Amor and Summer Secrets

by Diana Rodriguez Wallach

  The only Quinceañera aspect I didn’t touch was the menu. My Aunt Carmen seemed to have that taken care of. She was actually going to cook for all one hundred and twenty-two guests herself, with no catering staff. I didn’t even think that was humanly possible. And from the way she was frantically running around the house these past few days, I was wondering if it really was.

  None of this changed the fact that I was still mad at Lilly for talking behind my back. I wasn’t doing any of this for her. I was doing it for Madison. If I couldn’t partake in her Sweet Sixteen planning extravaganza, I could at least commiserate by sharing party details of my own. Madison loved hearing all about the tiaras and the “court.” Lilly had fourteen friends participating in her celebration, which was apparently typical for Quinceañeras, but I still found it a little excessive (even for a bridal party). Angelica assured me that the number was supposed to be symbolic with Lilly being the “fifteenth” member of the court. But still, I wouldn’t want a bunch of acquaintance-friends to share in my day just to bulk up the numbers.

  Regardless, neither Vince nor Lilly knew I was doing any of this. I told them I was “helping around the house” every time I left work, not that Vince would have noticed.

  He quickly made his own way in the world as “Vicente,” with no need for me or Lilly. He was going out every night (with no effect on Lilly’s homebound status), hanging mostly with Lilly’s dad, Juan, our cousin Alonzo, and their friends. He’d slug beers and pretend he understood what they were saying (he was Vicente, after all). For a kid with only two years of Spanish under his belt, he was learning the language rather quickly. At the hotel the other day, I heard him give a guest directions to a local restaurant. His grammar wasn’t perfect, but he got his point across. I found it annoying.

  On the fifteenth day of my Lilly boycott, Angelica was busy finishing “the dress.” The party was in two days and Lilly was refusing to be fitted. She told her mom to just sew it and put it on a hanger. She’d put it on the day-of. She didn’t care. This clearly sent her mother into a panic-stricken frenzy and left me stuck behind the hotel’s front desk for the day.We had only four guests, and they were all out. So I snatched my dust rag and swept it over the desk for the tenth time. I refused to skip out of work early, even though I knew that’s what Lilly and Vince wanted. Despite all the effort I was putting into her party, I still hadn’t forgiven her for saying I was “uptight” and ruining her summer. At the very least, she should apologize.

  “You know, there’s a theater in San Juan that plays movies that aren’t dubbed in Spanish. Wanna go? There’s a listing in the paper. I could go get it if you want.”

  Vince, who was sitting on his usual stool watching Spanish soaps, quickly turned toward me, his eyebrows raised. My glance shot between the two of them. I blew a puff of air from my cheeks and tilted my head.

  “I don’t like movies,” I snipped.

  Vince immediately jumped from his stool, charged toward me and grabbed my arm. He dragged me by my arm from the lobby into the bar, and pushed me toward a wooden stool.

  “Sit!” he ordered.

  “What’s with you?” I asked, rubbing my arm as I perched my butt on the ripped leather cushion.

  “What’s with me? What’s with you?” Vince tossed his hands in the air.

  “Nothing, I’m fine,” I defended, still rubbing my arm and refusing to look up at him.

  “You are? Then why won’t you hang out with Lilly?”

  “Maybe I don’t want to.” I looked up and cocked my head to the side.

  “Mariana, you’re acting like a three-year-old.This isn’t like you. What the heck do you have against Lilly? She’s trying to be nice to you.”

  “Yeah, sure she is. And exactly how nice is she behind my back?” I asked, shaking my head and tossing my auburn hair over my shoulder.

  “What are you talking about?” Vince took a few steps back.

  “Vince, I heard you guys come home the night of that party. I heard you talking outside the door about how I’m ‘uptight’ and ‘stubborn’ and how she has to be friends with me because her parents are forcing her. She’s not being nice, she just doesn’t want to be grounded.” I spat out the words.

  “She is nice and you would know that if you hung out with her. Maybe if you started acting like yourself, like a normal person, you guys could actually be friends.”

  “How can I be friends with someone who would trash me behind my back, to my own brother, after knowing me for less than a day?”

