Shortly after school, before four o'clock even encroaches on them, Maria is crossing the yard to Martel's house. She is also barefoot, so she minces along the sidewalk cautiously, just in case there's anything that might maim her feet. She doesn't have anything with her besides something--maybe a necklace, with beads?--wrapped in one hand, and ( Read more... )

Maria is picking Martel up at his house ( Read more... )

Maria pulls up in front of Martel's close to the appointed time (seven or so, she's pretty sure they said, and for once she's not terribly late--only a few minutes past), checking her hair and make-up in the rearview mirror. She's got her hair pulled back in a ponytail, and after judging that the five-year-old she'd be taking care of that evening ( Read more... )

After lunch at Cafe Latte (curled up in a booth while Martel had tea and Maria mercilessly teased him for having the aforementioned tea), Maria and Martel are at the Minneapolis Central Library. It's a new building, four stories, with free-hanging stairways everywhere and glass exterior walls, more concentrated toward the front. While it's not ( Read more... )

Maria is so glad Clarissa has Things to do that evening; she cajoles her guardian into saying she can have not one but two boys over, and is pretty sure the main reason she gets her way is Clarissa suspects it's actually likely Maria will get into less trouble with these particular boys than she would on her own ( Read more... )

Maria and Clarissa are, as Clarissa puts on earrings and studies her reflection in the mirror, casually discussing their plans for that afternoon (and in Clarissa's case, evening). Maria has explained that she is intending to hone her knowledge of Spanish; what she learns from Martel is not really exactly like what she picked up back home, but she ( Read more... )

Mel didn't actually think Maria and Martel would have done any permanent damage to each other, but it didn't hurt to check right? To be completely honest it freaked her out just a little that they talked so much about hurting each other, but what turns them on, right? Sure ( Read more... )

Maria lets Clarissa know Martel might be there when she gets home (it's not a big possibility, since Clarissa doesn't get in until five or six, generally, but Maria does attach herself to the boy like a limpet whenever possible), and then makes sure the living room is as organized as she cares to get it. She has the air conditioner on as high as ( Read more... )

Maria, shockingly, is...a relatively adequate driver; she has a tendency to get distracted, but Clarissa cautioned her about thirty thousand times before she took the car out, so she's actually bothering to pay attention to the road this time around. Isn't that reassuring. Much like with almost all aspects of her official education, she's fully ( Read more... )