All In (Changing Hearts Book 2)

by Yesenia Vargas

  “What about the beca from the state?” My mom looks at me.

  “The HOPE scholarship,” I explain.

  “I don’t have the grades for it,” he replies.

  My mom nods.

  “We help you pay for it,” my dad says, and Ryan finally looks him in the eye.

  “No, Mr. Aguilar. Thank you, but I could never let you do that.”

  “No, mijo,” he says, lifting one of his hands. “You are like our children, and we want to help you. We know school is good for you. Not what you are doing now. I know you have been doing drugs and drinking alcohol.” He says that last word in Spanish. “I can see it.”

  He’s using his hands to make all these gestures. I swear I’ve never seen my dad so worked up, not even when we got in trouble a couple years ago at that party Arianna and Mayra went to.

  I look at Ryan, and his head is back down, and I can tell he’s close to crying despite always being able to keep everything bottled up for so many years. I hear him take in a deep, rattley breath and slowly let it back out.

  He clears his throat, and there’s a moment of silence before my dad goes on.

  “Tu eres inteligente.” He points to his head.

  “He’s saying you’re smart,” I say to Ryan.

  My dad goes on. “You know alcol, drogas is not good. You know your parents. And one day they will not be here with you anymore because of the vices.”

  Uh oh. I try to get a better look at Ryan’s face, but he’s mostly turned away now. He seems to be looking at a specific spot on our wall, probably trying to shut everything out. I know I would be. I want to say something, but I’ll probably make things worse so I keep my mouth shut instead.

  “You’re better,” my mom says. “You deserve a better life, where you can be happy. Better parents. God didn’t give those things to you but He knows you can become better.”

  Ryan wipes his nose with his sleeve and gives a small sniffle.

  Then my mom comes over and hugs him, and they stay like that for a minute.

  “We can’t tell you do this or do that. It’s your choice, mijo,” she says quietly. Ryan nods and gets up. He walks towards the front door, and I get up and follow him. My parents’ eyes follow him until he opens the front door and walks out. I grab it before it can close and then close it behind me.

  I want to tell him I didn’t tell them to do this.

  But he’s already halfway down our driveway.

  “Hey,” I call out. “Wait up. I’ll take you home. Let me get your food at least.”

  But he’s not stopping. I run down the porch stairs, but I know he’s not gonna let me catch up to him.

  I let him go.

  I text Ryan and try calling him, but I don’t hear back from him. He’s probably mad at me, thinks I set it all up. But I didn’t. I was actually planning on trying to talk to him, get him to get back in school, but my parents… They beat me to it and did a hell of a better job than I ever would have done anyway. I’m mostly glad they did talk to him. What they did for Ryan was amazing. I know 99% of people wouldn’t give a damn about any teenager that wasn’t their kid, but they’re not the 99%. They’re the 1%.

  I just hope they didn’t somehow make things with Ryan worse. Maybe pushed him away for good this time.

  I pull into our driveway and turn off the car.

  It feels weird being home this early and not having practice. Maybe I’ll just lie out in front of the couch and watch TV all day. I don’t have homework, so I’ll probably take a nap too. Yep, that sounds about right.

  And when Mayra gets home later, I’ll go and see her.

  I grab my backpack and decide to go get the mail. There’s a huge stack in there, including a couple of thick envelopes. Looks like my mom has been forgetting to grab the mail the past few days.

  I tuck all of the mail into my side as I head towards the front door and take out my car keys again.

  I drop off all of my stuff on the couch and take the mail into the kitchen where my mom always leaves it. I’m about to walk back into the living room when I do a double take.

  I see my name on one of the thick envelopes on top. It’s for me.

  I pick it up and open it, noticing it’s from our local community college. Oh yeah. I’m supposed to be hearing from them.

  I scan the letter, but the first line gives it away.

  Wow. I got in. I guess I shouldn’t be too surprised. It’s not that hard to get into that school from what I hear, but still, it’s pretty cool.

  I go ahead and look the rest of the pile. Most of them are bills or junk for my parents, but the last letter also has my name on it. It’s from UGA.

  No way did I get in. Not with my average grades. It must be a rejection letter.

  I open it up and take out the letter. There’s like two or three sheets in there.

  I read through it. Then I read it again because I still can’t seem to absorb what it’s saying.

  On the third time, it finally hits me what it’s saying.

  Dear Jimmy,

  Congratulations on an outstanding high school basketball career. A University of Georgia degree is one of the most prestigious in the nation. As the head men’s basketball coach at UGA, I’d like to formerly extend a scholarship offer to you.

  It goes on about the men’s basketball program at UGA and the different requirements I have to be sure to fulfill before I can officially be recruited at the end of the year. But there it is at the bottom.

  I want you on my team. And congratulations again on an exceptional season.

  Sincerely,

  Mike Landon

  Coach was right. I just got another college basketball offer.

  “So what are you going to do?” asks Mayra. We’re hanging out in her living room the next day. “What did your coach and parents say about UGA? I still can’t believe they made you an offer.”

