MARK SOTOMAYOR

Simon sat on his front patio, thinking to himself about how to get his one true love, Margaret, from going off to college with her two-year boyfriend, Diego.

Margaret and Simon grew up together and had just graduated from Catholic high school two weeks ago.

She had a promising future ahead of her and recently began working full time at the local community center, scanning documents as an office assistant.

She’s so good at everything. She’s so beautiful, he thought. Why didn’t I ask her out sooner, before she met Diego?

Meanwhile, Simon hasn’t the slightest clue what he’s going to do for a job.

All he knows is that college isn’t for him.

He’d rather work in the oil fields, but his parents won’t let him.

They say, “it’s too dangerous,” “the hours are too long,” and “it’s not for him,” whatever that means.

The only other option he has for work is a local multi-level marketing office that is always seeking to add anyone to their network of salespeople.

Simon had already heard too many things about that corporation being a pyramid scheme, however, and this detracted him from going in for an interview.

Plus, he wasn’t confident he could sell anything to anyone, anyway.

It was one of those beautiful Texas days where all Simon did was sit outside, watching the clouds go by against the light blue sky.

He enjoyed feeling the cool, recurring breeze on his face as he daydreamed about Margaret.

When just then, amidst his daze, his mother, Donna, interrupted his thoughts.

“When are you going to get a job, son?”

“Soon. Don’t worry, that’s what I’m thinking about right now.”

“Well, don’t wait too long. You might stop to rest, but time doesn’t!”

Simon rolled his eyes.

He was used to his mother nagging him about everything that she would like for him to do.

“God helps people who help themselves. Opportunity isn’t just going to come knocking on your door. You must go and find it.”

As he attempted to tune his mom out, an idea came to him, seemingly out of nowhere.

“I have an idea.”

My aunt’s a curandera, he thought. She’ll know what to do.

“Where are you going?”

Simon mounted on his bike and started towards his aunt’s house.

“Don’t worry about it,” he shouted, pedalling away.

“If I disrespected my parents like that, I’d get whooped,” Donna said.

---

A black cat with green eyes sat on Simon’s aunt’s dining room table.

“Hey Chewie!” Simon said, as he picked up the cat and set her on his lap.

“Ok, Simon, tell me. What’s your idea?”

“What do I have to do to get Margaret to leave her boyfriend and be with me?”

His aunt, Gisela, thought to herself for a few seconds and then responded.

“If you’re serious about it, then just give me $150, an article of her boyfriend’s clothing, and a few petals from a red rose that you give to her.”

Simon wondered to himself how he would pull off such a feat, and if his aunt’s spell-casting powers he had heard so much about would actually work.

“The rose has to be near where she’s at during the time I do the spell, so make sure she doesn’t throw it away or anything like that.”

“That’s all?”

“That’s all. And it should be done as soon as possible, if you’re serious. I don’t enjoy stacking my customer’s wishes on top of eachother. It takes a lot of my energy.”

All of a sudden, Chewie jumped off Simon’s lap, as if startled by something.

“You’d be surprised how many people come to me with all sorts of requests. I’ll give you up to a week to get the stuff together.”

A week? Simon thought. This was going to be difficult, but not impossible.

“I’ll do it. Don’t worry. It’s just as good as done. I’ll do anything to be with Margaret.”

“Anything?”

“Anything. Even if it means witchcraft. Thanks a lot, auntie.”

“You’re welcome nephew. I’ll do it for you, but just one question.”

“Yes?”

“Haven’t you just tried to ask her out? Spells are typically most people’s last resort.”

He had thought a million times about how he was going to take Margaret from Diego.

But whenever he got into her presence, he became too nervous to tell her his feelings.

“I’ve tried… I just can’t get up the courage to actually do it. Every time, I get too nervous.”

“I understand. I was once timid as well. That’s what got me into magic. I can have my little impact on the world without having to see anyone face-to-face. Well then, I’ll see you again soon. And don’t forget about the $150.”

Simon began walking out, but Gisela suddenly shouted, “Did you get a job yet?”

