SNAP! Manny pulls the ball from his glove and points to the sky. He throws me a pop-up. “You sure about all this, T?”
“About staying in New Mexico?” I catch it and pop one back. “Yeah, I’m sure. But I’m gonna need some help with physics.”
“Physics? What is that?”
“It’s a thing you’re gonna teach me because you aced it in high school.”
“Oh. And when exactly is this going to happen?”
“Tomorrow. Seven a.m. In the chile stand. And every other day.”
“I’ll do my best, T. But I might be a little rusty. And a little asleep.”
“That’s okay. I might cry. Because I miss somebody.”
“Damn, T. I feel so guilty.”
He’s not joking. I can see it on his face.
“This is a guilt-free zone,” I say. “Got that, mister? All you have to do is teach me physics. And wipe my tears. And throw me that ball.”
Manny throws me the ball.
I catch it and throw it back.
Manny catches. Manny throws.
I catch.
I thought I stayed here so Xochitl could chase her dream.
I throw.
Manny catches. Manny throws.
And I thought I stayed to help my brother.
I catch.
But maybe I stayed in New Mexico for this.
I throw.
Manny catches. Manny throws.
Me and my brother, making up for too much lost time.
I catch. I throw.
Manny catches. Manny throws.…
WED SEP 2 8:38 P.M.
T: Make it home ok?
Wendy: Yeah. I miss you bad, Teodoro.
T: I miss you worse.
T: Wendy, will you go to prom
with me next spring?
Wendy: Wait. I’ll go ask my mom. ☺
T: HA! Tell her I still have her twenty
bucks! No way she can say no.
Wendy: Huh?
T: Nothing. Will you go to prom
with me?
Wendy: In New Mexico?
T: I was thinking of Puget. But we
could do prom down here too.
Wendy: And Skyview High. Gotta do the
’Couve!
T: That’s a lot of proms, Wendy.
Wendy: It’s not that many proms. While
we’re at it, I think we should
go for the all-time proms record.
T: How many?
Wendy: 47 proms. Set by a couple from
Louielexnoxingtonsville, Kentucky, if
I’m not mistaken. 1985, I believe
it was.
T: It’s awesome knowing you will
forever have information like
that at the ready.
Wendy: Aw, you always say just the right
thing, Avila.
T: Let’s make this happen, Martinez.
It’s gonna take a lot of planning.
A lot of airfare. A lot of understanding
high schools.
Wendy: A lot of deodorant and gallons of
mouthwash.
Wendy: But I think we can do it.
T: Wendy? Will you go to 48 proms
with me?
Wendy: Oh my God, Teodoro, I thought
you’d never ask.
T: I love you.
Wendy: I love, love you.
T: Oh, hell. This is serious now.
Wendy: Yes it is.
T: Good. I love, love you, too, Wendy
Martinez.
PTSD Resources
Manny Avila came back from war suffering symptoms related to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and traumatic brain injury (TBI). The statistics of veterans suffering from PTSD are difficult to determine for many reasons. But according to a 2014 RAND Study, twenty percent of Iraq and Afghanistan War veterans suffer from PTSD and depression. Those statistics climb when TBI is included. If you are worried about a family member who is suffering from PTSD, TBI, or general depression issues, including suicide, know that there are people and organizations who want to help and who are ready to help. Here are some resources:
Veterans Crisis Line: 1-800-273-8255 #1
stopsoldiersuicide.org
www.ptsd.va.gov/public/index.asp
woundedwarriorproject.org
Like Teodoro, if you have been in close prolonged contact with a vet suffering the effects of trauma caused by war, and you’re concerned about your own mental health, talk to people. Reach out. Here are some resources:
www.ptsd.va.gov/public/family/index.asp
veteransfamiliesunited.org
familyofavet.com/secondary_ptsd.html
giveanhour.org
mentalhealth.gov
A Note on the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Veterans Health Administration
Xochitl explains to T that Manny became frustrated and refused to go back to the VA after hearing the policy regarding VA coverage of PTSD treatment.
Before 2010, veterans were required to provide documented evidence of a “stressor related to hostile military activity” in order access full coverage for PTSD treatment. In 2010, the requirement for documented evidence regarding a military stressor was dropped. This action streamlined the PTSD claims process at the VA and reduced the time and frustration traditionally involved when veterans applied for disability compensation for PTSD and access for mental healthcare.
Manny had his issues at the VA, and Tío Ed later states, “Manny ain’t stepping foot in no VA.” Although its efficiency is regularly questioned, the VA is the primary source of health care for millions of American veterans, and its importance in their lives cannot be overstated. The VA is a crucial and indispensable resource, and it is up to all Americans to ensure that VA health-care professionals and administrators have all the resources and support they need to treat veteran health issues in the manner veterans deserve.
Acknowledgments
I am so grateful to the many the folks who joined me on various legs of this long publishing road trip.
