Page 92 of Pride High

“Thanks.” Her cheeks flushed with warmth. Mindy didn’t try to hide it though. She liked it when he made her feel this way. Which happened more and more as of late. “You seem really, I don’t know… inspired. This week especially.”

“Yeah?” Cameron said. “I guess I am.”

“It’s been nice,” she told him. “The others always complain about the work we have to do, but your excitement is contagious. You could be a stage manager.”

He stopped glancing around and focused on her. “Thanks. I like working with you too. You don’t just pull out old costumes from storage and use those. I can tell you care.”

“I really do,” she said, delighting in how these words were on the verge of being a confession. She’d thought about Cameron quite a bit lately. He’d always been a nice guy and good-looking. But that was especially true recently. He buzzed with positive energy. She could only imagine how fun he would be on a date. Cameron would probably take her to a museum to see his favorite works of art, wanting her to share his passion. He was the kind of guy who would surprise her with a picnic, and while sitting on the blanket, tell her how special she was before leaning in for a kiss. Handsome, smart, and kind. Cameron checked all of the boxes, which made it hard to believe that he was still single. She’d spent some time thinking about that as well. “Are you friends with Anthony now?” she asked casually.

Cameron’s smile faltered briefly. “Huh?”

“Anthony Cullen. I saw you walking together on my way to the cafeteria.”

Cameron seemed to think about it. “That’s right. I did run into him after lunch. He told me that I wasn’t going to be in the paper. Did I mention that he interviewed me?”

“Yes,” she said. “Back when you asked me about him. I wondered why at the time, since I didn’t think you knew each other. But you do now?”

“I guess,” Cameron replied with a shrug. “We don’t have any of the same classes. Just the same lunch period. But we don’t sit together.”

Mindy felt relieved by this news. She still had her suspicions about Anthony, and when she’d seen them walking together… A guy like Cameron wouldn’t stay single for long. She couldn’t be the only girl to notice just how hunky and charming he’d grown upto be. Now all she needed to do was figure out if he liked her just as much.

— — —

By the time Silvia’s bike reached the Homestead Hills trailer park, her ears were cold and beginning to sting. The weather was getting chillier, the wind making it feel twice as frigid. She was worried about getting to and from work when winter came. Earmuffs would help. As would great big monster-truck tires on her bike that could cut through snow. Did such a thing exist? She’d figure it out when the time came. For now, she was eager to get inside and see her family.

Silvia didn’t always feel that way, but work had been unusually quiet as of late. Omar had other obligations, which he was being tight-lipped about. All she could get out of him was, “I’ve gotta help my kid sister with something.” Anthony must have had plans too, because he didn’t stop by, and Mindy was busy with theater obligations. That had made her shifts seem longer than usual. She was glad to be home.

The truck was parked where it should be. The lights were on inside the trailer. That was reassuring, although as Silvia went inside, her mother stood up from the couch, the tips of her fingers touching in a way that meant she was worried. She wasn’t wringing her hands, by any means, but something was up.

“Welcome home, baby girl,”Elena said in her native Spanish.“How was your day?”

“Fine,”Silvia replied, standing motionless by the door as she assessed the scene.

Her father was watching TV on the couch. Separated from him by an empty cushion, Hugo had his arms crossed over his pudgy belly and was glowering. The lowered eyebrows and pouting mouth were adorable, but they also put her on high alert.

“What’s going on?”she asked.

“Nothing important,”her mother replied.“Come. You must be hungry.”

Silvia followed her to the kitchen, where Elena took the lid off a pot ofpozole, a type of stew made with pork and hominy. Knowing that her mother wouldn’t say more until Silvia had eaten, and being both hungry and cold, she sat down at the dining area table.

“Hugo got into trouble at school today,”Elena said when Silviahad reached the bottom of her bowl.

“It wasn’t my fault!” Hugo shouted from the couch.

“That’s enough,”their father said.“Go play in your bedroom.”

Still glowering, Hugo slid off the couch and stomped to his room.

“What happened?”Silvia asked.

“We’re not sure.”Elena replied as she stood and went to the answering machine.“He says that another boy stole from him.”She pushed the button to play a message. They listened to a woman speaking English.

“Hi there! This is Mrs. Drexel, Hugo’s homeroom teacher. There was an incident at school today that I need to speak to you about. Feel free to call me any time before nine o’clock. My number is…”

Silvia began casting around for a pen until she saw that her mother had already written the number down and was holding it out to her. The clock showed ten minutes until nine. Close enough? Silvia would have preferred more time to plan. Instead she’d have to wing it. Her father turned off the television. Her mother sat on the couch. They both watched her with concern as she dialed the number. The line clicked.

“Hello?”

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