"Grandpa!!"
Kai burst through a door inside the White House, breathless.
"What is it, Kai? Why are you so out of breath?" asked Donald Trump, noticing how worn out his granddaughter looked.
She scowled. "Those two annoying Latin kids distracted me long enough for them to get away. I lost them-they vanished to who-knows-where!"
"They escaped?!" Trump slammed his desk.
"Tch... Seems those little punks are smarter than I thought," he muttered, grinding his teeth. "Looks like I'll have to deal with them myself."
"Grandpa... with all due respect, at your age... if they train, they could get stronger. They might actually beat you-this could get dangerous."
Trump smirked. "That's not gonna happen, darling. I went to military school when I was thirteen. Kids like them? I eat 'em for breakfast."
He leaned back in his chair, thoughtful. "But how do I make sure they take the bait?"
Kai snapped her fingers. "Maybe use something more extreme. Threaten to... intensify your crackdown on undocumented migrants. That ought to get their attention."
Trump's grin widened. "Now we're talking. Kai, you really are brilliant."
"Hey Jolie, isn't Tampico supposed to be kind of dangerous?" I asked, a bit suspicious.
"As I told you earlier, it's a weird place, sure, but the architecture—totally inspired by Europe—is what makes it shine," Jolie replied, giving me a weird look. "But don't worry. Everything's gonna be fine."
After about two hours flying on my anti-gravity motorcycle, we arrived directly at her friend's house in Tampico.
"Jolie, honey! Are you hurt? What happened to you?" said a woman I didn't recognize.
"It's a long story, but I found this scrawny guy wandering through the desert on some futuristic anti-gravity bike. Way too advanced for our time," Jolie said, acting all casual.
"Uh, good morning. Who's she, Jolie?" I asked, honestly confused.
"That's my mom, Jía. Why?" she answered, a little annoyed.
"It's just... her name sounds kinda unusual for a Latina, that's all," I said, scratching the back of my neck.
"And your name sounds like a crayon color, not something for a Latino boy," Jía replied, mocking me with a smirk. "But whatever—I'll let it slide."
"Alright, fair enough. I guess we're even."
"Come on, sit down. I'll get you both some cold water. You must be exhausted."
"And you, young lady," she said, turning to Jolie, "you're gonna explain how you got those bruises. And don't make me say your middle name again—Jolie María."
"Mom! Don't say my middle name in front of Indigo! That's so embarrassing!" Jolie yelled, her cheeks turning bright red.
"María, huh? Wow, and I thought my middle name was bad..." I added, a little clueless.
"Shut it, Indigo! If you stick your nose in someone else's business again, I'll knock your brain loose!" Jolie snapped, raising her fist toward me.
"Alright, alright! I won't do it again! Just don't hit me!" I panicked.
Jolie's mom brought us the cold water and sat us down.
"Okay, now that you've cooled off, Jolie, explain how you and this string bean ended up in this mess."
"Alright, Mom. So it started when I found Indigo roaming the desert like an idiot. He'd been out there for two weeks while I was taking care of some stuff at the airport in Tijuana."
"I gave him water at a ranch so he wouldn't drop dead from dehydration, and then he told me why he was out there. He wanted to get to the U.S.–Mexico border because he hated how 'Dona Trompas' treats undocumented immigrants."
"I joined him to help stop that nonsense. But when we got to the border, we ran into Trumpete's granddaughter. She wiped the floor with us. She even transformed into a golden lemur!"
"Indigo managed to distract her so I could escape. After that, I kinda lost it and chewed him out for dragging me into danger. He explained everything—how he's had a rough time with women, with life in general."
"I told him I'm not like the others. That I'd stick around. And... well, that's how we ended up here."
Jolie finished, looking tired and a bit dry-mouthed.
"I see," said Jía. "Sounds like Trumpete's probably pissed off now."
"You better start training, just in case he comes after you."
"You're right, Mom. We need to be ready for anything. But first, Indigo needs to understand how things work here in Tampico."
She turned to me.
"Sound good, Indigo?"
"Fine by me. It's not like I've got any better options. And I still need to work on controlling my technopathy chi."
"But let's finish drinking this water first, then we can explore Tampico," I said, enjoying the drink more than the conversation.
After we finished, Jolie brought me to her room to get changed.
"I'll be changing in a minute, so don't peek. Hey, Indigo—did you bring any clothes with you on that fancy bike?"
"Maybe? Just some underwear and a few white t-shirts I wear under my hoodie."
"Seriously? That's it? Kinda weird for a guy your age, but hey, at least it keeps the sweat away. I'll go change."
A few minutes later, she came back out.
"Okay, I'm ready. What do you think?" she asked, striking a pose.
"Wow, you look great! But uh... why'd you do your hair in a ponytail like Claudia Sheinbaum?"
"It's normal for girls to style their hair however they want! But... you're kinda right. With this look, I do feel like a budget version of Ariana Grande's grandma."
Jolie sighed and shook her head, answering my question.
"Hey, Jolie... I've been wondering, why do you always wear that purple hair tie?" I asked again.
She touched it softly. "My late aunt gave it to me when I was ten. She was an amazing woman. She once traveled to Japan and told me that, according to legend, there's an invisible red thread that binds two lovers. It strengthens their bond and makes them more powerful."
Her eyes shimmered.
"But that doesn't matter now. Come on, Indigo," she said, her voice cracking.
"Hey... are you crying?" I asked, concerned.
"It's nothing. Just tears that remind me of her," she replied, wiping her face.
We got ready to leave, and Jolie didn't even say goodbye to her mother.
"Mom, we're heading out. I'll be back later," she called out.
