Chapter Text
It was summer and it was June. The air in the school building was filled with excitement as children awaited the final bell. When it rang and classes were dismissed, students flooded the hallway, running to their freshly cleaned-out locker, and grabbed their backpacks.
Seven-year-old Maya Bishop opened her locker, pulled out her backpack, put it over her shoulders, and adjusted the straps. She hated her backpack, it was hers from kindergarten and it was for babies.
Maya went up to her teacher, wishing her goodbye and to have a good summer break. Her teacher had smiled big at her, wishing her the same and asking Maya to visit her in the following school year.
Maya had been dreading summer break. She knew that she would have to wake up early with her father to train before he left for work. She knew that she would have to experience more fights between her mother and father. She knew she’d spend her days keeping Mason occupied enough to not annoy their father.
If there was one thing Maya hated, it was summer break.
Maya left the second-grade hallway and went to the kindergarten hallway. She found her little brother, Mason, and grabbed his hand, pulling him away from his friends quickly. “Maya! I was saying goodbye to my friends,” Mason complained and Maya looked at him.
“We have to find Dad so we can go home,” Maya explained and pulled him out of the school into the sea of students. Together they searched for the truck they never wanted to get into. “Mason, this summer is going to be tough. You’re getting bigger now so Dad’s gonna want you to come with us running,” Mason shrugged. “You have to be able to impress him, Mason,” Maya knew that if her brother did not impress him, he would get pushed aside.
“I’m gonna draw comic books when we get home!” Mason exclaimed and Maya sighed, “I can make you a superhero in my comic!” Maya shook her head. She had thought superheroes were for babies and thought that Mason needed to grow up a little.
“Mason, you're not listening to me! This is serious!” Maya exclaimed as her hands hit her sides in exasperation.
“I don’t want to be a runner! I like baseball,” Mason huffed out in annoyance, “As long as I play baseball he can’t be mad at me,” Mason responded and Maya took a deep breath so she didn’t lose her temper. Maya hated her anger, she had too much of her fathers, too much anger that caused too much pain.
“I play softball and run track, doesn’t stop him from getting mad at me,” Mason stared at her unimpressed,
“That’s because he always wants more from you. Now, do you want your costume to be red or yellow?” Mason asked, climbing on a bench in front of the school.
“Yellow,” Maya responded, sitting beside him and pulling out her chapter book from her backpack.
They had waited at the school for half an hour until Maya finally stood up, taking Mason's hand and walking them the fifteen-minute walk home. Mason had complained the whole way there and Maya was in an awful mood by the time they had reached the house.
“Mason, stop!” Maya groaned and Mason ran to their house. Maya continued to walk and looked to her left, seeing the house across the street.
She loved her neighborhood. She had neighbors that grew a thousand different flowers and due to Seattle's sometimes windy weather, it always smelt like lavender. It was calming and it was peaceful.
Across the street from Maya’s house was an empty house. It had been empty for as long as she could remember. It was a white house with a yellow door, though different from her house in many ways.
That house had been empty for years. However, that afternoon instead of being met with an empty house, she was met with a lit-up house. There was a small moving truck in the driveway. A little boy walked out of the truck, carrying a very small box beside his father. Maya had been disappointed.
It was no secret to anyone that Maya didn’t have any close friends. Many of the girls her age had been close with at least one person, but not Maya. Maya had friends but she didn’t have a best friend like she wanted.
Katherine had tried to get her son to talk to her, worried about why they hadn’t come home, but he had sat in the living room and pulled out his crayons, immediately beginning to draw a picture. Katherine walked to the open door, ignoring the new neighbors who she found Maya staring at. “Maya! Honey! Where were you both?” Katherine asked.
Maya turned away from the house and walked toward her mom, “Dad didn’t pick us up, again,” Maya said. Katherine rested her hand on Maya's back and ushered her inside, making Maya miss the tall girl with wavy brunette hair walking out of the house to grab a box for her room.
A tall, wavy-haired brunette climbed into the moving truck, standing in front of her dad, gently rocking on her feet. “Ah, Carina, back for one more?” He asked,
“Sì”
“What was that?” Vincenzo asked with a goofy smile and Carina glared,
“Yes,” Carina grumbled and Vincenzo glared at her, all goofiness fading from his face.
Carina stared at him for a moment before she grabbed a small box with her name on it, lifted it, and walked out of the truck and into her house. She paused for a moment when she looked across the street, a window showing into the white house.
It was a two-story house, white and with a red door. She had seen the bike in the front yard, something she had been wanting to get for a while now. Carina tilted her head as she saw a young boy dancing in the living room, a giggle left her mouth and the boy's head turned. He waved to Carina before running away.
