Scarlett Rose Warren (habarosa) wrote in summerview, @ 2019-01-29 17:49:00 |
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Entry tags: | nunzio villanueva, scarlett warren |
First Fires
For the last hour, fourteen year old Scarlett Rose Warren sat in a tree watching as people passed by through the park. Older guys playing basketball, parents playing with their kids... two boys her age bullying some poor younger kid because he had braces and glasses... There were a hundred billion nerves in the human body and, for the last half hour, these two had managed to get on every one of hers with their antics. But that was about to come to a stop. Hopping out of the tree, Scarlett fixed her ponytail and called out to the boys, yelling at them to leave that kid alone. Of course, one of them had to get cocky. The other one went to her school and already knew she had a tendency to fight... and fight dirty. Still, after that, the kid had run off and the boy Scarlett didn't know started for her. She stood her ground and wasn't surprised when the kid threw a punch in her direction. She dodged the first, but didn't see the second, and after that, all she saw was red. She wasn't even sure what happened until she was hearing Spanish from somewhere. That sounded nice... July. One of Nunzio Villanueva's favorite times of year. The only thing he loved more than summer was Christmas. That was when he truly came alive. But summer meant a lighter load, for which he was thankful. The last semester of school had been brutal, but he had survived. Still, his summer class load was a lot lighter, but still intense. However now was not the time for thinking about school, or the mountain of homework he had. Now was the time for basketball. The two-on-two game had really started to heat up. He was really in the zone, but when he heard two boys shouting, he stopped, tucking the ball under his arm - eyes narrowing at the words that were coming out of their mouths. "What's a little bitch like you gonna do against us?" He could deal with boys fighting. He could deal with them being little shits, but when they were ganging up on a girl? And a younger one at that? His blood boiled. Tossing the basketball to one of his buddies, Zee marched over to the shitheads, pulling one of them away from her and tossing them aside. The other ran off in fear when he realized that the person interrupting was twice his size. His first instinct was to.try and calm her down - even after she managed to punch him once in the jaw. He shook it off, grabbing her by the shoulders. "Tranquilízate, chica. Se fueron. Estas bien. Está bien." Spanish. Someone was speaking in Spanish and holding her still. She didn't know why it was calming, but she could feel her muscles relaxing as she listened. As she came out of her anger induced haze, she made note of the fact that her hands and her face were hurting. Taking stock of the pain, she figured she had a black eye and a busted lip, but watching the other two scramble gave her a sense of pride. She'd hurt them just as badly. Blinking back up at the boy in front of her, Scarlett was struck with a sense of... something. It was weird. She didn't understand it in the slightest but it was comforting. "I hit you..." It was the only thing she could think to say, really. Nunzio was surprised that she didn't seem more hurt than she was. Then again, this tiny little girl had just held her own against two boys who were twice her size. He had to give her props for that. And here she was, worried about the fact that she'd hit him. He shrugged. "Don't worry about it. I've had worse." Martial arts classes would do that. Hanging out with the wrong crowd could do worse. He had the scars to prove that. Looking at her now, she couldn't be more than Gabi's age. That made his anger rise yet again. Those fucks. He should find them and kick their asses himself. Shaking off that feeling, he inspected her face. "You know, I have a sister your age." He wanted to let her know that he wasn't just some weirdo. Of course, having a sister didn’t entirely rule that out, did it? "We should get that cut looked at. You don't want it to get infected." Scarlett shook her head as she looked up at him. "I've had worse. I'll be okay." Not her first rodeo, plus, there were always the options and spells back home that she could practice with when it came to a bit of healing magic. Still, that something about him had her curious. Curiosity wasn't necessarily a good thing for Scarlett. It usually led to trouble more than anything. But he was... different? Maybe. She wasn't sure. It could very well be the simple fact that he'd done something that no one other than her sister had tried to do in her entire life. He'd protected her. That alone had her wondering about the boy. "I insist. Besides, if Mama hears I didn't bring you home to help," He let out a whistle and a laugh. "She'll have my ass. Have you ever crossed a Latina mom? They're terrifying." He tilted his head. "Maybe you know my sister, Gabrielle?" Gabi had friends everywhere. She didn't let stupid social groups dictate her friend circle. Scarlett shook her head. She'd taken his question seriously, though it had been rhetorical. Obviously, this little girl didn't have much in the way of humor. She didn't understand why he was laughing if his mother was going to "have his ass". She also didn't want that to happen, so it was easy to acquiesce from there. "I have my sister." It was a somewhat lonely existence at times, but to a 14 year old who had only really had her sister from the get go, it was normal and she didn't see the sadness in it. She only had her sister? He tilted his head slightly at that. "Well, I'm sure that Gabrielle will change that in an heartbeat. She adores people." Ever the social butterfly, his sister could make friends with anyone. He was always quite proud of her for that. "C'mon, then. We'll get you cleaned up, and take you home. I doubt your sister would be happy if