Noel
 
I feel the rage boiling inside of me. I look at my dad; he takes a step toward me. I take a step away. I grab my skateboard and push past my dad. He tries to grab my arm, and I jerk it away from him. I feel bad because the boys look scared, so I stop and bend down to their levels.
 
“Don’t you like your room?” Tenoch says with big tears in his eyes. It makes me feel like shit.
 
“Did you help decorate it?” I ask him, trying not to cry myself. He nods, looking down at his feet. “Then, I love it.”
 
“Are you coming back? Tenoch asks.
 
“I’ll be back. I need some time alone.”
 
“Okay,” he smiles, and he runs off to play.
 
“Noelito.” My dad begins to say. I look at him and shake my head.
 
I take my board and hit the street. I have so much going on in my mind. I want to punch something or someone over and over again. What the fuck did I do to make Papa send me away for good? I see a fast food place  I order food and sit on the benches outside. I take out my phone from my pocket and look at it.
 
Mama: Noel, please call me.
Apa: Call me. Did you land? Are you okay?
 
I ignore both texts from my parents and continue scrolling. They each called me ten times, but they all went to voicemail. I need to cool down before I talk to them.  My phone rings, it’s my best friend, Lino.
 
“Hello?” I answer.
“Bro! What the actual fuck? I went to your pops house, and Destiny told me you moved!”
 
“Yup, but they forgot to tell me. When I got here, all my shit was here. I have no fucking idea why that happened.
 
“You haven’t talked to your Pa?”
 
“Naw, dude, he didn’t even say goodbye. He sent his assistant to take me to the airport.”
 
“Damn, that fucking sucks! What about school?”
 
“I have no idea until I talk to my mom.”
 
“Dude, Destiny invited me into the house.”
 
“Don’t tell me you went in?”
 
“I did.” He says, “She got mad at me, though.”
 
“Why?”
 
“Are you sure you want to know?”
 
“Eww, no, I’m cool! I better go. I’m going to the skate park for a bit. Later.”
 
“Later!”
 
I get on my board and skate up the block to a library. The skate park is in the same parking lot. There a lot of cars, but the skate park is almost empty, only a few kids there.  I get there, and I get in my zone and skate until I’m drenched in sweat. I go over to the water fountain and take a long drink, cool drink.
 
“Damn, don’t drink all the fucking water, man.” A girl’s voice says.
 
“I didn’t know you owned the water,” I say without looking at her.  She grabs my arm, and I jerk away from her. “Don’t ever touch me!”
 
The next thing I know, there are two guys. One is tall and skinny, the other short and blonde flanking her side. They try to look hard but fail. It makes me laugh.
 
“What the fuck you laughing at, pendejo.” The guy with the blonde hair says.
 
“I’m laughing at y’all.” I laugh.
 
“Y’all? You A fucking hillbilly hick or what?”
 
“What did you call me?” I say, getting closer to the taller guy.
 
“Yo, let’s cut out, “the girl says. “I can’t get in trouble before summer school.”
 
She flips me off and smiles, which confuses the fuck out of me. She seems like a tough as nails girl even though she is a tiny thing. The guys are still mean mugging me, and I shake my head. They skate out of sight.  I sit on the edge of the drop with my feet dangling down.
 
“Noel,” I hear someone shout my name. I look over and see my God Mother, Marisol. “I knew I’d find you here. Are you okay, my love?”
 
Hi, Nina Sol. I’m not okay, but I will be.” I’m surprised that I was open with my response.
 
“Oh, Noel.” She hugs me tightly. What I do next shocks me. I cry like a baby.
 
“Am I that bad that my Papa wants me out?”
 
“I have no idea why this happened. Talk to mommy and see what she says.”
 
“Nina, everything I worked so hard for in Texas wasn’t worth shit!  I won MECHA president, and now that is out the fucking window.”
 
“I heard that you won. I’m so proud of you, baby boy.”
 
“Yeah, well, it means jack shit now.”
 
“Don’t be so sure, Noel. The MECHA summer program starts tomorrow. You should come. I hear the advisor is cool.”
 
“That’s okay, I’m good. I don’t need to go.”
 
“Too bad you’re going. I paid the fees for you already.”
 
“Fine,” I say.
 
“Call your mama.” She says, standing up. “Your mom has information about the workshop.”
 
“Okay, Nina, I love you.” I hug her, and she leaves. I take out my phone and place a call. “Hi, mama.”
 
“Mijo, are you okay?” she sounds worried, and it makes me feel bad.
 
“I’m okay, just hurt that no one thought to ask me if I wanted to move here.”
 
“Baby, I had fights with your Papa. I told him that it was a bad idea. He hasn’t talked to me for weeks.”
“Why did he do this?”
 
“He wouldn’t give me a straight answer. I told him if this has to do with Esther, I would go and beat her ass.” She says, which makes me laugh.  “Are you coming home? The boys are crying because they were promised Baldies.”
 
“I’m going to call Papa first, and I will be on my way.”
 
“Don’t yell, Noelito. Please.”
 
“I’m not promising anything, but I will try, Mama. I love you.”
 
“Love you, baby boy.”
 
 
I find a bench and pluck up the nerve to call my Papa.  The phone rings and rings until he finally picks up.
 
“What the fuck took you so long to call me?” he yells.
 
“Don’t yell at me. You didn’t even bother to say goodbye to me. You sent me away without telling me why. That fucking hurts so bad. I’m not a fucking piece of garbage that you don’t want anymore and toss me out! I want to know why? Why am I not good enough for you?”
 
“Noel, this will be good for you for us.” He says. I get angrier because he is not answering the question.
 
“Just answer the fucking question!” I scream.
 
“Noel, my marriage was in jeopardy. I need to save my marriage, and I’d do anything to save it. You understand me?”
 
“Loud and clear,” I say, shocked at what he just said to me. “You did what you had to do for you and just realize that you ruined our relationship.”
 
As I disconnect the call, I hear him yell my name. My heart is in pieces and broken beyond repair.