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Authors: Diana Rodriguez Wallach

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“Um, I'll see you at school, Evan,” I choked, before stumbling off and snorting.
I saw Madison and Emily holding my place in the restroom line. Tears were streaming down their faces as they bent over shivering. People might have thought they were writhing in pain if they didn't know them better. Only I did.
Chapter 16
I
sat next to Madison on the ride home. I had figured that Emily would fight her way into the middle seat, only she immediately climbed in the back without a fuss.
Mr. Fox said he'd take us for ice cream on Main Street when we got back to Spring Mills. A new place had opened with a singing wait staff. I hadn't been there yet. It debuted while I was in Puerto Rico.
“So, Mariana, you can blend anything together. Oatmeal, Oreos, M&Ms, the works,” Mrs. Fox explained.
“It's awesome,” Madison added. “It's actually where Emily went with Bobby after the movie. Right, Em?”
I turned around, and Emily smiled faintly. She said nothing, so I didn't press it further.
“You girls wanna spend the night?” Mrs. Fox asked as we drove out of Philadelphia.
“Yeah, you should,” Madison cheered.
I hadn't slept at Madison's since I got back from vacation. I used to spend half my weekends there, only lately the air seemed too tense for an all-nighter. Now, I finally felt like I was home.
I exhaled slowly, my stomach softening. “I'd like that. Lemme call my parents.”
I dug into my leather bag for my cell phone. I had turned it off during the show. It was a cardinal sin to disturb a ballet performance. It was like screaming at a golfer right as he swung.
“Hey, we can finalize your birthday plans,” Madison stated. “Maybe we should invite Evan now.”
“Yeah, we know he can dance,” I joked, glancing back at Emily.
She was quietly gazing out the car window as the headlights zoomed past. I touched her arm.
“Oh, what?” Emily asked, startled.
“We were talking about Evan.”
“Oh, that was hilarious,” she said softly, her eyes bleached as her lids hung low.
I glanced at my phone. It powered up and let out a quick succession of beeps signifying messages.
The first was a text message from Vince:
Rush week is insane. Frat hangs with the hottest chicks! Downed 21 shots for bro's b-day. Luv college! LOL! L8R
I shook my head at the screen, smiling. At least he was consistent.
Next, I dialed my voice mail.
“Uh, hola, Mariana. It's me, Lilly. Um, I'm at home, and you might want to get here soon. Something unexpected's happened. We have a visitor. Well, uh, Teresa's here. She flew in this evening ... [deep breath] So yeah, get home. Soon. Hasta luego.”
I snapped my phone shut and stared at the back of the passenger seat.
“What? What happened?” Madison asked.
I looked toward her, then toward her father.
“Um, Mr. Fox, can you take me home?”
“You're not coming for ice cream?”
“I can't.” I coughed nervously. “My family's in town.”
We pulled into my driveway moments later. I could feel the heightened energy as soon as I stepped from the car. It was like the entire area around my house vibrated with unknown mayhem. My shoulders pushed high, and my fingers constricted.
Madison and Emily took the news surprisingly well. Teresa was a subject they dared not touch. I was thankful they had known my family before it became a soap opera, otherwise I might have found the entire situation rather humiliating. At least I didn't have to explain myself to them, not about this anyway.
I opened the heavy red door to our freshly painted house. I could hear everyone congregated in the kitchen, and the scent of pizza swept through the air. As soon as I stepped inside, Lilly appeared in the doorway. She rushed toward me, grabbed my arm and dragged me into the living room.
“She was here when I got back from the football game,” she hastily whispered.
“Did my parents know she was coming?”
“No. Apparently, this Carlos guy she's dating works for an airline and got her a last-minute ticket for, like, nothing.”
“Well, why isn't she with him?”
“He's working tonight. He actually called your father and asked him to pick Teresa up at the airport.”
“What? When?”
“Like an hour before her plane landed. They got here not long before I did.”
“My dad must be freaking out.”
“I don't know. Sort of. Your mom ordered pizza, and everyone's acting like it's totally normal.”
“Welcome to my world.”
I walked into the kitchen and instantly froze at the sight of Teresa. She was settled into a stool at the island, holding a slice of pepperoni, her dark auburn hair swept up on the sides. I didn't know why the sight of her shocked me so much. I knew what she looked like. I had spent time with her in Utuado. But something about seeing her in my house, in my kitchen, in my reality, stopped me in my tracks.
