lopez. For family members. It wasn't even him crashing a house party (as if that would ever happen) but it was just another surreal moment for the freckled teenager.
                          
Watching Lola do some turns, a paper plate of barbecued chicken and paella in his hand as Violeta came up to hand him a can of drink, he had then caught her staring at him oddly. 
                          
"What?" He had asked. "Is there something on my face?" He asked and then began rubbing his face to get rid of whatever had been on his face. He had begun checking his teeth when Violeta asked how he knew her shoe size. 
                          
"Oh, I asked Rico at school."
                          
Stiles couldn't make sense of the smile Violeta gave him. 
                          
Now, Stiles was with her at her grandmother's funeral. A funeral which doubled as a political meeting as the entire community had come to visit and see the person who now taken the place of abuela Maria. If he was being honest, Stiles felt like it was that scene in the Godfather. Although it could have just been because him and Violeta had watched it only two days ago.
                          
"Feel like Al Pacino?" Violeta said, leaning into him to whisper as she waited for the next person in line to come and offer their condolences.
                          
"And she says she doesn't read minds." Stiles said. At that moment, Rico walked up with Lola in tow. Violeta stood up once more and dapped him, patting him on the shoulder. Stiles, actually knowing who this person was, stood up to shake his hand. Rico, however, 'dapped' him the same way Violeta had done. Stiles wasn't expecting his and there was an awkward fumble followed by an awkward silence with Violeta diffused laughter. 
                          
"Still white as shit." Rico said with a grin and patted Stiles on the shoulder. "Thanks for taking care of her, man."
                          
Stiles nodded and patted Rico on the shoulder. It was then that Lola wrapped her arms around Stiles' leg. "STILES!" She hugged him tight. 
                          
"Come on Lola." Rico said, holding out his hand. 
                          
"No! I want Stiles!" 
                          
"Lola!" Rico snapped. 
                          
"She's fine." Stiles waved. He held out his hands and she jumped into his arms. "Violeta and I had to leave her party early anyway." Rico nodded, glancing between him and Violeta, the latter who was busy with some elderly man who was speaking to her in a dialect of Spanish Stiles couldn't at all understand. Rico gave sad smile, told Lola to be good then, told Stiles' he'd see him later as he walked off. 
                          
Violeta and I... 
                          
He had spoken on Violeta's behalf, in regards to both of them. 
                          
That's what his life had come to.