daybreakacademy | Las Mañanitas

Entry tags:

clifford norman: wilde life

Las Mañanitas

Who: Teto and Cliff
What: It's a birthday
When: November 30th
Where: Around Daybreak and Soliel
Warning: N/A

The sounds of music fill the hall. A gently strummed guitar and a boy, singing quietly to himself.

"Estas son las mañanitas~ Que cantaba el rey David~ Hoy por ser día de tu santo~ Te las cantamos aquí..."

Apparently, France is ahead in time compared to home. It might not even be morning yet in Santa Cecilia. There's a faint hope in his heart, but he doesn't want to give it too much life. Really, it's better just to celebrate by himself. If he hopes for more, he'll be disappointed, but if he just makes this his day, it'll all be fine. Hopefully.

With a candle taken from a spell class and a lighter he most definitely didn't knick off anyone in particular, he stops his playing for a moment and lights the candle up, set beside a random bit of sweets that isn't really cake but close enough. He stares at the flame and then hesitates. He laughs at himself.

"Geez. What am I, a little kid?"

He blows the candle back out without wishing.

He sees someone pass by the door and he calls out.

"Hey! Cliff! I... uh... found your lighter! Hah, yeah! You dropped it, right?"

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He laughs, "Yeah, I was kind of worried some more would get in there. I could hear Tía Bruja saying something about that."

Yelling at her brothers. He remembers that too.

He nods his head. The fact they're older is really strange. A little like being left behind. Something that Cliff isn't about to do, and so he's quickly grinning.

"Yeah! We just got out, we can't stop now!"

Great! Cliff gestures for Teto to follow so he can actually buy the jacket, along with the impulsively added bag of gummy worms and a handful of silicone bracelets. Good extra goodies to split between them. If Teto puts the shirt and any other clothes he finds along the way on the counter along with the jacket, he's not going to bat a lash or complain. He's not really sure on the kid's money situation, even with the other Héctor being rich...

Once they've left, he shows a few of the bracelets and is about to ask the other boy which ones he wants when something catches on his senses. A smoky, wild smell and a familiar voice. What was that about Cliff not leaving Teto behind? Because he passes the bag of stuff over with a, "Be right back," before he half-jogs over to a pair of guys older than him, but barely out of their teens, if they even were. One acknowledges him with a lazy grin and an offer of a cigarette while the other looks past him to Teto and cocks his head. They seem mildly surprised when Cliff seemingly refuses the offer.

A few more gestures and words exchanged later, and back he comes. "Thanks, guys! We'll hang soon, okay?" he calls back to them with a smile of his own before he returns his attention to the birthday boy.

"Okay. Sorry about that. We're gonna go this way, but we can stop wherever you want on the way."

Delightedly, he does follow. The gummy worms get his approval (and a comment of longing chapulines) while the silicone bracelets get a question of what they're for (to be answered later of course). He might grab that shirt and another thing or too, but he's hesitant to grab too much. Even being treated, he doesn't want to be burdensome.

He feels giddy, almost dizzyingly so. He decides the bracelets are cool and he's about to say more when someone calls out to Cliff. This... this feels familiar too. But, not in the good way. He manages to keep his face from falling until Cliff is well away.

Cliff is older. He's going to have older friends. He can't be that surprised.

He can when Cliff actually comes back though. He glances from Cliff to the older boys then back.

"Uh. Okay. You don't want to hang out with them?"

Cliff wears a series of his own colorful bracelets almost every day, so even with the fact that he's all bundled up to counter the cold, he has them ready as an example. Fun friend thing, and a splash of color for the kid's more gothic new look.

The question earns a confused look in response, the sort that suggests the answer to it should have been obvious enough it could continue going unsaid. It's just a touch more scathing than usual, thanks to blight agitation. "Uh, no? I'm hanging out with you, man. I just needed to ask them if there's a place around here that doesn't care if someone's too young to get pierced. Figured Luke would know."

