Free The Sudden Star by Pamela Sargent

Ortega ever found a way to take over, where would he be then?
    He pulled out a blue shirt and white trousers and put them on, turning to admire himself in the mirror hanging on the door. He added a touch of Ildy's blue eye shadow, checked the brown sandals which still pinched his feet but looked nice, then went through the bathroom to Aisha's room.
    Aisha, wearing a white dress, was sitting in her chair, reading. She looked up as he entered. She actually looked prettier since being sick, he thought. Her boy's body was bonier, her black hair fluffier. The hollows in her cheeks made her eyes look larger and darker. She was as pretty as Ildy, who was the best-looking girl he had ever seen.
    "You eaten yet?" he asked her.
    "Yeah, I got up early. I didn't want to run into Ortega."
    Juan perched on one arm of the chair, draping his arm over its back. "I'm afraid of her. You can't tell what she's thinking," Aisha went on.
    "Screw her. You better start sucking up to René soon, or he'll start wondering."
    "It's pointless," she replied, breathing loudly. "He can't stand up to Ortega forever. I don't even think he knows she wants to take over, and then she'll kill us too."
    "Stop it." He grabbed a handful of her hair, pulling her head toward him.
    "She will."
    Juan pulled her hair as hard as he could." Stop it." She cuffed him on the side of the head with her book. He released her, grabbing the chair to keep from falling.
    "Don't you dare hurt me, Juan. You're here because of me."
    "That shows how much you know. He likes Ildy now." He rubbed his head. "And stop thinking about Ortega."
    "I can't. She's trying to get him out and then she'll kill him, and he's not doing anything."
    "Well," he said, getting up, "there's nothing we can do about it. I'm going downstairs."
    He left and hurried through the hallway and down the stairs. The kitchen was empty. He went in and sat at the long table. He poured himself a cup of milk and began to nibble at a pastry. The milk was warm and slightly sour. He heard the door open behind him. He turned and saw Ildico, dressed in a blue shirt and shorts. Her thick hair was piled on her head. He blew her a kiss. She poured some milk and sat down.
    "You better have a talk with Aisha," he said. "She's acting crazy, talking about Ortega like she does."
    Ildico said, "René wants to retire."
    "He just talks about it."
    "He means to now."
    "He can't. Nobody comes that far and gives it up." Nervously, Juan stuffed the rest of the pastry into his mouth.
    "He can. He has friends and they'll watch Ortega, take my word."
    "He won't have any friends if he retires." He thought: Maybe Aisha's right. "And what happens to us?" he asked.
    "What are you worried about?" Ildico reached over and patted his arm. "He'll take care of us. He knows people, so he can set us up in something. And Ortega'll leave us alone then, as long as we don't bother her."
    Ildy, he told himself, was always right. He had to remember that, and trust her. But he couldn't help worrying, especially with all this dead time to worry in; he was getting too used to the comfort and if he kept going like this, it wouldn't be long before he couldn't do much else. He thought about the long day facing him and decided to fortify himself with another pastry.
     
    Juan sat with Aisha on the floor of her room, squinting at the pages of Lisa's Lusts. She was teaching him from sexy books now. She had tried a book about animals in a forest once, but how could he read that shit with a straight face?
    He put the book down and said, "My eyes are starting to hurt." He couldn't read for long without getting a headache, and he had to hold the book at arm's length to read the pages. People, he thought, weren't made for reading.
    "I guess you did enough for one day," she said. "You better hide that book where René won't see it."
    "What's the use?" he said, remembering what Ildy had told him. He wondered if he should say anything to Aisha. It didn't matter; she'd find out soon