  “I wasn’t trashing you,” Lilly stated as she walked into the bar.

  Her voice was calm and her posture perfect as she glided over. Her ease shocked me. Here she was, walking into an argument, an argument about her, and she seemed completely unfazed. She even looked confident.

  She stopped a few feet in front of me and sucked in a long breath.

  “When my parents found out you guys were coming, of course they wanted me to be friends with you both. It makes sense, we all live in the same house, we’re all close to the same age.”

  “Lilly, I heard you. This nice routine of yours is just an act so you don’t end up grounded like you said.”

  “Well, maybe if you loosened up, maybe if for once you actually tried to have fun, you’d find out that Puerto Rico, Utuado, the place I live, doesn’t suck all that much.”

  “I never said it sucked,” I mumbled.

  And it was true, I hadn’t—but I had thought it. It suddenly struck me how offended I’d be if some stranger visited me and criticized Spring Mills after just a few days.

  “You didn’t have to,” Lilly shot back, running her hand through her auburn hair. “It’s all over your face every time you look around our house or talk about your friends from home. So my family’s not rich, and my Quinceañera isn’t going to be this big blow-out like the Sweet Sixteen you’re missing ‘back in Spring Mills.’ But that doesn’t mean we’re losers.”

  “I don’t think that. I don’t.”

  I looked at Lilly for several moments, saying nothing.

  “So, whatever, can we, like, end this? All be friends now?” Vince asked.

  What a typical guy. Everything was so simple to him. Guys fought, made up, moved on. Sometimes I envied the simplicity in which they lived.

  Lilly and I stood in silence.

  “So, can we get out of here? Go to the beach or something ?” Vince asked, looking at me with hope in his eyes.

  “Fine,” I said, nodding. “But I want to stop at the Internet café first.”

  “Mariana!” Vince cried.

  “What? I want to check my e-mail. Madison’s party is tomorrow. I’m sorry, but it’s her birthday and it’s important to me.”

  “Errr,” he growled, rolling his eyes.

  “Whatever, it’s fine,” Lilly stated.

  I followed them out of the hotel moments later, my laptop bag on my shoulder. We weren’t exactly the three musketeers, but it was the first time the three of us had ever left work together. The first time we’d ever done anything together.

  Chapter 20

  The Internet café was never crowded. Most of the time I was the only person in it. It was a small beige room with large desktop computer terminals against three walls, and round tables scattered throughout for laptop customers. In the corner was a coffee bar that also sold snacks and sandwiches (every sandwich included ham, don’t ask me why but it was an extremely popular meat product in Puerto Rico). At night the café doubled as a bar, selling beer to local students from the University of Puerto Rico—they called it “UPR,” which I liked because it sounded familiar. It reminded me of “UPenn” or “PSU.”

  I sat down on an orange plastic chair at a small table a few feet behind Lilly and Vince, who both logged on to desktops. I could see that Vince was checking the Phillies’ stats. Vince was an all-star first baseman in Spring Mills. He was recruited to play for Cornell, though he denies that being why he got in. I logged on to my e-mail and saw one message from Ma
dison and Emily, which was odd. They usually sent me at least two per day. The message was marked “urgent” and the subject was “We’re famous!” I quickly clicked it open.

  What up, Spic!

  Madison here. We just finished our first day of filming with Orlando Bloom!!! It was soooo awesome! I can’t even describe it in an e-mail. But let me tell you, he’s so much hotter in person. And I spoke to him! I was stalking him all day and when I saw him go over to the snack tables, I pounced.We both reached for the same water bottle and for a second, our hands touched—flesh to flesh. I felt Orlando Bloom! I told him I thought he was doing an amazing job in his scenes and he thanked me, asked my name, and wished me luck with my acting. He thinks I’m an actress!!!! I can’t believe Orlando Bloom knows I exist in the world. But that’s not even the best news. It turns out he’s staying at the Rittenhouse Hotel—he’s going to be there when I have my Sweet Sixteen tomorrow. Gayle’s sending his assistant an invitation. Orlando Bloom might be at my Sweet Sixteen!!!! I can’t believe it!

