Hasta Mañana

By Nathalie De Los Santos

Mariposa is a twelve year old, hardcore gamer. Her teacher Ms. Campton pushes her to be more ladylike and tells her to stop gaming. Her teacher also forbids her from hanging out with her two friends, Gale and Matías. The three stooges still slip into their fantasy worlds despite being criticized as escapists. As they traverse and enjoy a digital world, what they're really escaping are their broken realities. Mariposa often crosses the line of gender, a line which games blur and open up for her.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Nathalie De Los Santos
• Release date: Apr 9, 2019
• ISBN: 9781540125019

Book preview

This is a work of fiction. Similarities to real people, places, or events are entirely coincidental.

HASTA MAÑANA

First edition. April 9, 2019.

Copyright © 2019 Nathalie De Los Santos.

ISBN: 978-1540125019

Written by Nathalie De Los Santos.

Table of Contents

Copyright Page

Hasta Mañana

Hey, Gale. Do you remember me? Do you remember where we grew up? I keep dreaming of this place: the days when we were twelve. The canopy of trees that lined the sidewalks was my favourite sight while walking to school. I’d look up and stare at the blue sky poking through the yellow leaves as I walked, shifting the pink strap of my backpack on my shoulder. On the second street, third house down, you would pop out right at 8:15 a.m. as I came down the street.

Marie!

Good morning, I greeted.

I knew this face better than my own: green eyes, a peachy grin, freckles across his cheeks, duck-fluff-like blond hair.

"I just got it," Gale whispered. The excitement made him squeak a little.

What? But it’s rated M!

My mom didn’t give a hoot. The clerk tried to warn her but she was like, ‘I know how to work a gun and I’m going to teach my son. This game is practice. Don’t make me wait anymore.’ The line at the game shop was huge and smelly and she was done when we got to the counter.

"Shut up." I turned back to his house.

Let’s get Matías. Gale snickered.

"Today is the best day: Gorillaz dropped a track, Conker’s is out." I beamed.

We both waved at our classmates as we walked down the street to Matías’s house, left of the path to school.

Hello. Matías blinked a couple times as he approached us.

Matías, his mother called, you have a clean shirt on your dresser.

I like this one, Matías protested.

Make sure Matías gets to school. His mom shook her head.

Gale saluted her. You can count on us.

As soon as she shut the door, I blurted, We’re skipping school.

Matías blinked a couple times again. No. Not again!

Gale motioned us in the opposite direction of school.

Why? Matías groaned loudly.

Gale and I looked at each other, grins bursting at their seams. In unison, we blurted, "Conker's Bad Fur Day."

Conker’s was basically a game about a chocolate-eating squirrel, jam-packed with potty humour.

Matías made an intrigued chirp. We went to the park first. We avoided a car parked by the corner of the canopy of trees. The guy inside the car was always there in the morning. There were whispers: the man would flash lone females or a group of them. Thankfully, I was with two boys. We entered the park. I picked up as many chestnuts as I could find, admiring the brownish-red shiny bodies of each one. Their green spiked burrs littered the ground near the loose seeds. Gale pillaged my little collection in my red satchel and began throwing them at passing cars.

Hey! I shouted.

"There