TW: drugs, risky behaviour

Josetta Was

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Donna Quiroz

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May 12, 2021

AMERICAN COMING OF AGE CONTEMPORARY

Josetta was a party friggin dog. I mean there was partying, and then there was PARTYING!!! Josetta could out party all of us, and come back for another head stand at the keg while we were puking in the alley.She could out smoke, out drink and out party favor the entire Junior class at our high school.

Everyone except Toni and me, we have been in Party Wars with this chick since probably sixth grade, and round for round, puff for puff, we could hang with Josetta when the Partying got tough. It helped that Toni and I shared the same parents. I was a foster kid, and Toni’s parents were bonafide, leather wearing, drug dealing, color flying, bikers of the baddest ass kind, Gypsy Jokers. Other kids would get asked about their homework and we would get asked if we sold all of the weed they had given us the night before. We came from a family of bikers, and we were expected to act like it, so we thought. We did our best not to let our parents down,we never had a day with short sales. They were proud of us too, even though we were out and about almost every night, we never missed the bus to school. We always did our chores, like cleaning up the beer bottles and overflowing ashtrays from the night before, and refilling the fridge with beer.

Josetta didn’t seem to have parents.No one had ever seen a mother or a father. No one ever went in her house either. She lived in a shack by the lumber mill with her older sister Daisy, and at least four brothers with names like Chola, Vincente, Julio and Michael. They were all crazy, and often chased each other around the yard, with machetes and knives. Someone was always at the hospital getting stitches. Daisy was the worst, she was always yelling at Josetta that she would stab her if she wasn’t home by midnight. Like Josetta cared. She did what she wanted, and never answered to anyone. She was small and very dark skinned, she said it was because she was Puerto Rican. Whatever she was, she was mean as hell and could fight like a man, or at least she could pull a knife out and threaten like one. 

Once a girl called her Mexican and she had the knife at the chicks throat before Toni and I could stop her. Nothing happened, except the girl was crying and peed her pants. Toni and I yelled at Josetta “Get outta here!” Then took the girl’s purse for safe keeping, and sent her home. Josetta was waiting for us around the corner, and we split the take.

On Friday nights we would get our plans together for the weekend. We would meet Josetta behind the Thriftway market, at a sort of teenage smoking spot by a big green electrical box.

Toni and I would sit and smoke cigarettes, talking about boys and “What if.” situations. We were only fifteen or so, and had never “done it” but as drug dealers, Puerto Ricans and biker chicks, we had to look after appearances, you know? 

So there we would sit, Toni wearing a rabbit fur jacket, and me and Josetta wearing fitted leather blazers. All three of us had on enough makeup for at least one circus clown, and ridiculously large silver hoop earrings. We had carefully cut holes in our 501 jeans, and embroidered around them much like today's pre-ripped jeans. We had also cut slits in the outside of the leg and sewn in material to make the widest leg jeans around. We purposely left them extra long and un-hemmed, they soaked up water better that way and that added at least fifteen points to our cool cards. We finished our look with a pair of platform shoes that we usually didn’t wear, but carried around, in case there was a dress code.

The craziest night partying we ever had, was during our small town’s Forest Festival. I think every small town in America has its version, a celebration of the local economy;and its natural resources. There was always a parade, a carnival, and plenty of opportunities to get in trouble. 

The three of us had been preparing for weeks, going door to door with a can, a piece of paper covering it that said SCIENCE FAIR, and PLEASE GIVE. We would knock and then ask for donations to our science fair club, so that we could have a float in the parade. We met as usual at the Green Thing behind the store, in the morning, on the Thursday of Festival. Weekend, and divided the proceeds between the three of us. Close to a hundred each,

“What’s your project about?” Toni asked me.

“Um, you mean what’s my float supposed to be?” I lit a Kool Mild, choking, but continuing my puffing.until I had a coughing fit.

“Gimme that.” said Josetta as she snatched the half finished cig from my hand. She took a long drag and said “ My float is gonna be a psychology float and the theme is gonna be effects of alcohol on minor girls.” She blew the smoke out in a ring, ”We need a car.” She said blowing another ring through the first.

The first order of business was getting someone to buy us beer. 

“I know who to ask!” Toni said, snapping her fingers as she spoke. “ That friend of my sister Rorilee”s, that cat at the gas station, he is always staring at us, I bet we could get his car too, he is always staring at us.”

“Do you know his name even?” Josetta asked, this time blowing 3 rings, one through the next. “ You got to have more than 'just always staring at us' to pull a good hustle.” Josetta winked at me, “I’ll get it,” and she started a 30 second coughing fit, pointing toward the gas station down the street and nodding.

