door behind her.
“Puta!” Luz yelled. “Come on, Mari, let’s get started before Senora Loca starts calling me for dinner.”
I washed Luz’s hair in their bathtub, and then blow-dried and curled it. When I was done, she checked it out in the mirror.
“You missed this part,” she said, holding on to a small piece of hair that I’d missed.
“You’re so hard to please, Luz,” I said and grabbed the curling iron to finish her hair.
“You wouldn’t leave your hair undone, Chica. So don’t leave mine that way,” she said. “Whatever.”
“Guess what?” She changed the subject. “Pedro Vargas is walking me to class tomorrow.”
“What?” I was surprised. Luz never gave any boy the time of day. Several boys liked her. Why wouldn’t they? She was gorgeous: a perfect size seven, long legs, shoulder-length brown hair and beautiful olive-colored skin. “Nerdy Pedro?”
“He’s not so nerdy this year. You should see him, Mari. He grew a few inches taller over the summer. And it really looks like he’s been working out.”
“Pedro Vargas has been working out?” I couldn’t help but laugh. Grace laughed, too.
“Okay, laugh, you two. But he’s different. He’s not the same Pedro that you remember,” she said. “We were in American history class this morning and he asked me if I had an extra pencil. As I handed him the pencil, I looked into those eyes. I don’t know…I never knew that his eyes were so beautiful until then.”
It was weird hearing my best friend talk about a boy this way. She usually described boys as being stupid, brainless or ugly. Never in a romantic sense. And definitely not Pedro Vargas, who was shorter than average and wore thick glasses. I couldn’t understand how she could’ve possibly seen his eyes through those bifocals.
“Remember those thick glasses he used to wear?” she asked. “Well, he got contacts.”
“Wow” is all I could say. “Well, let’s get your hair done right then, girlfriend.”
“That’s what I said in the beginning,” she said with a smile. “So, any cuties at your school, Mari?”
“I haven’t really been looking. I mean…I don’t know. There’s this one guy that I bumped into at the auditions. Drew Bishop. He’s a drama major. Good-looking,” I told her. I was surprised at my own assessment of Drew.
“You like him, don’t you?” Luz asked and grinned.
“He’s okay,” I lied.
“He’s okay? Seriously? Come on, Chica, it’s me…Luz. Don’t lie to me!”
“Okay, I like him. But he doesn’t know it,” I said. “Besides, I’m sure he has a girlfriend. She showed up at Manny’s one day. She’s tall and beautiful…”
“So?”
“And then there’s this girl, Celine.”
“Who’s Celine?”
“She’s a snob…a very beautiful snob, who also likes Drew.”
“Sounds like he’s up for grabs,” Grace said.
“I’m not interested,” I said as I finished styling Luz’s hair. “I’m more interested in Dance America.”
“What’s that?” Luz asked.
“It’s that dance competition,” Grace interjected. “Kids from all over the country compete.”
“Oh, yeah, I think I heard something about that last year. The girl who won got to be in a movie or something,” said Luz.
“I’m thinking about trying out.” I smiled, looking for Luz’s approval.
“Your parents won’t let you.”
“They might.”
“Come on, Mari. They didn’t even want you to audition at Premiere.”
“Well, they don’t have to know…not initially. If I’m selected, they’ll be so excited for me that they won’t be able to say no.”
“You’re dreaming,” Luz said.
“You should try out, too, Luz. We could do it together.”
“Who? No, not me. I like dancing, but I’m not as good as some of the people who will be competing.”
“Luz, you’re one of the best dancers I know. You have to try out! You have to,” I begged. “If you do it, I’ll do it. And our parents won’t even have to
“Puta!” Luz yelled. “Come on, Mari, let’s get started before Senora Loca starts calling me for dinner.”
I washed Luz’s hair in their bathtub, and then blow-dried and curled it. When I was done, she checked it out in the mirror.
“You missed this part,” she said, holding on to a small piece of hair that I’d missed.
“You’re so hard to please, Luz,” I said and grabbed the curling iron to finish her hair.
“You wouldn’t leave your hair undone, Chica. So don’t leave mine that way,” she said. “Whatever.”
“Guess what?” She changed the subject. “Pedro Vargas is walking me to class tomorrow.”
“What?” I was surprised. Luz never gave any boy the time of day. Several boys liked her. Why wouldn’t they? She was gorgeous: a perfect size seven, long legs, shoulder-length brown hair and beautiful olive-colored skin. “Nerdy Pedro?”
“He’s not so nerdy this year. You should see him, Mari. He grew a few inches taller over the summer. And it really looks like he’s been working out.”
“Pedro Vargas has been working out?” I couldn’t help but laugh. Grace laughed, too.
“Okay, laugh, you two. But he’s different. He’s not the same Pedro that you remember,” she said. “We were in American history class this morning and he asked me if I had an extra pencil. As I handed him the pencil, I looked into those eyes. I don’t know…I never knew that his eyes were so beautiful until then.”
It was weird hearing my best friend talk about a boy this way. She usually described boys as being stupid, brainless or ugly. Never in a romantic sense. And definitely not Pedro Vargas, who was shorter than average and wore thick glasses. I couldn’t understand how she could’ve possibly seen his eyes through those bifocals.
“Remember those thick glasses he used to wear?” she asked. “Well, he got contacts.”
“Wow” is all I could say. “Well, let’s get your hair done right then, girlfriend.”
“That’s what I said in the beginning,” she said with a smile. “So, any cuties at your school, Mari?”
“I haven’t really been looking. I mean…I don’t know. There’s this one guy that I bumped into at the auditions. Drew Bishop. He’s a drama major. Good-looking,” I told her. I was surprised at my own assessment of Drew.
“You like him, don’t you?” Luz asked and grinned.
“He’s okay,” I lied.
“He’s okay? Seriously? Come on, Chica, it’s me…Luz. Don’t lie to me!”
“Okay, I like him. But he doesn’t know it,” I said. “Besides, I’m sure he has a girlfriend. She showed up at Manny’s one day. She’s tall and beautiful…”
“So?”
“And then there’s this girl, Celine.”
“Who’s Celine?”
“She’s a snob…a very beautiful snob, who also likes Drew.”
“Sounds like he’s up for grabs,” Grace said.
“I’m not interested,” I said as I finished styling Luz’s hair. “I’m more interested in Dance America.”
“What’s that?” Luz asked.
“It’s that dance competition,” Grace interjected. “Kids from all over the country compete.”
“Oh, yeah, I think I heard something about that last year. The girl who won got to be in a movie or something,” said Luz.
“I’m thinking about trying out.” I smiled, looking for Luz’s approval.
“Your parents won’t let you.”
“They might.”
“Come on, Mari. They didn’t even want you to audition at Premiere.”
“Well, they don’t have to know…not initially. If I’m selected, they’ll be so excited for me that they won’t be able to say no.”
“You’re dreaming,” Luz said.
“You should try out, too, Luz. We could do it together.”
“Who? No, not me. I like dancing, but I’m not as good as some of the people who will be competing.”
“Luz, you’re one of the best dancers I know. You have to try out! You have to,” I begged. “If you do it, I’ll do it. And our parents won’t even have to
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