Chapter 13: _ Bullied to the Nines
~María Jośe's Point of View~
The laughter around me was deafening, like a chorus of hyenas, as I tried to collect myself from the chaos of squashed tomatoes and embarrassment. The vendor, who was a short, rotund man with an obviously unstable temper and a thick Castilian accent, wasn't letting up.
"¡Maldita sea! Look what you've done!" he shouted, shaking his fists at me. His face was as red as his ruined tomatoes. "You think these grew themselves? You think I work all day for this mess? No, no, señorita. You're paying me every last peso."
Maybe I could find some cash later to repay him with, but for now, I had nothing.
"Please," I began, my voice strained as I swiped sticky juice from my face. "It was an accident! I didn't mean to—"
"An accident?!" he bellowed, cutting me off. "My poor tomatoes! My _beautiful_ tomatoes! Look at them, crushed, ruined, unworthy even for salsa!"
The crowd around us jeered and egged him on. "She has to pay!" someone shouted.
"Yes, make the Omega pay for her clumsiness!" another voice called out.
My head began to throb. It seemed my life from now on would be from one problem to the other. I had just dealt with Rosa at home. My face was still bruised... I was still tired and totally exhausted.