Page 68 of Something in Between

—JOHN F. KENNEDY

DAD GIVES MEa ride to Royce’s house in Bel-Air on Christmas afternoon so that I can drop off his present. I know the drive is far, and I had to beg my dad to take me, but I really want it to be there for him when he gets back instead of giving it to him when I see him. There’s just something I hate about giving gifts late. I’d rather it sit at his house for a week than for him to think I’m some kind of last-minute shopper—which I am.

I hadn’t planned on buying him a gift, since we were fighting, but I couldn’t help myself. It’s in my Filipino blood. Welovegiving gifts. It doesn’t even matter if we’re upset at the person getting the gift.

“Where is this boy’s house?” Dad asks.

“Just around the next corner,” I say, pointing to the street.

The whole neighborhood is decorated for Christmas. The big, classic houses are absolutely gorgeous. Lights are wrapped around the pillars and roofs. Even the palm trees look like they’re covered with icicles.

I wish Royce were around to celebrate with my family. We’d show him a real Filipino Christmas. Mom would give him warm ginger tea and a thick yellow rice cake for breakfast. Isko and Danny would force him to play video games, and Dad would torture Royce by trying to teach him traditional Tagalog holiday songs. I’m lucky that my whole family gets along with him. The boys are constantly bothering me to ask him over to the house.

Dad lets out a long whistle. “His family can afford to live around here?”

“His grandfather founded some big steel company. And his dad’s a congressman,” I say. “I’ve told you that.”

“Congressman, huh. They should have to live on minimum wage,” Dad says.

“Dad. Please stop. They do a lot of hard work too. Maybe I’ll be a congresswoman someday. There’s no law against it if we ever become citizens! You never know.” I think of what Royce said to me once, how I should be the one to go into politics since I’m so passionate about issues he believes I can sway people to follow my lead.

“If you become a congresswoman, I’ll be the first one to move in!” he says, pointing through the window at the houses.

I laugh. “I think you better work on becoming an American first.”

When Dad parks on the street, I run up to the door and ring the bell. Royce told me Maria would be there for part of the day. Sure enough, she answers the door. When she sees it’s me, she doesn’t smile.

“Hello?” she says, a little coldly.

“Oh hi, Maria, I hope it’s okay—I wanted to drop off a gift for Royce,” I say, trying to sound casual and as if I drop by his house all the time.

“Royce is not here,” she says shortly.

“I know—that’s why I wanted to drop off his present.”

“You have a Christmas gift for Royce?” she asks, almost as if she didn’t hear me the first time.

“Yes,” I say.

“Did you two get back together?” she asks out of the blue.

Now I realize why she’s being so unfriendly. It’s obvious she’s wary because of what happened between us.

“Oh, did he tell you about it?” I say, trying not to blush.

She doesn’t respond, but it’s clear that he did.

“Yes, but, um, we’re together again,” I say.

Suddenly, she breaks into a huge smile. “How nice. Come inside, come inside.”

I’d planned to just hand over the gift, but now it feels like I have to say yes to be polite.

“Is that your dad? Would he like to come too? I can make some tea.”

I gesture to Dad to get out of the car, but he waves me off. He’s too busy eyeing all of the houses.

I enter the house and hand Maria the gift, which she sets on a table in the foyer. She doesn’t bring up my and Royce’s relationship again, and we make small talk standing there. Because she was so protective of Royce earlier, I don’t feel that uncomfortable around her anymore. It’s clear she cares for him, and since I do too, now we have something in common other than being Filipino. “What are you doing for the holiday?” I ask.

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