S4TS

It's Friday night. All of your girls have gone out of town and all of your boys are hitting the town. Your alone, broke and on top of that, too tired from work to really do anything. You could watch a little television but nothings on that you haven't already seen. You could even read a really good book.. if they existed anymore. No worries though sweetheart, because Stories4theSoul has got ya covered..

8/19/2010

Brooklyn -- chapter five: the icing on the cake

Cynthia bought the huge red and white velvet cake into the dining room and slid it onto the table. Selena was turning 19 and finally graduating from high school. Cynthia had watched her daughter crumble and disappear right before her eyes 2 years prior. Selena would stay out all hours of the night then come in so drunk and disoriented that she barely remembered where she was that evening. She stopped hanging out with her friends and locked herself up in her room, for days on in. Her grades took a turn for the worst, causing her to fail and repeat her junior year. Cynthia had never seen her daughter in such dismay and did any and everything she could to help but Selena just kept pushing her away.. Cynthia looked down at the cake and smiled. It was Selena's absolute favorite. "Selena! Selena, come down here. I have something for you.." She called out. A few seconds later, Selena came down the stairs and into the dinning room. She looked at the cake and then at her mother, unimpressed. "Selena, do you know what kind of cake that is..?" Cynthia asked. "Red velvet." Selena answered. Cynthia sighed. "Mami you love red velvet. It is your favorite." She pleaded. She stared at Selena... Or this girl who was suppose to be Selena, who had fallen 30 pounds underweight, who had let her once long and beautiful hair, mat up and tangle. She was looking for signs of her daughter, but she just wasn't there. Selena didn't speak just turned to leave and go upstairs. Cynthia grabbed Selena's shoulder. "Por favor mi hija.." Selena snapped back around so quick it jilted her mother back a few inches. "Don't you start with that SHIT! Didn't I tell you to never speak that shit to me again!?" Selena warned. Cynthia was shocked at the force Selena had used against her, but not surprised. "What has happened to you Selena! Just tell me, I promise I won't be upset with you!" Cynthia cried out. Something inside of Selena was finally trying to let go, trying to give her freedom but Selena refused to watch it leave. "Upset with me!? You got some nerve ma! You don't care about me! You aint never been there for me! So don't act like you give a DAMN now!" Selena spat, tears falling down her cheeks. Cynthia had no idea where these emotions were coming from. Cynthia loved her daughter. They didn't always see eye to eye but truly, Selena had been the best thing to ever happen to her. "Selena I love you, do you understand that? You are the most precious thing in my life..." Cynthia reassured. "Oh really!?" Selena protested, wiping her tears. "Then why did you put me in that school... Huh? I was young and I was different! I wasn't like them other kids and they hated me for it! I got bullied and harassed every day! Where were you then? A-and.. Why did you put me in them fucking Salsa dance classes!?? I HATE Salsa! I kept twisting my ankle but you insisted I learn, but I didn't wanna learn! I wanted to be myself ma but that shit was never good enough for you! Where was your love then... " Selena paused and began to shake, the tears were streaming now and that thing that she was holding on too, for so long, finally released itself. "I got raped ma!" Selena yelled angrily through her tears, "where the fuck were you then...?" Cynthia's heart dropped.