"Alright. Just make sure the cops don't catch your friend for being a runaway and a fugitive," Jia said teasingly.
"Hey! I'm not a fugitive—I'll be eighteen in 261 days!" I said, placing my hand dramatically over my chest.
"Come on, Indigo," Jolie said, rolling her eyes.
"Go ahead. I just want to talk to your mom for a sec," I told her.
"Fine, but don't take too long or you'll miss my city tour," she warned, walking out.
Once she was gone, I approached her mom.
"Excuse me, ma'am—uh, I mean, Jía... could I talk to you about something? About Jolie."
She gave me a look. "Sure, Indigo. But don't call me 'ma'am.' I hate it."
"It's about Jolie's aunt," I said, unsure.
Her expression shifted.
"My husband's sister... That was one of the darkest things that's ever happened to our family," she began.
"What happened?" I asked, cautiously.
"It's heavier than it sounds... but you deserve to know."
"It was August 2, 2017. We were celebrating Jolie's 10th birthday. The moment she opened her present, a gang of criminals burst in."
"My sister-in-law stepped in. She told us to get everyone to safety—Jolie refused to leave her side, but we pulled her away."
"Her aunt used Northern Shaolin Kung Fu to fight back. She took down several of them, but one of the criminals shot her."
"She stumbled back, barely holding on. But before she passed... she whispered her final words to Jolie. She told her to wear the purple hair tie and stay strong, no matter what."
"Since then, Jolie's changed. She became bolder, tougher. She started training in Northern Shaolin too—but she's always tried to stay kind deep down."
"...That explains a lot," I said quietly. "She can be kind of harsh with me sometimes, but now I get it—it's just part of her."
"And my husband? He was never the same. Cold. Serious. That day broke him."
"He joined the Tampico police after that. Said he never wanted something like that to happen again."
I nodded. "I need to be there for her. Be more mature. She deserves that."
"And I know you will," Jía said, half-smiling with a bittersweet look. "But my daughter's waiting for you."
I went outside to meet Jolie again. She was tapping her foot on the ground.
"So... what were you two talking about?" she asked.
"Nothing personal. Let's just start the tour."
We walked through the city.
"You know, I still don't get what Mexican food is really like," I admitted.
"If you don't know, you're about to fall in love. We have the best food in the world," she said proudly.
"Actually... Italy kinda holds that title," I joked.
She frowned. "Fine, but don't forget—Costa Rican food? No variety. Too much seasoning. It's kind of... bad."
"Hey! Cut it out!" I said, pretending to be offended. "...But okay, you're not wrong," I added, half-laughing.
After that, we hit some food stands and I got to try all sorts of dishes—birria tacos, seafood stew, enchiladas, and finally, stuffed crabs. That last one? Super spicy. I had to chug a whole bottle of water.
"So, Indigo, what did you think of the food?" Jolie asked.
"I liked it. I think it's actually better than Costa Rican food... except that last one almost burned my tongue."
"You didn't know? I can't handle spicy stuff," I admitted, still panting a little.
"I'm glad you liked it! Let's keep exploring," she said, her face lighting up.
"Yeah! I wanna see those raccoons you mentioned on the coast," I replied.
"That's the spirit, dude," she said with a smirk.
We rode around the rest of Tampico on my anti-gravity bike. I was surprised by the European-style buildings and the random raccoons along the shore—but I liked it.
As the afternoon rolled in, we stopped for a break before heading home.
"Hey, Jolie..." I said, kind of shyly.
"What now, Indigo? Another one of your awkward thoughts?" she teased.
"Not really. It's just... your mom told me how your aunt died. That must've been really hard for you."
She paused.
"It was... but I didn't tell you earlier because I needed to protect myself," she said quietly. "When you lose someone as a kid, it messes with you. It's not something you just get over."
"Yeah... I felt the same when I lost my grandma and uncle at thirteen," I said. "Being autistic, I didn't even know how to process it."
"It's okay," she said. "You learn to live with it. It doesn't stop hurting, but you carry it differently."
"If there's anything I can do to help, I will. I want to be a real friend to you," I offered.
"Thanks, Indigo," she whispered—and kissed me on the cheek.
I blushed like crazy.
"Wait—what was that for?! We've only known each other for a day!" I stammered.
She turned red too. "I don't know! I was just being nice! But... you got a message. Check your phone."
I checked it.
"Whoa... it's from Trumpete. He wants us to fight him. Next Thursday, 1:00 PM at the U.S.–Mexico border."
"And if we don't show up, he says he'll slap a 25% tariff on imports from Mexico and Costa Rica!"
"Ugh, that jerk..." Jolie muttered. "Well, we've got three days to train, Indigo. Don't stress."
"Alright... the sunset's getting beautiful. Why don't we go dance in the plaza? Your mom said you're a good dancer," I said, nervously.
"Of course I am. And you, mister, need to move those skinny runner legs of yours!" she said, smiling and tapping me gently.
"Okay, okay! But what are we dancing exactly?" I asked.
"The Huapango from Tamaulipas. And yes, I brought costumes too," she said proudly.
"You made those yourself?!" I gasped.
"My grandma taught me. I just leveled it up a bit."
"Let's go then. Let's do this right," she said, extending her hand.
I grabbed it without hesitation. "I'm in."
We changed and headed to the plaza. I was nervous—it was my first time dancing with a girl—but I tried my best to learn the steps.
When the music started, we blushed a little. Maybe it was the atmosphere... or maybe something was beginning between us.
Who knows?
We went back to her house afterward. Her mom saw a video of us dancing and loved it.
Later that night, we got some rest.
That's the end of this chapter.
See you next time... Bye.