Duh.

It might be obvious to Cliff, but it's certainly not obvious to him. He ducks his head a little.

"O-oh. Sorry," He says quick. Then he blinks. "Oh! A piercing! Right! Did he know place? Are we gonna go now?"

Boy oh boy is he not pulling off that "pretend to be older than you are" thing.

He sighs a little, mentally grumbling about the apology, but he knows that if he comments on it, it'll probably just make Teto apologize even more. Better to move on to this better topic.

"Yeah, I thought so. You still want one, right?" So he gestures down the street and starts off again. Let's gooo. But when they're solidly on the move again, he looks over with a furrowed brow. "You seriously thought I was going to ditch you?"

"Sí! Yes! I do!" He's hurrying alright, he's hurrying.

Or, he was. Until that question. He falters a little and looks away. His shoulders hike and then drop.

"I don't know. Maybe. They're your friends, right? They're closer to your age and stuff. You can probably do more things with them or you might see them less. It'd make sense."

Ah, well. Fair. He wishes it wasn't fair, and that he could argue all the blame had to do with Teto's past and perceptions. Unfortunately, he knows he's not always, how they say...not an asshole. He's a teen boy with a chip on his shoulder, after all. He shrugs now, wondering if maybe that helps the chips clatter to the ground instead.

"Age difference is almost the same, actually." Or, well, it varied. The friend group was kind of a mishmash. "And you say that like we're not friends. I can smoke and drink with them, yeah, but I can pretty much do that whenever I want. I can celebrate your birthday with you once a year. Choice was clear to me."

Also he'd been seeing them pretty frequently the last few days, but Teto would probably take that reassurance the wrong way, so he'll keep his mouth shut on that one.

"Anyway. What're you thinking you'll go for? Not going to lie, tongue can be kind of a pain to take care of, but at least you probably won't have to keep your mouth shut for a month or risk it becoming a big deal."

"It's still cooler to have an older friend than a younger one," He points out. He has that much self-awareness.

But Cliff does still have a point. It's only going to be his birthday now. It wouldn't have swayed every older kid to ditch their other friends but... he's glad it swayed Cliff. He manages an easier smile.

"I guess my ears." He reaches up for them. He was always told they were kind of big, but not as big as his nose which ruled out anything with that. "Or maybe an eyebrow? I... don't think I want to do my tongue."

Even if he could get away with it. He laughs a little nervously.

"Oh, it's uncool of them to be friends with me then, I see." Really, Teto... Yeah, he's not entirely wrong, but he sure does have a way of accidentally tearing down what's around him while he's busy bringing himself down. Maybe if he stopped doing that, he wouldn't say as many stupid things like, 'hey man, why aren't you abandoning me on my birthday?'

Cliff gives a short hum of affirmation, studying Teto and trying to picture either idea. Not something Cliff himself would go for, but he doesn't think it would look too bad. It also doesn't matter what he thinks -- it's about doing what they want. Still,

"Ears will probably get a bigger pass with adults right now, since they're more common and easier to hide. Could be good to start there and ease them into the idea so no one's making you take anything out."

He blinks, not having thought of it like that. Then he grins sheepishly. Sorry, Cliff, he can't deny that one.

"Oh! That's a good idea!" He says. "And then, if I do those and I want more, they might let me try a different thing next time!"

Cliff here with all the great rule dodging ideas. He wishes he still had his red old book. He'd take notes.

"Hey! Did you know, in ancient times and stuff, my ancestors wore those really big earring things? It was for jobs and ranks! I learned that from this guy who used to live in Santa Cecilia, he'd talk about that stuff all the time, if I played a song for him. It was really cool."

Damn right it's a good idea. Cliff has lots of good ideas. He just also has a lot of bad ones, and those usually sounded way more fun.

