have time to get it cleaned. She’s lucky we had this extra one. Hey, you! That doesn’t go there.”
“Sure,” I called out to her as she chased after one of the stagehands.
“Are you okay? You look a bit out of it.” Julian looked at me with concern.
“Yeah,” I said, fussing with Carla’s dress, avoiding his eyes.
He placed a finger under my chin, lifting my head. “Why can’t you look at me?”
“I can look at you. See. I’m looking at you.” My heart slammed into my chest when my eyes met his.
“I know you’re confused. It’s okay.”
“I’m not confused about anything,” I snapped.
“Let it go, Manuela.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. And call me, Mandi, damn it!”
“Manuela. That’s your name. That’s a part of who you are. Stop fighting your true self. You’re only fighting your feelings for me because I remind you of who you really are.”
I barked out a laugh. “You’re so arrogant, Julian. I feel nothing for you.”
Liar. I was going to Hell for sure.
“Yes, you do.” He dipped his head and my breathing quickened. “I’m exactly right for you. You don’t have to sacrifice yourself just to be with him, to pretend to be someone you’re not.”
“I do not!” I slapped his hand away from me.
“Oh, really? Then tell me why was my family celebrating with your family during Christmas. Where was his family?”
“They were busy.”
“And I’m sure they accept you, don’t they?”
I shut my eyes at the thought of Mrs. Marcelli basically threatening me to stay away from Nic.
“Don’t hide from it.” I opened my eyes when Julian’s warm hands caressed my cheeks. “Nic and his kind are different. They’re not like us. People like him don’t know what it means to sacrifice for their family. Not like we do. All they care about is their money and power so they can wield it over people like us.”
I froze at the familiar words.
People like him.
People like her.
And then it hit me. Julian was just like Mrs. Marcelli.
“Get your hands off me.”
He dropped his hands, taking a step back. “You’re angry now, but you’ll see better when you cool down.” He smiled.
“Julian!” Chela yelled.
“We’ll talk later.” He slid a finger down my cheek before jogging off to find Chela.
The nerve of that man! I wanted to kick his ass. I wanted to kick my own ass. I couldn’t believe I didn’t see it before. He was just as bad as Mrs. Marcelli and her prejudices. And I thought I had actually fallen for Julian! Ugh!
I had to go to Nic and tell him that I loved him before it was too late.
I peaked out from the stage curtain. The auditorium was packed.
I groaned. I couldn’t leave. I’d leave everyone hanging.
I found my mother sitting in the third row with a squirming Selina on her lap. Juan sat next to my father, looking board. Dad was trying to entertain Miguelito by tossing popcorn into his mouth one kernel at a time.
As if sensing me, Mom looked to the stage. She broke out into a smile and then her face fell. She tilted her head, furrowing her brow with worry.
How did she do that? It was as if she knew something was up.
Then her lips curled into a warm smile and her voice whispered familiar words in my mind, “Set your heart free.”
She knew! She knew I’d choose Nic. Why, oh why couldn’t she have just told me that before?
“Ooh, Mandi, you look gorgeous.”
I spun around and choked back a laugh. Kristie was in her full costume, including a brand new pair of red stockings, yellow shorts, and a pair of matching yellow sneakers. The hood was pulled over her head, yellow antennae bobbing as she spoke.
“I love those shoes. They make your legs look so hot! You have to let me borrow them sometime.”
I gazed down at Carla’s bright yellow dress in my hands and fingered the purple ribbons lining the hem. If this wasn’t a sign, I didn’t know what was. Kristie knew all of the dance moves to the Lambada. I was so glad she had
“Sure,” I called out to her as she chased after one of the stagehands.
“Are you okay? You look a bit out of it.” Julian looked at me with concern.
“Yeah,” I said, fussing with Carla’s dress, avoiding his eyes.
He placed a finger under my chin, lifting my head. “Why can’t you look at me?”
“I can look at you. See. I’m looking at you.” My heart slammed into my chest when my eyes met his.
“I know you’re confused. It’s okay.”
“I’m not confused about anything,” I snapped.
“Let it go, Manuela.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. And call me, Mandi, damn it!”
“Manuela. That’s your name. That’s a part of who you are. Stop fighting your true self. You’re only fighting your feelings for me because I remind you of who you really are.”
I barked out a laugh. “You’re so arrogant, Julian. I feel nothing for you.”
Liar. I was going to Hell for sure.
“Yes, you do.” He dipped his head and my breathing quickened. “I’m exactly right for you. You don’t have to sacrifice yourself just to be with him, to pretend to be someone you’re not.”
“I do not!” I slapped his hand away from me.
“Oh, really? Then tell me why was my family celebrating with your family during Christmas. Where was his family?”
“They were busy.”
“And I’m sure they accept you, don’t they?”
I shut my eyes at the thought of Mrs. Marcelli basically threatening me to stay away from Nic.
“Don’t hide from it.” I opened my eyes when Julian’s warm hands caressed my cheeks. “Nic and his kind are different. They’re not like us. People like him don’t know what it means to sacrifice for their family. Not like we do. All they care about is their money and power so they can wield it over people like us.”
I froze at the familiar words.
People like him.
People like her.
And then it hit me. Julian was just like Mrs. Marcelli.
“Get your hands off me.”
He dropped his hands, taking a step back. “You’re angry now, but you’ll see better when you cool down.” He smiled.
“Julian!” Chela yelled.
“We’ll talk later.” He slid a finger down my cheek before jogging off to find Chela.
The nerve of that man! I wanted to kick his ass. I wanted to kick my own ass. I couldn’t believe I didn’t see it before. He was just as bad as Mrs. Marcelli and her prejudices. And I thought I had actually fallen for Julian! Ugh!
I had to go to Nic and tell him that I loved him before it was too late.
I peaked out from the stage curtain. The auditorium was packed.
I groaned. I couldn’t leave. I’d leave everyone hanging.
I found my mother sitting in the third row with a squirming Selina on her lap. Juan sat next to my father, looking board. Dad was trying to entertain Miguelito by tossing popcorn into his mouth one kernel at a time.
As if sensing me, Mom looked to the stage. She broke out into a smile and then her face fell. She tilted her head, furrowing her brow with worry.
How did she do that? It was as if she knew something was up.
Then her lips curled into a warm smile and her voice whispered familiar words in my mind, “Set your heart free.”
She knew! She knew I’d choose Nic. Why, oh why couldn’t she have just told me that before?
“Ooh, Mandi, you look gorgeous.”
I spun around and choked back a laugh. Kristie was in her full costume, including a brand new pair of red stockings, yellow shorts, and a pair of matching yellow sneakers. The hood was pulled over her head, yellow antennae bobbing as she spoke.
“I love those shoes. They make your legs look so hot! You have to let me borrow them sometime.”
I gazed down at Carla’s bright yellow dress in my hands and fingered the purple ribbons lining the hem. If this wasn’t a sign, I didn’t know what was. Kristie knew all of the dance moves to the Lambada. I was so glad she had
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