Crossing the Line by Malín Alegría Page B

said Santiago, putting his hands up in a “calm down” gesture. “What’s up with the twenty questions?”
    â€œDid you know that Chuy was beaten up and robbed today?”
    Santiago looked stunned.
    â€œRight in front of the restaurant. Did you know that he was covering for me tonight? He wasn’t even supposed to be here,” she said, all her worry and guilt coming out in a rush.
    â€œWait!” Santiago interrupted. “Do you think I had something to do with that?”
    Fabiola hated herself for suspecting him. It felt so wrong. But she didn’t know what to believe anymore. “Well, you tell me.”
    â€œIs it because I gave my mom money?” Santiago turned away. He cursed under his breath. Then he said, “I swear that I had nothing to do with what happened to Chuy.”
    Fabi stared at him for a minute. She really wanted to believe him, but there was a little seed of doubt in her mind.
    Santiago held on to her gaze until finally, she relented. “Okay, I’m sorry,” Fabi said, feeling calmer. “I don’t know what I was thinking. This whole thing has me jumpy.”
    â€œIt’s cool.” Santiago bit his lower lip, thinking. “Hey, so do you think I can store something in that shed?” He motioned at the metal storage unit.
    â€œWhat is it?” Fabi pulled out her keys from her back pocket.
    Santiago’s eyes lit up and he ran to the alley. He came back carrying a crate of metal objects. Fabi unlocked the shed and slid the door open. He unloaded several more crates and stacked them on top of each other. She glanced at the round metal cylinders. Hubcaps — expensive hubcaps. She pulled one out.
    â€œSo …”
    Santiago carried the last crate into the shed. “You wouldn’t believe me,” he told her.
    â€œTry me.”
    Santiago stopped and leaned against the shed. “Well, I was on my way to the football game when I found this box truck that was deserted on the side of the road. The rear door was rolled halfway up. I was curious, so I took a look ….”
    â€œYou stole them!”
    â€œI found them, all right? I didn’t steal nothing. I told you I found them.”
    â€œIs that how you’re making all that money?”
    Santiago licked his lips. “I don’t like where this conversation is going. I appreciate you doing me this favor. But the less you know, the better. I just want to wait a little, you know. I promise I’m going to move it. I’m going to sell them, too, all legit, because that’s the kind of guy I am,” he promised.
    â€œOkay, Santiago.” Fabi didn’t like any of it, but she didn’t want to nag him, either. “Sometimes the things you do just seem wrong for some reason. So just … be careful, all right?”
    Santiago smiled. “Always. I better go.” He waved and said, “Later, cuz,” before heading back to the alley where his truck was parked.
    As Fabiola watched him drive off, she had a bad feeling about this situation, but she also knew she couldn’t control her cousin. No matter how much she might want to, she couldn’t save him from himself.

T he buzz from the first football game continued to race through the halls the following week. Crowds burst into cheers whenever a football jock stepped into the halls — even if he was a benchwarmer. But Fabiola couldn’t share in the school’s celebratory mood. She wanted to, but she just couldn’t stop thinking about the mugging. It felt so personal. It could have been her. It should’ve been her. Worse was the feeling that everyone in her family blamed Santiago. Fabi still wasn’t sure what to think, and either way, Santiago wasn’t making things any easier with his new hubcaps business.
    Just before lunch, Fabi spotted her sister walking with a bunch of her friends to the cafeteria.
    â€œHey, sis, how’s it