...Huh. He didn't know Teto could nerd out over anything other than music. It's kind of a bizarre turn in the conversation for him, since it's actually informative and all, but not an unwelcome one. A little bit like Kevin telling him what he'd learned in science while Cliff walked him to his tae kwon do class. The good old days.

Also, it sounded like Teto's ancestors had his beat. Not much good to be found, he's sure, if someone were to dig back.

"I think you learned more while busking than I did in Podunk's schools."

Surprise Cliff! He's a history nerd too. Mildly.

He laughs brightly and says, "Yeah, maybe. School's okay but I like being out there more. Even music itself. I learned from another musician and just trying things out and then some more from teaching."

He feels the itch in his fingers now for an instrument. Unfortunately, what he's got instead is a pile of gifts. Good gifts! But not the kind he can play music on.

"It's pretty much a job. Adults always say you learn things from jobs and stuff."

Anything can be an instrument, coward.

The observation makes Cliff laugh, that same wry amusement he often got when his thoughts turn to Carl. He feels like he's holding onto his bitterness for too long -- it's been almost two months now, wow, jeez! Soooo long ago! -- and that it isn't the time to be dwelling on these things, but also fuck that. 'Fuck that' was the correct answer.

"Maybe the ones in your life. Guy my mom was married to was so annoying... More like, 'Learn to fucking listen and do what I say, because you're sure not learning from all the mistakes you make!' Everything I did was a mistake to him. Probably didn't even think I'd be capable of holding down a job to learn from. Your way sounds better. You were doing what you wanted, learning what you wanted. Way cooler than algebra and stuff."

Clothes? Clothes make a very bad instrument.

He tries not to let his smile slip. He doesn't want to bring the mood down. Not again. So he makes himself laugh.

"I don't think they were saying that to me. They said other things. And I still had to go to school, I just did my busking after." He manages to push the smile back up. "What about your mom. She was nicer than the jerk, right?"

Shake them out like laundry and you've got yourself some kind of percussion, maybe.

Even more maybe, one day Cliff might learn that his casual complaints to people he trusts makes them unhappy! And that pressing on unpleasant topics only brings out more bad memories! Alas, he's oblivious to Teto's discomfort, and looks over with a blank look.

"Yeah? She's great." Duh. Why wouldn't she be? Anyway, "I guess you would still be going to school, huh... Still, at least you were learning about shit you cared about. I can't figure out when the hell you'd have time for writing music and flirting with girls. Girl."

Maybe, maybe.

He starts to say, "Well, she probably doesn't say that about you then." And probably something about how Cliff could still learn things he likes on his own.

But then, there's a record scratch in his mind and his cheeks flush red.

"It wasn't flir- It's- It's not- I mean- we're frie- were- we--" He suddenly realizes, in that moment, that he can deny and downplay absolutely nothing because of his older counterpart. He's left making some vague choking noise while he flushes right to his ears. He drops his face to hide in the pile of clothing. This is how he dies.

His voice is muffled when he speaks again.

"She comes out to dance while I play. Sometimes to hangout. Not... that it matters now..."

Ah, this must be why people keep making him suffer. Flustered Teto is really fun to watch, and for a moment he feels extra smug about how being friends didn't mean you couldn't like each other, argument invalid, but then there's that fun little reminder. Hm... What do you say to a guy who had been certain of his love and inevitable marriage to someone when that someone is now in an entirely different age group, married, and has kind of sort of adopted you?

"I don't know about weird stuff like this, but I don't really get why that fairy can't just...make a version of her, too."

That is absolutely why people make Cliff suffer. Accidentally too, but he's also just easy to rile up.

He lifts his head and he sighs. But, despite that, he's kind of relieved. When he thinks of why not, suddenly, it pulls him from his own wallowing to think of her.

"I don't know. Maybe. But..." He smiles sadly. "I can't do that. Not to her. She's not like me. She had a family. She was always looking after her brothers." He laughs softly with the nostalgia. "I know they're around, and her parents too, I hope, but it wouldn't be the same. I don't want her to feel like that. Lost or lonely. Especially not because of me. Even if she was gonna run away with me."