For a moment there was nothing but silence in the room.Cynthia was staring at Selena so intently, Selena felt transparent. Her shame and guilt and disgust must have been clear as day to see. So she turned to walk away. "Sit down." Cynthia spat, in a tone so flat and serious, Selena had to turn around to make sure it was her mother that had even said it. Selena expected her to repeat herself but she didn't. Instead, Cynthia pulled out a chair and then sat in one herself. Selena sat across from her mother at the kitchen table. The red velvet cake was the only pleasant thing between them. Selena began to speak but Cynthia raised her hand to stop her. "There's something that I need to tell you." Selena looked at her like she was crazy. "Ma, I just told you got raped and you wanna..." "Your fathers name was Clarence James. But everyone knew him as Oak." Cynthia recalled quietly, interrupting her daughter mid-sentence. She continued, "He was as tall and as big as a tree but the real reason everyone called him Oak was because, just like an Oak tree with all those long and heavy roots, he kept the community together.. And he took care of all of us." Selena was confused but this was the first time she had ever heard her mother speak about her father. So she sat quietly -  listening and hanging on to Cynthia's every word. "When I met Oak, he was well established in the drug game. He had been a driver for an old OG by the name of Dee. When Dee had died, he passed it all down to Oak. A lot of people thought he was too young to take over Dee's cartel, so a couple of Harlem stick up boys came around this side and tried him. Oak killed them both and put both those poor boys heads outside on 21st so everyone could see..." Cynthia's voice began to shake. She cleared her throat and continued. "I loved Oak the moment I saw him. I knew he was el amor de mi vida." She smiled. "But my papa, who had just moved himself, along with your aunt Maria, your grandmother and I out to New York from Puerto Rico, wanted us to have a better life. He didn't see that happening with Oak. Or any black man for that matter." Cynthia looked up at her daughter, who was staring right at her. She touched her daughters face and caressed it. "You look just like him Selena." She said before returning to her story. "Well.. I didn't care what my father said. I wanted to be with Oak and he promised me the world and everything in it. So my father packed our things and decided to move us all back to Puerto Rico but I didn't go. I stayed here with Oak. Oak took care of me for a while. We were living the life... partying, traveling, you name it! But it didn't last long mami..." Cynthia sat up. Selena mirrored her mother and sat up too. "When the 80's rolled around, Oak like so many here in Brooklyn, got caught up in crack. I was pregnant with you by this time and in desperate need of his help. But he was so strung out. He had spent everything we had on that drug! Maldito sea ese hombre al infierno!" Cynthia cried out. "Ma!" Selena interjected. She had never heard her mother speak that way and it caught her off guard. "I'm sorry Selena.." She sighed. "But this tale get's so much more unfortunate..." Cynthia shook her head. "I was living with a shell of the man I use to know. After I had you I put all of my energy into you and some of what I could on taking care of that man. One night... he had came busting through the door - Asking me about money and what not, but I didn't have any to give. But he insisted that I needed to give him some money right then and there. I shoo'ed him off thinking he was on another one of his drug binges. At that moment, three men came through the door with guns..." Cynthia's voice trailed off. "They demanded money from him. But he told them he didn't have it. He wanted to live... so he told them to take me instead." Selena gasped in disbelief. "They took their turns with me, one after another, after another..." Selena closed her eyes. She recalled what Anthony had done to her and began to realize why her mother had told her all of this. Cynthia began to cry. "I was only 23 years old Selena. 23. And the man that I thought I loved, who I laid my entire life down for, had let strangers come in my home and violate me. I never heard from Oak again after that. Truthfully, I hope he's dead." Cynthia wiped her eyes. "I became my father after that. An old bigot. And I resented you for having even a drop of him in your veins. So yes. I put you in all white school. I made you take salsa dance classes that I knew you hated. I wanted you to be anything but him. And if that meant anything but black, than so be it." Cynthia spat. Selena stood up and placed her hands above her head... trying to process all of the information she had obtained. Cynthia stood too, waiting for her daughter to say something. "I'm sorry for what I put you through Selena. But I am only human and only a mother who loves her daughter above all. I'm sorry I wasn't there for you when that terrible person put his hands on you. But I promise from this moment on, that I'll always be by your side. Can we start over Selena?" Cynthia asked. Selena didn't speak, but instead raised her head to look at her mother, eyes heavy and wet, and nodded.