“
Hola,
” she stated, with a tiny dimpled smile.
“Hi.”
 
We moved onto the patio. It was a cool night, and Teresa, Lilly, and I were cuddled in sweatshirts and blankets while Tootsie sniffed Teresa's feet. (It was like he was trying to determine where the infidel came from.) My mom was in the kitchen brewing a vat of iced tea while my father whispered on the telephone behind closed doors. I figured that he was talking to my uncles, and I doubted that they would be happy to hear about our visitor.
While I knew Teresa was coming, I had assumed it was primarily to be with her new boyfriend. If Carlos didn't live in New Jersey, then there would have been no reason for her to leave Utuado. But the way she had sat in my kitchen, hanging on my father's every word, sent a strange vibe sizzling through my body. Something in her eyes expressed more than a simple “thank you for picking me up at the airport.” It almost seemed as if she were waiting for a smile, a laugh, a touch, something to prove that she belonged.
“So where's Manny?” I asked.
Clearly her two-year-old terror was not in the country, or I was certain I would have heard his screeching all the way from the soundproof Academy.
“He's with my
mamá.
I wanted to have some time with Carlos before I brought Manny into it.”
Lilly and I looked at each other. Just the mention of Teresa's mother, my grandfather's mistress, caused a softball to form in my throat. She was the evil woman who ruined my grandmother's life, not some nice lady's mom.
“So, tell us about this Carlos guy,” Lilly suggested, rapidly switching topics.
“Well, we met online about a year ago. He lives in Williamstown.. . .”
“That's right across the bridge,” I pointed out.
“So I hear. He works at the Philadelphia Airport.”
“Did you see him when you came in?” Lilly asked.
“No, he handles baggage and couldn't get away. We thought he'd be able to; that's why we didn't call your father until the last minute. I actually thought Carlos was picking me up.” Teresa looked at me with an embarrassed smile. “I'm sorry I didn't give your family more notice. It was all very rushed.”
“Don't sweat it. Even if you did, my parents probably still wouldn't have told me 'til today.” I chuckled.
“Well, your father's been very nice.”
“Hey, he let me move here,” Lilly added. “I think he's starting a whole Utuado migration.”
“Yeah, well, try growing up with him.”
Teresa peered at me curiously, her head sloped to the side.
“What? You don't know him,” I stated. “Trust me, he gives new meaning to the word ‘stubborn.' ”
“Stubborn? Gee, I wonder who that sounds like?” Lilly moaned.
“What?”
“Do you even remember yourself in Puerto Rico? You didn't speak to me for two weeks.”
“It was a misunderstanding.”
“That you let go on forever because you're so freakin' stubborn.”
“I am not.”
“Then why did you give me the silent treatment?”
“Because you were rude.”
“No, you were stubborn.”
“I am not!”
“You wanna prove my point further?”
I snatched the lemon wedge out of my glass and chucked it at her. It smashed onto her shoulder, leaving a wet mark.
“Oh, you wanna go there? I'll go there.” Lilly dug her fingers into her drink for an ice chip and took aim.
“
¡Chiquitas!”
Teresa yelled, rising to her feet. “
¡Para!”
Tootsie barked on cue as Teresa stretched her arms wide. Lilly and I slowly placed our glasses back on the patio table and glared at each other.
“I'm not stubborn,”
I mouthed.
She laughed and shook her head.
“So, tell me about your birthday party,” Teresa stated calmly, her dimples showing.
I could tell that she liked spending time with us—her pale brown eyes smiled in a way that they hadn't in Puerto Rico. I couldn't imagine growing up without any siblings, with just my mom for company. In addition to her driving me absolutely bonkers, I'd probably spend my life with the constant realization that everyone else got to experience a sense of family that was denied to me. For as much as I complained about my crazy relatives, I wouldn't trade them for anything.
“Well, the big day's in two weeks,” I stated.
“Is your family coming?” she asked in a soft voice, her hope squeaking through.
“You betcha,” I groaned, staring at her sideways.
“I know your uncles have a problem with me.”
“They don't know you,” Lilly stated.
“No, I understand.
Esta bien.
” Teresa nodded, her shoulders slightly hunched. “Your brother, Vince, is he coming?”
“No, he's at college. It's his fraternity's rush week.”
She squinted, her forehead creased with confusion.
“Trust me, you don't want to know,” I mumbled. “It's just a bunch of beer and puking.”
“So, are you officially inviting Betsy and them?” Lilly asked, perking up.
