I was so in my head that I nearly ran into Avery as I made my way up the steps. The forlorn expression on his face pulled me from my own troubles. “Hey, what’s up?”
He lifted and dropped his shoulder. “Just getting ready to watch football with Dad.”
I narrowed my eyes. “Since when do you like football?”
Avery pulled a face as if the answer wasn’t already obvious. “Come on, Rey.”
“Want me to say something?” Honestly, when would our father realize that Avery was just not that into sports?
He frowned and kicked at the carpet. “I don’t need you babying me. I can handle a football game, no big deal.”
He went on down the steps and I felt my shoulders sag. I might not have been able to fix my own messy world, but making things easier for my brother would at least make me feel better.
“Hey, Dad?” I called out.
“Yeah, Rey?”
“Do you mind if Avery helps me with something? The shelf in my closet needs to be adjusted.” It was yet another small lie, but this was for the greater good.
In another moment, Avery was coming back up the staircase, looking at me funny.
I tossed my brother a smile, tilting my head toward his room. “Go on, in another minute he’ll be too caught up in the game to notice you’re taking too long.”
Avery smiled a little as he walked by me and disappeared into his bedroom.
It wasn’t much, but at least one of us was free.
Exhausted, I quickly went up to my room to change so I could take Tanner for a walk.
Guillermo
“Do you think things will be like before?” Yesenia asked me Sunday night as we sat out on the porch swing.
“Before was bad, remember?”
“Like...before-before, when everybody was happy and you weren’t always in trouble.” She held one of her books in her tiny hands. She’d put it down when I came out and joined her after dinner.
“I’m hoping things will be better than ever, yes,” I told her truthfully. “I can’t run from my past or let it consume me either.”
“Well, I think things will be best,” Yesenia declared.
I envied her optimism and positivity. I wasn’t sure what was in those books she was always reading, but I admired the way they gave her hope.
Even still, she was another person I owed an apology, too.
“Hey, I’m sorry, okay?” I spoke up. “I know the focus has been on me, but you lost a lot of friends in this move, and it’s not fair.”
A frown tugged on Yesenia’s features, and her gaze fell to the porch. “It wasn’t fair, Memo. I didn’t do anything, and I had to pack up my whole world because of what you did, and they never even asked me how I felt.”
Guilt swept through me, making me feel worse. I pulled her in close for a hug. “I’m sorry. I’m here, okay, if you want to talk or vent.”
Yesenia leaned into me. “I get it, I do, but starting over was hard on me, too.”
“I’ll make it up to you, I promise,” I swore. Somehow, someway, she deserved something to compensate for uprooting her life for me.
The front door opened and our father poked his head out. “You good?”
Yesenia bobbed her head merrily, standing from the porch swing to go inside. “Yes, I’m going to finish this in my room. It’s getting too dark out here.”
My father stepped outside as Yesenia went by him and into the house. He leaned against the pillar on the porch, pocketing his hands and peering up at the night sky.
“How’s school?” he asked of me.
Standing, I went and leaned against the pillar opposite him, going and watching the same view. “School’s pretty decent so far.”
“Friends?”
“One of the new kids I’m hangin’ with is actually the son of my probation supervisor.”
My father faced me. “Yeah?”
“She’s cool with it. He’s kind of quiet and awkward, I’m almost certain I’m the first guy he’s hung around. I guess that’s not a bad thing anymore now that I’m turnin’ a new leaf.” I gave a loose smile, hoping my father believed me. I wanted to make him proud, wanted him to see that I was eager to change and make things right here, at Arlington High and with my community service. No more backsliding.
My father appeared thoughtful as he bobbed his head. “And the girl?”
I swallowed, confused. “What girl?”
“The one you saw a movie with.”
“Jenaya? She’s also a new friend. She’s single and clean,” I was quick to clarify. “She’s also the reason I realized I messed up a good thing here. Not everybody has a home life like this, and I took that for granted, Papá. She’s tough, because she has to be, but I’d like to be there as a friend for her.”
My father smirked, unable to hide his smile as he shook his head. “You wear a cape so well, Memo.”
I rubbed the nape of my neck, feeling uneasy in case he was alluding to Tynesha. “This isn’t like that.”
“I know,” he agreed. “You don’t got that look in your eye.”
“What look?”
He grinned at my ignorance. “You were so dopey over that other girl. Even if she was leading you to hell, you were ready to burn for her. You speak of this new one, Jenaya, like you speak of protectin’ Yesenia. Careful, though, not everybody’s fight can be fought. Don’t take on more than you can chew, you’re still findin’ yourself here. If she needs help, help her, but don’t throw yourself over the coals if you don’t have to, okay?”
He was giving me the okay to be there for Jenaya if needed, and that felt good. Rewarding. Trusting.
“Yeah.” I faced the sky again, suddenly feeling a weight lift from my shoulders. Yeah, we’d be better than before, I was sure of it. “There’s a kid down the street I played soccer with. You want to talk about obsessed, that’s all he talks about.”
“You give ’im a run for his money?” my father teased.
