Signal to Noise(64)

MECHE SQUINTED. SEBASTIAN was smoothing her hair. She could feel his long fingers and the familiar smell of him that was... him.

“Mmm,” she muttered, smacking her lips.

“How’s it going?” he asked. “You’ve been out for ten minutes.”

“Great,” she said, feeling groggy. “I guess telekinesis takes its toll, huh?”

“Maybe it’s ’cause we weren’t in the room with you.”

“You were very near, though.”

“I don’t know the rules of this,” Sebastian said with a chuckle.

“Meche, you sure you’re okay?” Daniela asked.

“Yup.”

Meche sat up. Saw they were in motion already. Good. She rested her head against Sebastian’s shoulder, frowning.

“Are you guys hungry? I need to eat something.”

“Famished,” Sebastian agreed.

“How about birria tacos?” Daniela asked.

“Where?”

“By the subway station,” Sebastian said. “Take a left.”





THEY DRANK JARRITOS, lifted tacos with expert fingers while holding little plastic blue plates and elbowed their space around the crowded stand. Meche spoke.

“What are we going to do to Frankenstrada?”

Sebastian wasn’t sure he had heard her right with all the people around her, so he shook his head. “What?”

“What are we going to do about Frankenstrada?” she repeated.

“Meaning?”

“We have to punish her too. We can’t let her go on her merry way, can we?”

Neither Sebastian nor Daniela spoke. He grabbed a napkin, carefully cleaning his greasy fingers and wiping his lips. Daniela sucked on a lemon and looked down.

“Really? You pussies!” Meche said dismissively.

“Hey, I didn’t enjoy doing what we did to Rodriguez and I don’t want to do it again,” Sebastian said.

“Liar,” Meche said. “You liked the power as much as I did.”

He recalled the rush of power as the music played, the intensity of it coursing through his veins. The taste of raw anger in his mouth, pleasant and sickly sweet. But despite this, he had not enjoyed it. It was not something he would choose again.

“I did not.”

“Then maybe you are not a real warlock. Just some second-rate impostor.”

It stung to be called an impostor and her tone of voice made it even more painful. Sebastian snatched his Jarrito and sipped it, biting down on the straw.

“I didn’t like it either,” Daniela ventured weakly. “It was scary.”

“It was f*cking awesome,” Meche said, chuckling.

“No, it was not,” Sebastian muttered.

“Okay. Then it wasn’t. For you. Whatever. She didn’t lift a finger against that pervert. Do you want to let her get away with it? Doesn’t that deserve some sort of punishment? I say it does.”

“Well, it’s three of us,” Sebastian replied. “And I vote we let her be.”

“Daniela, what do you think? Aren’t you still mad at Frankenstrada?”

“I am still mad,” Daniela whispered, her thin lips barely opening and letting the words out.

“Then should we punish her?”

“You don’t have to do what she says,” Sebastian said, reaching towards Daniela.

Meche pressed a hand against his chest, pushing him back. Not shoving. Her fingers just gently pressed against his shirt, the slightest of contacts and yet it had a very clear, sharp meaning. A defiance. It made him pause in his trajectory.

Meche, strong-willed, most often than not led the pack. He didn’t like the way she looked at him right now, eyebrow quirked, blocking his path.

“So?” Meche asked, turning her head, addressing Daniela with dark, piercing eyes.

“I do want to punish her a little,” Daniela said.

“Good,” Meche said, picking up her soft drink and taking a long sip.

“I’m full,” Sebastian said, putting down his plastic plate.





“WHY ARE YOU being a hard-ass?” Meche asked him.

“I’m not.”

They were standing at the bottom of the stairs to her apartment. She had her arms crossed and looked rather smug, lips slightly curved into a smile. He hated it, hated her, when she got like this.

“You think you’re better than us,” he said.

“Oh?”

“At magic.”

“Maybe a tad,” she said with a shrug. “I figured out the whole spell thing, didn’t I?”

“At life.”

“What are you—”

“I just want you to know, I don’t agree with what you are making us do.”

“I’m not making you do anything. We took a vote. You lost.”

“You can’t push Daniela around all the time.”

“Loser.”

“You think I’m joking?”

“Blah, I’m bored,” Meche said, climbing up a couple of steps.

He grabbed her by the wrist, giving her a strong yank. Meche stumbled down, bending against him.

She still stood two steps above him but she had almost lost her balance and was holding on to the collar of his jacket for support. He raised an arm, resting it against her back, holding her in place.