Crossing the Line

by Malín Alegría

  Milo snuck a mushroom from the pile next to Georgia Rae’s plate. She tried to slap his hand, but he was too quick and plopped it into his mouth. “You can’t transfer,” Milo said. “Not now.”

  “What do you mean? Of course I can transfer. Dex won. Santiago is going to jail. My sister hates me. No one at school wants to be near me. Why would I stay?”

  “Yeah,” Georgia Rae agreed excitedly. “You can come to McAllen High with me! We can share a room. I’m sure my mom will say yes, if I explain what happened.” Her eyes were bright and she bounced a little on the couch. “It will be so cool. We’ll have so much fun. Forget this town, Fabi.”

  Fabiola imagined herself living in McAllen with Georgia Rae. They were practically sisters already.

  But then she thought about her parents. Who would make sure her dad didn’t skip lunch? Who would be there to help her mother with the tables? The waitstaff was always so unreliable. And who would keep the peace between her grandmothers? And make sure Grandpa Frank got his coffee just below tepid?

  “You sure Dex said that stuff about beating up, you know, immigrants?” Milo asked, playing with his crust.

  “Yes!” Fabi said firmly. “I was right on the other side of the window. I heard him say that they were easy targets. That they wouldn’t resist or complain to the cops because they were undocumented. That sounds just like what happened to Chuy.”

  Milo bit the top of his crust, thinking. “So why don’t we try to catch him in the act? Get some evidence.”

  “You mean, like, go undercover?” Fabi asked curiously. Milo nodded. She looked at Georgia Rae.

  Georgia Rae shrugged. “It would be nice to see Dex get what he deserves.”

  “But don’t you think Dex will be lying low now? He knows that I think he did it. My big mouth blabbed it to the whole town.” Fabi wanted to hit herself for not thinking of this sooner.

  “Dex does have a huge ego,” Georgia Rae said, holding out her hands for emphasis. “And you know how he gets when he drinks …”

  “Maybe Chuy can help us set a trap,” Fabi mused, thoughtfully tapping her finger on her lips. “I’m sure Chuy will want to get at the real culprit. What we need is someone Dex trusts. Someone he can confide in.” Fabi and Georgia Rae locked eyes. Was this a stupid idea? Dex didn’t trust any of them. Fabi could only think of one thing to do. “I have an idea.”

  “No! You’re crazy. I’m not going to do it. Get out of my way,” Alexis cried.

  But Fabiola wouldn’t budge. Alexis grabbed her by the shoulder and tried to pull her away from the door. She tugged with all her might, but couldn’t move her older sister. “Get out of my room! I’m going to tell Mom.”

  “Go ahead,” Fabi said, crossing her arms in front of her chest. “Tell her all you want. Then we can have a nice chat about how you’ve been ditching your vocal lessons to hang out with Dex after school. I’m sure Mom and Dad would love to hear all about your extracurricular activities.”

  Alexis jumped as if she’d been stung. Fabi regretted her words. They were said out of anger, but they were also true. She didn’t want to blackmail her sister into helping. But Fabi was desperate. Time was running out for Santiago.

  Alexis balled her hands into fists, pure hatred shining in her eyes. She jumped on Fabi, clawing at her like a wildcat. When Fabi still refused to move, tears flowed from Alexis’s eyes like a dam being released.

  “What is wrong with you? Why do you hate me so much?”

  Fabiola was taken aback. “What’s wrong with me? What is wrong with you? You’re the one who’s always running off with Dex and your new friends ever since you started high school. You’ve become this totally different person. You don’t care about Chuy, you don’t care about Santi —”

  “Will you just stop acting so jealous? I like who I am. I like my new friends and I like Dex. Why can’t you just accept me the way I am?”

  “I do accept you,” Fabi insisted. “I accept that you are your own person.”

  “Then why are you so mean to me? You said all those horrible lies about Dex. You don’t even know him.”

  “Lies? You think I made up that stuff about Dex to hurt you? Oh, c’mon, Alexis. Are you for real?”

  Alexis stared back blankly. “Well, didn’t you? I know you don’t like him,” she said.

  Fabi burst out laughing.

  “Hey, that wasn’t a joke,” Alexis said. “I’m really mad at you. Stop laughing. I mean it. I’m going to tell Mom.”

