chapter 2 | the debate

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OLIVIA OPENED THE DOOR TO THE ALVAREZ APARTMENT, seeing Lydia showing pictures of Penelope on her quinceañera to Elena. Olivia looked at the two in confusion as she sat on the couch beside them.

"Hey guys." Olivia smiled. "Ay, pelliroja. I'm showing Elena her mother's quinces pictures. Look." Lydia showed Olivia the pictures, some making her laugh.

"Ay mami, please, put those away. I hate those pictures, burn it!" Penelope argued. Olivia smiled at Alex as she saw him walking to the couch and sat beside her.

"Hello papito." Olivia said teasingly. "Hello pelliroja." Alex joked causing her to roll her eyes. He sat beside her on the couch and rested his chin on Olivia's shoulder while Schneider started a conversation with Elena as her face was filled with disbelief.

"Schneider, she's gonna do it. I got this. You know what, captain debater? Let's debate this. But we're not doing a regular debate. It's gotta be that thing I saw you do where we argue the opposite side to better understand each other." Penelope said.

"You mean a Lincoln-Douglas debate.? My specialty? I once successfully argued against gravity, so..." Elena smirked.

"Ohh, I'ma take my earrings off....cause' it's about to go down!" Penelope said. Lydia, Schneider, Alex and Olivia all sat on the couch next to each other to watch the debate that Elena and Penelope was about to do.

"The issue before us is quinces or no quinces. Okay....so I'm you." Elena said as she took off her glasses and everyone watched in amusement. "Mmm, listen kid. A quinces is just about the village celebrating that you're a woman , which I know you know 'cause you're the smartest one in the family!" Elena snapped, acting as Penelope.

"Oh, I got better moves than that, right?" Penelope looked at the four people on the couch beside her but they just shrugged.

"But village isn't literal. It just means your family and your friends. So, what's so bad about this modern village coming together to celebrate you?" Elena continued as she acted out as Penelope.

"Oh yeah , she's good!" Olivia chuckle causing the rest to nod and cheer. "Oh my money's on her. You guys wanna start taking bets? Actually scratch that, I'm addicted to gambling." Schneider plopped back on to the couch making everyone go silent for a moment.

"Okay, now I'll be you." Penelope said and took Elena's glasses and beanie as she put them on herself. "Oh my god! Do you even hear yourself? Seriously! Your argument is that my adulthood has to be approved by your friends? Pass!"

Everyone looked at her with no expression on their face. "I'm not gonna clap for that." Lydia said blankly causing Penelope to roll her eyes.

"So you want to crush my heart into pieces...after I worked so hard to give you an opportunity in this land of the free and home of the brave?" Elena mimicked Penelope with a Spanish accent as Alex and Olivia laughed.

"That's not me, that's her." Penelope pointed to Lydia. "You make me sound like I have an accent." Lydia argued.

"Let's end this. Elena, you wrecked your first communion because, as a vegetarian, you wouldn't eat the body of Christ. You even refused to take picture with santa, because your abuelita wouldn't admit that Christmas is a pagan ritual." Elena explained.

"Jesus and Santa were cousins. Everyone knows this." Lydia sighed.

"So, when it comes to your quinces, I'm pleading with you. Can't you do this one thing for your mother who loves you?" Elena continued.

"Okay mom, I'll do it." Everyone gasped in shock.

"Wait what?!" Elena exclaimed.

"I'm saying you win. You should have a quinces like you just proved." Penelope said as everyone laughed.

"Dang mami set you up!" Alex cheered.

"I didn't realise how right I was. She said a bunch of stuff I didn't think of!" Penelope clapped both Alex and Olivia's hands as the others continued to cheer and laugh.

"Okay, this is stupid! I'm still not having a quinces." Elena argued.

"Oh god, just accept it. You're Cuban, you're 15, you're gonna have a big party, with a poofy dress and a bad photo. It's what we do." Penelope argued back.

Elena started yelling in Spanish as she stormed off to her room, slamming the door making everyone go silent. "She can speak Spanish." Lydia raised her brows.

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Olivia and Alex were sitting on the couch, watching some YouTube with Alex's head resting on Olivia's shoulder. Penelope started yelling for Alex's name as Olivia looked behind and saw her holding a bunch of boxes and quickly ran over to help her.

"Thank you sweetie. Alex!" Penelope sweetly said to Olivia before yelling out to Alex again.

"He can't hear you. He's possessed by the YouTube." Lydia said with her Spanish accent.

"She's not wrong." Olivia shrugged and helped Penelope.

"I can explain!" Alex closed his laptop, his face filled with worry and fear as Penelope and Olivia placed the boxes on the table.

"Really? You can explain how one pair of sneakers magically became five? Because that is some Jesus crap right there." Penelope said and Olivia looked at her and raised her brows.
"Sorry I said Jesus so close to the word crap." Penelope apologised as Lydia did the sign.

"You know what I'm gonna go back to my apartment now. Bye Alex." Olivia didn't want to interrupt their family argument so she decided to go back to her apartment. Olivia waved to Alex and he gave her a small smile before she closed the door and went back to her apartment.

"Hey mom and dad." Olivia greeted her parents that were watching the tv. They looked up at her and smiled widely.

"Hey honey! How was the Alvarez?" Marcelina asked.

"It was...okay. The usual, basically." Olivia shurgged. Olivia decided to go see what her little brother was doing. She opened the door, revealing Lucas playing with his toys. He looked up and immediately giggled and smiled once he saw his sister standing on the doorway.

"Hi Lucas! How are you?" Olivia said in a baby voice and picked him up, causing him to giggle once again.

Lucas was now officially already 3 years old. It made her feel kind of old. She placed Lucas on his bed and put him to sleep, gently kissing his forehead.

She made her way over to her own room, getting in the covers and falling into a deep slumber.

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