Brooklyn -- chapter four: black as night

 When it was over. Anthony rolled off her and onto his back, breathing heavy, his t-shirt was drenched with sweat. He sat up and wiped his forehead with the bottom of his shirt before standing up to re-buckle his pants. Selena lay there, unable to speak or move. "Get up bitch. I got work to move. I aint giving you no ride home either. You wasn't even all that." He said non-nonchalantly and laughed as he sat back at the desk and continued to break down his weed. Selena had fallen in and out of consciousness during the ordeal. She had not only been stripped of her innocence but of her state of mind. She slowly opened her eyes and realized what had happened to her all over again and bust out crying.  "Get up!" Anthony yelled, turning around to kick the bed. Selena didn't move. She didn't budge. She just kept crying out for her mother and for her friends. But her voice had been so hoarse that it came out only as a raspy whisper. Anthony watched her with a look of disgust on his face. He stood up suddenly and grabbed her hair pulling and throwing her off of the bed. She hit the floor with a loud thud. "I said its time to go." Selena's eyes began to roll into the back of her head. She was having a panic attack.  "Aw shit!" Anthony yelled. He unlocked and opened the door and called out to the men downstairs, "Yo BLACK! ...BLACK!" Anthony called out in a panic, as he watched Selena on the floor, her chest heaving heavily as she tried to breathe. A few moments later a tall and slender dark skin young man came through the door. "What the fuck?" He said in dismay as he watched Selena's half naked body convulse on the ground. "Get her out of here man! This bitch is gonna fuck around and die in here!" Anthony yelled as he tried to pick her up. Black knew Anthony had been up to no good. The men downstairs had all heard Selena's cries for help, but this wasn't the first time Anthony had some rough fun. Besides, they all had their orders. Black grabbed Selena from Anthony and rushed her downstairs. "Damn, whats wrong with her?" "Pass her if he done with her!" A few men called out as Black walked past them and out the door with Selena. He walked down the block to his car and sat her upright in the passenger side, leaving the door open so the cool air could hit her. He grabbed a water bottle and splashed some water on her face. He watched her as her body began to relax and her eyes leveled out. She was out of it something serious and Black had wondered how bad did Anthony really do her. At that moment she started to choke and cough. Black grabbed her head to keep it stable. He had done CPR training in high school and before he started working for Anthony, wanted to be a paramedic one day. All of his dreams got washed away however, when he dedicated his life to the streets. "You okay, ma?" His voice was calm and low. She suddenly opened her eyes. She thought she knew that voice, and looked over at Black, only  for her eyes to be met with a complete stranger. She flinched and snatched her head away from his hands. "Don't fucking touch me!" She yelled out, still not much was heard through her hoarseness. "Yo, I'm just trying to help your ass out. You the one sitting in MY car right now, 'bout to die and shit." He said. She looked around and realized she was outside. She looked back at him before taking a long drag and spitting dead in his eyes. "What the fuck!?" He cried out, grabbing his face, "You fucking BITCH!" He yelled. But before he could react, Selena had taken the opportunity to hop out of the car and was half way down the block, running at full speed. She ran and ran until she couldn't hear him yelling and cursing anymore. She ran so far that she couldn't even remember where she had come from. When she finally reached her block her knees began to buckle and then all of sudden they just gave way. She fell in the middle of street, two apartment doors down from her own. But she didn't get up, she just laid there. Her face buried in the concrete. She didn't cry, she didn't even try to move. Instead she took a long deep breathe... Hot dogs and weed.

8/18/2010

Brooklyn -- chapter three: everything that glitters..

It was 10:01pm and the girls were finally getting dressed and ready to party hardy. "Seriously Nicole, my butt is PERFECT." Jasmine said, smiling as she slapped her butt a few times and watched it jiggle. "Um no Jasmine, your butt is BIG.. there's a difference.." Nicole joked. The girls laughed. Selena's phone rang, she rolled her eyes. "Lord.." Selena mumbled. "Who is it?" Jasmine asked. "Probably my aunt again.." Selena said and grabbed for her phone. "..She's been calling me all day and ma says that she's.." When Selena saw who was REALLY calling, her mouth dropped opened. Nicole and Jasmine rushed over. "What! Who the fuck is it??" Nicole asked as her and Jasmine peered down at the Caller ID. Selena flipped open her phone and with a breath, placed the phone up to her ear.

"Hello..?" Selena answered. "What's up Selena?" Anthony's voice made Selena close her eyes and swallow. She tried her absolute hardest not to sound like she was dying inside.. "Not much." She answered nonchalantly, looking over her shoulder for her friends. Nicole and Jasmine had passed out and were laying on the floor. "That's what's good. You got plans for tonight..?" He asked. Selena could almost hear him smiling. He wasn't loud but as if to have heard him, Nicole and Jasmine miraculously awoke and jumped by Selena's side, motioning for her to say no. Selena smiled. "Nah, no plans." She answered. Jasmine and Nicole just smiled and giggled. "Even better. I'll come threw 'round 11.. don't keep me waiting ma." And with that, he was gone. Selena even listened to the dial tone for awhile to see if she was really just on the phone. Nicole, Selena and Jasmine just kept screaming and screaming until.. "SILENCO!!!" Selena's mother yelled. But they didn't have to make any noise, their excitement was doing all the talking.