  “I’m sorry, Alexis,” Fabi said, wiping the tears from her eyes. “You’ve got to believe me when I tell you, I did not make up those things about Dex to make you look bad. I don’t hate you. I could never hate you,” she said softly, wanting to take her sister in her arms and hug her. But she didn’t dare.

  Alexis sniffed loudly. She looked like a raccoon with her mascara smudged everywhere. Fabi wondered about what other kinds of issues her sister might be facing. It seemed like years since they’d talked. She noticed that her sister’s cell phone was thrown across the room. “Well, I don’t know why you don’t like Dex! Or my friends! What did they ever do to you? They’re not bad people. If you weren’t so crazy judgmental, you’d know that. If you just took the time to get to know them, maybe they could be your friends, too.”

  Fabiola felt her cheeks redden. She didn’t know what to say. Alexis wiped her nose on the back of her hand. It reminded Fabi of when Alexis was small and the kids would pick on her because she always wore big, puffy dresses to play in. She was no longer that little girl who needed protection. “I’m sorry,” Fabiola finally said. “I’m sorry for being …”

  “Judgmental?”

  “If I hurt you.”

  Alexis flopped onto her small twin bed and sighed. “I guess that’s the best I’m going to get, huh?”

  Fabi looked down at her shoes. Then she followed her sister’s gaze to the cell on the floor. “Is everything all right?”

  Alexis shrugged. “I guess, if you call getting nonstop text messages all day and night from some crazy girl who threatens to cut you if you don’t stay away from her boyfriend all right.”

  “Melodee?”

  Alexis nodded, then stared out the window. “So you really think Dex is responsible?”

  Fabi nodded and held her breath.

  “I’m really sorry about the other day at school. I thought —” Alexis paused and started again. “When Dex grabbed you like that, I got really scared. That’s not the Dex I know. He was like a whole different person … and it made me wonder …”

  “If I am wrong about this,” Fabi said desperately, “I promise to never speak badly about Dex again.”

  Alexis crossed her legs and arms, thinking. Fabi pressed her lips together really tightly, not wanting to disturb her sister’s concentration.

  “Fine,” Alexis huffed loudly. Fabiola breathed out the air she hadn’t realized she’d been holding. “But!” Alexis added as an afterthought. “If Dex is innocent,” she warned, wagging her finger in Fabi’s face, “I want a public apology and your tips for the rest of the year.”

  The plan was brilliant in its simplicity. All Fabi needed was a confession. If Dex confessed, then Santiago would be free. And if Dex got what he deserved, everything would go back to normal, Fabi assured herself.

  Alexis was the only one who wasn’t convinced.

  They all gathered at Fabi’s house the following Friday to set the trap.

  “How do you know your plan is going to work?” Alexis asked Fabi.

  Fabiola looked up from helping Chuy and said, “I don’t.”

  Alexis frowned. “Great.”

  Fabi continued to fidget with Chuy’s hoodie. She didn’t want Dex to recognize him.

  “Don’t you think the hoodie with the big Mexican flag is a bit much?” Alexis commented. “It’s like eighty degrees outside. Why don’t we just give him a big mustache and sombrero?”

  “Hey,” Fabi snapped. “I’m the mastermind here, not you.” Then she turned to
Georgia Rae and murmured, “Do you think it’s too much?” Her friend shook her head. “Okay!” Fabi clapped her hands for attention. “Let’s go over it again from the top.”

  Alexis looked around the group nervously. She was clearly starting to regret this deal, but was now in far too deep to back out. “I’m going to call Dex and invite him to get raspas.” Raspas were Fabiola’s favorite treat. It was a cup of shaved ice with flavoring, whipped cream, chopped nuts, and a cherry on top.

  “Don’t worry, we’ll be watching you from my truck,” Georgia Rae cut in excitedly. Alexis still looked plenty worried.

  Chuy cleared his throat. “Then I walk … near. I have … money … and count,” he added. Fabiola was so proud he agreed to be a part of this. Although he was responsible for Santiago being in jail, he didn’t want the wrong person to pay for it.

  “But,” Alexis interrupted, “before you walk by I need to steer the conversation to wanting to do something crazy. So don’t come real fast, Chuy. Give me some time.”