They'd gotten far. At least in terms of trying to outrun a tracking jaguar monster.

"I can be alone, if she's happy now. I want her to have what she wants. Not just exist because of me. Does that make sense?"

Cliff is quiet another moment, then gently nudges Teto with his elbow, a teasing grin in place.

"Huh, look at that! You can tell it's your birthday with how mature you're sounding. Another year older, another year wiser."

Also, like, a bummer. That's being like an adult baybeee.

The brief bout of maturity breaks as he sputters on a laugh and sways. He moves to bump Cliff back.

"Shut up, Güey," He says.

His cheeks are still colored with the topic, but, he does have that smile lingering.

"The point is, it's better. I miss her but she's fine being Tía Bruja. You'd do the same, right? If someone you liked was happy?

There we go. That's a little bit better. To continue his annoying confidence, he reaches over to pull the gummi worms from the bag, opening it wide enough so he can get one for himself, held in his teeth, and tip it for Teto to easily pick one out, too.

"Yeah... I think so." Which is embarrassing, and hopefully he can pass the pink off as the colder November temperature. "I'd want her to be happy, not hold her back. It doesn't change all we've done together, either."

It doesn't change all we've done together.

He thinks about that, of playing in the plaza, Imelda passing him in the street. He thinks of the way she'd look at him, like she really saw him in a way no one else did, past the torn clothes, past that the music, at him. He thinks of climbing over her the high gated wall around her garden, crashing into the bush, much to her absolute bewilderment and exasperation. He thinks of watching her with her brothers and her family out and about, noting that the pang of jealousy he often felt observing families was dimmed a little by the fondness he saw in her and then felt mirrored in his heart. He thinks of the times when she got swept up in the antics between him and his old friend, and the time it was just them, here, at the school. That time when they were going to take on the world and fate and everything else, just them alone. He thinks of playing just for her and of the dances he wanted but never got to have. He thinks of her, long braid trailed down her back, standing straight, and past the expression that others would misinterpret as being cold, that hint of a smile. In his mind, that smile spreads across her face as she looks at him. Then, as she always had to do, she turns around and walks away, fading into the background of his home that he was always pulled from, that never really wanted him, but he came back to all the same. Because she was there.

"Yeah. Doesn't change anything," He says, and his voice and expression are far off for a moment. It's the only thing sparing Cliff from having that bit of pink noticed. The song he never finished settles in his mind. He should ask his older self if they ever finished it.

Then before, he's too lost and Cliff gets tired of waiting, he snatches out three different gummy worms. He pops two in his mouth, then holds the other one above his lip like a mustache. He shows that off and eats that one too.

"Not as good as Tía's chapulines, but much better for making mustaches with," He declares.

Edited 2021-01-20 22:15 (UTC)

Two useless, soft boys that are head over heels for good Rivera girls. Forget any maturity the two of them might have had seconds before, Cliff is lightly shoving Teto again with a bark of laughter because this is the sort of dumb stuff that reminds him of Kevin, really.

"Nerd." But anyway. "Chapulines are the grasshopper things, right? I was reading to try and find out what they tasted like. Didn't sound bad, but I still think I'd rather have barbecue."

Red meat, red meat.

"Maybe we should have Mrs. Rivera send us her recipe, and we can try to make them? I did Atole."

He sways again and he shoves again, laughing too. Cliff is simply jealous of his amazing moustache.

"Yes! That's a great idea!" They wouldn't be able to make it as it's done on a copal, and it might be hard to find to find where the crickets are sold, but whatever it took, it'd be worth it.

He's also going to have to swipe atole off of Cliff, now that he knows this is a thing.

"You should see some of the street vendors in my home sometime, in the cities. You'd like Barbacoa, probably Al Pastor too." They've got you covered wolfman.

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