you came home with a bloody lip and dirt all over your face." She looked worse than she probably was, if he was being honest. She'd handled those boys like a champ. "I live just down the street." She wasn't sure who Gabrielle was, but the guy in front of her seemed to be certain that his sister would make a friend out of her. Scarlett didn't want to seem rude, not after she had already decided to go with him to his home, which was apparently right down the street. She still didn't even know his name. "I guess if I don't get killed in a stranger's home, I'll make it out better than I went in," she mumbled, tucking her hair behind her ear. She knew she looked rough, but she was used to looking rough. It was Arden who was the pretty one out of the two of them. "Scout's honor, we don't kill people," he told her, shaking his head a little, that grin still ever present. Despite the fact that he'd just watched her wallop on two older boys, the girl seemed extremely down on herself. Did she have any idea how impressive that was? "Let me just grab my stuff. Give me a sec." He jogged back over to the basketball court, grabbing his bag and water bottle from a bench. He let the guys know he'd see them again in a couple of days - they tended to meet every few to play - before jogging back over to her. He slung the bag over his shoulder, and nodded in the direction of his house. "C'mon then." He started off towards the house, pausing after a few steps. "My name's Nunzio, by the way. Nunzio Villanueva." Following after him, Scarlett watched the happenings on the road they were on. All typical things. Cars passing, people playing, people walking, all things that didn't point to a serial killer in the area. Then again, sometimes people didn't even know. Scarlett figured it could always get worse, but maybe this time stuff might be looking up. When he introduced himself, she canted her head to the side and took him in again. Nunzio Villanueva. It was a mouthful. "Nunzio... Zee works. Scarlett Warren." She shrugged and continued to follow him right up to a modest house where she hesitated at the doorway. She really wasn't sure if she should be here. As they walked, he watched her from the corner of his eye. She seemed content to just take everything in. The neighborhood was a nice one - not the most glamorous, but it wasn't the slums, either. The Villanuevas were pretty stable in their finances. "A lot of people agree with you." Zee was a pretty common nickname for the nineteen year old. "Well, it's nice to meet you Scarlett." When they finally reached his house - a nice little two-story blue number with a beautifully kept yard - he opened up the door for her, pausing as he saw her hesitation. He was about to make a formal invitation into the house when his mother's voice rang out from deep inside. "Nunzio! ¿Eres tu? ¡Ven aquí y ayuda a tu hermana!" He looked over at Scarlett, a grin on his face, and rolled his eyes a little. "C'mon. I'll introduce you to Gabi and mom." Okay, so she wasn't original. That wasn't something she didn't already know. Better "Zee" than "Nun"... and "Zio" had her channeling the power rangers, so negative there. He may have been kind and he may have protected her, but he wasn't a Power Ranger. The voice inside the door had her jumping slightly and taking a step back. Older female voices that sounded demanding tended to remind her of her grandmother. Those that reminded her of her grandmother tended to set her teeth on edge. It was why some of the teachers at her school didn't have the best impressions of her. Still, at Nunzio's beckoning, Scarlett found herself entering cautiously. "¡Mamá! Ven aquí por un minuto. Quiero presentarte a alguien." He slowly ushered Scarlett into the living room, just as his mother came from the kitchen. The older woman's eyes went wide at the sight of Scarlett's face, before narrowing at her son. "¿Qué pasó con el pobre querido? Nunzio, why you let this happen to such a sweet child?" Softening her gaze, her attention went back to Scarlett. "Come, mija, sit in the kitchen. Mama Alma will take good care of you. We'll get you cleaned up. Nunzio," she waved a hand towards the bathroom. "Go get the supplies." The alarm that crossed her features was the first sense of it since the fight earlier. This little round woman had accomplished what two bullies who were bigger than her had not. But still, she went, her wide, worried eyes following the older boy as he disappeared. Zee chuckled a little as he went off to grab the first aid kit from the bathroom. He could hear his mother fussing over Scarlett in the kitchen, and it made him grin. His mother loved to take care of people. In the kitchen, Alma fussed. "So. Tell me what happened." She brought over a damp dish towel, and went to work wiping off the blood and dirt from her face. To her credit, Scarlett didn't flinch after the first time Alma reached out and started cleaning her face. The first time didn't count. "Got into a fight." She thought that was obvious, but just in case. Scarlett wasn't one for details or, really, letting people in. Putting her hands on her hips, the stout little woman gave Scarlett a look. "Clearly. The question is; why were you fighting in the first place?" It was pretty clear that Alma Villanueva wasn't one for short answers. Nunzio came back from the bathroom a moment later, a first aid kit tucked under his arm. "Bullies - two of them. She interfered when they were picking on some younger kid." He set the kit down on the table, and Alma immediately dug into it, grabbing various things she thought she'd need. "You should've seen it - girl's no bigger than a bean, but damn if she didn't give those two guys a run for their money." He was impressed, if he were being honest. Scarlett was familiar with that look. Disappointment... up until Nunzio came to the rescue almost immediately after. The reappearance of him had the small redhead relaxing a little more under Alma's scrutiny... which