  Anyway, Emily’s sitting next to me and she’s freaking out because she wants me to tell you our other big news. So here it is—we’re going to be interviewed live on the radio!!! Eagle 102FM was at the set today and they want to do a bit on their morning show about what it’s like to be an extra. They asked Em and me to come down to the station for an interview!!! We have to be there at, like, six in the morning, but whatev, that’ll give me plenty of time to get ready for my party.We’re going to be on the radio! How cool is that? You have to tune in. They’re going to air it live and you can listen to it on their Web site tomorrow at 6:30 A.M. You better listen!

  Love ya!

  The soon-to-be famous Hollywood Divas,

  Mad and Em

  I almost puked all over my laptop. There wasn’t a single particle of my being that was happy for them. I knew that was wrong, I knew that I was a terrible friend, but that didn’t stop me from wishing the set of that movie would spontaneously combust. Only that would probably make them more famous, “We were there when Orlando almost died . . .” I could already see it.

  “This is unbelievable!” I yelled. “I’m missing everything!”

  I slammed my laptop closed and shoved my fingers into my frizzy hair (the humid climate really wasn’t agreeing with the curls I usually tried to suppress).

  “What? What happened?” Vince asked, swiveling around in his chair.

  “Emily and Madison are in a movie with Orlando Bloom. They’re getting interviewed on the radio, and they’re inviting him to her Sweet Sixteen!”

  “Seriously?” he asked, his eyes popping.

  “Yes!”

  “Wow, that’s really cool.”

  “Shut up!”

  Lilly chuckled quietly from her seat next to Vince.

  “What are you laughing at?” I yelled.

  “Nothing. Sorry,” Lilly mumbled. “These are your friends?”

  “Yeah, my best friends. But it doesn’t look like they’re missing me much.”

  “I told you they weren’t going to sit around crying over you,”Vince said. “That’s why you need to go out. And you’ll have to do something big if you’re gonna top Orlando Bloom at her birthday party.”

  “I can’t believe this. I don’t even want to think about it,” I said, shaking my head. “He’s not going to go. He can’t go. He’s a movie star. He’s got better things to do. But still, they’re in his movie and they’re gonna be on the radio and her party’s tomorrow! I’m missing everything!”

  “I say we get out of here. Let’s do something!” Vince suggested, jumping from his plastic chair.

  “I don’t want to.” I sighed, closed my eyes and dropped my head back.

  “What’s wrong with you?” he yelled. “Do you hear yourself?”

  “I just don’t feel like going out. My life sucks.”

  “Mariana, you’ve been sulking for weeks now and it’s getting annoying.You don’t have to be depressed and miserable in order to be loyal to your friends. They’re not doing that for you.”

  “Vince, I’m not in a good mood.”

  “No kiddin’. That’s why you need to go out. Let’s go to San Juan or something.” Vince flicked a glance at Lilly.

  “That’d be cool,” she added.

  “Come on, it’ll be fun,” he wheedled.

  “No, I don’t want to. Besides, I need to get up early tomorrow to hear their interview and send Madison an e-card before her party.”

  “Are you freakin’ kidding me? You’re scheduling your life around them? They’re not here!”

  “I know,Vince, that’s the point. Being in a movie, hanging out with Orlando Bloom, that’s a big deal. I want to hear it. I want to be a part of it somehow,” I said, shrugging my shoulders.

  “You’re being ridiculous.”

  “I don’t care what you think.”

  “You should.”

  “Why? Because your judgment is so great? Please! How long did you know Dad knew about that party you threw?” I asked, slapping my hands on the table.

  I had debated the whole flight over whether I should bring up Dad’s little surprise comment at the airport. At the time, it seemed pointless. I was going to Puerto Rico. My life was ruined. Nothing was going to change that outcome. Plus, I didn’t have the energy to fight with him. But in this moment, with my brother being all self-righteous like he knew what was best for me, I couldn’t help but throw it in his face. Just because we were in Puerto Rico, didn’t mean our entire lives in Spring Mills were wiped clean. He wasn’t any more mature or responsible now than he was then.

  “I don’t want to talk about that,” he said.

