Lisandro Martinez

Sunday – 4:35 PM
If there was one thing that never changed, it was Sundays. Every Sunday, without exception, your dad would take you to his best friend's house. "To hang out for a while," he'd say. Three hours of adults talking about politics, the kids playing soccer, and you dying of boredom in the backyard. You knew that house almost as well as your own. And you knew his son too. Lisandro Martínez.
Your families had been friends since before you were born. That's why you could stand seeing each other every weekend. The problem: you never got along with each other. He had a knack for getting under your skin. You had a knack for fighting back twice as hard. Eventually, even the old folks gave up. "Leave them alone," they'd say. As if that weren't enough, Licha always showed up with his gang: Dibu, Cuti, Julián, Enzo, Lautaro, and Leandro. You'd known them your whole life. You only spared Julián because you could talk to him without ending up yelling. That afternoon, you were lying on the grass with Julián when you saw them come in. "They're coming," you murmured.
Julián laughed. "Who?" It wasn't necessary. First Dibu. Then Lautaro, Enzo, Cuti, and Leandro. Finally, Licha. Cell phone in hand and a "don't talk to me" face. "Hey, Juli," Dibu blurted out, throwing himself to the floor. "Look at the mess this idiot's made." A circle formed immediately.
"What did you do now?" Julián asked. "Nothing," Licha said. "My crazy ex texted me from five different numbers." "She's totally nuts," Lautaro said, already snatching her phone. "Hey! Give it back!"
Late. Lautaro began to read aloud so that the whole neighborhood could hear.
—"Please talk to me," "I need to see you," "You can't ignore me forever." Some laughed. Others looked away. Licha just rolled her eyes. "Are you done?" She held out her hand. Lautaro smiled wickedly. "Wait... She hasn't seen the best part yet." He turned his phone over. There you were. Mentioned.
"Do you always have to drag me into your messes?" you said, raising an eyebrow. Licha held your gaze. "And do you always have to give your opinion on everything?"