Tamales

Liam POV
Life is about making it life. Most of the world today act like they’re in a dream, doing nothing all day, not taking many risks, and not living life everyday as it’s your last day. And that’s what I’m not going to do. Not only because I don’t have a choice but because today may be my last day of freedom since classes start tomorrow.
I think I’ve settled into the apartment just fine. It will take sometime getting use to having to clean up for myself, sometimes for everyone, sharing a room, and sharing two bathrooms with 4 other boys. The struggle has been so real.
After waking up at 6AM to watch Netflix and going back to sleep, I wake up to Niall’s snoring. He has his head down, all blankets on the floor, and a pillow with a puddle of saliva. I guess that’s what I get for being the last roommate to arrive on move-in day.
I put on some basketball shorts and head to the kitchen to make some breakfast.
Everyone has been working hard getting situated on campus and I want to reward them with my mother’s homemade recipe of pancakes.
I jump from surprisement when the boys Zayn, Louis, and Harry come into the kitchen.
“Good morning Liam” Louis says trying not to make eye contact.
“Good morn- woah you have a hairy chest.” Zayn says.
“Oh yeah ha!” I guess I’ve forgotten that I’m not wearing a shirt. I hope a chest hair doesn’t fall into the batter.
“Why?” Zayn asks.
“I don’t know, I like it that way. Plus the lads like it.”
“I mean I guess. You just wanna look the most Mexican possible.” Zayn replies. There is some truth behind that.
Harry comes into the kitchen with a smile on his face.
“Good morning Harry.” I said.
“I kind of thought for a bit you we’re talking to yourself because of your hairy chest.”
“Haha I am too but I’m saying good morning to you too.”
“Oh alright then. Good morning. What are you doing?”
“Making pancakes. Anyone wanna help?”
“No.” Zayn says.
“I’ll help you! I like cooking!” Harry says.
“I’ll tag along and help you guys as well.” Louis says.
Harry and Louis come around the table to the kitchen to help me cook. I’m the one pouring the batter onto the grill. I don’t know the technical for that but I’m basically making the final product of the pancake. Harry is the one that is pouring the ingredients into the bowl and Louis mixes the batter.
“Am I doing it right?” Louis asks Harry.
“Haha I don’t know Lou. I think you just make sure you see no white powder.”
“I’ll try. I thought you said you love cooking?”
“I do but… pancakes are sorta of complicated. I didn’t know what I was getting myself into. Just because I helped my house maid cook, it doesn't mean I know how to cook.”
“I know that but it does mean you have to have some knowledge. C’mon you never payed attention to how things we’re made?
“Not really. I was too busy staring at that big butt of hers.”
“Oh god Harry.” Louis says as they both start to giggle, lost in each other’s eyes.
“I’ll be back guy’s I’m going to put on a shirt. I don’t want a chest hair to fall on the batter.” I say.
“Yeah we totally don’t want that.” Harry says.
I quickly go to my room to put on a shirt and when I come back Harry and Louis are both laughing their heads off.
“What’s so funny?” I ask. Zayn is in the living room too focused playing Angry Bird so I don’t ask him.
“Harry tried to impersonate a crack head by sniffing the flour and it was the most funniest thing I’ve ever seen. You should of been there.”
“Oh hahaha yeah I guess I should of have been.”
Harry and Louis are absolutely unpredictable. You leave for a second and you miss everything.
“Alright let’s get back to work, I’m hungry.” I say. It’s past noon and I want to eat.
“Yup. Sure thing Chef Payne.” Harry says.
“So tell me Harry. Leave any girls following for you back home?” I ask.
“Haha no. I didn’t have a girlfriend. Been single. What about you?”
“I’ve had a girlfriend back home named Sophia but we had to break up because of college and we wanted to try other relationships rather than waiting for each other.”
“Oh that sucks.”
“It’s cool. We weren’t really serious compared to other people’s relationships. She was really hot though. Did you have any girlfriends?”