At around 10:45pm, Selena said goodbye to her girls. Hanging out and partying every Saturday night was almost like a tradition for them, but they all understood that an opportunity like this, only came once in a lifetime. Anthony's car was so black that it could hardly be seen at night, but Selena saw the gleam of the chrome rims from under her streets, streetlight and came running down the stairs. "I'm going out ma, I'll be back in a little while." Selena said as she hurriedly grabbed her coat and purse. "Selena!" Her mother called. Selena was literally 2 seconds from the door. She turned around and faced her mother. "What ma? I'm kind of in a hurry here." Selena admitted. She could feel her phone vibrating in her pants pocket. "I see.. I just thought that maybe you'd sit down and have dinner with me. I made red rice and salsa.. You use to love it when you were a baby." Her mother smiled. Selena rolled her eyes. "Yeah, I was too young to know it was gross. Can I go now..?" Selena asked, impatiently opening the door. Ms. Gomez looked away disappointed, and just nodded for her daughter to leave. Selena couldn't get outside fast enough. She locked the door behind her and sighed a sigh of relief. Anthonys car was still outside, waiting for her. She walked up and opened the car door, Anthonys cologne hit her hard and lured her into the car. He inspected her first, looking at her from head to toe before smiling or speaking. "What's up beautiful?" Selena smiled so hard she thought her cheeks were gonna explode. "Just chilling.. sorry for making you wait. Ma was bugging.." Selena admitted and shook her head. Anthony shrugged and started the car then began driving. "No problem, all moms are the same, ya know? Easy to need, hard to want.." Anthony smiled and winked at Selena before looking at the road again. Selena smiled and looked out her window. She had to be the luckiest girl on the damn planet right about then. She wondered where they were going. "I got some green in the back. You smoke right?" He asked, not looking at her. That was a definite NO-NO for Selena. "Yeah, for sure." Selena lied. He smiled. "Coo.. We can roll up at my spot then. You okay with going to my crib right?" He asked. Selena didn't even have to answer. The look on his face said he knew she couldn't and wasn't going to say no. Selena rolled her eyes and just smiled. The ride was pretty long and while they made small talk, Selena kept visualizing what his house was going to look like. Chandeliers, marble floors.. maybe even butlers. Her fantasies soon got replaced by reality when Selena realized that they had parked. She looked around, the house they were in front of was completely run down and the area they were in looked like some crime scene she saw on TV. She looked at Anthony for reassurance. "Here we are beautiful." He said and got out. She got out too, hesitantly. He grabbed her hand and smiled, leading her up the porch stairs and threw the door. The house was booming, young men, older men, everywhere.. smoking and drinking. Selena kept quiet and let him lead her up the stairs and into what she guessed was his room, he closed and locked the door. Selena got nervous. "Take a seat. I gotta break this shit up.." He said and pulled a bag of weed out of his pocket and sat at a desk that was across from his bed. Selena looked around, Anthony's football jersey hung from his closet door. He had pictures of his family everywhere, and his room smelt just as sweet as him. Selena calmed down a little and took her jacket off. She sat down on the bed and watched him. "I didn't know you were having a party.." She said. He smiled and continued working on the weed. "That's cause I'm not having a party. Them downstairs, there just a few employees of mine." He said nonchalantly. "Employees? Them grown men work for you?" Selena asked. Anthony looked up at her and smiled, but didn't answer. Instead, he got up and walked over to her, then sat next to her on the bed. He ran his hand down her cheek and neck. "I heard you were mixed blood Selena. Spanish and black?" He asked. He was making her feel good. "Yeah.. I heard you were full blood. Cuban?" He nodded and kissed her neck. She closed her eyes. "You wanna know a secret about Cubans..?" He asked and started kissing her ear. She smiled and nodded, eyes still closed. Out of no where, he grabbed a fist full of her hair and yanked her neck back. Selena gasped for air. "We like it rough.. real rough." Selena swung at Anthony but he kept squeezing that handful of hair he had until her scalp felt like it was bleeding. He rammed her head into the bed and began ripping off her clothes, all the while, insulting her and calling her names. Selena cried.. cried the heaviest tears she had ever cried. Her voice was hoarse and rasp from screaming. "Mmm.. come on Selena. Speak some of that Spanish for me.. I'm not gonna stop until you do." He said. But as much as she truly did want it all to just go away, for his hands to stop touching her and for his body to lift off and away from hers.. No, sounded the same in every language.

Brooklyn -- chapter two: the introduction of the influences!

