Page 5 of Love me, Maddie Mendoza

I considered what she was saying. As children, we were always told what to do and who to be, but my time would come. My parents loved me, and they provided for me my whole life. The ups and downs I hated so much? Soon they wouldn’t exist.

A constant.

“I think that would be great."

Iopened the door, letting myself in. The loud music coming from the main hall invaded the small back room, and Maddie turned to me with terrified eyes. She was a blob of pink, looking nothing like the girl I was used to seeing every day.

“Tell me why I let my mother do this to me.”

I kept my mouth in a thin line. I couldn’t laugh right at her face, but it was hard to keep it together. Maddie was a pink cupcake. The dress was swallowing her small frame, small roses down to the bottom and little fake pearls glued to the spaghetti straps. Her curls were tamed to a lush bun on the top of her head, so tight it looked like her face was shaped weird.

It was her quinceañera, and I was really trying not to laugh.

“Don’t laugh at me.” She warned, finger raised.

“I’m not laughing.” I lied. “Are you nervous? Is that it?”

Maddie’s hand came between us, palm down to prove how much it was shaking. “I don’t want to dance with cousin Carl. I don’t want to…” and she lowered her voice just to me to hear. “Honestly, the girls in the court? I’ve only seen them once or twice. Like, who are those people?”

When Xiomara asked us to mark on our calendars that Maddie’s quince was coming up in a few months, I really thought maybe I could find a way not to come. A moment of weakness. Of course, I’d never miss Maddie’s birthday. It didn’t mean I was looking forward to it.

Maddie spared me from the details. She never once told me what kind of dress she was wearing, or who she invited for the court. Of course, Maddie was liked by many people, but she wasn’t particularly close to any of the girls in our class.

I saw her struggling to invite the guests. I was right by her side, but the kids in our school couldn’t understand the importance of the quinceañera. Especially to Maddie’s family, they were traditional. Maddie’s quince was Xiomara’s dream. We weren’t just going to order some pizza and play around. They weren’t welcome in jeans and plain clothes.

When Maddie told me that Carl was going to dance with her after she finished her father and daughter dance with André, I tried to not think much about it. But it stung a little.

I was the only other Mexican kid in school. I was her best friend, and we went to all the parties together. Despite that, she asked her cousin to dance with her.

I shook it off, tired not to read much into it. They probably wouldn’t even dance. Maddie was probably saving me from the hassle of learning.

I leaned my body on the closed door and crossed my arms over my chest. “It will be over before you know it, Mads.”

She arched a brow, hand to her corset clad waist. “I won’t last five minutes in this dress. It’s so damn heavy, Z.”

I chuckled. “Yeah, what’s up with it, anyway? Looks like it weighs as much as you.”

She walked closer to me, holding her skirts with difficulty, her steps slowed by the weight. “This is ridiculous. The color isn’t flattering either. Mom told me I was supposed to feel like a princess. My hair hurts. Did you know hair can hurt? It hurts.”

I shook my head at her blabbing, pushing my back against the door. I walked a few steps toward her and took her hands in mine.

“It will be fun. There’s food, we like food.”

Maddie frowned, messing her hairline just by having an expression. “We do like food.”

“And we can goof around after the serious bit is over.”

She nodded. “I do want to dance with dad.”

I slid my hands into her warm palms, liking the feeling of her. I looked at our connection and a smile tugged the corners of my mouth. I heard her drawing a breath, and I hoped it was a calming one. Usually Maddie was the sensible one. She always had the answer when I was being a hothead, when I was scared before a game.

Shewas my calming breath.

“After you finish… save me a dance?”

Her eyes widened. “Really?”

I lifted a shoulder. “I mean it’s your party.”

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