Carina had assumed he wasn’t coming back so she walked inside the house and towards the stairs that led to her bedroom, passing her Mamma on the way up. Lucia had smiled fondly at her daughter.
Mason ran up the stairs and burst into Maya's room, which caused his older sister to jump, her hand landing over her heart. “Mason! You can’t barge in here like that! What if I was changing?” Maya shouted, her tone mocking her fathers.
Mason bounded to Maya, his energetic body jumping up and down. “There’s new kids across the street!” He shouted and Maya shook her head,
“Kid,” Maya corrected, “Just a boy who’s probably around your age” Maya answered and kneeled, pulling out her running shoes from under her bed.
“Nope! Two kids! A girl and a boy too!” Maya's heart had fluttered with hope before she stopped, shaking her head. “I’m serious! Come see!” Mason exclaimed and Maya shook her head. “Maya,” Mason whined and Maya walked over to her drawers, pulling out some running clothes. “I’m going to call Mom,” Mason taunted.
“Mason, don’t. She is so busy today,” Maya shook her head and Mason gave her a look, “No,” Maya warned.
“Mom,” Mason screamed and Maya sighed deeply,
“Maya just do what he wants!” Katherine shouted from downstairs and Maya glared at him,
“Mom’s orders,” Mason said smugly and Maya glared. She walked out of the room and Mason cheered, following Maya downstairs and running to their living room, pointing to the house across the street. “She’s right there!” Mason exclaimed and Maya looked across the street, seeing a mother, father, and young boy outside.
“There’s no girl, Mason,” Maya repeated her earlier statement,
Mason nodded, eyebrows furrowed in confusion. “She was there! There is too!”
“Is not,” Maya said and Mason glared at her.
“Is. Too.” Mason said and Maya glared at him,
“The fighting! Stop!” Katherine called and Maya cleared her throat,
“Masons lying!” Maya tattled and crossed her arms over her chest, “You keep playing the little boy who cried wolf so I’m not believing anything you tell me until you prove to me that you’re not lying,” Maya said and walked away.
Mason rolled his eyes and then he looked across the street, finding the girl across the street, “Maya! Look! It’s her!” Mason shouted and Maya shook her head,
“Not believing you!” Maya said and Mason looked out the window and back at Maya,
“Maya! You can’t believe me if you don’t look!” Mason exclaimed and Maya walked up the stairs,
“You’re crying wolf!” Maya yelled and Mason groaned, flopping on the couch with crossed arms, annoyed with his big sister not believing him.
**** ***
“Eyes forward!” Lane shouted, clapping his hands as Maya raced back and forth between two cones. “Maya, Maya, stop,” He sighed, pinching the place between his eyebrows and forehead. “You’re doing it all wrong,” Maya was beginning to grow frustrated, “Your posture is all wrong. We talked about this Maya,”
“I’m sorry,” No matter what she did she felt like it was never good enough for him.
“Three more. Fix your posture, keep your eyes on the prize, and be quick,” Lane said. “Ready set, bang!” Lane exclaimed and Maya took off.
The sun hadn’t even risen yet and Maya had been up and running since 5:00. She had been listening to her dad yell at her for almost an entire hour while she failed to do simple agility training. She felt ridiculous, out of breath, and tired. She still had so much more to do.
Lucia stood in the kitchen, sorting through some boxes and she looked out the window, smiling when she saw the blonde child and her father. The girl seemed small, small enough to be Carina’s age. The one thing Lucia wanted for Carina was for her to make a friend in this country, and she knew, as a mother, she would have to help her in every little way she could.
**** ***
Carina woke up on her mattress which was placed in her bare room on the floor. She hated America. She didn’t understand the language, she didn’t understand the people, and she didn’t understand why they had moved here instead of staying in Italy. “Carina,” she heard a knock on her door, “Are you awake?”
“Sì,” She hated English and she hated the way it sounded when her father spoke it. They had all been trying to help her and her little brother understand the language better so they were prepared for the following school year.
“Come downstairs. Mamma has made breakfast for you and Andrea. I have to go to work,” Carina sighed and got off her bed, leaving her stuffed animal and warm bed. Carina opened her door and looked up at her dad, “Your hair, bambolotta (little doll),” Carina glared at him and passed him, and walked downstairs.
“Buongiorno!” Lucia said and Carina walked over to the table and sat down across from Andrew, crossing her legs and yawning. “Did you sleep well in your room?” Lucia asked her children, smiling at the two of them.
“Sì,” Carina murmured and Andrew nodded.
“I like my room! America is fun,” Andrew smiled.