  I stare at the TV. “I have no idea. They want me to go visit and everything, but I just don’t know. I had already pretty much decided to stick with the first offer. Coach Rogers is looking into it. He says they’re not half bad, and maybe it could be a better pick for me. And my mom freaked out again, my dad had another shot, but I mean, they don’t know anything about this either.”

  Mayra nods and gives me a peck on the cheek. “You’ll figure it out. Whatever you choose, it should be what you want.”

  I kiss her forehead. I know what she’s trying to do. “You know, this school is a lot closer. You could stay here. But my sister’s in Athens too. We could even be roommates if you wanted.”

  She thinks about that and a smile forms on her face. “That would be nice, moving out and being with you, but don’t make that choice just for me. You need to see which school is best for you.”

  I nod. She’s right.

  I get that sinking feeling in my stomach again. I hate it. It feels like the rest of my life depends on this choice, and I have no idea what to do or what the consequences are gonna be. Whatever happens, I just know I don’t want to fail Mayra again.

  I think about everything Coach has told me the past couple of weeks. Mr. Blair had given me some advice too: to take UGA’s offer. I know he’s a big reason I got the offer. Not just him, I tell myself. Me. I had worked hard to achieve this, and now I have to make a choice.

  The Florida and UGA coaches want to know soon. Heck, everyone in our town wants to know. I’d made our local newspaper. The spring signing period just started a few days ago, and each of the schools had called and sent a contract for me to sign.

  They’re in front of me now. One on either side, Florida on the left, UGA on the right. I stare at them, and all I hear is Coach’s breathing from the other side of our dinner table. All I feel is my mom’s hand on my shoulder, my dad’s stare, and my heart beating. And the heavy pen in my hand.

  “It’s a big choice, son,” Coach says, breaking the silence. “And only you can make it.”

  I bite my lip. Florida’s a good school. With a pretty good nation
al ranking. They can help me make a name for myself. And one day head into the NBA. Maybe.

  But UGA’s not bad either. And UGA means so many more things for me, for Mayra.

  But I can’t let that blind me.

  I’ve said so from the beginning that I can’t let anything get in the way of basketball. I’ve made the sacrifices. They haven’t been easy, but even Mayra will understand whatever choice I make.

  I think about everything.

  I take a deep breath and sign.

  It’s been a couple of weeks since I’ve heard from Ryan, so I’m surprised when I see a text from him as I’m heading out the door one morning. He never texts me this early regardless.

  What’s up?

  So are we back to being friends and acknowledging we exist on regular basis now?

  Nothing much. How bout you?

  He replies back a minute later.

  Why don’t you ask me when you see me? Think you can pick me up in a few?

  Weird.

  I think so. Where you going? I’m about to leave for school.

  Just pick me up. I’ll tell you when you get here.

  Okay. Ryan just officially became the king of weird. I finish packing some snacks and head to my car. It’s already warm, so I just throw my stuff in and back out of the driveway. I look at the clock on the dashboard. Damn. I’m already gonna be late and probably won’t have much time for breakfast. If I have to take Ryan somewhere right now, then I’m really gonna be late and definitely won’t make it to the breakfast line before the bell.

  Where the hell does he even need to go right now? Don’t all of his new friends wake up at noon? I think about that. I wake up at noon on the weekends. But they do it every day because they don’t go to school anymore. Either way, if he asks me to take me to some guy’s house so he can get his fix or something, I’m done.

  That’s exactly what I’m thinking as I pull up in front of Ryan’s house. He’s already walking down his driveway towards me. It’s not until he’s almost at my door that I see he has his backpack on. He opens the door and gets in, but I don’t go anywhere.

  “Aren’t we late? We should get going,” he says, looking at me and then the road.

  “We? I’m going to school. You haven’t even told me where you’re going. And why do you need your backpack? Your parents didn’t kick you out, did they? Because if they did, you can stay—”

  He rolls his eyes. “They didn’t kick me out.”

  “Then where are you—”

  “Can I talk for a second?” he asks. “You sound like your mom right now, dude. No offense.”

  “I guess,” I say, but I’m being sarcastic. I still want to know what’s going on, though. “Spit it out.”

  He shrugs. “Not much to say. I’m going to school, just like you.”

  I stare at him for like ten straight seconds. With squinty eyes. No lie. Just the sound of the idling car.

  “You’re serious.” I say.

  He nods. “Don’t I look serious?”

  I keep staring at him with my mouth open, and I’m sure the look on my face right now is really dumb, but I don’t care. Then I slowly turn back to the road. And we drive to school.

  It still feels so weird walking into school with Ryan. I hadn’t even realized until now that I had gotten used to going to school without him. But this is how it should be. Best friend by my side, surviving high school together, and all that crap.

  We barely make it to the breakfast line, and I grab a few chicken biscuits. Then we sit down and eat.

  “I bet you sat all alone all the time I was gone, huh?”

  “That may or may not be true,” I say.

  “It’s true,” he says, shaking his head with a smile.

  It was true. School had pretty much sucked without Ryan. I talked to some other people, but not really. Not like with Ryan. No one else knows our inside jokes, like how the librarian is OCD about people moving the books on the shelves, even an inch.