  “I know you don’t. Because apparently your bright idea to throw a party last year is what kept you from Europe this summer, isn’t it? And it’s what’s keeping me from Madison’s party!”

  “Shut up, Mariana.”

  “No, ’cause I’m right. Dad found out about the party and punished you by not letting you go to Europe with your friends. Then he punished me by forcing me to come here and babysit you.”

  “Oh, really! Now who’s being forced into doing things by their parents?” Lilly shouted, rising from her chair. “You got pissed at me because you thought my parents were forcing me to hang out with you and there you were, forced to come here by your parents. Gee, thanks.”

  I looked at Vince and swallowed hard. I didn’t know what to say. I sort of forgot she was there.

  “Nice going, Mariana,” Vince snapped.

  “Oh, don’t change the subject. Point is, Dad busted you for the party and that’s why we’re here. No offense to you, Lilly, but this whole trip wasn’t exactly my idea.”

  “Yeah, that’s a surprise,” she droned.

  “Oh, please! Don’t you have a party to plan?” I asked Lilly, my eyebrows raised. “Your Quinceañera is in two days, your mom has been going absolutely bonkers, your grandmom has been cooking ’round the clock and you just want to go out for the evening?”

  “Hey, this party wasn’t exactly my idea. I wanted them to skip it and buy me a car. But, noooo. My mom insisted I couldn’t ‘back out on tradition.’ She doesn’t care what I want.”

  “Yeah, I know the feeling,”Vince muttered.

  “Exactly. You’ve got issues with your parents and I’ve got issues with mine.”

  “You know, this party’s really important to your mom,” I said.

  “Yeah, and I’m sure coming to Puerto Rico was really important to your dad.”

  “Good point.” I nodded.

  “Look, let’s forget all this. Are we going out or not?” Lilly shifted her brown eyes between the two of us.

  “Yes.”

  “No.”

  Vince and I said in unison.

  “How ’bout we just go to a movie? We won’t even have to talk,” Lilly noted.

  Finally, I nodded and grunted, “fine.”

  It took another thirty minutes of arguing over action flick versus romantic comedy, but eve
ntually we settled on a big budget thriller. We all went to the theater together and sat in silence.

  Chapter 21

  After the movie, I plunked down for another meal of chicken breast and plantains. I called it “el usual. ” Vince thought I was crazy for eating the same thing repeatedly, but it didn’t bother me. Puerto Rican mofongo and asopao just wasn’t my thing.

  The fact that my aunt had time to make dinner amazed me. The house had become Ground Zero for the Quinceañera. Every surface in the kitchen was covered with a pot, pan, or foil-covered dish. I had never seen anyone make rice for one hundred and twenty-two people before, nor had I ever seen “calderas” large enough to conquer such a task. It was utter chaos. The air was so full of pepper and cilantro from the sofrito that I was fairly certain it would never be expunged from the fabrics in the house. Not to mention, the constant use of the oven and stove was doing nothing to help the sweltering temperatures. I couldn’t stand in the kitchen for more than a minute without getting dizzy. The only one my aunt permitted to help with the cooking was Angelica—my Uncle Miguel and cousins Juan and Alonzo were busy trying to construct a tent on the recently machete-pruned lawn.

  The party was in two days and the birthday girl, Lilly, was downgraded to sleeping on the couch. Her room was now storage central. It was filled with party favors, dishes, tablecloths, folding tables and chairs, champagne flutes (plastic and glass), flatware, and centerpieces. Everything was so strategically placed that if you pulled one item out, the room’s entire contents would fall over. I had never been to a wedding at home, but I imagined the scene would be similar. I couldn’t understand why anyone wouldn’t prefer to leave all this mess up to the banquet staff at a hotel ballroom.

  But despite the cooking, cleaning, sewing and landscaping, everyone still found time to sit down to dinner, together, and fight over the pegao. With the amount of Puerto Rican rice my aunt was cooking, there were plenty of crusty bottom remnants to go around. Even I ate some.

  “You know, that movie was lame. I figured out the ending, like, halfway through,” I noted between mouthfuls. “And I’m still surprised that it was in English.”