“No,” Carina disagreed and thanked her mom once the plate of food was set in front of her. “America is stupid,” Carina told her little brother who frowned.
“Carina,” Lucia warned and smoothed Carina's hair. “You’ll come to love it here, bambolotta, I promise,” Lucia said. Carina lifted her hand, pinky held out. Lucia smiled and linked their pinkies, kissing the top of her head.
Out of her two children, Carina had taken the move the hardest. Carina loved Italy, Carina had a lot of friends in Italy, and Carina spent hours at the beach. Carina was meant to be in Italy and Lucia felt awful for taking her away from it.
Lucia sighed and tapped her nails on the back of Carina's chair before she grinned, reminiscing back on her early morning.
“Mamma,” Carina turned around in her seat, small fingers tapping Lucia's nails so she would stop thrumming them on the back of her seat. Lucia looked at her apologetically before she spoke up,
“You know, Carina, I woke up this morning and a little girl was running outside with her father,” It took Carina a few seconds to fully understand what her mother was saying, slowly translating the words in her head.
“There’s a boy too!” Andrea said excitedly and Carina nodded, shoveling her french toast into her mouth. She had been starving and craving something that reminded her of home. “Mamma says that the girl should be your age, and the boy will be mine!” Andrew exclaimed.
“That’s correct, Andrea. I thought maybe you two could introduce yourselves today if you want,” Carina shook her head while Andrew nodded. Lucia frowned at her daughter's answer and sighed, “How about we unpack boxes today? Make your rooms bellissima?” Lucia asked, hands coming down to tickle Carina who began to squeal and squirm with laughter. “But first, we fix this hair. Bambolotta, dio mio,” Lucia said and Carina whined,
“Non è colpa mia! (It’s not my fault!)” Carina exclaimed and Lucia laughed at her. Lucia walked into the living room, grabbing the shorts she had fixed for Carina this morning and bringing them to the table. Carina saw them and her eyes widened with excitement, “Grazie Mamma!” Carina exclaimed, grabbing the shorts, and looking at the hole to find a small red heart,
“What shape is that?” Lucia asked, pointing to it. Carina looked at her and smiled,
“Un cuore” Carina responded and Lucia put a hand up to her ear,
“What’s that? I can only understand English,”
Carina whined and placed the shorts in her lap, “Non lo so! (I don’t know)” She pouted and Lucia stared at her,
“A he-” Lucia started for her, urging Carina to finish it.
“Heart?” Carina asked and Lucia squealed, kissing the top of Carina's head,
“Brava! Bellissima, bambolotta! Guess why I made a heart instead of a star?” Carina shrugged and Lucia smiled, “Because I love you!” Lucia smiled and Carina grinned,
“Alla Luna e a Saturno?” Carina asked and Lucia nodded,
“Sì, bambolotta. To the Moon and to Saturn,” Lucia translated and Carina grumbled, “You too Andrea,”
“Can I have more?” Andrew asked, lifting his empty plate with a frown. Lucia rolled her eyes, mumbling about her hungry son and how he never stopped eating.
**** ***
Maya stretched outside of her house, running shoes on her feet and Mason watching her. “Maybe I can make you like the flash!” Mason said excitedly and Maya shook her head, “I will. Super speed can be your superpower,”
“I’m not fast enough,” Maya grumbled and kicked her foot back, carefully balancing on one foot. “I’m never going to be fast enough if you keep distracting me. Go away, Mason,” He groaned.
“You never do anything fun, Maya! All you do is run! You never play,” Mason stormed inside the house, slamming the door. Maya rolled her eyes and looked at her watch, four hours until her dad got home and they went on a hike.
Maya liked hiking and camping. When she was outside, she could go anywhere in the world and pretend like she was anything she wanted to be. She could close her eyes and suddenly she was a knight on a journey back to her kingdom, or a monster hunter fighting zombies, or a princess, anything she wanted to be she could be.
Maya began a light jog around the neighborhood, her ponytail swaying from side to side as she focused on fixing her posture. She kept her eyes forward and because of that, she had missed the tall girl once more. She had missed her, her mother, and the little brother walking around trying to familiarize themselves with the new space that surrounded them.
Carina watched the girl on the opposite side of the road. “Mamma,” Carina pulled on Lucia's hand and timidly pointed at the running girl.
“Yes, Carina, that’s the girl from across the street,” Carina smiled. She was super pretty, and Carina liked her shorts, they looked comfy. Maybe America wouldn’t be so bad if she could make a friend.
Carina went home with one goal: to learn enough English to speak to the girl across the street. Carina knew if she could do that, she would make a friend.