Leticia Edghill

Peace and Love Everyone!

Hope you’ve all had a great week. I’m finally back. Sorry about not posting last week. I just hadn’t prepped and couldn’t pull off the last minute blog post. Last weekend I attended the Sugar Gals Shop Planner Conference in New York City. It was my first planner conference ever. I definitely has a good time.

This week I bring you the end of the first section of my fan fiction, chapter 3 and the beginning of the second section, chapter 4. I hope you enjoy reading it. I’ve been enjoying working on it. It brings back good childhood memories and I continue to recognize certain things about my writing. I hope posting the two chapters will make up for me missing a week. Enjoy.

Chapter 3

Within a week, Allegra was out of the hospital and was staying with Pablo and his family. She even worked a few hours at the hotel each day after school. She loved her new life. As soon as she finished high school, she and Pablo would get married. That was less than two years away.

“Pablo, it’s been over three months since I’ve seen mama. I would really like to see her.”

“Okay, we’ll go after work. But you know your father will be there.”

“I think I can handle seeing him for a few minutes.”

“Okay, get ready to go. Dad, see you at home.”

“Okay, son. Bye, Allegra.”

“See you, Mr. Rosas.”

“It’s about time that you call me Enrique.”

“Okay. See you, Enrique.”

“That’s better.”

---

“Anita, bring me a beer.”

“Get your beer yourself. You haven’t been sober more than a few hours since Allegra was away.”

“If she hadn’t gone off with that jerk, we could have had it good.”

“Mark, you ass, ‘we could have had it good.’ The girl doesn’t want you. She’s trying to get on with her life. Leave her alone.”

---

“Well, Alle, we’re here. Want to go through with it?”

“Yeah. I can’t let Mark stop me from seeing mama.”

“I understand that. You two can always meet after school and go shopping, or your mom can come to the hotel and have dinner with you.”

“I’ll discuss that with her when I see her.”

“Well, it’s now or never. Let’s go.”

“Okay.” They got out of the car and walked up the front walk. It wasn’t long after she rang the doorbell that her mom opened the door.

“Mi Bambina.”

“Hi, mama. How are you?”

“Okay, and you? Pablo, como estas?”

“We’re both well.”

“Bueno, bueno. Come in, come in. Don’t mind Mark; he’s out of it.”
Mark got up from his chair and headed for the bedroom.

“So everything okay.”

“Yes, great. His parents are so nice to me. Working at the hotel is going well also.”

“What do you do?”

“I answer phones and other little things.”
“Sounds good. I am glad you are happy. When you make my daughter happy Pablo, you make me happy.”

“That’s good to hear, Mrs. Sutton.”

“Call me, Essie, please.”

“Of course, Essie.” Just then, Mark came out of the room with a shotgun and pointed it at Pablo.

Everyone froze.

“Get out of my house, you bastard. You took my daughter away from me. You will pay.” He paused and came closer.

Pablo and Allegra got up and began to move toward the door. Pablo had pushed Allegra behind them as they slowly edged their way to the door. Mark watched and several moments pasted.

“With your life.” Mark pulled the trigger. Mrs. Sutton fell from the couch to her hands and knees.

“No,” screamed Allegra. “You son of a bitch. You shot him! No.” Allegra held Pablo in her arms. There seemed to be blood everywhere. Allegra pressed her jacket into the wound to staunch the bleeding, but that didn’t see to help “Mama, call 911,” Allegra yelled, seeing her mom frozen in prayer.

“Why did you have to ruin my life. You ruined my mother’s life wasn’t that enough. Pablo hold on. Please don’t leave me here. I can’t carry on without you. I love you.”

“I love you too, Alle. I always will.” Pablo closed his eyes. It almost sent Allegra into further panic. But his heart still beat, his chest rose and fell, although shallow. He would hold on for her.

It seemed life the ambulance had taken forever to arrive. Finally, they rushed Pablo to the hospital. Allegra road with him. Her mom promised to call Enrique and tell him what happened.

Mark was arrested for the attempted murder of Pablo Rosas. It was a big story printed in every newspaper across Los Angeles. It would take a while for the trial to begin although prosecutors had promised her they would try to fast track it. Several months went by, and it seemed like Pablo was getting better. When the doctors announced his death, everything stopped for Allegra. It didn’t matter that her so-called father would be tried for murder.
When the case was dismissed on a technicality after the trial hearing was postponed Allegra thought she would die.

Anita had been righting her sister Lydia in New York when all the chaos started. Lydia had sent a plane ticket for Allegra as soon as she heard, but Anita held on to it, thinking Pablo would get better. The day the charges were dropped, Enrique drove Allegra to the airport and Anita said her goodbyes to her daughter.

Since Essie had no reason to stay a homemaker, she began to work at the hotel. Both families had suffered a horrible loss and formed a friendship to support each other.