“Not yet,” Toni said digging through her purse, and pulling out a pint of tequila, a seven up and a lemon, “Let me see your knife Jos, I know you have one.” Josetta handed over her flip knife,from her pocket, smiling.

“Damn rights I got a knife. You already know.”

Toni cut the lemon, and put enough of the tequila to fill the large shot glass halfway, poured the seven up to the top of the glass, covered it with her hand, and slammed it on the green metal box. The mixture foamed up almost going over the top of the glass, but Toni quickly swallowed down the entire contents. “Next?” She asked me first and ignored Josetta, who was whining like a little kid,” I want one, make me one.”

“Your last.” I said and took the filled glass from Toni and slammed it on the table, downing it in one drink as Toni had. Just then we heard a car coming toward us, stereo music arriving before the car. “I hear RayRay.”.

Sure enough it was RayRay in his blue Ford Falcon. He turned down his Lynyrd Skynyrd tape and rolled up as close as he could get to the Green Thing. Window down, one arm out, sporting a pair of Ray Bans, Ray Ray was the coolest buddy with a car, and when we drank he was always a gentleman and expected the same of any guys around us. We loved him.

“What’s Charlies Angel’s up to today?” He drawled like a Texan, but RayRay had never been out of Washington..

“Drinking.” said Toni, mixing a shot glass, and handing it to RayRay.

“Smoking and drinking,” I said, almost choking on another cigarette.

“Getting pissed because these greedy butts won’t share.” Said Josetta, throwing the empty bottle of tequila on the ground, shattering it into a million pieces.

“Let’s go get some beer, it's the Forest Festival!” Ray shouted gleefully, revving his engine. The three of us jumped into his ancient car just as the backdoor to the store opened and the manager came out swinging a broom.

“Get out of here you dummy’s! Don’t Come back either!” He shouted at the car as we took off, gravel flying from the tires. 

We rolled into the alley behind the bar, backwards, stopping just behind the beer truck, just as the back door to the tavern closed. ” Open the trunk, I will load it.” RayRay said to me as he jumped out of the car and ran to jump into the back of the tractor trailer, the door had been left wide open by the trusting truck driver. “Hey! D come help me!” In less than three minutes we swooped up 2 pony kegs, six cases of beer and a gallon jar of teriyaki jerky..

“Go!Go!Go!” We shrieked at crazy Josetta, who was now in the driver seat. She gunned the motor and pulled into the Arctic Circle drive in, just a few blocks away.. Ray got out of the backseat and walked up to the drivers side door. ”Oh my God! You can’t even see over the wheel. Get out! You're not driving any more, you are way too short. Go on, get out!” RayRay snapped at Josetta, then he laughed, “You are a pretty good getaway driver even if you can’t see. Move it, let’s get out of here”

RayRay drove us slowly through the back roads to the gravel pit, right behind where the carnival tents were set up, We were smoking, giggling and putting on even more makeup.RayRay was singing along to his Lynyrd Skynyrd and Josetta was putting away a bottle of beer out of one of the cases, ”God you two look like total tramps.” Josetta said, cracking another beer and letting out a horrible noise “BWAAARP”

“Oh hell no!” Toni laughed, “Give me one of those beers Ray Ray.”

It was about then we decided to sneak into the carnival through the middle of the carny tents located right next to our beloved gravel pit. A strip of trees about forty feet wide was all that slowed us down. Ok and almost two cases of beer. It shouldn't have been a big deal to cut through the woods, but none of us could walk, and we kept breaking into terrific fits of laughter over the burps Josetta and now RayRay were accomplishing. “Bwwaaarp.” Me too, I guess.

We looked quite a sight, the four of us busting out of the undergrowth, sticks in our hair, grass, leaves and dirt all over us, drunk as four skunks. Luckily the small camp of about 20 large tents was empty. And we made it inside the fence skipping the gate fee,

“I;m hungry.” RayRay said and Josetta spoke up real quick, “Me too.” 

I was slurring my words but thought I was speaking clearly.” Gkfr Nkjv.” I looked at the two Rays in front of me. “Go ahead, go get something to eat, I am not even hungry.” Toni nodded “Ya, go ahead I am going to ride the hammer.”

That was our second mistake. Getting drunk had been our first.

Toni and I passed on the hammer, opting for the haunted house, and the Round Up. Then we walked over to the Octopus, where we stood barely moving for almost twenty minutes. Finally we were ushered to a pair of seats and strapped in. Toni had been making eyes at the carny,

“Want to come to a party later?” She asked the slim brown skinned operator. “We are gonna have a kegger in the gravel pit.” He had on a wife beater and a pair of Levis, both dirty with dust and grease. His hair was golden blonde, long past his shoulders in a loose braid. He had a backwards baseball cap on, I was amazed that the brilliance of his smile didn't knock it off his head. It was just about dark.

