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“But she needs to go to the nurse, she’s hurt, please!” I pleaded with the receptionist lady.
“I said no, she looks fine to me, now stop whining and just sit there quietly.”
I glared at her and opened my mouth to say something but a tug on my shirt caught my attention. I turned to my right to see Neon softly crying while holding her right arm to her chest.
“Ate, it hurts” she quietly whispered. I sighed and hugged her to my side.
“I know, 여동생 (little sister).”
“Just wait a little longer, okay?” I continued. She nods and lays her head on my shoulder.
“Is Mami gon’ be mad at us?” she asked.
“Maybe” I shrugged. “We just have to explain to her what happened, okay?”
She nodded and continued to lay her head on my shoulder, still quietly sniffling.
A few minutes later, the door to the principal office opened. Gabe and his dad walked out and gave us a dirty look. Gabe smirked as he walked past us.
“Fucking immigrants.” Gabe’s dad muttered under his breath as he walked past us.
I glared at the back of his head as he walked out the door.
After a few more minutes the entrance door opened and mami walked in.
She’s tall and intimidating. She’s wearing her business suit and she’s also got that scowl on her face. I caught her eye and I immediately looked away, she’s mad.
“Zyanya Mondragón” she said to the grumpy receptionist lady, her voice deep and serious.
The receptionist lady told her to wait for a bit and mami started walking towards us.
She kneeled in front of us and stared at the two of us. She looked at me with a deep frown on her face. She then softly grabbed my chin and carefully turned my head sideways, inspecting my face.
Her thumb grazed the side of my jaw and I winced in pain. Her frown deepened.
“You hurt anywhere else?”
“No, mami” she hummed and finally let go of my chin.
“He got you good”
“You should’ve seen the other guy,” I smirked.
She smirked back and let out a light chuckle. She then looked at Neon and her face completely changed to a worried one.
She looked at Neon’s tired eyes and brushed her fringe away from her forehead.
“Hola, nenita” she whispered quietly. Apparently that was all it took because Neon started crying again.
“Mami, I think her arm is broken.” I warned her.
Mami looked at me surprised and then looked back to Neon’s arm.
She moved to take Neon into her arms to get a good look of her arm.
“Hurts, mami,” Neon said tearfully.
“Shh, I know, nenita, but I need to look at your arm alright?”
Neon nodded and continued to cry.
“Tsk, it is broken.”
“Jett, give me your jacket and tell me what happened.” Mami commanded me.
I took the jacket off my waist and handed it to her. She carefully placed Neon’s arm inside the jacket and used the sleeves to tie it around her neck.
“I’m waiting, Jett”
“I don’t know how it started but we had lunch and I was eating with my friends. Neon was on the playground playing. And then, we heard shouting.” I started. “We looked towards the playground and Neon was shouting and crying. That was when I started running towards them, but before I got there, Gabe pushed Neon to the ground and she was crying even harder, mami. She was holding her arm too. That was when I got mad and I punched him.” I finished explaining.
I looked down at my lap, scared that my mami is gonna be mad at me. I heard her sigh and she stood up with Neon in her arms.
“Why isn’t your hermanita in the nurse?”
“They wouldn’t let her! The reception lady said that she’s overreacting even after I said she needs the nurse!” I see my mami clench her jaw and she looks mad, like really mad.
She turned to look at Neon and asked her what happened.
“I was playing and he said that I’m weird. He said that I don’t look like ate, and that I don’t look like you or momma. I told him that it isn’t weird cause blood doesn’t always mean family and he said that I’m wrong.” Neon started
“He said that his daddy said, that our family isn’t normal cause I got two mommies and we’re ingrants.”
“His dad called us ‘fucking immigrants’,” I piped in.
Mami turned to glare at me. I muttered a ‘sorry’ and she let it go. She sighed again and kneeled down to put Neon on the chair beside me.
“Nooo, mami,” Neon softly cries.
“Shh, darling. I need you to stay with your ate for a bit alright? And then we’ll go to the hospital to get your arm checked out and to see momma, okay?” Neon nodded while rubbing her eyes sniffling.
Mami then stood up and went into the principal’s office which the grumpy receptionist didn’t like.
“Hey! You can’t go in ye-”
SLAM!
The grumpy lady looked so mad that her face was all pinched. I giggled to myself quietly and again hugged Neon to my side.
______________________
Reyna’s POV
SLAM!
The principal looked startled to see me and instantly ended his phone call. He immediately stood up and put his hand out for a handshake.
“Mrs. Mondragón, it’s lovel-”
“Cut the bullshit, pendejo. I want to know what punishment that kid is getting for hurting my daughters.” I glowered.
He gulped and immediately retracted his hand. Stood up straighter and moved to fix his tie.
“Well-” he started.
“Gabe will be getting two weeks of detention for punching Sunwoo, however, I’d have to suspend your eldest daughter.”
“Excuse me?”
“Mrs. Mondragón, you have to understand we have zero tolerance for violence and-”
“Absolutely not, I want that kid expelled for what he did to my daughters!”
“Madame, your daughter threw the first punch, Gabe said it himself and he has the bruise to prove it. Not only that, but his friends also confirmed that your daughter, Sunwoo, threw the first punch.” He tried to explain.
“My daughter has a bruise on the side of her face and my youngest daughter has a broken arm.” I started, “did you even ask my daughters what happened Mr.-” I looked at his desk where his name plate was laid. “Johnson? My daughter was acting in self-defence because that kid pushed my youngest causing her to break her arm.”
He opened his mouth to speak but my glare was enough to shut him up.