Thanks to those who generously volunteered their time and minds to read drafts, provide answers to research questions, and give indispensable feedback and loving encouragement: Christopher Baker, Nena Boling-Smith, John Brockhaus, Erin Courage, Vincent Delaney, Donte Felder, Andrea Flores, Dr. Ernest Flores, Maria Flores, Emma Flores-Scott, Andy May, Doug Kasischke, Jessica McClinton-Lopez, Dickie Ogaz, Bruce Patt, Wendy Rasmussen, Heidi Raykeil, Meg Richman, Charlie Scott, Maria Scott, Eric Smith, Angie Stark, Cristian Uriostegui, Aldo Velasco, and Dorothy Velasco. Thank you all.
Thanks to Joy Allison and her students at Tiger Mountain Community High School, and Jeff Kass and his students at Pioneer High School.
Thanks to the members of my Ann Arbor “Newbery” book club and critique group for the much-needed comradeship.
Thanks to Jessica Anderson at Christy Ottaviano Books/Henry Holt for all of her work in support of American Road Trip, and to Starr Baer and Katie Klimowicz at Macmillan for the production editing and design work that helped bring readers this story in such a beautiful package.
Thanks to my agent, Steven Chudney, for understanding and supporting this project from the outset, and for years of persistence in helping to advance this book through all of its stages.
Thanks to my editor, Christy Ottaviano, for seeing the potential in Teodoro’s story through the mire of early, epic drafts and pendulum-swinging rewrites. Thanks for keeping the vision of what this book could be throughout the process and for managing all of my post-deadline requests. Thanks for guiding this road trip home.
Thanks to my boys, Carlos and Diego, for joining me in my office for early-morning group writes and for all the hugs and cheerleading.
Thanks to my wife, Emma, for her never-ending love, for her belief in my storytelling life, and for helping me to keep my feet as near to the ground as possible. Without her, there is no way I’m typing these words that can only come when a
book is finished.
And finally, thanks to the Scott, Hernandez, and Flores families for their undying support and for being a constant inspiration as I worked to write the story of a family that perseveres.
Praise for Jumped In:
An Indie Next List Selection
A Walden Award Finalist
A YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults
An IRA Favorite Book of the Year
A Bank Street College Best Children’s Book of the Year
A Washington State Book Award Winner
An Evergreen Teen Book Award Finalist
An ABA Indies Debut Author
A TAYSHAS Reading List Selection
An NCSS-CBC Notable Social Studies Trade Book for Young People
A Great Lakes Great Books Finalist
About the Author
Patrick Flores-Scott is the author of the award-winning novel Jumped In. He is a playwright, teacher, and occasional slam poet. A graduate of the University of Washington School of Drama, Patrick spent years creating plays with his friends, most notably The True History of Coca-Cola in Mexico. He lives in Ann Arbor, Michigan, with his wife, Emma, and two sons, Carlos and Diego.
Visit him online at patrickfloresscott.com, or sign up for email updates here.
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Contents
Title Page
Copyright Notice
Dedication
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Friday, September 19, 2008
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Friday, October 3, 2008
Saturday, October 11, 2008
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Friday, November 28, 2008
Saturday, December 6, 2008
Saturday, December 13, 2008
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Friday, January 9, 2009
Monday, February 2, 2009
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Saturday, February 7, 2009
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Sunday, April 5, 2009
Monday, April 6, 2009
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Friday, June 12, 2009
Saturday, June 13, 2009
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Monday, June 15, 2009
Monday, June 15, 2009
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Friday, June 19, 2009
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Monday, June 22, 2009
Friday, June 26, 2009
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Monday, June 29, 2009
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Friday, July 3, 2009
Sunday, July 5, 2009
Friday, July 10, 2009
Friday, July 31, 2009
Saturday, August 1, 2009
Saturday, August 8, 2009
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Friday, August 14, 2009
Monday, August 24, 2009
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
PTSD Resources
A Note on the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Veterans Health Administration
Acknowledgments
Praise for Jumped In
About the Author
Copyright
Copyright © 2018 by Patrick Flores-Scott
Henry Holt and Company, Publishers since 1866
Henry Holt® is a registered trademark of Macmillan Publishing Group, LLC
175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010
fiercereads.com
All rights reserved.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Flores-Scott, Patrick, author.
Title: American road trip / Patrick Flores-Scott.
Description: First edition. | New York: Christy Ottaviano Books, Henry Holt and Company, 2018. | Summary: Brothers Teodoro and Manny Avila take a road trip to address Manny’s PTSD following his tour in Iraq, and to help T change his life and win the heart of Wendy Martinez. Includes information and resources about PTSD.
Identifiers: LCCN 2018004255 | ISBN 9781627797412 (hardcover)
Subjects: | CYAC: Coming of age—Fiction. | Conduct of life—Fiction. | Post-traumatic stress disorder—Fiction. | Brothers—Fiction. | Automobile travel—Fiction. | Mexican Americans—Fiction.
Classification: LCC PZ7.F33435 Ame 2018 | DDC [Fic]—dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2018004255
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First hardcover edition 2018
eBook edition September 2018
eISBN 9781627797429
American Road Trip Page 22