The ping of the elevator rings out through the apartment, and then I hear my name being called. “Jazzy, you here?”
“In here!” I call back. Then I look to Jake, whispering, “Sorry.”
“We’re not giving your family keys to our house,” he says with a smile that tells me he’s joking.
“Oh, thank god you’re here!” My cousin appears in the dining room. “What? Oh… I didn’t know you had company.”
“Frankie, this is Jake. Jake, Frankie.” I introduce them. She was still young when Jake and I stopped hanging around each other.
“You’re the famous Jake?” Frankie lets her eyes roam, and I suddenly get this irrational jealous feeling.
“You should put some clothes on,” I tell Jake, annoyed that his body is too good to look away from. Even for my seventeen-year-old cousin. “What are you doing here, Frankie?”
“Excuse me. It’s nice to meet you, Frankie.” Jake stands and walks away from the table.
“Oh my god, that’s Jake? No wonder you’ve been pining after him,” Frankie whispers.
“I have not been pining,” I deny.
“Frankie, what the hell?” This comes from a new voice, Emilio, right before he appears in front of me in my dining room.
“What’s going on here?” I point my fork between him and Frankie. I know we refer to each other as cousins, but we are not blood related, and these two… Well, they’ve been crushing on each other for as long as I can remember.
“He’s an asshole,” Frankie says.
“I’m an asshole?” Emilio laughs and then says something I don’t understand.
“English,” I remind him. “Sit.” I point to the chairs opposite me. “Both of you, before I call your fathers.” You would think I threatened to kill them with how fast they sit down. I address Frankie first. “Why is he an asshole?”
“He thinks he can tell me what to do. Newsflash, he can’t,” she snarls the last part at Emilio.
“Sure. Now tell her what you were doing.” Emilio smirks. Frankie’s lips flatten into a tight line. Jake walks out and Emilio straightens, his face hard as he glares at Jake. “This him?”
“Yes. Be nice or I really will call Tío E,” I threaten.
“You could do better, Jazzy. But you already know that. You really shouldn’t settle for someone… less-than,” Emilio grunts.
“Emilio,” I groan.
“You’re right. I’ve been telling her the same thing. I’m Jake.”
“Emilio,” my little cousin replies.
“I know who you are,” Jake says, sitting back down and picking his fork up again.
“Is that Aunt Antonia’s lasagna?” Frankie asks.
“It is.” I smile.
“Is there any left?”
“No. Now tell me what you were doing?” I press.
“I can’t. You’ll tell my parents, and then I’ll get grounded for life. Probably the next life too.”
“If it’s that bad, then maybe you shouldn’t be doing it in the first place,” Emilio adds.
“Shut up,” Frankie hisses at him. “You were there too.”