“I’m trying. It won’t be long before I find one. Mom keeps nagging me about that. ‘Time is ticking’ she always says. I barely graduated high school two weeks ago. I just wish she’d get off my back and let me figure this thing out.”

“That’s my sister for you. I’m glad we don’t speak anymore. All she did was tell me about how if I didn’t stop doing magic, I would end in hell. Do you believe that?”

“I don’t know if I believe in God, or hell. It seems like we’re in hell already. And I kind of think Jesus is made up, like Santa Claus.”

“Well, that’s beside the point. You can get a job, Simon. If anyone can do it, it’s you.”

“Thanks auntie.”

---

“I can’t believe I’m doing this,” Simon said to himself while walking towards the building where Margaret, the love of his life, was working.

“If I don’t do this right…” he exhaled nerves.

He didn’t want to pay for his aunt to cast a love spell, but he couldn’t stand the thought of Margaret marrying anyone else.

To keep that from happening, he would do just about anything.

He walked inside the community center with a rose tucked in his suit jacket.

In his hand, he carried his resume in a folder.  

---

“Simon! Friend, how are you?” Margaret shouted from across the hall.

Tan, glowing skin.

Long, glossy, reddish-brown hair.

Light eyes of glass.

Every part about her was beautiful.

There was only one problem, of course.

She was in a two-year relationship with Diego, a devout Catholic studying law at university.

“Ah, you know. I’m living the dream,” Simon responded. “Every day is the new greatest day of my life.”

“I’m glad to hear that.”

His heart beat faster and faster.

Sweat developed on his palms.

I’m certain she’s the one for me, he thought, as he reached in his jacket to pull out the rose.

Suddenly, the only person standing in the way of Margaret’s heart came right in between them, once again.

“Simon? Hey man, what’s the good life have to say?”

It was Diego.

He put his arm around her, and Simon instinctively hid the rose back into his suit pocket.

“Nothing much, Diego.” He said, “How about you?”

“Great, y’know, just waiting to go to university this fall. My girl here’s coming with me this year, and nothing could make me any happier. God’s been so good to me.”

Diego kissed Margaret on the cheek, and Simon recoiled within himself.

There’s something that happens to a person when they’re overcome with jealousy.

A carnal instinct.

Simon’s blood suddenly boiled, but he managed to hide his emotion behind a smile. Albeit, a very fake grin.

Diego was a good man, earnestly kind and intelligent.

Simon had known him briefly from high school.

He was two years older than them and he constantly spoke about God.

Every morning, he went to Catholic mass.

However, Diego’s religion didn’t interfere with the fact that Simon wanted what he had.

And he was ready to do just about anything he could to get her.

Other than murder, he thought, anything’s on the table. How should I get her this rose?

---

Simon gathered some applications for local jobs – at the deli, an ice cream shop, car dealerships.

But none of them really appealed to him.

He remained at the community center all day, lingering around the room where Margaret’s office desk was.

How else am I going to make Margaret my wife? If there was another way, I wouldn’t do it like this, he thought.

This was his last remaining chance.

Now, all he had to do was to leave the rose in her vicinity and snatch one of Diego’s garments.

So Simon made a plan to go into her office when she wasn’t looking and stash the rose somewhere.

He would take Diego’s hoodie from off of her chair and out of the building with no one noticing.

With that, he’d have all the prerequisites for the spell.

---

Finally, she had left out her office to make some copies of a document. 

This is my chance, Simon thought.

He sprang up like a kangaroo and went in like a shadow.

Leaving the rose in one of her desk drawers, he grabbed Diego’s hoodie in one motion and left the community center with it rolled under his arm.

As he left, there he saw Diego outside the building doing calisthenic exercises.

Like the stud he was.

“Until next time, Simon!”

Simon looked back to wave goodbye at Diego, his sweatshirt clutched in his arm so that he wouldn’t be able to see it.

He marched away hastily, nerve-racked, unless his arch-nemesis would come running up behind him to give him a hug, or something heinous to that effect.

He may have been a liar and a thief that day, but atleast he had accomplished the task at hand.

Plus, it’s not like anyone’s dying.

Or so he thought.

…Chapter 2 coming in 7 days...

Or, if you don’t want to wait – buy it on Amazon.