was probably noticeable. And the praise in his voice, something she wasn't used to hearing from her grandparents, had her sitting up a little taller... right up until Alma put that alcohol on a cut on her face. Almost immediately big, brave Scarlett Warren winced and flinched back away from it. Just because she got into fights didn't mean she enjoyed the pain that went along with them. The little witch wasn't the biggest fan ever of the feeling. Even if it was what she knew the most. He couldn't help but praise her - what she'd pulled off in that park had been amazing. He'd never seen anyone with her kind of fight before. Nunzio was impressed. Even so, he couldn't help but smirk a little as she flinched when Alma placed the alcohol soaked pad on her face. "Hurts, doesn't it, Bean?" Scarlett blinked. Bean? Was that how the boy saw her? She didn't know whether or not she liked the nickname, but she didn't object to it. Yet. However, when Nunzio smirked at her reaction to the alcohol, she glared at him. Maybe she didn't like the nickname after all. Not if he was going to pick on her for a normal reaction to pain. Maybe she should hex him. "Pain usually does," she mumbled. "You get used to it, the more you have to deal with it." He'd gotten in his fair share of fights when he was younger, so he was familiar with how it felt to be on the receiving end of Alma's medical care. "Hopefully you don't have to deal with it again." Something told him that the girl had a lot of anger issues to work through. Perhaps it had been a little harsh of him to tease her over how she'd reacted. She was a tough kid, if he were being honest. She could handle the pain better than most guys he knew. Poor Nunzio. He really had no idea. This was definitely going to happen again and, unfortunately, her knight in basketball shorts probably wouldn't be there to help her when it did. From that point on, however, she didn't budge when Alma doctored her, even though she wanted to. She stopped moving and forced herself to remain still, bright eyes focused on Nunzio as he stood watching them. She could show him that she was stronger than he thought. That she could take whatever his mother dished out to her. Alma made quick work of getting her cleaned up. She bandaged up the worst of the cuts, got the rest cleaned up, and had Nunzio hand her a bag of peas from the freezer to hopefully help ease the pain in her face. When she was finished, she stood back, her hands on her hips. "You're staying for dinner." It wasn't a question. She was insisting. "Come on, then. Get over here and help." Zee chuckled, his arms crossed over his chest. "I'd do what she says. She's adopted you, now, Bean." The alarm in her eyes was back whenever her presence was demanded for dinner and she was told to help make it. She could make dinner, yes... had been doing it for years now... but she wasn't alone. "My sister..." she started, uncertain of whether she should speak or not. But the sixteen year old back home was probably wondering where she was and she figured she'd caused Arden enough grief for the week. Still, would these people be offended over her sudden outburst or if they'd understand. Alma looked over her shoulder at the young girl. "She's welcome here, too. Feel free to call her. The more the merrier." Almost immediately she went back to what she was doing across the kitchen. "She cooks enough for an army," Nunzio told her. "You're both more than welcome to stay." He may have joked with her earlier about obeying his mother's demands, but in truth? She was free to leave if she wanted to. "You don't have to stay, if you don't want to. What I said earlier was just a joke, mostly to push her buttons. I can take you home, if you'd prefer." Scarlett blinked, looking between Alma and Nunzio. "Can I... can I call her? She can eat here?" The little redhead was trying her damndest not to be in the way, not to be a nuisance. Despite how little she knew of these people, she was finding that they were very different than her own family. And Nunzio, well, he'd been there. And now he was telling her she could leave if she wanted. But it wasn't mean or making her feel like she'd been an inconvenience. He was being nice. It was a welcome change. "Of course you can, mija. Nunzio, show her where the phone is so she can call her sister." Zee gave a nod for her to follow him, heading back out into the living room area. Watching her was interesting for the young man. She seemed timid, almost afraid to be in the way or that she was going to somehow offend them. She seemed fascinated by the way the family interacted with each other. Was her family one of the ones who were more distant, perhaps? The phone call was a quick one, mostly with Scarlett wincing a lot at the tone in her sister's voice. She couldn't blame her. Scarlett had gone off with a 19 year old stranger to a home that could have been anything. Thankfully, after getting the address where she was and talking a little more, Arden said she'd come next time but to come straight home afterwards. No buts. Once Scarlett agreed and hung up, she looked up at Nunzio and thanked him, a little embarrassed. There was no way he didn't hear the riot act her sister gave her. Well, her sister sounded absolutely delightful. Of course, he couldn't blame Scarlett's sister for freaking out. He knew how weird it sounded - he was at least a good five years older than this kid. For all she knew, he could've been some creepy perv. Thankfully, however, that was not the case. Zee just hated seeing other people get hurt. "You can't blame her for being worried. I promise, though, I'll have you straight home after dinner. Scout's honor." He gave her a little wink before he ushered her back into the kitchen, where Alma put them straight to work. All three of them pitched in, helping explain to Scarlett what they were doing, and the steps that they wanted her to help with. Alma even showed her the proper way to make a tortilla. |