Part II: Chapter 4

Allegra approached the steps of her new school. She looked up and smiled as she read the name written above the doors. She walked through the halls looking for the dance room. She heard music coming from a place a short distance ahead. She followed the sound and opened the doors. She stood watching her aunt for a while.

Allegra stood about average height, long dark brown hair with a golden brown complexion. Her complexion is only slightly darker than the woman she watched now. Allegra and her aunt were about the same height, but Lydia had cut her hair into a short trendy style.

“Hi, Aunt Lydia.”

“I see you made it. So, what do you think of the school.”

“It’s nice. Three girls greeted me and introduced themselves. I think their names were Nicky, Dusty, and Reggie.”

“Oh, so you’ve met some of the girls in the class.”

“Yeah, I think I’ll go down and change. Then I’ll warm-up. See you soon, Auntie.” Allegra ran downstairs and changed quickly. She returned to the room and began warming up just as the bell rang. Students began to pour into class. Allegra stopped stretching and stood next to her aunt.

A tall black guy entered the room. Well built, with braids in his hair. Cute, but so not Allegra’s type. He seemed too old to be a student, so either he got left-back, or he was the guy her aunt had told her helped out a lot with classes.

“Leroy, come here, honey.”

“Yes, Ms. Grant.”

“I want you to meet my niece. Allegra, this is Leroy. Leroy, my niece, Allegra. She will be a permeant student here at the Arts.”

“Hello, Allegra, nice to meet you.”

“Same here, Leroy. Aunt Lydia, when am I going to see Jesse?”

“He should’ve been here by now. But knowing him, he’ll be late. Leroy, do me a favor and take over the class, I’ll be back. Oh, and introduce Allegra to them.”

“Yes, Ms. Grant. So tell me, who are you related to in this school? Besides Ms. Grant, that is.”

“Jesse Valesquez, I’m sure you know him.”

“Who doesn’t?’

“I guess he’s very popular.”

“Yes, he knows every girl in the school, and every girl knows him.” Leroy turned to the class. “Alright, class, let’s get started. We’re going to work on the number for the show. Oh yeah, class, I’d like you to meet our new student Allegra. She’ll be working with us at the Arts from now on.”
Allegra just smiled and joined the class. Just then, a tall guy with long, straight hair walked in. He was indeed cute and Allegra’s type if he wasn’t family. They met when she went to visit her grandparents in Mexico. She and Jesse were attracted to each other at first sight, must have been the family resemblance. Her aunt Maria explain their family connection before the two could get any more attached. They were cousins. My what a shock that was, he was her cousin. Well, she and Jesse became the best of friends. He was a great guy.

“Valesquez, you’re late.”

“Yeah, I know. My alarm clock didn’t go off.”

“Just get in line. Okay, let’s get to work. Allegra since you’re new, watch. You can join in the next time they go over it.”

“Okay,” she replied to see if her cousin had noticed her or even sensed her presence. But he didn’t even look to see who Allegra was, too busy getting ready to start.

“Okay class from the top, 5,6,7 and.”

They began to dance. The class was so good, Allegra wondered if she was even good enough to fit in. As she watched and felt the beat of the music, she began to move. Her aunt had briefly gone over the routine with her at home.

As she continued, Leroy stopped dancing to watch her move. Allegra was so graceful and light on her feet. “Everyone stop. There’s nothing wrong, and I just want to start from the beginning. This time Jesse and Allegra as the lead. Jesse, you know the steps.”

“Sure.”

“Good show, Allegra. Now, I want you to watch Jesse and follow him.”

“Okay, I hope I don’t let you down.”

“Believe me; we won’t mind.”

“Ah, Nicole, did you say something.”

“No, I didn’t hear anything.”

“That’s what I thought. Go ahead, you two. Let’s see what you’re made of.”

“Allegra watched Jess, but she also watched Nicole. It seemed that she was not happy about Leroy’s decision. Well, Allegra was going to do her best no matter what. She did, she caught on really fast, and the lead role became hers. No one could take it from her now unless she couldn’t dance. She would make sure that wasn’t a possibility. It would be her first show since she was in school, and if her mom were here, she would be so proud of her Allegra. Allegra beamed.

“Alright, now everyone from the top, straight through, 5,6,7 and.”

So far, everything was going as planned. They had lead dancers; the rest of the dancers were almost ready. With a little work, they would be. Leroy thought of all the things that need to be completed as he watched. He mainly kept an eye on Allegra to make sure she was up to the part, and indeed she was.

“Really good class and I mean it. Let’s break for a few until Ms. Grant comes back. Everyone except Allegra and Jesse. I want to see that combination one more time, from the leap.”

The pair started dancing, they were good, but they had to work on that leap. It needed to be more synchronized. Otherwise, it was almost perfect. Leroy wasn’t the only one to realize it. So did Nicole, she knew now she had some fierce competition. Apparently, not only in dancing.