  “Make sure you order the piña colada raspa,” Georgia Rae reminded Alexis as she dabbed green and brown face paint around her eyes. “I hear the lady with the short hair adds real booze for extra flavor.” She’d brought a big duffel bag filled with hunting apparel with her for surveillance — and scent-controlled camouflage jackets, face masks, night-vision binoculars, and gloves, just in case.

  Alexis pulled the earphones from her ears and asked, “Are you even sure these things are going to work?”

  Milo grabbed her earphones. “Of course they’ll work. See the little mic right here?” he said as he pointed. “Just make sure the volume is all the way up and you’re standing about a foot away from him. Here, look.” He showed her how to record on his cell phone.

  A trickle of sweat ran down the side of Alexis’s face. She looked like she wanted to throw up.

  “You’ll be fine.” Fabi put her hand on her little sister’s shoulder in a reassuring way. “We’ll be right there. We won’t let him touch you, okay? All you need is a confession. The minute you hear it, I want you to blow the whistle and run.” Alexis still looked uneasy, so Fabi added, “We’ll be right there in the truck. Everything is going to be fine.”

  She just hoped she was right.

  The evening was windy, throwing dirt and litter into whirling little dust devils all along the streets of downtown Dos Rios. Fabi’s stomach rumbled, but it wasn’t from lack of food. Everything was going according to plan so far, she thought, watching customers drive up to the shaved-ice stand. Milo, Georgia Rae, Chuy, and she were ducking down in Georgia Rae’s truck, trying to be incognito.

  “What do you see?” Milo asked, tugging on Fabi’s jacket. They only had one pair of binoculars and she was holding them. “I wish we had some way to hear what was going on.” He bit his lower lip. “I don’t know about this plan of yours.”

  “My plan is fine. Look, I see the two of them talking. Alexis is nervous. She keeps looking around.” Fabi motioned for Chuy to go. Silently, he got out of the car and crossed the street toward Alexis and Dex.

  “Damn it,” Georgia Rae complained. “She’s totally going to ruin it.”

  “Give her a break,” Fabi said, spying again. “Oh, look — no, I mean don’t look. Stay down. Chuy is walking by. He’s counting his money right in front of Dex. This is going to be perfect.”

  “If this works,” Milo said, “I’ll shave my head.”

  “If this works, I’ll shave my head!” Fabi giggled.

  They both turned to Georgia Rae expectantly. “Okay, fine,” Georgia Rae gave in. “I’ll shave my head, too.”

  Milo, Georgia Rae, and Fabi laughed at the thought.

  “I wonder if we’ll get a reward,” Georgia Rae said, her voice filled with delighted anticipation of her face in the local paper. “Maybe we’ll even get on TV. Wouldn’t that be cool? I can see it now: ‘Local Teens Catch Town Thug!’ We’ll be heroes.”

  “Bald heroes!” Milo cried, and began to laugh hysterically.

  Fabi’s heart swelled. The fame would be nice, but all she really cared about was proving Santiago’s innocence. She raised the binoculars back to her eyes and looked for Alexis. But Alexis and Dex were gone. A nauseous feeling took her. “Guys.”

  “Yeah,” Georgia Rae said dreamily, obviously still soaking in the hero fantasy.

  “They’re gone!”

  “What?” shouted Milo and Georgia Rae together.

  “No, wait! I see Chuy’s hoodie. There are two guys with him. They look like jocks. I don’t see Alexis. What the — I look away for two seconds —” Fabi jumped out of the truck without bothering to complete her sentence.

  “Fabi!” Georgia Rae called after her.

  Fabiola didn’t look back. Her heart leapt into her throat in fright. Where was her sister? Fabi ran through the parking lot. She weaved between cars that honked as she passed. People laughed and pointed as she sprinted in her reflective hunting attire, complete with the glowing face paint Georgia Rae had insisted on applying to her cheeks. But she didn’t stop until she’d reached the edge of the corner, where she finally paused and looked both ways. There was no sign of any of them. The noise from the cars cruising on the busy boulevard blocked everything else out.

  Oh, no.