“Well, I don't want to, but I feel like I have to because they already know.”
“So, what's the harm?”
“I don't like them.”
“You don't like anyone.”
“Not true.”
“Okay, Miss Stubborn.”
“Shut! Up!” I shouted, my eyes wide. Tootsie immediately jumped on all fours, barking to defend me.
“
Chicas
...” Teresa warned in a deep tone, holding up her palms.
“By the way, Lil, I almost forgot to tell you. Your precious boy Evan is a ballet freak.” I curled my lips.
“What?”
“He was at
Firebird
. With his grandma.”
“That's kinda cute,” she whispered, grinning.
“Oh, don't tell me ...”
“What?”
“The guy's a jerk.”
“You don't even know him.”
“I know he bad mouths my friends and rams into me in the hallways.”
“So? You bad mouth his friends... .”
“Lilly!” My mouth dropped open.
“Relax. He's just a friend.”
Teresa's brown eyes flicked between Lilly and me like a ping-pong match.
“Did you girls really just meet this summer?” she asked, inquisitively touching her chin with her index finger.
“Yeah.”
“Why?” I asked.
“Nothing.” She laughed.
I grabbed my iced tea and took another sip. Lilly and Teresa did the same.
Chapter 17
W
hen Carlos picked up my
tia
later that night, she didn't invite him in for an introduction. She just rushed out of the house apologetically, almost as if she was worried about disrupting my family's evening any further. My parents quickly retired to their master suite without a word to Lilly or me, and they didn't mention her sudden visit for the duration of the weekend. The only thing discussed was my birthday, which also seemed to be the topic on the minds of the entire tenth grade population at Spring Mills High School. Because by the time I got to school on Monday, everyone knew about my upcoming party.
Apparently the e-vite I had sent to fifty classmates last night was forwarded to another two hundred by morning. Since they all received the e-vite, they all assumed they were invited regardless of the fact that it hadn't been sent by me. (Note to self: send only paper invitations in the future—harder to forward.)
I stood in the cafeteria line waiting for my wonton soup and debating how I should tell my mother to quadruple the catering order. Or was it still possible to uninvite the not invited? I could send a follow up e-vite officially denouncing their prior invitation. There had to be an e-card somewhere with
“You're Not Invited”
written in elegant cursive script and a succinct rhyming message to follow:
You got the card
But it wasn't for you
Don't come to my party
I did not invite you.
I was mulling over the wording as I stared at the vat of broth and dumplings glowing with the greenish tinge of the overhead lights. It was odd that I was willing to eat food in a school cafeteria that I would reject anywhere else on Earth. I snubbed my nose at half the meals my mom made from scratch, yet here I was about to slurp down artificially colored, sodium-laced chemical substitutes.
“Hey, Mariana, can you move it along?” Chad griped from the back of the line.
A gap had formed ahead of me.
“Sure, Chad. Thanks for monitoring the line for the rest of us.” I glanced back to see if Evan was with him. He wasn't.
“Can't wait for your party next weekend.”
My stomach tensed. The kid openly didn't like me, yet he planned to attend my Sweet Sixteen. Maybe if the Main Line offered more locations for teens to congregate, we wouldn't have to crash each other's parties.
I handed the cashier my money and carried my tray back to my table.
“Hey,” I muttered as I plopped down.
Emily was already halfway through her yogurt, and Madison was munching on a celery stick. She had heard that raw vegetables didn't account for many calories. So she was now on a raw diet. (Like she needed to lose weight. If she shrunk down more, she'd be shopping in the children's department.)
“So everyone knows about my party,” I whined, nodding at Chad.
“Yeah, the whole grade's talking about it,” said Emily.
“Since when does ‘everyone' know who I am?”
“Since you brought back a cousin who's the next Miss Spring Mills.”
Madison rolled her eyes. “And since you decided to throw a party. You know people don't have anything else to do in this town.”
“I can't believe Betsy's whole crew is coming,” I griped. “And you know what's worse? I think Lilly has a thing for Evan.”
“Oh, God, no!” Madison shrieked, slapping the table. “He's disgusting.”
“Don't get me started.”
I drummed my nails on the weathered wood and glanced around the cafeteria. Dozens of tables formed neat rows through the window-lined hall. It was the tenth grade lunch and of the more than 250 kids crammed into the massive room, I had only spoken to about half. And most of those conversations had taken place in grade school. The rest of the kids I merely passed in the halls or saw on the athletic fields. They were names and faces about as familiar to me as most celebrity couples.