Even though Jesse wasn’t her boyfriend anymore, they were working on getting back together. This girl, Allegra, would spoil everything.

“Well Leroy, looks like you found the lead dancers while I was gone.”

“Yes, I hope you approve.”

“Yes, I do.”

“Your niece is terrific.”

“Yes, I was observing her. She is graceful, very light on her feet. I never knew she could dance like that and I’ve known her all my life.”

“She takes after you, of course.”

“Why thank you, Leroy. Okay, that’s it. See you all later. Jesse, Allegra that was very good.”

“Thanks,” they replied at the same time.

“Allegra, I have a cousin in Los Angeles with that same name.”

Allegra sighed, “That’s because I am your cousin. Jesse, I’m surprised you didn’t recognize me. Especially after all the time, you spent taking all those pictures with my camera.”

“Allegra, I haven’t seen you in almost a decade.” Jesse gives her a big hug swinging her in a quick circle. “So good to see you. My you’ve, well grown, I guess in all the right places.”

Allegra rolled her eyes. “Yep, that sounds like something J.T. Would say. So, how’s the family.”

“Good, last time we wrote. I can’t believe it, Allegra Antonia Maria Rivera. The little cousin I called Manchichi, well not so little now. How about we practice after school and then go for pizza? I can introduce you to the crew.”

“Sounds good, it’s a date.”

“Don’t say date; it doesn’t sound good. Cousin, remember.”

“I didn’t mean it like that. Plus no one knows that.”

“They will after today. See you later, Manchichi.”

“Sure, just don’t call me that.”

“Okay, see ya.” As Jesse turned away from Allegra, Nicole walked over to him.

“Jesse, want to get pizza after school?”

“Sorry, Nicky already got plans.”

“Sure, see you later.” She walked back over to her friends. They looked at her expectantly. “I told you guys that she was going to cause trouble between Jesse and I. He already has a date with her.”

“Do you know that for sure, Nicky?”

“I saw them talking, and then he tells me he has plans. Two and Two guys come on. We can all tell they knew each other, and now she wants him back, and Jesse is willing to take her back.”

“Nicky, you’re jumping to conclusions. They could be old friends.”

“Dusty, no girl is just old friends with Jesse, and you know it.”

“She’s got a point, Dusty.”

“Maybe. Do you really want to find out, Nicole?”

“Yeah.”

“Okay, say we ask Allegra to join us for pizza after school and see what she says.”

“Sounds good.”

“Hey, Allegra, what’s up?”

“Nothing really.”

“Would you like to join us for pizza after school?”

“Thanks, Nicky, but I’ve got plans.”

Dusty and Nicky look at each other.

“A date already and you just got here, my. So whose the lucky guy?”

“Jesse, but..”

“Oh really, well I used to go with Jesse, and we’re working things out.”
“Really? He said nothing to me about seeing someone.”

“Listen, Ms. Fancy Pants; I don’t want anyone to mess things up between Jesse and me, so just step off.”

“My aren’t we insecure. Listen if Jesse wants to be with you he’ll tell me. But at this point, I think he prefers my company.”

That made Nicole steam. Allegra excused herself and headed for the showers.

After school, Allegra went to the dance room and began to warm up. She had barely warmed up when Jesse walked in.

“Allegra, what did you say to Nicole?”

“My goodness, I don’t even get a hi cuz.”

“Hi cuz, what did you say to Nicole?”

“Well, I kinda told her that we were competing for you, but not directly. When she first asked if I wanted to join them after school, I told them no I had plans. When I tried to say that you were my cousin, she tells me to step off. That made me angry, so I kinda told her we were going out.”

“Thanks a lot, Manchichi.”

“I’m sorry, but she made me angry, and I kind of overdid it. Really sorry, but I think she’s a snob.”

“She’s not a snob, just insecure about our relationship. We’ve been trying to put it back together.”

“Yeah well, I’m sorry. Say we forget practice and go for pizza. After you can take me home. I’ll help you make up with her tomorrow.”

“We should practice but okay. Let’s go.”

At the Club….

“Hey, Jesse, what’s up?”

“Donnely, I want you to meet my cousin, Allegra.”

“Hi, uh.”

“It’s Chris, nice to meet you, Allegra.”

“Same here.”

“Hey, Chris wanna join us for pizza?”

“Thanks, but I go on next.”

“Check you later, man.”

“Sure.”

“So, Manchichi, how’s the family back in L.A.?”

“They’re okay.”

“Is your stepfather still weird?”

“Let’s not talk about him, okay?”

“Sure. What do you want on your pizza?”

“How about sausage?”

“Sounds tasty.”

I hope you’ve enjoyed these two chapters from my fan fiction.

Until next week…

Peace & Love..