  Fabi heard a muffled cry. She spun back. It sounded like Chuy. Where was Alexis? She ran so hard she thought she might faint. Down the street was the town cemetery. In the daylight hours the place was decorated in bright, bushy floral displays like a parade float with streamers and balloons. But at night, it seemed like the spirits of those long-deceased loved ones came out to play. Fabiola didn’t believe in ghosts, but that didn’t mean she liked the idea of entering the cemetery at night. In the dimming light, she made out the shape of figures near a mausoleum in the older part of the burial ground.

  “Hey,” Milo huffed, out of breath, coming up behind her. Georgia Rae was right behind him, carrying her hefty duffel bag. Fabi smiled, grateful for her crazy friends. She motioned for them to keep quiet while she pointed out the figures.

  “What’s in the bag?” Fabi whispered.

  Georgia Rae dropped the bag on the dirt and unzipped it carefully, trying not to make any noise. She passed each of them headlamps to put on. Then she pulled out rope, some emergency flares, and a can of pepper spray.

  “You better watch where you spray that.” Fabi pointed to the can.

  Georgia Rae made a “don’t worry” gesture with her hand. “I’ve used this stuff tons of times on myself. It really doesn’t hurt too much after a while.”

  Fabi rolled her eyes and quickly prayed that no one got hurt on this crazy mission. The three of them crouched down and snuck into the cemetery, passing marble benches and brick markers. The dried grass crunched softly under their sneakers. Sunken tombstones and angel statues created a maze to circle through. Fabi noticed the date on one of the graves. It read 1833 — when the land was still part of Mexico. Fabi and Alexis had an ancestor buried here, a great-great-great-grandfather on her mother’s side who came from Spain seeking fame and fortune. Now, Fabi prayed to her nameless relative to protect her and her friends from any evil spirits and mean football players lurking in the dark.

  A dull beam of light flickered off to their right. Georgia Rae, the experienced huntress, took the lead, stealthily heading toward it. Fabi had no plan. She just knew they had to rescue her sister and Chuy.

  As they edged closer, Fabi could make out voices talking. Georgia Rae motioned for them to split up and surround the group. Fabi swallowed her growing anxiety and crept silently forward. Milo followed behind her. She stopped behind a large tombstone. She couldn’t see anything, but she could hear their voices loud and clear.

  “You know,” Dex said, “I’ve always found cemeteries kind of sexy.”

  “What do you mean?” Alexis asked.

  Fabi sighed in relief. Alexis was not hurt. But where was Chuy?

  “There’s the full moon, and you and me, here alone.”


  “Yeah, this is pretty cool,” Alexis agreed. There was a hint of worry in her voice. “But like I said, I want to do something, you know, crazy and wild tonight.”

  “Well, we can be as wild as you want.”

  “What’s the wildest thing you’ve ever done, Dex?”

  “How ’bout I show you?”

  “No, tell me.”

  “It’s more fun if I show you.”

  “Dex, just tell me, all right?”

  “What’s your problem?” Dex asked, growing cautious. “And why do you still have those earphones on? Yo, what’s this? What are you —” Suddenly, the sound of Dex’s voice erupted into the night. He had uncovered the recording device.

  Fabi’s heart began to race. Alexis was caught. Just then Dex’s buddies approached, making all kinds of noise huffing, puffing, and bumping into tombs.

  “Dude,” one of the guys said, “that little guy got away.”

  “What do you mean?” Dex asked.

  “He was just too quick — he rushed into traffic. Yo, what are we doing here, anyway?”

  “This slut here was recording me,” Dex said. His voice was dark and heavy. “She tried to trick me. I think we need to teach her a lesson.”

  “Dex, wait. Let me explain. It’s not my fault,” Alexis pleaded.

  “Well, let’s hurry up, then,” said one of the guys. “I don’t like this place.”

  “Yeah, man, it’s kind of spooky,” another voice added.

  “What are you ladies afraid of?” Dex teased. “Scared of the boogeyman?” He started to laugh.

  “Nah, it’s not that, but you know. There are ghosts here. My mom has seen them. For real!”

  “You guys are idiots. Now, find something to tie her with.”

  “No,” Alexis cried out.

  Fabiola’s heart was beating wildly, but she didn’t know what to do. All she had was a stupid headlamp. She looked on the ground around her and saw a big piece of cement. It was part of a tomb that had crumbled off. Maybe she could knock one of the guys out with it. She motioned for Milo to grab a rock.