“So how'd the Teresa meet and greet go?” Madison asked.
“Fine, I guess. She's seems normal enough. But I'm worried about my Uncle Diego. The last thing I need is a big showdown at my birthday party.”
“Well, people will know you a lot better after that.” Madison half-chuckled as she peered around the lunchroom.
“Gee, thanks.”
“Mariana, there isn't a single kid in here without family drama,” Emily reasoned as she gazed into her empty yogurt cup.
“You don't have family drama.”
“Yeah, that's what everyone thinks. Until it falls apart,” she whispered.
Madison and I nodded.
 
I could feel the goggles burning impressions into my cheeks and forehead. There was nothing worse than strolling the hallways after chemistry with red science-geek goggle lines. I pulled on the plastic protective eyewear hoping to give my skin time to breathe.
“Mariana, you know the rules about goggles. Keep them on at all times,” Mr. Berk warned.
The man had nothing better to do than stand in front of the class waiting to pounce on any student who dared alleviate the goggle pressure. If the school board really wanted us to wear them, then they should get us more comfortable goggles. Or Mr. Berk should be forced to wear them as well.
“This lab is taking forever,” Bobby whispered.
“A watched crucible never evaporates,” I warned.
We were in the midst of a hydrate lab and tasked with finding the empirical formula of five grams of magnesium sulfate hydrate using any laboratory procedure available. Currently, Bobby and I were heating the hydrate in the porcelain “crucible” as Mr. Berk called it, or the “jar” as we called it. We had the lid slightly off hoping to burn off excess moisture. It was a classic tip I'd learned in my mother's kitchen. If you don't tightly cover the pot while heating pasta sauce, it dries up and gets crusty around the edges. Apparently, the rest of the class had gotten the same lesson from their mothers because they were all using the same technique.
“So your party's in two weeks. I think I can make it,” Bobby grumbled, a pencil in his mouth.
He tugged on his goggles, which were uncomfortably placed over his black plastic glasses. If I found our eyewear uncomfortable, I couldn't imagine how he felt.
“You and the rest of the student body.”
“Did you invite a lot of people?”
“No, but that doesn't seem to be stopping them from coming.”
Bobby took his pencil from his lips and tapped it on the table. It was the first time he stopped chewing it all period.
“What's with you?”
“Nothing,” he said abruptly, shifting the pencil's metal tip back into his mouth. “It's just, I mean, I was kinda, you know ...”
I snatched the No. 2 from his hand and slapped it on the table. It left a small pool of saliva on the surface.
“Try talking without the lead in your mouth. It might help you form a sentence.”
“Oh, sorry.” His cheeks fluttered with pink.
“Why are you being so weird?”
I had never seen Bobby blush before. He actually had one of the quickest wits of anyone I knew.
“It's nothing. It's just, I'm having a screening of my documentary this weekend,” he blurted out. “The one I made in Dublin. I just finished editing it... .”
“No way.” I smiled, grabbing the crucible tongs and checking our experiment.
“And I was wondering, if maybe ... you'd like to come.”
“To see your film? Totally! When is it?”
“Saturday night. At my house.”
“Sweet, who else is gonna be there? Because I don't think Madison or Emily have plans. I wonder what Lilly's doing... .”
“Oh,” he interrupted, tugging at his curls. “Okay.”
I peered over and put down the tongs.
“Oh, my God. I'm sorry. I thought it was a group thing. I'm so rude. Here I am complaining about people crashing my party and I go and invite a bunch of randoms to your film—”
“No, no. It's cool. I mean, they can come. If they want.”
He stared at his worksheet.
“They don't have to. If you've already got too many people ...”
“No, not at all. The more the merrier, or whatever.”
“I'm sure they'd love to see it. You made a movie!” I cheered, punching him in his shoulder.
Only, apparently, I caught him off guard. His lanky frame wobbled on his lab stool, lifting two of the chair's legs off the ground and tilting his body backwards. His feet swung up and, before I could stop it, his whole body crashed on the floor, his arms swinging desperately in the process.
I knew I shouldn't laugh, but I couldn't help it. An involuntary burst of giggles shot out of me igniting the rest of the class. Mr. Berk darted over, but Bobby waved him off and slowly stood up. His cherry red face glowed as he took a mortified bow. The class clapped and cheered.
“That was graceful,” he mumbled, before breaking into chuckles himself.

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