  The bell rings right after that, and we throw our trash away on the way out.

  “So the counselor said it was okay for you to come back?” I ask.

  “I don’t know yet. I’m actually about to go talk to her right now,” he says.

  “It’s school,” I say. “They’ve gotta let you back in. I’m surprised they let you escape.”

  Two months later

  Graduation takes forever and at the same time goes by way too quickly.

  It takes hours before all of the speeches are done and all of the people ahead of me are called, but once my row is next to go on stage, everything seems like a blur.

  Next thing I know, it’s my turn to walk across the stage because hey, that’s my name, and I hear people cheering for me, and then, bam, it’s over. I’m back at my seat, and I’m like what? That’s it?

  I look at the piece of paper in my hand. The past four years of my life are right here in my hand. It’s kinda sad, but then I realize that I have nothing to be sad about.

  The most important people in my life will still be there. My mom and dad. My sister. Mayra. And Ryan.

  I see Ryan walk across the stage, and I scream as loud as I can, and I hear my family do the same. His mom had said she would come today, but who knows if she actually did. It doesn’t matter, though, because we’re here for him, like we always have been. And always will be.

  Turns out he never turned in the paperwork to officially drop out. I smile and shake my head, remembering. I knew it wasn’t in him to do it. It was like he had given himself a way out in case.

  The counselor and our teachers hadn’t been happy about the weeks of school he missed, but at the end of the day, they were happy he had come back. He’s had to work his ass off before school and after school with a bunch of National Honor Society tutors to catch up, not to mention pass, but he did it. He’s here, at graduation, like he should be.

  At the end of the night, Ryan and I find my family. Our family. His mom didn’t come after all. But that’s okay. He manages to smile as everyone comes together outside.

  Then the floodgates open up, and all of the females in our family cry their eyes out, saying how handsome we look and how proud they are. I see my mom give Ryan an extra big hug, and I think it’s awesome.

  What floors me, though, is seeing my dad tear up.

  “We just can’t believe all of our kids are in good places. Going to college.” And as she says it, she hugs Mayra and Ryan too.

  A lot of people think of graduations as the end of something, but really it’s the beginning.

  Epilogue

  I walk out onto the court with rest of the UGA basketball team, and I can’t believe the crowd. This definitely isn’t high school basketball anymore. I look for my parents, my girlfriend, my best friend, and my sister. They’re here somewhere, cheering me on, since it’s my first game of the season. I’m not starting tonight. Heck, I might not even play. I’m only a freshman, but they’re here all the same.

  I see a group of people stand up and cheer and wave at me as I look around the coliseum. And I see that it’s them, and I smile and wave back before warming up with everyone else.

  I can’t help but think about how happy my family looks. Mayra and I aren’t living together like we’d planned, but we’re happy. She and Ariana just got an apartment together here in Athens. She just finished her transfer paperwork for Athens Tech. Meanwhile, I’m staying in a dorm on campus. Mayra and I decided to take things slow and see how things develop on their own. We still see each other a lot, considering our crazy schedules, but we each have time for what we love, and we make it work.

  Deciding between Florida and UGA hadn’t been easy, but once I realized how Mayra had never failed me, I decided there was no way I could be far away from her. Best choice I ever made.

  Ryan ended up going to technical school. He’s going into welding. He also has a full-time job and finally moved out of his parents’ house. He lives in the next town over now. We still hang out. And Ariana. I t
hink she’s finally moving on. I see it in her eyes, and she laughs more.

  Before I know it, the game is starting, and I jog over to the bench and sit down. I look at Coach Landon. He’s with his assistant coach, and they’re already discussing something and looking between their clipboards and the starting players.

  I wish I was one of those players, out on the court right now, but I know my time will come. The tallest guy on our team, Theo, meets the other team’s player at the center of the court. They get ready for the jump ball. The ref is about to throw the ball up in the air.

  I turn to the scoreboard. Blank slate.

  Author’s Note

  First, I just want to take a moment to say thank you. I especially loved writing Jimmy and Mayra’s story.

  The truth is the entire series has been shaped by what I went through when I was a teenager. It’s not an easy thing being that age, but it’s also one of the best times in your life :) I can’t help but be reminded of my teenage self when I’m writing this series, the version of me that thought for certain she knew what she was doing but definitely did not.

  FUN FACT: The poem that Jimmy shares in chapter 6 was actually written by my nephew, Luis Flores. Like Jimmy, he is a very talented basketball player, and he works very hard at it. Thank you, Luis, for allowing me to use your poem in All In :)

  The Story Continues in Letting Go

  Get ready to read Carlos’s story (from Better Off, the prequel to the Changing Hearts series; see below on how to get that book for free!).

  It’s the most intense thing I’ve written so far, and you’re gonna love it.

  Download Letting Go at books2read.com/lettinggo

  Maybe not everybody gets to come back from their mistakes…

  Carlos Herrera just did six months in prison. He wants to move on and forget his past, especially what he did to his girlfriend Valerie back in high school.