and not too smart, either. She’ s probably telling everybody I really got a parole officer.’
‘ You don’ t seem to mind. I guess that’ s better than her squealing that you were with a Big Sister, huh?’
After taking a slurp of the surviving soda that we were now sharing, she said, ‘ Nah, you’ re cool. A few girls have Big Sisters. My girlfriend Janelle has burned through three Bigs already.’ As I said a silent prayer of thanks that I didn’ t get matched up with Janelle, she added, ‘ It’ s just that I never get to do nothing with my friends. I’ m always baby-sitting my shit of a brother. Every day after school. Most of the weekend. The only time I get out of watching the little bicho is when I’ m with you. Oh, and once I got to go to a school dance. And even then my mom tried to make me come home right after. I only got to hang out longer because I pretended I got mixed up on the time.’
‘ Clever strategy.’
‘ I thought so.’
I shook my head. ‘ It’ s hard to believe anyone would ask that much of a fourteen-year-old. When do you get to have fun?’
‘ This is it.’ Her voice was grim, making it evident how short our outings fell from her definition of fun. ‘ And it’ s only because that lady Rose from the Big Sister program told my mom that I’ d freak out and turn into a ho or something if she didn’ t give me a break once in a while. Like, go wild with any freedom I might get. I overheard them talking. It was the first time anybody ever made Mami feel bad. About anything.’ She slurped again. ‘ Rose is pretty funny. She totally gave my mom shit. Said my life needed changing and that she was going to do it.’
At hearing that, I nearly dropped my box of Whoppers again. Of all the nerve! Rose Morales wasn’ t helping me achieve my secret goal of crossing an item off my list after all. The wily minx was competition!
Trying to set the record straight-if any life changing was going to happen here, it’ d be me doing it-I said, ‘ I know I’ m not as good as having a friend your age, but I’ m glad that you and I get to do things. I hope you’ ve been having an okay time.’
She shrugged agreeably. ‘ Sure. It’ s good.’ She eyed the Whoppers. ‘ You gonna open those?’
After the movie, I suggested we sneak in a little extra time together to hit the M.A.C cosmetics counter, where I bought Deedee a tube of liquid eyeliner. At eighteen dollars, it was cheaper than the movie snacks and-judging by the squeal of delight she gave when I handed over the bag-a much wiser investment toward purchasing her affection.
‘ So how about next week we skip the movie and go to the beach instead?’ I said as we scurried to the car. She was supposed to be back by four, and it was already five minutes after. ‘ I’ ve been wanting to go boogie boarding.’ (Which of course was ridiculous-anyone who knew me at all would realize I’ d never want to go boogie boarding. It was just a task from the list. But since Deedee didn’ t know about the list-and never would, since she was essentially a task on it, too-I was relieved that she seemed to take my comment at face value.)
‘ All right. I can work on my tan. But ain’ t no way I’ m going in the water. It’ ll be freezing this time of year.’
‘ I prefer to think of it as refreshing,’ I countered.
‘ Yeah, right.’
Okay, so I’ d brave the waters alone. At least we’ d be doing something other than staring at a movie screen. After I got on the road, I asked, ‘ Will you be in trouble for being late?’
‘ Probably. But maybe not. My mom will be mad at you, not me. I’ m supposed to watch Prince Ricky.’
‘ Your brother, I presume?’
‘ You can’ t believe what a pain in the ass he is, and my mom thinks he’ s so perfect. It’ s always Ricky this and Ricky that. I don’ t even exist except to watch him. You have no idea.’
When we reached a red light, I turned to her and said, ‘ Feel
‘ You don’ t seem to mind. I guess that’ s better than her squealing that you were with a Big Sister, huh?’
After taking a slurp of the surviving soda that we were now sharing, she said, ‘ Nah, you’ re cool. A few girls have Big Sisters. My girlfriend Janelle has burned through three Bigs already.’ As I said a silent prayer of thanks that I didn’ t get matched up with Janelle, she added, ‘ It’ s just that I never get to do nothing with my friends. I’ m always baby-sitting my shit of a brother. Every day after school. Most of the weekend. The only time I get out of watching the little bicho is when I’ m with you. Oh, and once I got to go to a school dance. And even then my mom tried to make me come home right after. I only got to hang out longer because I pretended I got mixed up on the time.’
‘ Clever strategy.’
‘ I thought so.’
I shook my head. ‘ It’ s hard to believe anyone would ask that much of a fourteen-year-old. When do you get to have fun?’
‘ This is it.’ Her voice was grim, making it evident how short our outings fell from her definition of fun. ‘ And it’ s only because that lady Rose from the Big Sister program told my mom that I’ d freak out and turn into a ho or something if she didn’ t give me a break once in a while. Like, go wild with any freedom I might get. I overheard them talking. It was the first time anybody ever made Mami feel bad. About anything.’ She slurped again. ‘ Rose is pretty funny. She totally gave my mom shit. Said my life needed changing and that she was going to do it.’
At hearing that, I nearly dropped my box of Whoppers again. Of all the nerve! Rose Morales wasn’ t helping me achieve my secret goal of crossing an item off my list after all. The wily minx was competition!
Trying to set the record straight-if any life changing was going to happen here, it’ d be me doing it-I said, ‘ I know I’ m not as good as having a friend your age, but I’ m glad that you and I get to do things. I hope you’ ve been having an okay time.’
She shrugged agreeably. ‘ Sure. It’ s good.’ She eyed the Whoppers. ‘ You gonna open those?’
After the movie, I suggested we sneak in a little extra time together to hit the M.A.C cosmetics counter, where I bought Deedee a tube of liquid eyeliner. At eighteen dollars, it was cheaper than the movie snacks and-judging by the squeal of delight she gave when I handed over the bag-a much wiser investment toward purchasing her affection.
‘ So how about next week we skip the movie and go to the beach instead?’ I said as we scurried to the car. She was supposed to be back by four, and it was already five minutes after. ‘ I’ ve been wanting to go boogie boarding.’ (Which of course was ridiculous-anyone who knew me at all would realize I’ d never want to go boogie boarding. It was just a task from the list. But since Deedee didn’ t know about the list-and never would, since she was essentially a task on it, too-I was relieved that she seemed to take my comment at face value.)
‘ All right. I can work on my tan. But ain’ t no way I’ m going in the water. It’ ll be freezing this time of year.’
‘ I prefer to think of it as refreshing,’ I countered.
‘ Yeah, right.’
Okay, so I’ d brave the waters alone. At least we’ d be doing something other than staring at a movie screen. After I got on the road, I asked, ‘ Will you be in trouble for being late?’
‘ Probably. But maybe not. My mom will be mad at you, not me. I’ m supposed to watch Prince Ricky.’
‘ Your brother, I presume?’
‘ You can’ t believe what a pain in the ass he is, and my mom thinks he’ s so perfect. It’ s always Ricky this and Ricky that. I don’ t even exist except to watch him. You have no idea.’
When we reached a red light, I turned to her and said, ‘ Feel
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