Jack and his family moved into the new apartment, two blocks down from where they had originally resided. Jose, feeling bad for his sister, decided it was best for him to stay behind and help her economically. Jack was simply grateful that he was away from the children, Marta’s children, whom she raised to be little devils, at least from his perspective. They stepped into the apartment, dirty as one can be, and started to clean up immediately. 

Jack looked around, noticing the syringes on the floor, beers on the abandoned table, and newspapers in the bathroom that seemed to have been used for… something. He peeked out to his family, who were in the living room speaking with the landlord. “Was this a crackhouse?” His mother turned to him, giving him the deadliest of stares. She refrained from scolding him. 

Kandy continued speaking with the landlord, Marcus. “Anyway, Marcus. Don’t worry about us. We’re more than willing to clean up in here, according to my mom.” He let out a smirk, “Oh really? Oh wow! Well, if you do end up doing so, you’ll be doing me such a great favor. I’ll let you live here rent-free for the first three months and don’t worry about paying up the deposit, what you’re family is about to do, is more than enough.”

He handed the keys to Matias and a copy to Regina. “I only have those two for you. If you need copies, let me know.” Regina disagreed, “No, no. For now, let’s just get some garbage bags and start with the cleaning.” Mayan walked inside with her son, Leonel. Kandy ran up to her, “Mayan! How are you?”

Jack walked closer to them to greet her. “Hey, Mayan.” They all hugged her, as they’re accustomed to greeting family members that way. “Ma, I came up here since I heard footsteps. Cuco advised me to check, saying that you guys had probably already arrived. Do you need help moving things inside?” 

Kandy laughed incoherently, “No, sis. Look at this mess. We’re going to clean it all up first. The owner said he was gonna help by bringing big garbage bags and left.” Mayan walked inside, “Bebe, mejor vete para abajo.” She sent her 4-year old back downstairs to their apartment, realizing how bad it was. “Welp, let’s start.”

After hours of picking up after the previous tenants, the house was finally starting to look cozy. “Let me just disinfect everything around here.” Mother stated. Kandy hurried to the room furthest from the entrance, “This is going to be my room.” Jack followed her, “Hey that’s not fair. I was going to pick this room!” Kandy opened the window on the far left corner of the room and let the summer breeze through. “Nope, Jacky boy, I claimed this room since we came to see it the first time. Anyway, Imma mop.” Jack stepped out, realizing that she was starting to pour chlorine throughout the floor. Regina and Matias were cleaning the kitchen and the living room with the help of Mayan and her husband Cuco. It was his chance to claim one of the last two rooms available. 

“Hm. The one leading into the living room is awfully small. I guess I’ll take the second room that leads into the kitchen. He walked inside the room and started to scan it. Shattered window, scratched walls, and a brown floor? What kind of house was this? Then again, it operated a crackhouse at one point. Jack knew that for a fact.

‘Bssp, bssp, bssp, shh, shh, shh, hah, lee, bssp, sbssp, bssp.’ Jack looked around the room, trying to find where the voices were coming from. To his realization, there was nothing inside that room. He approached the window, where he found a girl knocking on his neighbor's doors, “Hello?” Jack waited to see what she was up to. She turned around, defeated to no answer. She leaned on the building’s wall and covered her face with some documents. 

He stepped back, knowing it couldn’t have been her who she was hearing. ‘Bssp, shh, crack,  shaa, shh, bssp, bssp.’ He turned around again, startled at the weird-sounding voices that seemed to be poking fun at him. Suddenly, the girl out the window yelled from down below, “Hey, you! Are you spying on me?” Jack hurried to open the window and caused one of the panels to shatter more, “No. Sorry if it seemed that way. You see I’m barely moving in here and we’re trying to stuff things inside my new room.”

She blushed, not knowing how to respond, “Oh. Sorry, I should’ve known better. See ya!” Jack leaned on the rotting window sill, “Wait!” She came to a halt and turned to see what else the boy had to say, “What were you doing there, just now?” She smirked, “Why don’t you come out in the front, and I will gladly explain it to you.” He crawled back inside and let go of the window. It came down and caused the shattered panel to break, “Oh, sh*t!”

Jack walked out to see the living area mostly furnished. Cuco and Matias carried the items inside, making sure they pleased Regina. “Mom imma go outside, I just met a girl… that goes with me to school. She heard about what happened to me and she came to see me.” Regina frowned, “A girl? Have you ever mentioned her to me before?” Jack shook his head, “Not that I know off. I’ll be right back.” 

She watched him exit the house, and through the window, she looked at the girl. “I don’t think I ever saw her go to his school.” Matias and Cuco were behind her holding up the couch they had just brought in, “What about this one?!” She turned to them, “Oh right, I forgot about you two. Uh, over there is fine.” 

“Hi!” She greeted him. Jack simply waved. “Ahem… so, uh, to answer your question, I came because my mother is a highly religious woman. She’s what other Mexican people around here call a hallelujah.” Jack laughed, “Right, those ladies with long skirts that stop you to read about God only to charge you after you wasted your time praying with them?”

She glared at him, “Well my mother isn’t like that. She just sends me to people’s houses and tells me to convince them to join our religion. I hate doing that though, everyone has their choice and say on what they want to believe or not. And it feels horrible being known around here as the annoying girl who knocks on doors only to start crying and apologize for bothering you.”

Jack patted her on the head. She glanced over to him as he started to giggle, “I wonder what you look like when you cry. I mean, to the people who open their door. It must be awkward.” She shook her head, taken to the moments when people even opened their doors, “Tell me about it, uh… I’m sorry I didn’t get your name.”

Jack teased, “I didn’t get yours either.” She took a seat on the floor on the sidewalk. The sunlight reflected off her hair, which contained red highlights. They matched her red blouse. “If I said that, it was for me to get your name first. My name’s Yoselyn, spelled incorrectly with a Y. Why? I don’t know. I guess my mother didn’t know how to spell back then.”

“That’s okay. My name’s Jack. I barely got it fixed two years ago because it was spelled as L-L-A-C-K.” She was taken aback. “Really?” He laughed once more, “No. I’m just messing with you.” She smacked his leg with the documents. Regina walked out of the house and approached both of them. Yoselyn stood up and held her documents in hand. “Hola, señora, como esta, mi nombre es Yoselyn.”

She nodded, “Yes, I heard. Jack. I sent your bed to be set up, the doctor recommended resting for at least another two weeks. You shouldn’t be standing here.” Jack looked down at his feet, “I’ll see you around, Yoselyn. Be safe wherever you go.” She smiled at both of them, receiving one back from Regina as they walked inside their home. “I should probably go.”