“No… I’ve been on many dates that my guy friends set me up with, using the punchline ‘my hot friend is single.’ But I’ve been on dates with many hot girls but nothing serious. I don’t think I’ve found ‘the one’ yet.”
“Oh I see. Well maybe these american girls are the ones for you.”
“Haha, I hope so.”
“What about you Louis?” I ask.
“Huh? Oh… Just like Harry. I’ve been on many dates but nothing too serious. Just first and never second dates. I don’t think dating girls is my thing for now… I get very nervous around them.”
“Oh then we got to fix that. You got to have a girlfriend.” I say.
“Don’t worry, we’ll go out someday in look for girls. Don’t feel bad.”
“Ha-ha okay.”
“Alright I think my mother’s homemade pancakes is perfected. Zayn can you please-“… wake up Niall.
“I’m on my way.”
Breakfast, more like lunch, was delicious. They all loved the pancakes. I can’t wait until I tell my mother this.
I just need to get out of the house and do something. I think I might even go out for a walk.
“I’ll be right back guys, I’m going to go out for a walk.”
“Alright later.” Harry replies. They are all too distracted watching american football.
Ah. The smell of fresh air to fill my lungs. I like this. Where am I even going to go? Starbucks? Yeah maybe I should go get coffee. Or maybe try the pizza place. Or the chicken something. Or greek food!
Ha I just ate and yet I’m hungry for more… No I can’t. I need to watch my figure.
I’ll just go to the library to read some books about my major, hoping it’s my best decision.
The library is so big and antique. That’s what I love about this campus. It stays true with it’s essence.
I make my way toward the mayan culture section of books. When I get there I notice a beautiful latina girl. She’s beautiful in my eyes because she’s intellectually smart looking at the Mexican history books with a spark in her eyes that is interested, adding more books to her arms. She’s also beautiful because of her light brown skin tone that looks really good on her. Unlike the other girls here, she’s wearing torn jeans, blue vans, and a white sun flower tee that doesn’t reveal any cleavage.
I gotta talk to her. She’s impeccable. I can’t let her go.
“Excuse me.”
“Oh yeah of course.” She says. I move to the other side of her and take a glance on her books. The Crusades Of Cesar Chavez.
“Oh actually, I was looking for that book on Cesar Chavez. Haha.”
“Oh really? If you want, you can have it.”
“Oh you don’t have to. What is it for? Are you a chicano studies major?”
“Oh no. I’m taking a course next semester to fulfill my history requirement and I was just looking to get some background.”
“Oh that’s cool. I haven’t introduced myself. I’m Liam.”
“Nice to meet you. I’m Diana.” Oh god, her name. Her name is like jewels in a world of shitty names.
“I’m a chicano studies major. That’s why I’m interested.”
“Oh that’s cool. Freshmen?”
“Yeah. How can you tell?”
“Because I was one. I’m a sophomore.” I’ve never given thought on older women…
“Oh so you know the ties and ropes of this place?”
“Basically. You need to know them to survive this place.”
“Like what?”
“Well, don’t walk around campus if you have a red cup, unless you are 21 or older. Campus police will stop you.”
“Why would I walk around with a cup?”
“You’d be surprised. Also, please don’t be one of those freshmen who desperately try to get in greek life or in a sorority. It’s like high school all over again and after you graduate, you’ll realize it was not even worth it. Haven’t done it but I’ve heard.”
“Noted.”
“And don’t try SoCal Chicken. It’s not that good. Chick-fil-a is better.”
“Oh thanks. You saved me on that one. I was actually thinking on going even though I ate a deck of pancakes half an hour ago.”
“Oh you boys, always trying to eat a lot.”
“Yeah haha.” I say and stare into her eyes. Oh darn I got to stop being creepy.
“Well I’ll see you around?”
“Yeah totally.”
“Liam right?”
“Yes.”
“Okay, later!”
There she goes. I never understood what having a crush really was like. But I felt it for the first time looking into her eyes.

Notes