Selena's phone began to ring. She picked it up and looked at the Caller ID. It was her auntie Maria. Selena sat up and rolled her eyes, contemplating not answering. Whenever Selena and her mother would get into a fight, Ms. Gomez would always call her sister to handle it for her. Selena thought it would be smart to just act like it never happened. "Hola Maria, Como estas?" Her aunt giggled from the other end. "Oh stop it Selena, now you know.." Maria started. Selena couldn't help but laugh at herself. "Ok, ok. What did mommy tell you this time?" She asked. "Selena you know Cynthia loves you and she just wants the best for you.." Maria started. Selena sighed and stood up. She walked up to her window as her aunt spoke to her and peered out. She couldn't help but smile.. Anthony "MostWanted" Morellez, one of the finest dudes to ever bless the brownish green grass of Brooklyn, and two of his friends, rolled past in Anthony's all black and chrome 1999 Camero. He beeped the horn and flashed a smile when he saw Selena looking down at him. Selena smirked and waved as they disappeared down the road. "..and that's why we always do. Do you understand now Selena? ..Selena? Chica are you listening to me??" Selena snapped back to reality when she heard her aunts voice. "Oh yeah, of course. Yup. Tell mommy I'm sorry for whatever it is that I did Ok aunty Maria? I've gotta go though. Love you, bye!" Selena hung up the phone before her aunt could get a word in edgewise.

The night came fast for Selena and with all the tension in the house between her and her mother, she just couldn't wait to leave. Her best friends, Jasmine and Nicole came walking into Selena's living room at around 9:15pm. In the hood, ironically, nobody kept they're doors locked, so it was easy for the girls to come right in. "Hey misses Gomez, is Selena here?" Nicole asked before descending up the stairs. She didn't answer, just nodded and kept stirring up a bowl of rice and salsa. They looked at each other and shrugged, but went upstairs anyway and walked into Selena's room, closing the door behind them. "What's up with Madre?" Nicole joked and laid across Selena's bed. "Yeah, crazy attitude tonight. Didn't smile and didn't speak." Jasmine added, walking over to the full length mirror that stood in front of Selena's closet door and examined her curves. "I don't know.. period I guess." Selena lied as she braided the last corn roll threw her hair and down her back. "Finished." Selena said, and smiled as she turned to face her friends. "What yall think?" Jasmine turned away from her reflection to look at her bestie. "Oooooo! I see you Alicia Keys!" Jasmine joked and laughed. Selena smiled at her friends.

Selena, Jasmine and Nicole had been friends since elementary school. Selena remembered the first day they all met and the reason why she dismissed her Latino background..

"Okay Selena.. now don't mess up your pretty dress and don't eat too much or talk too loudly or..." "Okay mommy, I get it.. don't be human." Cynthia smiled at her daughter and kissed her forehead. "Te amo Selena." She cooed. "Te amo mommy." Selena replied and walked into the building. Being that it was the first day of 4th grade was nerve wrecking enough but Selena could tell that something else was throwing her off. Blue and green eyes met her at every corner, blonde hair and pale skin brushed against her. "Hello there!" A high pitched voice startled Selena. When she turned around and looked up, she saw a middle-aged white woman with the rosiest cheeks and biggest smile she had ever seen. "H-hi?" Selena stuttered. "Would you happen to be Selena?" She asked, just as chipper as before. Selena nodded. "Well, welcome Selena. My name is Mrs. Williamson, and it so very nice to meet you. Come on, follow me." She smiled and took Selena's hand, leading her into a classroom, where she was greeted by dozens of surprised eyes. "Alright class, I would like you all to meet Selena.. oh, gee willy, I didn't get your last name sweetie, mind telling us?" Mrs. Williamson asked Selena, still smiling. Selena looked over the class for a moment before answering. "...James." She mumbled. "James!?" A red-haired boy called out. "Shouldn't it be like, RODRIQUEZ or CARLOS or something?" The class burst out with laughter as Mrs. Williamson did her very best, not smiling either, to calm the students down. The whole day was pretty much that same exact way for Selena - kids laughing and picking at her and teachers trying their hardest to understand. But no one did. When recess came around, Selena was the first one out the door. She found a quiet spot between a see-saw and the metal fence that kept Packer Collegiate Institute away from the harshness of Brooklyn. She looked over her shoulder and saw the other kids run rapid throughout the playground, laughing loudly and talking - mocking her unhappiness. She didn't understand why she was so different from them.. tears began burning at Selena's eyes until she realized someone was watching her threw the fence. Threw her teary blurry sight, she saw tan skin and curly hair.. someone like her. "Hola!" She called out to the person. "Por favor! Ayúdeme!! Me llamo Selena y no tengo gusto de él aquí, estoy muy triste! y..." "WHAT IN THE WORLD ARE YOU YELLING ABOUT?? I cant understand you AT ALL!" The girl yelled. Selena paused and wiped her tears. She wasn't Latino at all.. she was black. "Oh.. I-I'm sorry.. I thought you were Spanish.. like me." Selena admitted. The black girl neared the fence, so Selena did the same. "Na, just black. You sure you Spanish? 'Cause that schools for white kids." The girl informed. Selena looked behind her at all the children and down at her own skin, then back at the girl. "Trust me, I'm pretty sure." The girl grabbed the fence and examined Selena. Even though Selena's hair was extremely fine and curly, her skin was a very dark bronze. "Sure you aint black?" The girl asked. Selena had never considered it. She was a lot darker then her family members so she really wasn't sure. Selena shrugged. The girl smiled. "Well, you look black to me. And as long as you are black, you won't ever have to worry about being alone like this again. They'll always have your back." The girl said and motioned behind her to the streets, buildings, and people of Brooklyn. Selena's eyes lit up. She couldn't have been any happier with those words. "I'm Jasmine by the way." Jasmine added and stuck her hand threw the fence for a handshake. Selena grabbed it right away and shook it. "I'm Selena." Selena said. Jasmine smiled and withdrew her hand. "Hey, if you can survive today then me and my friend Nicole will be back to visit you tomorrow.. ya know, so you won't be alone.." Jasmine smiled. "Seems like this black thing is really starting to work out." Selena said and they laughed. "See ya Selena!" Jasmine said and ran off towards Brooklyn. "See ya." Selena smiled and sat back down. The three had been best friends ever since.