Athletic or not, there was no beating a pro like Raviv. “Nah, he bested me, but it was fun. I’m not interested in joining a team, but maybe every once in a while, it wouldn’t be so bad to kick back and play. Maybe we could start a game with Tío Matt sometime.”
My father stood away from the pillar and checked the time on his smart watch. He released a yawn. “Don’t remind me, he’s talking about training for next summer’s 8K.”
“Yeah,” I agreed. “I don’t see that going well for you. Eres todo un vejestorio.”
“Hey!” He laughed as he smacked the back of my head.
The sight of him smiling, lightening up, made me feel good. To be like this, laughing and joking around, it felt like a dream come true.
“Listo?” he asked as he went for the screen door.
I buried my hands in my pockets, hunching my shoulders as the September air nipped at me in my T-shirt and jeans. “Nah, give me another minute.”
My father went back in, telling me not to stay out too late seeing how I had school in the morning. While I was never an honor roll student, I did want to apply myself more at Arlington High. Hell, I even wanted to ace Mrs. Renner’s chemistry class, eccentric teacher or not.
The thought of class turned my mind to Regan, and I glanced at her house just as the front door opened. Regan herself appeared in the doorway before stepping outside with her family’s dog.
The smart thing to do would’ve been to turn around and go inside. But I told myself I was just being friendly as I crossed the street. I told myself I was just going to say hi. But once Regan smiled at me and I set eyes on those cute dimples, I knew better than to keep lying to myself.
“Late-night walk?” I asked as I spotted the leash she had in hand. The dog was sniffing me again, and I didn’t mind even if Regan insisted on tugging him away.
“I’ve sorta taken on th
e dog care role in my family. It’s okay, I love dogs. Besides, my dad has a history of losing our dogs ever since I was a kid. He once lost Tanner, and that was an awful week without him.”
I leaned down and rubbed Tanner’s head, admiring the playful look on his face as he panted. “That sounds rough.”
“It was. But this walk is more for me than for him,” Regan confessed. “Want to join me?”
It was probably a bad idea, but I was curious about this girl and what had her always running, from her boyfriend and now from her own house.
We started off down the sidewalk, walking away from her house and mine, side by side.
“My dad’s in there watching football, and there’s only so much sports I can take, you know?” Regan groaned as she focused on Tanner trotting ahead of us.
I tried to understand her angst, but I didn’t get it, especially considering Troy, Arlington High’s football god. “Football seems to be a big part of your life.”
Regan frowned, and I tried not to think about why that made my chest twist. “Does your family like football?”
“Not Americano.”
Regan snorted. “Lucky you.”
“Bet he’s mad happy you’re seeing Troy, huh?”
“You have no idea.” She sounded tired.
Still, it didn’t make sense. “How’d you two meet and become ‘Troy and Regan’?” I asked.
“Troy started pursuing me and my dad found out and he’s a big fan.” Regan made a face.
I wagged my finger. “That may be my favorite love story of all time.”
My sarcasm had her rolling her eyes. “You wouldn’t get it.”
“Probably not,” I agreed.
Regan sighed. “Do you ever just wish to be someone else?”
I nudged her, flashing her a smile. “If I had a superpower, I’d choose invisibility, remember? Although, I’m startin’ to like being me again.” I looked into her dark eyes. “There’s always time to start likin’ who you are and bein’ yourself.”
Regan bit her lip and I had to stop myself from noticing. “Again, you have no idea.”
I stopped walking and faced her, not wanting a riddle. Red flags were flying, telling me this was Pandora’s box and I was getting way too close, but then deep down, I had a feeling she wasn’t trouble. That this wouldn’t be like before, should I get to know her more. From Troy, to her community service gig, to her home life, nothing seemed to make her radiate happiness.
If it wasn’t so late, I’d dive completely headfirst into stupidity and offer to take her out for a game of pool to ease her mind.
I really should’ve turned and walked away.
But I didn’t.
Her cell phone rang and broke our trance, and she looked away as she dug it from her red hoodie. One glimpse at the screen had her sighing and turning back for her house. “Duty calls.”
I felt my brows furrow. “You make it sound like a job.”
She peeked back at me. “Some days, I’m not sure it isn’t.”
“Maybe you should change that,” I suggested.
Regan only stared at me, then shook her head as if I didn’t get it.
A deep need tugged inside me to find out just who she was and what she was all about beneath the surface.
Yep, I definitely needed to stay away from this girl. My father was wrong, I wasn’t wearing a cape. I had wings, and like that Icarus guy, I was getting ready to fly too close to the sun.
Regan
Everything was in chaos. We were beyond busy Tuesday afternoon at the community center. Somehow, we’d double-booked our banquet room for a women’s leadership conference and a business seminar. A large party had shown up for each, and everything was a royal mess as the leaders of both groups argued about their deposits and receipts.
Daren and my mother were being yelled at as they frantically checked the registry and calendar at the front desk.
“I honestly don’t understand how this could’ve happened,” my mother was saying as she tried to soothe Miss Andrews, the woman in charge of the leadership conference. My mother shot Daren a look. “Who took down the events?”
