Isabel's Texas Two-Step by Annie Bryant Page B

the middle of nowhere and it’s dark and raining and creepy in here and…and…I just want to go home!” I felt tears coming and rested my head on my knees again with my arms wrapped around me like I was giving myself a big hug. I definitely needed one. But I didn’t want Ricardo to know I was crying.
    â€œIt’s okay, Isabel,” he told me. “Don’t freak out. It’s notso bad in here. I mean, at least we’re dry. And my mom doesn’t know it was us who broke the eagle, so that’s okay too.”
    â€œYeah, about that,” I said, sniffling back my tears. “I don’t think that’s okay. Your mom is going to start asking questions, and if she accuses somebody like…”
    â€œMaybe…Mercedes?” Ricardo offered.
    Oh, no. “You really think so?” I felt faint. This was awful. Poor Mercedes.
    â€œWell, probably,” he reasoned. “She dusts in the living room every day, and hardly anybody else ever goes in there. Fonzie and Tony and me aren’t allowed.”
    I gulped. “Do you think your mom would fire her?”
    â€œShe might.”
    â€œRicardo! I can’t believe how calm you’re being. Do you know what this means? We can’t let Mercedes lose her job because we broke something! We have to tell your Mom!”
    â€œIsabel, chica , calm down,” he said. “My mom hasn’t said anything about firing anybody yet. Let’s wait and see if she does it, okay? Maybe she’ll just get over it.”
    â€œ Get over it? ” I couldn’t believe he was being so dense. “She said that piece meant a lot to her, Rico. She sounded so sad that it was broken.”
    â€œShe did?” Finally Ricardo sounded guilty.
    â€œYeah. She did.”
    We faced each other in the dark, not saying anything.
    â€œI don’t think saying nothing is right, Ricardo,” I went on. “My friend Avery says that you have to step up to theplate and take the medicine when you’ve done something wrong. And I’ve been avoiding that all day today.”
    â€œLet’s just wait and see what happens, Isabel,” Ricardo repeated.
    I gave up trying to convince him. Suddenly I was really tired, and having some big confession scene wasn’t something I wanted to do anyway. And maybe he was right—maybe the whole thing would just go away. In the darkness I squeezed my eyes shut and crossed my fingers. I wish everything would be okay. I wish everything would be okay. I wish everything would—
    Suddenly Ricardo got up. “My legs hurt.” He flipped on the flashlight. “Let’s go exploring.”
    I sprang up and dusted off the seat of my pants. “Are you crazy? What if we wake up a bear and it eats us? Of course, if that happens, we won’t have to face your mom,” I added sarcastically.
    â€œThere are no bears here. Only scorpions, tarantulas, and rattlesnakes.”
    I froze, but then ran after him so as not to be left in the dark. “You’re kidding, right?” He didn’t answer.
    We moved slowly, close to the wall. In just a few feet the path narrowed and was impassable. He stooped to get past the low ceiling. I was still on the other side and was plunged immediately into darkness. The light reappeared when he pointed it at me. It disappeared again.
    â€œRicardo! Come back! Don’t play games with me!”
    â€œOooh,” he said, frightened or worried, I couldn’t say. He rushed back to the crevice and stuck his headout. “You’ve got to get over here. It’s like a little room in here.”
    â€œNo! There might be spiders!”
    â€œThere’s nothing in here. Come on, just do it.” Once again he extended his hand, and I had no choice but to accept. I almost bumped my head on the way through, but on the other side I saw we had entered a big cavern. I couldn’t hear the pounding rain anymore.
    It was