Brooklyn -- chapter one: blood aint always thicker.

Saturday nights were definitely the nights to look forward too in Brooklyn, New York. The streets stayed busy, full of people spending hours out on the town longer then they were suppose to and doing things they know they shouldn't. Selena James smiled as she thought about the things her and her girls would be doing tonight that they shouldn't be. The air from outside her bedroom window rushed in as she opened it and peered down from her seventh floor apartment building down on to Nostrand Avenue, the longest street in Brooklyn and the only one that traveled from Bushwick to Bedstuy, two of the most dangerous areas in New York - and Selena and her mother lived right in the middle of it. She inhaled, the block smelt just like hot dogs and weed, a smell that she was more than familiar with. She moved away from the window and towards her bed, plopping down face first. She reached down to the side of her bed where her stereo was and flicked the knob up, turning it on. "...clip to tec, respect, I demand it, slip and break the, 11th Commandment. Thou shalt not fuck with raw C-Poppa..." Throwback Saturdays were Selena's favorite. She closed her eyes as Biggie bumped and filled her room and the streets below. "SELENA!" She could hear her mother yell from downstairs. Selena rolled her eyes and turned the music up as loud as it could go, tuning her mother out, but the rapid thumps up the stairs just couldn't be ignored. Selena rushed up out of her bed to get to the door before her mother could but she was a few seconds too late. "SELENA ELANA GOMEZ JAMES, I KNOW you heard me calling you to turn that CRAP off.." Ms. Gomez fussed as she hurried to the stereo and yanked the knob down. Silence. Her mother closed her eyes and sighed, then turned to Selena. "Quién es ese hombre??" She asked, throwing her hands up. "Biggie." Selena answered. "Aiyee! Why do you insist on listening to this garbage Selena? And so looooudly?" She inquired, shaking her head and rubbing her temples. Selena crossed her arms over her chest and rolled her eyes. "Porque... MA, yo tengo gusto de la música y tengo gusto de Biggie!" Selena yelled. "Oooh.." Ms. Gomez said with an exgerrated surprised expression. "...So you do know how to speak Spanish? Hmmm, could have fooled me Selena because for a second there I thought you had forgotten how." She spat. "UGH! Why do you always have to go here with me ma? I'm tired of it. If I don't want to speak Spanish, or listen to your salsa music, or chat with grandma all the time, it shouldn't be a big deal." Selena argued. "Maybe your right Selena but it is a big deal. I am not going to just sit back and watch my 17 year old daughter erase one side of her culture.." Ms. Gomez said. "Ma!" Selena interjected. "No! You are going to listen to me this time Selena! I sware to mi dios en cielo, I feel like your running away from yourself. Your Latino, why not be proud of that, huh? Your grandmother comes all the way down from Puerto Rico only once, every year just to see you! And you don't even have the respect or the decency to speak to her. You know she can't speak English so you act like you don't even know what she's saying. Selena, I know what your surrounded by in Brooklyn but just because you live it doesn't mean you have to become it." Ms. Gomez said. "Your wrong ma.. I can't become anything that I already am. You should just leave.. a hora." Selena mumbled, moving away from her mother and back to her bed. She kicked up the knob up with her foot and KRS-1 blasted threw the room. "Aiyee!" Ms. Gomez yelled, throwing her hands up in defeat and left, slamming the door closed behind her.