“That kid not only insulted my daughters because they’re adopted, but he also insulted them because they’re not white. You said that you asked that kid’s friends as witnesses but did you ask anyone else about what happened at the playground? There were multiple kids during that incident, surely you could’ve asked them about what really happened.”
He sighed and straightened his glasses. “I’m sorry, Mrs. Mondragón, but my hands are tied. Mr. Smith is one of our biggest donors and I really tried everything.”
I looked him up and down. “How much money did he give you?”
“I’m sorry?” He asked, startled.
“Principals don’t earn that much. In fact, an average salary for your line of work is seventy-grand a year; and yet, you managed to get yourself a rolex watch, and by the looks of it, it doesn’t look fake.” I said as I inched closer to him.
“So I’ll ask you again, how much did he give you?” I said menacingly, having backed him up to his desk now.
“I-I assure you, madame, that no one is giving me anything.” He stuttered out.
I stared at him for a couple more seconds and stood up straight adjusting my tie.
“Do you know who I am, Mr. Johnson?” he shook his head.
“I’m Zyanya Mondragón, owner of one of - nay - the biggest security company in this country. I have a lot of connections, Mr. Johnson, and I can assure you that you’ve just made yourself a very powerful enemy.” I warned him as I stared into his eyes.
“A-are you threatening me?”
“No, simply warning you.”
“Do enjoy it while it lasts. I imagine this might be your last day, with the lawsuit that you and this school are about to receive.”
“Now hold on now, you’re overreacting. You’re lucky that I’m only suspending your daughter, a lawsuit is completely unnecessary.” He tried to argue as he walked closer to me.
I scoffed at this man’s utter stupidity. Gringos.
“How dare you? You had it coming. When I enrolled my children into this school you people assured me that you follow an anti-discrimination law and yet, you, and your staff have treated my children differently.” I glowered, spitting out the words to the point that I am almost shouting.
“My daughter was refused medical attention for her broken arm. None of my kids have been taken to the nurse to get checked out. You have shown a complete disregard for my children’s safety. You favour that boy’s side because he’s white and he’s got money, even after screaming derogatory words against my family and it seems he’s not the only one as his father did the same thing to my children, who are five and ten.” I paused to take a breath.
“And you’re telling me that it is completely unnecessary? I am going to be suing you and this school not only for negligence but also for discrimination. I hope you never find a job like this again or so help me god, I will make your life a living hell.” I finished breathing deeply.
The man is completely speechless and even looks frightened. I turned around and walked towards the door. I gave him one more look before I opened the door and slammed it behind me.
I take another deep breath to calm myself, I don’t want my kids seeing me like this.
I walked towards where the girls were sitting and bent down to pick up Neon’s bag. I slung it onto my shoulder and bent down again to carefully pick up Neon, who instantly rested her head onto my chest, listening to my heartbeat. I hold my free hand out to Jett.
“C’mon, cariño. We’re going to the hospital to see momma.”
Jett took my hand and we walked out of that damn school and into the car.
I made sure that Jett was carefully situated into her car seat before getting in myself. Neon didn’t want to let go of me so I had to sit in the back with her on my lap. I put the seatbelt on the both of us and told the driver to drive to the hospital.
I then called Sage.
“Hi, baobei, how was the meeting with the principal?” She inquired.
“Not good, we’re coming to you right now. I think Neon’s arm is broken.” I sighed.
“What? Why? What happened?” she asked, tone worried.
“I’ll explain it when we’re there, just meet us by the entrance alright?”
“Alright, I love you.” She said softly.
“I love you too.”
_____________________
Once we got to the hospital, I told Sage everything as we got Neon checked out. Neon’s forearm was indeed broken and she got a cast to help it heal -blue- she insisted on the colour.
We were also given a private room while we waited for Neon’s cast and to get Jett checked out as well. We’re now all in the room with me on the bed holding Neon close to me as she sleeps. Sage is beside me, running her hands through Neon’s hair while humming a soft tune. Jett is on the end of the bed playing on my phone.
“We’re moving them to a different school.” I broke the silence.
“I agree, I don’t trust that school enough to send them back.” Sage agrees.
I hummed and looked at Jett who is focused on the game she’s playing. I carefully sit up and hand Neon to Sage who immediately starts whining at being moved.
“Shh, Bǎobǎo, momma’s here.” She murmured softly as she gave Neon a kiss on the forehead. Once Neon was settled down, she continued to hum the tune from before while softly rubbing her back.
I turn to Jett. “Jett, come here please?” I asked her with my arms outstretched.
Jett looked up from the game she was playing and crawled to me. Once she was in my arms, I hugged her tightly and kissed her on the forehead.
“I’m proud of you, cariño” I whispered into her hair.
“But, I punched him though.” Jett said as she looked up at me.
“Yeah, but you did it to protect your hermanita, and I’ll always be proud of you for protecting your sister.” I said softly, as I lightly caressed her bruised cheek.
“Also,” I started, “I think this means that you’re ready to learn how to protect yourself sooooo,” I continued, dragging out the ‘so’.
Jett immediately sat up. “I get to do taekwondo?” she asked, bouncing joyfully.
I laughed lightly at how excited she was. “Yes, cariño. You get to do taekwondo.”
“Yay” she cheered and immediately hugged me.
“Gracias, mami”
“You’re welcome, darling.”
“Hey! What about me?” Sage asked, acting offended.
Jett giggled, “謝謝 (thank you), momma.”
“You’re welcome, Bǎobǎo.”
Jett laid her head back on my chest. “사랑해 (I love you), eommas”
Sage and I looked at each other and smiled. I looked down at Jett again and kissed her on the head.
“Te quiero más, cariño.”
“我爱你 ( I love you), bǎobǎo.”
END