“Come back in an hour, OK.” He said giving us a super hard spin, and raising one hand in the air, motioning to his partner to start the ride. His partner was a couple years older, dressed the same, and had the same wicked smile. There went the hammer. We spent the next hour getting on and off the Octopus, flirting with the carny boys and waiting for their break. We forgot all about Josetta and RayRay.

That was our third mistake.

About eleven pm we took off from our new boyfriend's to look for them, they shouldn’t have been too hard to find. RayRay wasn’t. “Where’s Josetta, RayRay?” We asked in unison. 

“She said she was gonna go find you guys”, He replied, coughing. His eyes were brilliant red, and we knew he had been smoking weed.`` "Well you didn't say I had to babysit.” Ray shook his head and looked at the ground. ”She just took off while I was putting ketchup and stuff on my burger. I yelled, but she didn't even look.”

A voice came over a loudspeaker, “Carnival closing. The Carnival is closing in 15 minutes,’

Toni and I looked at each other, Josetta was scared of the dark. We had better find her quickly.

We were sober now but still smelled of booze. “Hey RayRay, can you go see if she went to your car, and then pick us up at the gate?”

“Sure, but I don’t think she went there.”

“You think, or you know?” Toni was glaring at RayRay, “You know they say these carnies rape kids and stuff, We gotta find her,”

It was on the second loop of the carnival area things got worse. RayRay came running up to us panting, “She’s not there, and some lady in the camp said she walked through there with some old guy. That was like two hours ago.” 

I reached into my pocket and saw I had a couple of bucks in quarters.”I am gonna go call Daisy and see if she came home.” I said, turning to walk over to the pay phone,`` "You guys should walk around one more time.”

I was on the phone with Daisy in a second, “Oh you stupid little bitches!” Daisy screamed at me when I asked if Josetta was home. “You know she didn't come home, she never comes home when she goes with you.” Daisy was going off in English and Spanish I could hardly understand her.” I already sent her brothers out looking for her.” Daisy slammed the phone down so hard it hurt my ear.

Just then two of her brothers walked up to me, they looked pretty angry. “Where;s our sister?”

“I don know “ I lied. ‘She was just right here a few minutes ago.”

We must have been standing right next to one of the announcement speakers, Snap, buzz, pop,whistle, "The carnival grounds are closing, Carnival grounds are closed for the night folks.” 

The speaker squealed.” Oh ya, can Josetta Justiano meet her party at the main gate, Josetta Justiano, please meet your party at the main gate." Snap.squeak thud, and the speaker went silent.

Michael and Julio walked with me to the main gate, not a word was said between us. When we got to the entrance I saw Toni and RayRay. Before I could say a word, Michael grabbed me by my arm and half dragged me toward RayRays car. ”Hey punk,where is she?” Julio snapped at RayRay, walking faster to the car. “What the fuck?” You could feel fear and anger in his voice.”Where the fuck is she? She is only 15, you idiots, what the fuck?”

The five of us drove around looking for Josetta until RayRays car ran out of gas. The stolen kegs were still rattling around in the trunk Thoughts of Partying had been replaced with fears of what might have happened to Josetta. No one had spoken in what seemed like hours.

RayRay and Julio went off in search of gas with a five gallon can and a hose. Toni, Michael and I sat silently in the car. Finally Michael said the words we had been thinking for awhile now.

“We are gonna have to call the cops.” His voice broke a little and he started to sob,” She is only a little girl, and Dad is finally coming to see her. He is gonna pay for her party, her quinceanera. Fuck!” He punched the seat so hard I winced, a tiny “ow” coming out of my mouth.

RayRay and Julio got back just at daybreak, carrying the can of gas between them. It only took them a few minutes to siphon the gas back into the car. We went back to the gravel pit and parked the car in the same place. Our empty beer cans were marking the spot where we had been happily drinking hours before..

Without saying a word we followed RayRay to the tent where the lady was, that had said she had seen a small dark girl with long hair, walking with an old man.

“Julio shook the tent “Hey, Hey lady, get up I need to know if you saw my sister.”

Ray Ray suddenly stopped him “Wait!! Wait, that’s the wrong tent. This one was blue and had a big rip on one side, Oh my God,“ RayRay turned his head and threw up. “Look, it was right here, right fucking here. Now the whole tent is gone,” He managed to get out. “She is not lost, she’s stolen.”