“I know it wasn’t easy. That’s why I’m congratulating you, silly.”
I grab a fistful of popcorn. “Sometimes I can’t believe I ever had anything with him. He’s always been so out of my league.” I pop as much popcorn as I can into my mouth.
“I can’t believe it either,” she jokes. “Who knew? Life is unpredictable.” Dani eats her popcorn more slowly.
“Although I think he’s still out of my league. He’s not interested in me for anything serious; he just wants to have fun. I don’t even know if he likes me.”
Dani clicks her tongue. “He must like you. He’s physically attracted to you, yes, but no one gets involved with someone they don’t like, that wouldn’t make sense.”
“But he told me, with his stupid, beautiful face: ‘Because you like me, but I don’t like you,’” I repeat bitterly, trying to imitate his voice.
“If he didn’t like you, he wouldn’t have tried anything with you. Nothing.”
“Stop, Dani.”
“Stop what?”
“Don’t say things like that, you’ll make me get my hopes up about him again.”
Dani puts two fingers together and slides them across her mouth like a zipper. “Well, I’ll shut up, then.”
I throw popcorn at her. “Don’t be angry.”
She makes signs with her hands as if she can’t speak.
“Are you serious, Dani?” I throw a piece of popcorn at her, and she catches it and eats it, but she still doesn’t reply. “Dani . . . Dani, talk to me.”
She puts her arms across her chest. “I’m just telling you the truth and that bothers you. Ares is hot. He’s got money. He’s smart, and he can have any girl at his feet. And, even so, you’re telling me that he would be with someone he doesn’t even like? So, maybe he doesn’t want anything serious, but he does like you, Raquel.”
“Okay!”
Dani puts her hair over her shoulder with a smug grin. “Now let’s go to sleep. The last thing we want is to be tired on the first day of school. It’s our last year, we have to make an impact.”
“We’re always the same. We live in a small town, Dani.”
“You love to take the fun out of life.” Dani gets up and puts the popcorn bowl on the floor.
We settle into the bed and get under the covers. Turning off the lamp on the bedside table, we both sigh. After a brief silence, Ares’s beautiful, genuine smile invades my mind.
“Stop thinking about him, Raquel,” Dani says knowingly.
“No one has ever made me feel this way.”
“I know.”
“And it hurts. It hurts that he doesn’t want to take me seriously. It makes me feel like I’m not good enough.”
“But you are. Don’t let him make you doubt that. You were right to push him away, Raquel. It would have been much more painful later on.”
I take a lock of my hair and start playing with it. Dani rolls over, and we lie there, facing each other. “Dani, I like him a lot.”
“You don’t have to say it, I know you.”
“The way I feel about him makes me want to cling to any shred of hope.”
“Don’t complicate your life by thinking so much. If he doesn’t know how to value you, someone else will come along who will.”
“Do you really think so? It sounds so impossible to find someone like Ares.”
“Maybe not someone like him, but someone who makes you feel like he does.”
I doubt it so much. “Well, it’s time to sleep.”
“Good night, shorty.”
She has always called me that because she’s taller than me.
“Good night, crazy girl.”
FIFTEEN
The Gift
My first day as a senior in high school begins with bright sunshine and fresh breezes. I rub my eyes as I shuffle inside the building, and I realize it’s going to be hard getting used to waking up early every day again. I already miss summer vacation, and it’s only day one.
I make my way through the sea of students in the main hallway and run into Apolo, who is standing next to a locker. “Apolo! What are you doing here?”
“Hey, Raquel.” He smiles at me. “I go here now.”
“You’ve changed schools? Has Ares too?”
He shakes his head. “No, he’d never leave that school. He loves his soccer team too much.”
I try not to let my disappointment show.
“Oh. Well that’s great you’re here. I—”
A scream echoes down the hallway, interrupting us.
“Raquel, queen of my heart!”
I turn to see Carlos, my long-standing admirer, and I smile in spite of myself. It all started the day I defended him from some boys who were bullying him in the fourth grade. Since then, he has sworn eternal love to me almost every day. I only see him as a friend, and even though I’ve made that clear to him, he doesn’t seem to understand.
“Hi, Carlos.” I wave. I still like him. Even if he’s a little crazy, he’s fun.
“My beautiful princess.” He takes my hand and kisses it dramatically. “This has been the longest and most agonizing summer for me.”
Apolo looks at us with a what-the-fuck-is-going-on face but says nothing.
Carlos turns to him. “And who are you?”
“This is Apolo. He’s new,” I answer, freeing my hand. “Apolo, this is Carlos, he is . . .”
“Her future husband and father of her four children,” Carlos says quickly.
I hit the back of his head. “I told you to stop saying things like that! People sometimes believe it.”
“Haven’t you heard that if you tell a lie enough times it becomes true?”
Apolo chuckles. “Wow, you have a very dedicated admirer.”
We share a laugh before heading off to our classes.
The first day of school ends as quickly as it began. I can’t believe I’m already in my senior year. Going to college is something that terrifies me but at the same time excites me so much. I rush home to feed Rocky, who won’t eat, and then I take my clothes off and throw them in the laundry. My old habits make me want to go and look out my window, because this is the time when Ares comes home from school. I used to watch him walking around his room.
No more, Raquel.
I look at my bed and notice a small white box on it. When I reach over and pick it up, a note falls out. My eyes widen as I see that it’s the box for the newest iPhone. I quickly check the note.
So you don’t walk around without a phone. Take it as consolation for everything you had to go through that night.
Don’t even think about giving it back to me.
Ares
I laugh so loudly that Rocky looks at me quizzically. “Are you crazy, Greek God?” I ask aloud. “You’re completely crazy!”
There’s no way I can accept this cell phone; it’s too expensive. Money is definitely not an issue for Ares, but how the hell did he get into my room with Rocky here? I look at the dog, remembering that he didn’t want to eat when I came in, and I realize his belly is fat and full.
“Oh no. Rocky. Traitor!”
Rocky puts his head down as if admitting his guilt.
I have to give this phone back, so I put on some jeans and a T-shirt and head out. I go around the block so I can get to the Hidalgos’ front door, because there’s no way I’m going in from the back. I don’t want to be mistaken for a burglar and get shot or whatever.
In front of the house, my courage dwindles. It’s a three-story house with Victorian windows and a garden with a fountain at the entrance. It’s as intimidating as him. Regaining my nerve, I ring the doorbell.
A pretty girl with red hair opens the door. If it weren’t for her uniform, I would have thought she was part of the family. “Good evening, can I help you?”
“Hey. Is Ares here?”
“Yes, who’s asking?”
“Raquel.”
“All right, Raquel, for security reasons I can’t let you in until he tells me. Will you wait for me for a second while I look for him?”
“Of course.”
She closes the door, and I play with the box in my hands. I don’t think it was a good idea to come here. If Ares tells her he doesn’t want to see me, she’ll probably slam the door in my face.
A few minutes later, the girl reappears. “You can go in now. He’s waiting for you in the playroom.”
Playroom?
Ares’s house is stupidly luxurious inside, and I’m not at all surprised. She leads me through the living room into a long hallway and stops. “It’s the third door on the right.”