Daren started typing into the reservations on the computer. “One of the volunteers might have—we’ve had issues with a few not paying attention to the dates.”
It sounded like Daren was throwing one of the teen assistants under the bus, but in his defense, a few of them had absentmindedly booked things on the same day before. Running the front desk was an easy job when all you had to do was sit and hand out passes, take money, or answer calls and book events. Some of my coworkers were careless about their job, and it showed, as the man from the business seminar, Mr. Walton, started chewing Daren out.
My mother kept her calm, though I could see her taking an easy breath before stepping in to help. “I think I have a solution to accommodate you both, and my further apologies for the delay—”
A loud scream sounded from outside. A child’s cry.
My mother sighed, reaching up and briefly massaging her temples. “Regan, please go and see what’s going on and fix it. I don’t care how, but fix it.”
“Unbelievable.” Miss Andrews harrumphed.
My mother stepped around the front desk and faced her problems head-on. “Miss Andrews, go ahead and set up your conference in the banquet room.”
“What? What about me?” Mr. Walton exclaimed.
My mother appeased him with a friendly smile. “I’ve got an idea for you, since your group isn’t as large. Both of you will be treated to deli platters and fruit trays on us.”
I watched as my mother spoke in a soothing, yet commanding tone that held the attention of the room. As she began to work her magic, I hustled toward the playground exit.
The screaming had ceased, but in the distance I could see a small crowd gathered in the grass away from the playground equipment, looking down at something. As I drew closer to the group, I spotted Guillermo. He was kneeling down and through the gaps between the kids I could see animal fur, causing me to quicken my pace.
“What’s going on?” I asked.
There, lying on the ground breathing slowly, was a dog. His light brown coat made me think of Tanner and my heart tightened as I knelt near Guillermo to assess the situation.
The dog was calm despite the crying group of kids around him.
“I think his leg is broken or something. He seems sick, too,” Guillermo said.
The dog, probably a mutt, appeared to be a mix between a golden retriever and a Lab. It was thin to the point of starvation, and one of its hind legs was swollen.
“It can’t die!” a little girl cried, tears soaking her brown face.
I gently rubbed the dog’s head to comfort it. “Emma, honey, calm down.”
Guillermo removed his lawn gloves, swearing beneath his breath as he swept a stray hair behind his ear. “He needs attention now.”
“Let’s go get an adult,” Emma begged.
“They’re busy with their own crisis right now,” I said. “Plus, animals aren’t allowed in the facility.”
I sat back on my calves, trying to keep my own self from breaking down. Guillermo was right, the dog needed help right now.
On the playground I could see April, one of my coworkers, sitting on a swing texting on her phone. She was in charge of the group of kids outside playing while Mrs. Bloom took care of the younger kids inside in our after-school classroom. The adults were busy; it was up to me to navigate this situation, scary or not.
I faced Emma and offered up a smile. “Do me a favor? Go and take the others to April. I’m going to take care of the dog and get him help, okay?”
Emma wiped her face before gathering the other boys and girls and leading them back to the playground.
“What now?” Guillermo asked, looking at me steadily.
“I need a favor,” I began cautiously, in case he rejected me. “There’s an animal hospital fifteen minutes from here, it’s where my dad takes Tanner.”
“Go on,” Guillermo insisted.
I looked into his dark eyes, noting his stoic expression. “I don’t want to wait—can we take him in your car? I’ll find a way to pay you back or clean—”
“Won’t your mom be mad we left?” he interrupted, already standing up and tucking his gloves in his back pocket.
The last thing I was worried about was my mom. “We’ll worry about that later. I’ll take the heat if we get in trouble.”
Guillermo fished in his pocket, procured his keys, and tossed them to me. “I’m going to pick him up and put him in the back seat. I need you to open the door for me.”
“Be careful,” I instructed. I hoped moving the dog wouldn’t cause more damage.
But Guillermo was gentle as could be as he bent down and scooped the dog to his chest, then carefully lifted him up. The dog whimpered just slightly as he rested against Guillermo.
There was no time to cry at the sound of the dog’s pain. I raced ahead to Guillermo’s car where it sat in an employee parking spot. I unlocked the back door and held it open, waiting for Guillermo to make his way over with the dog.
He set the dog gently across the back seat before accepting his keys from me. He rounded the car and was quick to climb behind the wheel. I grabbed the handle to the back door, but Guillermo leaned over. “Shouldn’t one of us stay?”
“I’m coming with you.” I jumped in without a second thought and allowed the dog to rest his head on my lap.
My mother was busy weathering her own storm. I could handle this—after all, it was what she had told me to do.
Guillermo cranked up his car and took off for the animal hospital, following the instructions Siri was giving him from his phone.
The dog was breathing heavy now, his eyes closed tight as he whimpered.
My chest ached for his pain. Poor guy.
“It’s going to be okay, boy,” I told him. I faced the road, crossing my fingers and wishing things would be okay.
The Right Side of Reckless Page 16